MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #24): where we ‘lean in’ to our obsession. Non-judgmental support served up with a side-order of kpop.

[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)
Doom At Your Service (Viki) - still airing
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)*
Move to Heaven (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…

I watched Sweet and Sour (kfilm, Netflix). It was good and very cleverly constructed. Jang Ki Yong was on good form, as was the FL from A Piece of your Mind.

If you ever wonder how I watch so many dramas, this is DH's record collection... Quid pro quo.

I do like vinyl…..I was going to get rid of mine a few years ago, so glad I didn’t!

I’m getting déjà vu in My Dear Guardian . ML has gone to a flood disaster zone so FL has volunteered 😂 (YAMH , My Little Happiness)

@bettys

I’m getting déjà vu in My Dear Guardian . ML has gone to a flood disaster zone so FL has volunteered 😂 (YAMH , My Little Happiness)

Disaster area romance is a definite C-drama theme isn't it? Getting loved up while serving The Motherland...

Please don't tell me macramé lampshades are coming back in

As long as it doesn't become a macramé shirt - because as we know anything goes in China fashion. Hope there's also at least one horse sculpture/portrait in Johnny's house or is he even a Chinese man?

@polkettle

As long as it doesn't become a macramé shirt - because as we know anything goes in China fashion. Hope there's also at least one horse sculpture/portrait in Johnny's house or is he even a Chinese man?

Don't forget the obligatory copy of Kelly Hoppen's Interiors.

Hope there's also at least one horse sculpture/portrait in Johnny's house or is he even a Chinese man?

Nope no horse sculptures, Lego or Westlife albums, just the fugly macramé and decorative plates that FL bought when they went to the PPL furniture shop.
He does drive the same car as nerd poppet drill master though.

He does drive the same car as nerd poppet drill master though.

Those gas-guzzling black Jeeps are standard issue cdrama ML ‘uniform’. In reality, you have to enter a lottery to be able to own/register a car in Beijing and even then you are not allowed to drive it every day. I strongly suspect these gas-guzzlers are frowned on in real life and are aspirational/fantasy cars, rather than realistic options.

That's interesting, about cars in Beijing!

Damn it! I started I Remember You on Viki at 10ish for a quick Seo In Guk fix to tide me over until DAYS. It’s kdrama crack! 😖 I’ve peeled myself away from it very reluctantly but could have cheerfully ploughed on for another hour or two…

It's DAYS Day!

@boatyardblues

Damn it! I started I Remember You on Viki at 10ish for a quick Seo In Guk fix to tide me over until DAYS. It’s kdrama crack! 😖 I’ve peeled myself away from it very reluctantly but could have cheerfully ploughed on for another hour or two…

Ooh, I'm so tempted to start this, but I don't think I've got the time to be hooked to a drama at the moment! But I want to...

I've started Her private life, it's great fun. Poor cardboard oppa gets its head sellotaped back on in episode 2. It's a dangerous life being a cardboard oppa.

Looking forward to DAYS later.

Has there been any discussion about How to Sell your Haunted House on this thread?
My memory is so bad I can’t remember what I read where.
Anyway we are part of the way through it and I can’t say it’s really gripping me but Dh is enjoying it so we’ll go on with it

@Andante57

Has there been any discussion about How to Sell your Haunted House on this thread? My memory is so bad I can’t remember what I read where. Anyway we are part of the way through it and I can’t say it’s really gripping me but Dh is enjoying it so we’ll go on with it

Yes a few of us were watching it but it's fizzled out a bit funny enough. I'm nearly finished it, must pick it up again

I just watched the trailer for The 8th Night, which is coming soon on Netflix. It has the FL from Clean with passion in and it looks terrifying! 😱

Oo-er The 8th Night looks chuffin' scary!!!

I like the look of Nevertheless with Song Kang and The Rational Life a cdrama about being a woman in the workplace (who is also being pursued by a younger man which of course happens ALL the time )

Gotta say the bare torso content of Reply 1994 is top notch 👌🔥

Park Morgan. A film?? Anyone know anything.?. 😍😳

I think Boaty watched it, Bea

Worth watching, Bea. I watched on Saturday so you only have to go back a page or two to see my (brief) review.

30 mins into Racket Boys on Netflix!... And my heart is thoroughly warmed!.. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

@boatyardblues

Worth watching, Bea. I watched on Saturday so you only have to go back a page or two to see my (brief) review.

Goody goody! Thanks @boatyardblues! 😍👍