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…

@JinBhoot

I see Boaty & Betty, seeing you guys there made me so happy. Just like running into old friend in a most unexpected & random place

At least we can all find one another and decide where to decamp too if MN goes up in smoke.

To..

Aaah, Navillera was wonderful. I blubbed during the airport send off. It was note perfect - a very deserving 10/10. Chae-Rok looked amazing in sharp tailoring at the end. Song Kang is brilliant - one to watch, I think.

@boatyardblues

Aaah, Navillera was wonderful. I blubbed during the airport send off. It was note perfect - a very deserving 10/10. Chae-Rok looked amazing in sharp tailoring at the end. Song Kang is brilliant - one to watch, I think.

I managed to dry my tears enough to enjoy Song Kang in tights 😳

Song Kang is one beautiful human being, there’s no denying it. After the shot of him at the end in the camel 3/4 length coat snd classic Korean chunky roll neck jumper combo I can’t wait to see him in a chaebol/CEO role. He is beautifully proportioned and will do all the sharp tailoring justice.

I was just looking through the nominations for Bafta TV awards, and realised I haven't watched any of the nominated series, this just shows how much international TV has over taken my domestic TV viewing! 😬😆

#BinOfTheDay is indeed very brave to go swimming in the rain 😆

This #Binoftheday thing could take on a life of its own. Will you replace him when he gets dog-eared and scuffed?

@Rowdythree

I was just looking through the nominations for Bafta TV awards, and realised I haven't watched any of the nominated series, this just shows how much international TV has over taken my domestic TV viewing! 😬😆

I thought the same when I was listening to the BAFTA item on this morning’s news. Actually, I lie. I watched part of the most recent series of The Crown.

I was just looking through the nominations for Bafta TV awards, and realised I haven't watched any of the nominated series, this just shows how much international TV has over taken my domestic TV viewing! 😬😆

Me too! I did watch The Crown & Mortimer & Whtehouse Gone Fishing with DH, & saw bits of Gangs of London while DH was watching it, but otherwise zero interest.

In the meantime I am starting the day with leaky eyes #Navilleracatchupoverbreakfast

#binoftheday still outrageously handsome even though all you can see is the lower half of his face

My Roommate is a Gumiho is coming to iQiyi , hopefully with Park Morgan in hoovering mode (and hopefully a better drama than Born Again )

Will you replace him when he gets dog-eared and scuffed?
Boaty! A Bin is for life not just for significant birthdays!

#nobodyputsBininthebin

Sob! Blub! Navillera finished... how beautiful and lovely was that!..??? Gorgeously done and wonderfully all tied up with a neat bow at the end... lovely! off to add scores ons preadsheet ... if it's on there...not done scoring for a while...!!!
Vincenzo almost finished too! It's a hoot and brilliant fun for those who haven't joined the mafia with a side order of Corn Salad yet....!

@polkettle

#BinofTheDay is... 🌺🌺🌺🌺

BLOSSOM BIN! (aka Bin on bin day)

Very random question & I don’t know why I am curious. I spotted people in the background walking towards Blossom Bin. Where they impressed? Did they ask any questions? We’re they Kdrama fans?

I have truck load of work and I am panicking hence my brain is overly thinking about random stuff.

Bin whisked away by his security team before he could meet his public Jin
Sorry about work panic.

@polkettle, glad you've got Bin a security team, don't want him getting dog eared by adoring fans! Hope he's dried out after his swim!

@jinbhoot, hope work eases off for you soon

@bettys I love Park Morgan! I hope the show comes to Netflix or Viki... 🤞

I've just finished the final Goblin and tbh it's left me feeling sad. I loved the show just not the final episode! And how can nothing have changed over the 40 years the show was supposed to have spanned! It seems the Goblin isn't the only thing that stays the same with the passing of time. Ah well, off to watch Gong Yoo in something else to sooth my aching heart 💔

I must say, I do smile when I see Binoftheday liked my insta post 😄

I can’t work out which of those Insta accounts to follow. Some of them might be internet randoms, whereas you lot are my ktribe. At last visit Bin had 25 followers, so kudos to pied-piper Pol. 👍

Me neither.....trying to guess who you are @Rowdythree is potentially fraught with error I have to say me, Boaty & Bea (and Bin obvs) are easily identifiable!

I have a distinct advantage in that I know a fair few of Bin's followers irl and can eliminate them from enquiries (not necessarily fans of KDrama/HB but schoolable 😉). But I'm still pretty flummoxed playing the who's who game beyond those who make it easy. #DontCallMeSherlock

Bin thinks somebody has a VERY good boy dog and somebody else poaches a brilliant egg 🤷‍♀️.

I have a very good boy 😂🐕

Aha!!!

I am a sucker for a clever dog with skillz! Poached egg skillz by someone with a nifty avatar are good too!

😍 SUCH a Good Boy Rowdy