MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #23): Need help sorting your low stakes Cdrama nerd poppets from your kdrama oppas and flower boys? C’mon in!

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the K-curious. Most of our viewing is drawn from Netflix and Viki, with a sprinkling of AmazonPrime. There are also platforms streaming content illegally if you go looking, but we don’t promote them as they are peppered with pop-ups of “Olga” and friends offering a good time, which gets in the way of the drama. We also dip into Japanese, Taiwanese & Chinese drama as & when.

The previous thread is here but our ‘Addicts Recommend’ list below is cumulative so includes recommendations and favourites from all previous threads.


Shows marked with an asterisk are more uniformly loved or admired. In categorising series, its important to note most Korean dramas have multiple strands - e.g. supernatural, romance and a thriller; crime series with fantasy elements. Genre-busting mash-ups are normal. Series that are tagged as dark may also have moments of comedy or the absurd, likewise fluff can have heavier moments. View the categories below as best approximate & ask if you need guidance, eg about suitability for younger teens.

Comedy (with a side order of absurd)
I picked up a celebrity on the street (Viki)
My Fellow Citizens (Viki/Netflix)
The Fiery Priest (Netflix)

Crime/Thriller

Come and Hug Me (Dramafast)
Graceful Family (Viki)
Healer (Netflix)*
Heartless City (Viki)
He is Psychometric (Viki)
I Hear Your Voice (Netflix /Viki)

Life on Mars (classy remake of BBC series, no major site yet)
My Secret Terrius (Netflix)*
Signal (Netflix)*
Stranger - 2 seasons (Netflix)
Suspicious Partner (Netflix)*
The Lies Within (Netflix)*
Tunnel (Netflix)*

Historical/Period drama (“sageuk”)
100 Days My Prince (Viki/Netflix)
Crowned Clown (Viki)*
Mr Queen (Viki)*
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (Netflix)
Tale of Nokdu (Viki/Netflix)*

Romance - lighter & fluffier
Beating Again (Netflix)
Coffee Prince (Netflix)
Don’t Dare to Dream (Netflix, or as Jealousy Incarnate on Viki)*
Gogh, The Starry Night (Viki)

Happy Once Again (Netflix)
Her Private Life (Viki)*

His Master’s Sun (Netflix)

Love from a Star (Netflix)*
Lovestruck in the City (Netflix)
Pinocchio (Netflix)
Radio Romance (Netflix)

Romance is the Bonus Book (Netflix)*
Run On (Netflix)

She Was Pretty (Netflix)*
The Beauty Inside (Viki/Netflix)
The Secret Life of My Secretary (Viki/Netflix)
Thirty Not Seventeen (Viki) or as Still 17 (Netflix)
To My Star [BL] (Viki)
True Beauty (Viki)
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Netflix/Viki)

What’s Up With Secretary Kim (Viki)*
Where Stars Land (Viki)*
You are my Destiny (Netflix)
You Make Me Dance [BL] (Viki)


Romance - heavier weight/more grown up themes
Another Miss Oh (Netflix)*
Because This Is My First Life (Viki/Netflix)*

Chicago Typewriter (Viki/Netflix)*
Crash Landing on You (Netflix)**
Descendants of the Sun (Viki/Netflix)
Doctors (Netflix)
Fight For My Way (Viki/Netflix)*
Go Back Couple (Viki)
I’ll Go To You When The Weather is Nice (Viki)
It’s OK Not To Be OK (Netflix)

Just Between Lovers (Viki)*
Melo is my Nature (Viki)/Be Melodramatic (other sites)
My Strange Hero (Viki)
One Spring Night (Netflix)
Red Carpet - film (Netflix, very adult content)
Romantic Dr Kim - seasons 1&2 (Viki)
Search: WWW (Viki)*

Something in the Rain (Netflix)
The Handmaid (film, Netflix - content warning: explicit sexual content)
The Package (Viki)

Straighter ‘Slice of Life’ dramas on universal themes
Hospital Playlist (Netflix)
Into The Ring (Viki)
Itaewon Class (Netflix)
Live (Netflix)
Misaeng (Netflix)*
My Mister (Viki/Netflix)*
My Unfamiliar Family (Viki)*
Navillera (Netflix)*
Prison Playbook (Netflix)*

Once Again (Viki)
Stove League (Viki)/Hot Stove League (Netflix)

Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - lighter & fluffier
Extraordinary You (Netflix)
Goblin (Viki)*

I am not a Robot (Netflix)
Legend of the Blue Sea (Viki/Netflix)
Kiss Goblin (Viki, webdrama)
My Holo Love (Netflix)*
Orange Marmalade (Netflix)
While You Were Sleeping (Viki)*



Supernatural/zombies/vampires/fantasy/sci-fi - darker/more grown up themes
#Alive (Netflix)
Black (Netflix)*
Hotel del Luna (Viki/Netflix)*
King: The Eternal Monarch (Netflix)
Kingdom (Netflix)*

Mystic Pop-up Bar (Netflix)
Peninsula - film, Train to Busan sequel (Amazon Prime, iMovies)
Sisyphus (Netflix)
The Guest (Netflix)
Train to Busan - film (Amazon Prime)

W: Two Worlds (Viki & Netflix)*
Zombie Detective (Viki)


Guilty Pleasures (for the joy, not the quality)
Bride of Habaek (Netflix)
Hwarang (Viki/Netflix)
My Secret Romance (Viki)
The Last Empress (Viki/Netflix)
Sassy Go Go (Netflix)



Mad as a box of frogs/uncategorisable

Strong Girl Bong Soon (Netflix)
School Nurse Files (Netflix)

Not Korean ‘You May Also Like’
Regulars also branch out into Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese drama. The Chinese & Taiwanese stuff is much more variable quality-wise, so we’ve noted anything decent here:

Before We Get Married (Viki - Taiwanese)
Find Yourself (Netflix - Chinese)
Go Go Squid (Viki - Chinese)
Instead of Tipsy Why Not Get Drunk (Viki, Chinese)
Lost Romance (Viki, Taiwanese)
Love O2O (Viki, Chinese)
Morning Call (Netflix, Japanese)
My Little Happiness (Viki, Chinese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix, Chinese)
Some Day or One Day (Viki, Taiwanese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)
You Are My Hero (Viki, Chinese)*

Thread Regulars’ Top Scoring Dramas of 2020 (updated for thread #21)
Courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by/for thread regulars. Marks out of 10.

1 - Mr Queen - 9.4 (5 votes)
2 - Parasite - 9.05 (10 Votes)
3 - It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88 (9 Votes)
4 - The Uncanny Counter - 8.50 (4 Votes)
5 - Once Again - 8.42 (6 Votes)

2019’s top scoring dramas:

1. Her Private Life - 9.40 (5 votes)
2. Melo is My Nature - 9.00 (5 votes)

3.= Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within, and The Tale of Nokdu - 8.75 (4 votes)

1. Hotel del Luna - 8.50 (4 votes)

5.= Romance is a Bonus Book, and Search: WWW - 8.17 (6 votes)

We are generally fans of all things Korean, so equally happy to talk about Korean cookery, language, film and music when the mood takes us. Quite a few of us are learning Korean, Japanese and/or Mandarin (some more diligently than others admittedly), so we swap tips and links to language resources. Basically, anything topical goes.


We have a few frequently used acronyms:

FL/2FL = female lead/2nd female lead

ML/2ML = male lead/2nd male lead
🥾🍑 (boot, peach) = kick up the bum to go to bed



We also abbreviate titles if they’re long, but explained or with an obvious abbreviation. Some favourite actors & actresses have been abbreviated for speed/efficiency, eg Park Min Young (PMY), Kim Jae Wook (KJW). Don’t be afraid to ask for help/clues if we’re not making sense or have descended into acronym soup.



If you want to join us down the kdrama rabbit hole, welcome! Pull up a chair, say goodbye to early nights and get stuck in…

LOVED LOVED LOVED the White Van of Doom 👍🚛

boaty I suppose the English language equivalent to makjang is jumping the shark…although that doesn’t quite get the gleeful element across

It’s not as punchy. Makjang can be shouted out bingo-style when the plot overplays its hand.

The younger brother in Use All Your Talents is uncharacteristically broad of shoulder and hunky for a fey younger sibling. You can see why FL’s BFF has had her head turned. 😁

I'm enjoying Law School Pol. It does take a bit of concentration for the first couple of episodes, but that gets a bit better as time goes on... Its a good who donnit, and Prof Yang might get a nomination for Unlikely Oppa from me 👍

I just confessed my crush on 'Asia Mart' man to DH whilst telling him about our Daebak awards 😂

Just finished ep4 of Vincenzo
Boss OMG 😮

Is anybody watching Move to Heaven?

