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…

My friend who is a big KHN fan tracked down Midnight Runners with a VPN via ?Japanese Netflix. She gave it a 👍

I’ve seen Midnight Runners it’s definitely 👍👍

Navillera 🥺

Navillera is flippin’ lovely. I’m only 2/3 way through and I’ve already welled up several times.

@JinBhoot

I am enjoying #BinOfTheDay.... It will be awesome if real Bin discovers this thread and look forward to daily updates.

I'm imagining someone trying to explain Mumsnet and #Binoftheday to him Finished watching marriage not dating which was worth watching and now started Vincenzo whilst waiting for the next episode of sell your haunted house, I liked the use of dramatic music as Vincenzo's looking round the house Had anyone watched Hello me? I'm tempted because of Kim Young-Kwang but not seen anyone else mention it.

[quote JinBhoot]This looks funny Midnight Runners

[/quote] It's good fun! Switch your brain off and just enjoy the mayhem!... Can't remember where I watched it though! Prob a dodgy link from @bettys! 😂🤣

Navillera at DEFCON noisy nose blow and rising.

Hello Me.. @Hydrogensonata... @boatyardblues started it... Not sure if she finished it... Boaty?... I started to... Didn't grab me straight away... Will prob pick it up when current watches finished... 👍

@Bea

Hello Me.. *@Hydrogensonata... @boatyardblues* started it... Not sure if she finished it... Boaty?... I started to... Didn't grab me straight away... Will prob pick it up when current watches finished... 👍

I watched all of it & posted about it whilst it was broadcasting. It’s a nice little drama, a bit broad and silly in places but has a lot of heart. A solid 7/10 but no more. The FL and her younger self are well cast and do a good job. Kim Young-Kwang delivers a solid KYK with plenty of likeable goofiness.

Anyone watched a witch's romance? I'm almost at the end of my love from the star (episode 19), and...it just hasn't really.grabbed me in the way I hoped.its OK, and they're sweet. But he's just so completely monosyllabic, I am finding it rather boring. Honestly not sure I can be arsed with the final couple of episodes. I think I need more fluff. And more smooching. I loved Goblin even though it was slower and not so fluffy, but it was really epic and more mutual. But really my absolute faves have been CLOY and everything I've seen with park seo joon (who I luffs almost as much as captain ri 💗 ). So I might just have a couple of episodes of noona-romance for the giggles and snogs. God, in real life I have a serious job and everything!

I just started She is The One on Viki - total cdrama fluff, but it’s just what I need tonight.

What is it with ML and their manly black Jeeps?

Larry I’m sorry you’re not enjoying My Love from the Star. The ending is very sweet and the wicked Chaebol gets his come-uppance which is satisfying.

We are now watching The Producers as we wanted a break from getting over-invested in sob fests.
It’s funny, albeit cringe, though I think as a non Korean I’m missing a few in jokes and references.
Gosh, Kim Soo Hyun is a brilliant actor - he can turn his hand to anything. I know It’s Okay not to be Okay is meant to be superb but I think I would find it too harrowing, and also apparently there are vomiting scenes which as an emetophobe I try to avoid.
(Not always easy - not sure why directors feel it necessary to include them so often).

it's OK not to be OK is fantastic, I don't remember any vomiting scenes but I could be wrong. I didnt find it harrowing actually, although it definitely is very emotional. I just loved the relationship between the brothers so much, it was beautifully done.

I've got one episode of Goblin left, from the preview it looks traumatic! I almost don't want to watch! 😬🙈

Gong Yoo is fantastic in it, and so dreamy! I wish I was the Goblin Bride! 😂 (although not if the ending isn't happy!)

@Andante57 in going to watch It's okay to not be okay next

Ohhhhh I loved Goblin so much, lovely lovely Kim Shin ❤💕💖

Yes Gong Yoo is just wonderful. My poor DH is just so underwhelming

@LarryUnderwood I wasn't that fussed about My Love From The Stars either.

LOL at DH being so underwhelming 😂😂😂!!! I know right!?! I need to have a word with mine. Why arent you a super rich, v good looking immortal??? Or at least an up and coming cage fighter???

I wasn't that fussed about My Love From The Stars either.

Me either. It was a pleasing diversion but not a biggie for me.

The ML is She is the One seems to be wearing contouring make-up/blusher to emphasise his chiselled cheekbones in pretty much every scene.

#BinofTheDay is... 🌺🌺🌺🌺

BLOSSOM BIN! (aka Bin on bin day)

I’m also watching She is the One. While I wait for episodes and subtitles, I’ve also started Touch your heart, which I’m enjoying.

Two of the actors from Goblin are the main characters in Touch your Heart.

@polkettle

#BinofTheDay is... 🌺🌺🌺🌺

BLOSSOM BIN! (aka Bin on bin day)

Aigoo so pretty!

@polkettle

#BinofTheDay is... 🌺🌺🌺🌺

BLOSSOM BIN! (aka Bin on bin day)

Oh Pol, this is my favourite so far. Do you have a burner Instagram account you could post these on? It seems a shame that they are not seen more widely (though I wouldn’t want internet weirdos finding these threads). Is that a real hanbok? And are you wearing it for your big party?

Blossom Bin!! 🥰

Who knew he would look so good in a hanbok?