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…

😂 The description of someone with type O blood in that link is like someone describing the exact opposite of me

Same @TheGirlWithTheArabStrap.

"natural athlete" BWAHAHA

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Same *@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap*.

"natural athlete" BWAHAHA

Actually, the rest is pretty accurate 😳

The blood type/personality thing is not something I've seen reflected in K-dramas. Have I missed a huge cultural reference?

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I’ve mostly seen blood types mentioned in AsianWiki etc rather than in dramas.

I’m another O - and apart from the natural athlete 🤣 there is some truth in the rest….

Right, so there’s a bunch of you who are Rh- universal donors? Road trip to SK!

[quote TheGirlWithTheArabStrap]**@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![/quote]
I feel like I've watched EVERYTHING!!!..... 😂😂😂😂😂... Dh will testify! 🙄😖😖😖
.. when I come across something I've not seen I'm... 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯😂😂😂😂🤭🤭🤭🤭... I think I've neglected the house / family for the last 2+ years!! 😁😁😁😁😁😂😱😱😱

I can't remember... But has anyone starred Octagenarians on Viki with Westlife Loving Swat Captain?...

Pol did, she said there was an even slower burn romance for Captain Westlife (and nosnogs)

I am filling the on air gaps with a cdrama spiral of Zheng Zehan, ML from Word of Honour while getting Vicenzo FOMO - how to fit it all in? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Currently on Everyone Wants To Meet You (Viki) which is chock full of tropes and v formulaic but has the advantage of nice scenery (Bordeaux at the start), nice visuals (ML relaxes by swimming), nice 2ML (Riley Wang) but disadvantage of v v annoying 2FL, dragging plot line - just TELL him he’s the long-lost son! - and superfluous characters.

I have done it ALL Bea: Sweet enough but snogless. All about the elderly characters really.
Started Tomorrow With You on s-in-l recc to fill current screener gap. Anyone done? Doesn't seem to be on spreadsheet.

I started it somewhere at the beginning of my Kdrama viewing, pol, but didn't get past the first episode, can't remember why now.

It's timey-wimey and clearly going to be teary too but enjoying it so far. Good cast.

Watching Law School really does not make me have much faith in the Korean judicial system 😬😬

For me its between Enemies to Lovers & Contract Dating

I like it when people just meet, coincidentally but that's not on the list. 🤔From that list I'd go friends to lovers

Contract Dating - my fave!

Same @JinBhoot!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick blood type compatibility comes up in 'Start Up' as ML is very sceptical of it!

I don't think I'm anything like my blood type either but the quiz was really interesting!

It’s a toss up between enemies to lovers and contract dating for me, though on reflection that’s kinda messed up. 🤣

@jinbhoot same here!
Watched last night SYHH but now I need tonight's to be subbed ASAP!
Just 3 days till the next episode of Doom... 😁

I’m rewatching Doom ep 4. I like how she’s in pale PJs in the bed scene, the yin to his yang.

We are on the downhill run to the new thread and we are filling them quickly these days, so have a think about additions to the OP. I need category and platform (if its not dead obvious) as well as title.

@boatyardblues

I’m rewatching Doom ep 4. I like how she’s in pale PJs in the bed scene, the yin to his yang.

We are on the downhill run to the new thread and we are filling them quickly these days, so have a think about additions to the OP. I need category and platform (if its not dead obvious) as well as title.

I liked that she was wearing PJ's and not fully dressed including a coat...

Ah just now appreciating the full magnificence of the LS elephant jigsaw collection Rowdy. Decorating wise Prof Yang is a man who knows what he likes.

@Rowdythree

Watching Law School really does not make me have much faith in the Korean judicial system 😬😬

Jury selection was a bit of an eye opener! There seems to be conflicts of interest and corruption at every turn in this show!

It's what makes it so gripping I suppose 😬