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…

Hope things aren't too shit boaty
Sending you a virtual soju bomb 🍶🍻

Thanks all. It’s just a combination of complex work stuff, extended family stuff, crazy insomnia, extra time-limited stuff that needs attention in the evenings and this goddamned heat to cap it off. You know how sometimes it all just gets a bit much? That. Like I said, it’ll pass. 🤷‍♀️

[quote TheGirlWithTheArabStrap]^@sakura06 I would go for Fight For My Way followed by Itaewon Class^
I agree with bettys 👍[/quote]
I'd agree go for fight for my way to start with
Hope things get better soon @boatyardblues fighting

@boatyardblues hope things get better soon.
@sakura06 I LOVED fight for my way, like love love loved it so much. Have just finished ep 2 of Itaewon Class and enjoying but it (so far) is not very fluffy and I'm feeling very sorry for poor PSJ's character, he needs a big cuddle.
Still not finished Vincenzo, I'm making it last. Amd recently been watching HIStory on Viki, have enjoyed a few of those despite the slightly Acorn Antiques decor and clothes.

Thank you so much all. Sounds like Fight For My Way it is!

Boaty off topic but a few things that have genuinely helped my insomnia (and one thing that may have helped) - really expensive alas noise cancelling sleep ear plugs that can block out DH industrial snoring, a comfortable sleep mask that blocks out ambient light, the podcast 'Nothing much happens' if I wake up stupid early - think that would work even better if I had trouble falling asleep which is not my issue, and magnesium supplement/body cream.

So tonight I have a choice: episode 15 of vincenzo, episode 3 of itaewon class, start HIStory 3: trapped or just trawl though BTS in the soop. What should I go for?

Maybe I forego sleep and do them all 😁

recently been watching HIStory on Viki, have enjoyed a few of those despite the slightly Acorn Antiques decor and clothes.

@LarryUnderwood yes yes I love the slight wobbliness of some Taiwan drama sets 😂 Also enjoyed (some of) the HIStory series although the end of one in particular really annoyed me…think it was Make Our Days Count

Larry BTS In The Soop !!
I skim watched Trapped it didn’t grab me

@bettys yes the ending to make our days count was pretty awful, but I loved it up until then.

@LarryUnderwood I The Soop is the most calming gentle heartwarming endearing lovely watch ever! Sooo soothing and yet hilariously funny! I love it!!

Thanks pol. I have good magnesium supplements in the cupboard after a colleague recommended them for the same reason, but never remember to take them. I will start doing so. I have discovered that my earpods and something dreary from the BBC Sounds audiobooks selection is effective for getting off to sleep. I am split across early waking or can’t get to sleep, which is new as early waking’s never been a problem before. 😕

I'm still loving Mad for Each Other and Racket Boys.

Netflix has raised its game again.

I got sidetracked just now. I came to say Jeju Island was showcased beautifully in ep 11 (👌 Jejudo tourist office). I’ve decided it is cross between Lanzarote and the Scillies, vair naice. I am somewhat frustrated by what is coming in ep 12 because ep 11 was so lovely. 😔

I'm watching Mad for each other too FedUp, it's a bit mad but great. All caught up now. Looking forward to Hospital Playlist on Thurs

cokodive.com/collections/bighit-official-goods/products/pre-order-bts-sowoozoo-official-md 😱🤯😱🤯😂

twitter.com/balloon_wanted/status/1404607375223377925?s=1006... Even though my mind is blown by BTS merch!... I think this is more pertinent to this thread! 😂😂😂🤯😱🤯😱🤯

@Bea

cokodive.com/collections/bighit-official-goods/products/pre-order-bts-sowoozoo-official-md 😱🤯😱🤯😂

Ooops! 😂😂😂Wrong link! That could have been horribly embarrassing!! 😂😂😂👍🥰😂😂😂

Woooah. That is quite 🤯 Bea. World domination achievement level unlocked.

@Bea

twitter.com/balloon_wanted/status/1404607375223377925?s=1006... Even though my mind is blown by BTS merch!... I think this is more pertinent to this thread! 😂😂😂🤯😱🤯😱🤯

OMO!! PSJ takes Holywood!!! 👏👏👏

Oh well done PSJ! He’s a good actor and deserves this US break.

Fantastic PSJ!!! Let’s hope he doesn’t have his Itaewon chestnut haircut and gets to play a goidie🤞

goodie not goidie 🤦🏻‍♀️

Very exciting about PSJ!