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 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!

All of this, so much!

I can't remember who it was but thankyou to whoever suggested shopaholic louis- ignore the title Seo In-Guk is very sweet in it- so far it's perfect for easy Sunday watching!
Also the certified noonas podcast that kept me going on a very hot run- the episode on flower boys was really interesting

Asking on behalf of my DD to any anime fans. Does anyone know where she can watch Black Butler series 1-3? Only series 4 is available on Netflix and its not on Cunchy Roll, thanks!

@Rowdythree

Asking on behalf of my DD to any anime fans. Does anyone know where she can watch Black Butler series 1-3? Only series 4 is available on Netflix and its not on Cunchy Roll, thanks!

From DS1:

I mean I would suggest 4Anime but I think it might be an illegal streaming website lmao

Of course, none of us ever use illegal streaming sites for our kdrama fix… 🤫

Also, it’s DAYS day! 🎉

He also suggests checking Fumigation first, Rowdy.

Funimation would be my first thought, @Rowdythree.

Ah, Funimation. The autocorrect got him. 😄

Nooo, definitely not anything illegal! 😬🤫
Thanks folks! I'll get her to give those a look! 👍

I've just seen that Kingdom series 3 is coming to Netflix Korea next month, hopefully will be the same here! 🤞🧟‍♀️

@Rowdythree

I've just seen that Kingdom series 3 is coming to Netflix Korea next month, hopefully will be the same here! 🤞🧟‍♀️

Oh my god I hope so I can't wait! Even though it's a spin-off rather than a sequel, I'm still excited 😆

Yes! As long as its the same quality, I'm happy with a spin off!

Finally caught up with DAYS epi 10.

Isn't it all just a little too sad?

I confess I've gone off DAYS just a little bit

What I really fancy in this hot weather is a mindless friends-to-lovers drama with bad fashion sense/cute pets/lovely apartments and hilarious PPL. Have just finished The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion (not bad but not as good as Word of Honor , I'm not sure that'll be topped for me this summer) and would like some up-to-date froth.

Oooh My Roomate is a Gumiho with Park Morgan Yang Ki Jong is now on Viki!!!

@bettys

Oooh My Roomate is a Gumiho with Park Morgan Yang Ki Jong is now on Viki!!!

Yippee! Agree with you on the fluff. Real life is taxing/sad/frustrating/crazy-making at the mo. I need escapist trash, big time. I still like DAYS because SIG/PBY and also a bit of cathartic sobbing is proving a useful outlet for me right now. It’ll pass and in the meantime there’s wine and oppa Instagram. Nice to So Ji Sub pop up on my faves this morning. 🤗

Big bums to that Boaty. Hope real life picks up soon.
Good news re Gumiho which I likey looky of
Have been doing Taiwanese short ep BL drama Be Loved in House I do which is about as plot thin mindless as they come but has charm of TWO BL couples and soothingly little hints of homophobia from any character so far. Pretty chests and flat nosed cat on offer anyway 🤷‍♀️
Otherwise completing rewatch of HP to be ready for Thursday.

Does anyone have any views on which of the following is most worth watching next:

Fight for my Way
When the Camellia Blooms
Run On
My Holo Love
Itaewon Class?

Or maybe some aren't worth watching at all?!

Thank you!

Sorry to hear that Boaty. Hope you're ok.

@sakura06

Does anyone have any views on which of the following is most worth watching next:

Fight for my Way
When the Camellia Blooms
Run On
My Holo Love
Itaewon Class?

Or maybe some aren't worth watching at all?!

Thank you!

I liked Fight for my way and When the Camelia blooms. Run On is just ok - a bit boring. Haven't seen My Holo Love or Itaewon Class (although the latter isn't broadly liked on here)

Bummer boaty , sorry to hear that! Still there’s 6 episodes up of Gumiho to binge with lots of shots of Park Morgan by a sunlit window 😍

@sakura06 I would go for Fight For My Way followed by Itaewon Class

@boatyardblues Hope things are better for you soon. Don't forget you've always got your sisters here to cheer you on. FIGHTING! xxx

I agree with FedUp that Run On is a bit boring but others in here liked it a lot. I did also like When the Camellia Blooms and
My Holo Love but they are quite different in style

Thanks for the BL/pretty chests/cat recommendation pol!

I am going to do a boaty shuffle later with Be Loved In House, Imitation, Taxi Driver, May-December Couple, Ugly Beauty, and Please Be At Ease Mr Ling

I am also tempted to start Penthouse as it is a makjang by the same writer as the Last Empress which I got totally hooked on, but S3 has just started so might wait until it is finished

Thanks @FedUpWithBriiiiick and @bettys 😊

@sakura06 I would go for Fight For My Way followed by Itaewon Class
I agree with bettys 👍