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…

Boo hoo was my first thought, but reading the article there definitely seems to be a worrying shift. The compulsory military service is definitely a problem for men, but the man quoted about wanting compensating for his service, is talking as if men and women are starting at a level playing field to begin with. And what compensation does he want, is it at the expense of women, who are already discriminated against?

Until men start taking crimes and inequality against women seriously then women are going to fight back.

BBC News - 'I was humiliated': The continuing trauma of South Korea's spy cam victims

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-57493020

This article, although none of the stories are new reminds us what women have to put up with!

Whenever I hear Korean men complaining about the hit their careers take from military service I think about how 2 years is a drop in the ocean compared to maternity leave & the hit women’s careers take after having a baby. Even in the UK with more enlightened policies and reasonable childcare options, it can put you on a slower career track or take you out of the workforce altogether for a decade or more. So boo hoo from me too.

Ahh Mumsnet is being weird. It's logged me out and won't log me back on, despite trying a password reset. It doesn't say the password is wrong it just takes me back to the log on page 😭. Which means I can't find this thread on "threads I'm on" tab, grr.

I've watched no telly at all the last few days as have had loads of real life boring stuff to sort out, blah!

Mad For Each Other 👍👍

@Rowdythree

I just finished SIMAA-F, what a bizarre final episode! I suppose there were no loose threads at least.

Yea i feel like that's about best thing you could say about the last episode - even if things didn't tie up very well and there were some really odd bits (where did he disappear to for 3 months? How come everything is suddenly fine?) Never did work out what the point was of the photographer best friend @bettys I thought those bits showing the how of the filming were interesting- especially the truck of doom

This has made me laugh on Dimples Insta story. Do you think he'll tell me to go on my run and to Sainsbury's if I tell him I love him?

 

Errr...

Interesting article on BBC today www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-57489720

It may be Prada but those gloves look just like the ones the bin men wear….and he’s cut his hair 😩

This is an afternoon for lazing around and just watching all the pretty in Nevertheless but NO!!! Blimmin’ Netflix and their once a week bollocks 🤬

I find the buying of Advertising and sending of food trucks by fans rather strange I must admit. There are people that get paid massive amounts to advertise for them, and surely their agencies should supply food and drink for them on set.

I guess I feel that somewhere fans are maybe being pressured or coerced into giving money they can't afford, to prove how big a fan they are. It's the same with buying hundreds of cds, especially if the chance of winning a meet and greet is offered. It just seems unfair, when these stars are multi millionaires! They should be sending food trucks for their fans, not the other way round!

I was boggling at that Prada shoot earlier. Giving me strong Fancy Chicken vibes.

I'm prepared to be told I've got the wrong end of the stick about it though 😂

Nevertheless!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍... It's gooood!! 💕

@Rowdythree

I'm prepared to be told I've got the wrong end of the stick about it though 😂

No, I agree Rowdy. Buying merch and concert tickets is one thing, to get billboards and coffee trucks is another. PR companies must be rubbing their hands with glee! All that publicity and it doesn't cost them a penny.

Do like the charity stuff though.

Oh yeah, charity stuff is a great idea!

Raced through the last episode of SIMMA-F.

Meh.

Errr…

That’s a nope from me. He’s all yours ladies. I’m very community minded like that.

From the BBC article:

In 2019, a Korean government agency found that global fans of Korean popular culture, referred to as the K-wave, number some 89 million in 113 countries.

This is comforting. It’s a niche obsession, but not that niche.

Started watching melting me softly but just seen it appeared on a thread as most disappointing drama (I did a quick search as I didn't see it on the list)
Wondering whether to keep going or ditch in favour of my strange hero or my fellow citizens- how disappointed am I going to be if I keep going?

Ah yes, Melting Me Softly: JCW’s homecoming turkey. 😂

@Hydrogensonata - very disappointed ☹️

Go for My Strange Hero 👍

Up to speed with MFEO it’s very good and funny although it has the dark thread of violence running through it.

The leader of the Women’s Association has been one of my favourite character actresses for a while now, she is always good value. Loved the drunken WA night out! Also the friendship between Samantha and the part-timer is so sweet.

There's a lot to wrap up in one episode though

I have been rather taken with Woong in Yumi’s Cells (I know, I know he’s a cartoon) but then I found he is going to be played by Ahn Bo Hyun in the drama so now I’m a leetle bit disappointed 🤔

[quote bettys]@Hydrogensonata - very disappointed ☹️

Go for My Strange Hero 👍[/quote]
Not in a so bad its good way I guess?

@bettys I really liked MFEO- I'm interested in how it's going to wrap in the last 30minutes, I thought the balance between funny/heartwarming bits, the romance and then the darker bits was well balanced- and the way they treated it in the last episode where they show the impact of it on the FL and the ML realisation of what's happened were really well done