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…

I am rooting for the manager. He is better looking IMO and looks to be way more fun. Maybe a candidate for one of the Daebak Award categories?

You would definitely need to avoid a section of episode 2 @Andante57 I'll give a timestamp and assess the rest of the series and then let you know whether it's safe.

Is there another half series still to drop for Use for my Talent? It ended most oddly part way through the story.

Polkettle thank you for answering.
It’s a shame K dramas have started introducing vomiting scenes - their absence was one of the things I liked about them as it meant I could sit back and relax.

I think it's going to be 24 episodes Boaty

@Andante57 - it's in plot context and not alcohol related in this case so a good chance the rest of the series will be okay I think.

@boatyardblues

I am rooting for the manager. He is better looking IMO and looks to be way more fun. Maybe a candidate for one of the Daebak Award categories?

So I have to jump in here and say that the manager in SIMTAF is the inspiration behind the Dennis Waterman Award, he played the best friend in 1% of something and it was the same character even down to the Sam suit! He was nicer than the ML in that too 🥰

We need an award for the most Tsundere ML who manages (or not) to redeem himself by the end 😡

I have no idea where Doom At Your Service is going but I am so there for the ride!

Plus - #randomthought - I haven't seen anyone look so cool with a drooping unlit cig for aaaaaages

I just rewatched Doom at your Service. It’s really, really good. Like CLOY or Her Private Life good. God I love Park Bo Young. Seo In-Guk is perfect for this role too. I am perturbed by the team leader’s frozen face - he looks far too young to be hitting the botox, although maybe that’s the point.

ML's outfits in SMHH are awful. Half cowboy, half missionary. 😂

Lee So Hyuk (team leader in DAYS) always looks like that....I rather like him for no good reason other than he plays a good vampire and looks like an elf

GLORIOUS WHITE TRUCK OF DOOM!!!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick isn’t it just??😂😂

Now catching up with SIMAA-F and just caught a glimpse of Sung Hoon oooh!

He does obnoxious chaebol so well! Probably not many chances for him to show off his swimming skills in this drama though

[quote bettys]@FedUpWithBriiiiick isn’t it just??😂😂

Now catching up with SIMAA-F and just caught a glimpse of Sung Hoon oooh![/quote]
I know. YUMMERS!

I feel like I can't keep up with all the drama's I want to watch at the moment! There's too many to watch! I'm up to date with Law School need to watch ep 6 of SIMAA-F, finished It's okay it's Love and I'm halfway through Reply 1988 😅 it's like a full time job trying to keep up with everything!

@Rowdythree I know!! And I keep getting FOMO when someone mentions something I haven’t seen yet! 😱😱

@bettys

He does obnoxious chaebol so well! Probably not many chances for him to show off his swimming skills in this drama though

He certainly does! Currently watching my secret romance as I've not watched it before and feeling a bit poorly post Covid jab so staying put on the sofa and he's doing an excellent obnoxious chaebol so far.

I think SIMAF manager is definitely up for the Denis Waterman and possibly some sort of award for supporting character you'd ditch the ML for?

I think SIMAF manager is definitely up for the Denis Waterman and possibly some sort of award for supporting character you'd ditch the ML for?

That'd be the SLS Award maybe (second lead syndrome)

I'm finding the on-off romance between the ex-gf & ex-friend tedious

Did anyone else think they could have built a better hotel on that lovely strand rather than that blocky monster?

I want to go for a swim in the turquiose ocean around that crappy hotel. I don’t see the point of having a pool when the sea right next to it looks even nicer, but perhaps they have jellyfish or sharks.

I’d like to suggest an award for best soju bomb or drinks set up in a kdrama. I just saw the soju bomb line up in the preview at the end of ep 2 Vincenzo and realised our omission. We could also have the ‘most effective plot-advancing drunk scene’. It’s a rich seam to be sure.

What about best soju response @boatyardblues ?

Best kkkkkkkkkkkkkkk ahhhhh award?

I think my current problem with SIMTAF is that because all the who-did-wrong-by-who stuff from the past is being made deliberately muddy for Reasons of Plot the end result is I really don't care much about anybody in that triangle.

But halfway through Move to Heaven and 👍👍 to anyone looking to fill the heartwarmer noseblower gap left by Navillera finishing. Same actress n everything.

@polkettle

I think my current problem with SIMTAF is that because all the who-did-wrong-by-who stuff from the past is being made deliberately muddy for Reasons of Plot the end result is I really don't care much about anybody in that triangle.

That is a good point. Totally.

I'm enjoying it to the extent that it has a good premise, and I like the FL, but we are already 6 eps in and it's very slow. We haven't even had the first episode of the "show" aired yet!

Also, editing is a little shoddy again - seems to be a common thing with recent rom-cons...