@bettys

LOVED LOVED LOVED the White Van of Doom 👍🚛

boaty I suppose the English language equivalent to makjang is jumping the shark…although that doesn’t quite get the gleeful element across

Just finished SYHH and yes excellent use of the truck of doom!

I might have to put in a vote for Ahn Gil-Kang as unlikely Oppa (or Ajusshi strictly speaking) - perhaps it's just me though...

I might have to put in a vote for Ahn Gil-Kang as unlikely Oppa (or Ajusshi strictly speaking) - perhaps it's just me though...

I can kind of see this one Hydrogen. I thought he was vaguely attractive in Weightlifting Fairy with his hair swept back in an Alice band.

Ahn Gil-Kang could also be in the running for the Dennis Waterman Award

@bettys

Ahn Gil-Kang could also be in the running for the Dennis Waterman Award

Snigger

Doom at your Service is brilliant! I’m going to have to watch episode 2 before I go to bed, aren’t I?

Park Bo Young is magnificent too. 🙌

Doom at your Service is now my favourite thing on telly. Team leader is carrying a torch for FL, no? And yes, great finish for ep 2. I’m pleased that it is cracking along.

And now for the 🥾🍑

I'll give you a 👢 Boaty.... Go to bed!

OH Mr Lixian! 😍😍

@bettys

OH Mr Lixian! 😍😍

He can Lixian me anytime...

Anyone else feel like FL in Antifan has better chemistry with ML’s manager than the ML? I’m watching the evening scene of the two of them in the Japanese restaurant and they could totally go out drinking after and end up in the sack together.

Oh...the whole of Move to Heaven is on Netflix at once and it's a rainy day...oh...

Oh...the whole of Move to Heaven is on Netflix at once and it's a rainy day...oh...

You should curl up with Mr Binn…oh wait….curling isn’t exactly his forte…

I noticed that too ... I am not emotionally ready to watch it yet.
I need fluff to counter the sadness & tears.

You should curl up with Mr Binn…oh wait….curling isn’t exactly his forte…

Lawks - if I had curled up with him I'd have turned his strong cardboard shoulders all soggy. First episode a TOTAL blub fest. Approach with caution. And tissues 😢

@boatyardblues

Doom at your Service is now my favourite thing on telly. Team leader is carrying a torch for FL, no? And yes, great finish for ep 2. I’m pleased that it is cracking along.

And now for the 🥾🍑

Doom at your service is fab! I've already watched it twice and I definitely think the team leader is carrying a torch for the FL.

Who else is up for the Denis Waterman award? I spotted Kim ji-soek as another cheating slightly pathetic husband in Doom in a similar vein to when the camelia blooms- but 2 appearances isn't enough for that award!

It's a rainy day and I had my Covid jab yesterday so spending the day on the sofa feeling a bit sorry for myself and K-Dramaing the rest of the day away!

@boatyardblues

Anyone else feel like FL in Antifan has better chemistry with ML’s manager than the ML? I’m watching the evening scene of the two of them in the Japanese restaurant and they could totally go out drinking after and end up in the sack together.

I thought exactly the same while watching this episode. ML will need to massively redeem himself in the coming episodes. Really haven’t taken to him after he’s been so horrible to her.

Episode 2 of Move to Heaven no tissues required thankfully but -PSA- not one to eat your lunch to 🤢 Having to drag myself away as Mr Binn has an outfit appointment (the social cardboard whirl) but already hooked.

Polkettle - Move to Heaven, could you be a bit more specific about the 🤢 scenes, please?
As an emetophobe I have to get dramas vetted.
Am I right in saying the youngest soldier in CLOY has a leading part in this?
Hope he’s not cancelled like handsome Lt Park.

What happens to all these cancelled Korean actors? Can they ever redeem themselves, gain forgiveness and start acting again or are their careers finished?
Lt Park or Lee Shin Young denied the allegations of bullying which came out around when CLOY was coming to its last episodes, and his agency threatened legal action against his accusers. He had a couple more parts and won an award for one of them but he’s now vanished without trace.

Definitely- I'm struggling to warm to the ML in Antifan - he's just so constantly rude, condescending and two faced.
There's some serious making up to do, either that or huge surprise twist and she ditches him for the manager.