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…

@bettys

In some sort of weird synchronicity 2 dramas (Gumiho & PBAEML) I have seen today have featured men watching What's Wrong With Secretary Kim?

Is it some sort of code for characters feeling attraction/lust?

To be fair, PSJ and PMY are quare sexy in WWWSK 🥵

@Bea

2 eps of Hospital Playlist and I've cried at both! 😭😭😭😖😖😖... It's lovely watching though I keep waiting for something nasty to happen! But nooo! They're all so lovely and friendly!... Have I been in Korea for too long now as I'm beginning to recognise random songs in dramas that are not BTS!! 😱😱😖😖😖... 😂😂😂

Racket Boys is lovely lovely watching too! The Dad / coach makes me think he's Hyun Bins older brother! 😂😂😂 All lovely heartwarming stuff! ❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜

Good shout Bettys!! He has got a Hyun Bin look about him, but with a definite twist of Korean Dennis Waterman personality 😁

I’m enjoying the gumiho’s uncanny ability to misread social cues and get the wrong end of the stick. It’s quite refreshing after all the witty/urbane/super smooth mythical beings to have one that just can’t get it right. The preppy outfits and earnestness suit Jang Ki Yong perfectly, so much so that I’m wondering if it isn’t much of a stretch for him.

Agree this role suits Jang Ki Yong perfectly, he's back to Park Morgan form after the abysmal 'Born Again" which was unwatchable

Be Loved in House is really paint by numbers poor quality in terms of plot, script and patchy performance but I find it so refreshing that no character continues to exhibit a shred of anxiety about their own or anyone else's sexuality and their love interests are being explored without gender coming into it (yet anyway). There's even a lovely mum and although she may throw a hissy fit when her son starts snogging the lodger, I really don't think that's the vibe. Sweet.

I have warmed to ML in PFAEML but contrary to the Rules of Forehead Reveal I think he looks better with his soft boy fringe

For those that are pyjama and hanbok fans... Hanbok Pyjamas are now a thing!

@Rowdythree are they available here?

ETA 5.15

Ooops ignore post below

@bettys I don't think they are, I think just Korea at the moment. They look comfy!

@bettys my ETA is 7.32 but we are slow on the m25 😆

@Cassini 😂😂

Aw Racket Boys is indeed delightful.

I couldn’t login to my account since last night….. phewwww finally in.

Hospital Playlist - my heart my heart … storylines & dialogues are just perfect. Drama does feel like filmed in covid era as no unnecessary extras or hustle & bustle in the background. Story line of two children waiting for heart transplant, I am already bracing my self with the box of tissue.
I want to see more of Rose & her friends (older gang). I enjoy their scenes & love their young at heart spirits.

Racket Boys - I am loving it

I think in both Racket boys & Hospital Playlist, I love the friendship aspect. You want to be part of their group.

Finished MFEO - enjoyed it.

Started The Tale of Nokdu … it been a while I have watched any period drama.

I’m caught up with Gumiho on Viki and loving it.

Jin I remember correctly, Nokdu took a couple of episodes to get into, but it's worth it!

Would buy this bath bomb.

@polkettle

Would buy this bath bomb.

10/10 would too

Now that really is Lush!

@Rowdythree

Jin I remember correctly, Nokdu took a couple of episodes to get into, but it's worth it!

Oh yes - it was going average and then ep6 BAAM unexpected turn of events.

@polkettle

Would buy this bath bomb.

Yoiks!

@JinBhoot I loved Nokdu! 👍😍

I'm binging Hyoris Bed and Breakfast on Netflix... It's lovely lovely calm mindful relaxing wholesome watching! Sooo lovely! Park Bo Gum has turned up to be the temp help for a couple of days!... It just makes me want to go to jeju Island even more! 😭😢😕... It's going in July so I need to get my skates on if I want to finish... It's like a warm cosy cup of tea!

Bea, have you watched Warm and Cosy? That's set on Jeju, I want to go there so much!

Crikey, Song Kang recalibration needed Nevertheless,