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…

Omo! 😮 Well that’s blown my chances of shacking up with an age appropriate oppa if DH and I ever split. 🤣

Boaty, that's hilarious 😂🤭

Daegu is where SK had COVID19 outbreaks due to the superchurches there which weren’t following their infection control arrangements. It’s shocking to read that stat about sex-selective abortions though. 😮

Yes I remember that, it puts me in mind of The Mighty New Sky in Save Me. Tbh I think Deagu is going to be scrubbed off my itinerary when I go to Korea! If I was a female living there, I'd want to scarper ASAP!

Depressing all round. Anyone else read Kim Ji-Young born 1982 ? It's very dead pan clear sighted about the realities growing up female in SK. I recommend.
On the other hand I can see that only one gender having to do military service would fuel rancour. Not to mention the effect on the male psyche of spending 18 months of their twenties in that testosterone drenched environment. One way or another, that probably needs to change to bring more meaningful change in attitudes.

Thanks for the book recommendation Pol 👍

Back to a cheerier subject, I'm currently loving Kill Me Heal Me! Ji Sung is just 😍

Despite CDrama indoctrination succeeded in NOT buying a Haddido self-heating Hot Pot in Oseyo but did pick up a pack of Lost Romance chewy fish strips. Mmmm

@rowdythree Op-paaaaaaa! and PSJ's face

Ji Sung has a new drama coming on Viki - Devil Judge - looks interesting.

Have you been to Soho today pol? There's also an Oseyo by Waterloo

Had to kill an hour in Islington. Poor me (not but poorer me for sure)

White Truck of Doom 🚨😂!

Yes!!! Wasn't expecting that

But possibly a blessing in disguise? I’m not even sure why I’m still watching (sunk costs?) but I wondered if the writers were as fed up with it all as us.

Are you talking about SIMAA-F? If so I hope it was JJ that came to a sticky end with the White Truck of Doom! I haven't watched it yet 😂

We are all being deliberately oblique Rowdy. 😉

I shall hold out hope it was JJ then 🤞

Omg! White truck of Doom! 😬 Can't wait for this to finish next week!

I can't even muster myself to watch latest episodes of SIMAA-F...

Hangover doesn't help 😅

I found it quite easy to watch with a slight hangover 🤣 probably because I've no emotional investment in it!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick @Rowdythree

Tsk tsk you needed these!

Definitely do! Or those little bottles of hangover cure! Did they sell those too @bettys?

I didn’t spot them, but I think I’ve seen them in Oseyo

@Rowdythree

Omg! White truck of Doom! 😬 Can't wait for this to finish next week!

I've just watched it- the truck of doom just came from nowhere! 🚛

I feel like a lot happened in the two episodes I just watched but somehow it felt like nothing happened and I just couldn't muster up any feeling to care about what happened/will happen. It's a shame because it started well with a good idea and a few decent bits here and there but now I'm still watching because I refuse to give in and be beaten!

Although JJ is a self pitying jerk I had a glimmer of sympathy for him after Sung Hoon’s big bad brother appearance (gosh he does evil dickhead chaebol so well ) but Inyoung just keeps making stupid decisions 🤦🏻‍♀️

And why has lawyer boyfriend disappeared? Is cute male colleague supposed to hook up with best friend? Do we care?

MLs roadie still the best character

I've just watched it- the truck of doom just came from nowhere! 🚛

No-one expects the Spanish Inquisition White Truck of Doom!

@bettys

Although JJ is a self pitying jerk I had a glimmer of sympathy for him after Sung Hoon’s big bad brother appearance (gosh he does evil dickhead chaebol so well ) but Inyoung just keeps making stupid decisions 🤦🏻‍♀️

And why has lawyer boyfriend disappeared? Is cute male colleague supposed to hook up with best friend? Do we care?

MLs roadie still the best character

I agree I did feel a tiny bit sorry for him- it's a shame because it could've been a good show with a bit more detail to the characters so you actually cared- yes manager is still the best character so far!

Sung Joon does do a good line in evil chaebol - I don't think I've ever seen him do a different character? But he does it very well!