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…

Taxi Driver is on my to watch list but haven’t got round to it yet.

Caught up with SIMAA-F.

I mean, it's watchable, but I just don't care about the characters. Anyone else?

My main concern with SIMAA-F is that the bitch bully schoolgirl gets what’s coming to her….

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Caught up with SIMAA-F.

I mean, it's watchable, but I just don't care about the characters. Anyone else?

Nope, I’m right with you there.

We’ve still got c.50 posts left on this thread but I’m going out for a few hours & I didn’t want to leave you without somewhere to go if this one fills up so here is thread 24:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/4251623-MsLatt-s-Daebak-Cybercaf-Kdrama-addicts-24-where-we-lean-in-to-our-obsession-Non-judgmental-support-served-up-with-a-side-order-of-kpop?watched=1

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Caught up with SIMAA-F.

I mean, it's watchable, but I just don't care about the characters. Anyone else?

Same. I’ve moved on to DAYS and will check out Taxi Driver.

I am Not Sure about SIMTAF birthday shiny negligee come built in shirt with beret combo.

Could this be an award category for the Daebak Awards... The Crimes Against Fashion award 🏆

I think so although if CDramas were allowed to compete they would romp home with the silverware.
It's a bit like an unsuccessful entry in the transformation challenge bit of Sewing Bee.

Well now I'm fuming about the whole queuing business. Get out now love he ain't worf it.

@Rowdythree

Could this be an award category for the Daebak Awards... The Crimes Against Fashion award 🏆

Oh yes please! This category is sorely needed. By the way, did anyone keep a tally of all the suggested Daebak Award categories?

By the time next spring comes round we’ll have lost track of which thread this was discussed on & MN advanced search is not great.

I'll go back and make a note if no one else has done it. I'll ask DH to make us a spreadsheet 😂💻

Ah, thanks Rowdy!

I’ve got to the awkward birthday party in SIMAA-F, which is as jolly as a funeral. I thought the shiny negligee was a publicly presented gift, which would have been bad enough, but this outfit is definitely a contender for the Daebak Awards Crimes Against Fashion award. They need to keep FL away from heat sources and flames. 😱

Omo! I’ve just realised the blouse and shiny negligee are a single, integral item. 🤯 What drugs are these fashion designers on? If Dali had gone into fashion instead of painting melting clocks, this is how it might have turned out.

I'll go back and make a note if no one else has done it. I'll ask DH to make us a spreadsheet 😂💻

Ooooh that would be fab Rowdy I made a list several posts back but there have been more hilarious meaningful award suggestions. It'll take skills I def don't have to work out how to add nominations to the awards list...and would your dh tag it on to the existing spreadsheet or start from scratch?

How are we going to do the voting? Will it be a doodlepoll or in the spreadsheet? We need somewhere to capture nominations as we go through the year (with episode and timestamp) and somewhere we can vote.

Noting in passing that Kim Sun Hyuk, the ML’s manager in SIMAA-F, is 44 (born Nov 1977) is an age appropriate oppa 👏 and looking mighty fine for a man in his forties.

Just the right age for an Oppa! He looks great, I would have put him at about 36ish

Not sure about the voting Boaty, I'll have a think about it. If anyone has any ideas let me know 👍

Just realised he's the same age as DH... My DH, on the other hand, does not look 36 😬

He is very dishy 🥰

I am slowly trudging through 45 episodes of Sunshine of my life simply to watch Zhang Han's facial expressions as he does a great line in "god I am being a prat but I can't help it" face 🤦🏻

Chinese Peter André! He does a good line in silk PJ's and overly masterful snogging too.

I am not loving Use All Your Talents. Not even lovely Jasper can save it. In fact I was so exasperated by his Benny Hill paw-the-help behaviour earlier this week that I watched the counterpart Kdrama episode and, my God, it was a breath of fresh air. The FL had a spine and boundaries. Between the glacial romantic pace of some cdrama and the highly questionable sexual politics and passive FLs of the slightly racier ones, I think I might be done with cdrama. It just doesn’t rock my world like kdrama.

overly masterful snogging

Should this be in the Daebak Awards? As in worst? Or maybe Most Startled Snog? Or Starey-Eyed-My-Lips-Are-Frozen Snog?

Between the glacial romantic pace of some cdrama and the highly questionable sexual politics and passive FLs of the slightly racier ones, I think I might be done with cdrama. It just doesn’t rock my world like kdrama.

I have to agree boaty, it is much more patchy, but there are some good/enjoyable ones like Love Is Sweet or Love Designer. And my most recent fave Word Of Honour had just the best chemistry between the MLs even without snogs. Flirtiest fighting I've ever seen

The Daebak Award for the Kiss Least Likely to lead to rumpy pumpy 😘

@Cassini surely that has to go to MLFTS, with the ever present threat of fainting/fever/death whenever Do Min Jun comes into contact with the slightest trace of saliva!