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…

DAYS = Doom At Your Service

My my, they cram a lot into episode 4 of Vincenzo, don't they? 😳😁

I KNEW that's who the real boss was going to be! #smert

Thank you, boatyardblues.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick took me ages to get over the 'real boss' thing!

I think I'm a tiny (massive) bit in love with Song Joong-ki.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I love SJK much to DH's disgust. 😳 DOTS started it off for me (army uniform) and Vincenzo did not help. I hadn't noticed him in Arthdal as I was convinced he was as young as he looks, and not actually the same age as me!

SJK is a dandy little pony. I like my oppas carthorse proportioned or race horse leggy.

He looks like a baby! How is he 35?!

SJK is in perfect territory for a Noona Romance with me so hands off!

I am also RH neg, is there a thesis topic on there somewhere... English middle aged ladies with Rh neg blood types = kdrama fandom 🤣

Covert chaebol is a good call for the Team Leader.

And no spoiling Vicenzo, I am saving it for a weekend binge 📺

@Rowdythree

He looks like a baby! How is he 35?!

Botox.

@sakura06 I have to say duolingo, memrise, rosetta stone etc have really done some good marketing but the evidence just doesn't stack up when it comes to effectiveness. This is an interesting article about language learning apps for anyone who's interested. www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/573919/

On another note, I am finally abput to get stuck into vincenzo episode 5 after work and a snowballing BTS obsession derailed my kdrama plans for this week. Whoop!

Cassini I like your theory! There definitely seems to be a trend. 😂 Omo, imagine if we all went to SK at the same time, got into a white truck of doom accident, and needed transfusions! We'd deplete the whole country's supply! 😱

Boaty I'd like to know SJK's botox person! 👍😁

But we might be compatible as donors for one another, provided we weren’t all bleeding out at the same time.

Finished Vincenzo it was really fun watch ... they should do another series on his mafia life.
My first Song Joong-ki drama & I agree with @FedUpWithBriiiiick. I think it’s mainly to do with his combed back hair.

In last episode... was vineyard scene referring to something? Have they hidden someone’s corpse there? PM me if it’s spoiler.

I read some where Vincenzo ML & FL were real couple & brokeup while filming.

I'm rh- too!!!

And also have developed full blown SJK crush. To add to the PSJ and HB crushes...

@boatyardblues

But we might be compatible as donors for one another, provided we weren’t all bleeding out at the same time.

True 😂

I need to watch Vincenzo, I have FOMO! 5 more episodes of Reply and I can start it 👍

@boatyardblues

SJK is a dandy little pony. I like my oppas carthorse proportioned or race horse leggy.

Have to agree there boaty- he's a touch shorter than me so I won't fight you for him, although I'd agree how on earth is he 35? I also can't believe Kang NaRa is 40! I'd love to know the secret. And to look that good in all black....

I though DAYS team leader and friend he lived with were a couple at first - I'd put him down as a potential secret chaebol..

Perhaps time everyone's trips to SK or just be very, very careful of crossing the street and look out for multiple white trucks of doom..

Watching BTS vids and drinking beer. Love a Wednesday.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick and @LarryUnderwood I don't think it's possible to have ever watched all the BTS content so you'll be busy forever 😂. I'm about 8 episodes off watching all of Run BTS. I feel like I should get a special badge or something when I complete it!

I'm all caught up with DAYS now. Its excellent so far. I love the FL and ML, and the premise of the story.
The team lead definitely has elven/chaebol vibes going on

SJK doesn't do it for me. Agree with boaty he's a shiny pony 🐎

But in blood news I'm O pos, so can travel to SK without worrying about bleeding out 🩸🩸🩸.
Also O pos is a favoured blood group if using the blood type/personality system 😁👍

theculturetrip.com/asia/south-korea/articles/how-koreans-predict-personality-by-blood-type/

Anyone watching Youth of May ? Clips keep popping on my Insta feed.

Love the Rh - and middle aged theme! 😂

SJK is definitely not my usual type (which could be why DH is so put out as my usual type tends to look like him). He says SJK is like a porcelain doll. He is very shiny in Vincenzo. I think he's a great actor though and that's definitely part of the attraction.

@JinBhoot you read they Jeon Yeo Been and Song Joong Ki were a real couple? I would love that. They are utterly adorable in interviews together. Also, I think the consensus on Reddit was the vineyard was significant, yes.

@LarryUnderwood my personal experience would definitely tally with that. I'm finding Duolingo useful in a language I have a strong grounding in, but Korean was almost impossible without starting with a book first.