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…

@boatyardblues

What on Earth are you watching Bea?

Nevertheless! Netflix with lovely dangerous Song Kang!...

He really is one to watch! I've watched 3 dramas with him now (Sweet Home - zombie (sort of!) / Navillera - Ballet Dancer / Nevertheless - arty playboy! 🤯) and he's sooo diff in all of them!

His choices are very goooood! 👍👍
Bravo to picking good uns... 👏👏👏👏

GRRR JCW pleeeese for love if Ms Jo!... 🙏🙏🙏🙏 Take heed!!

Argh
"for the love of Ms Jo!"... 😖
Serves me right for trying to be clever! 😩

I enjoy HP Very Much but it’s not top of my list of currently airing dramas, I’m not desperate to know what’s happened.
I’ve given up on DAYS, might whizz through when it’s finished.
I agree it’s the diversity of tastes on here that are so interesting & introduce you to new dramas/webtoons/restaurants/music/YouTube clips.

Song Kang was one of the nicest things in the otherwise very messy When the Devil Calls Your Name

……and of course the only reason for watching Love Alarm……

Nevertheless is FILTH. Absolute filth. Happy sigh.

I think part of what it comes down to with HP and generally is the flavour of escapism you favour - gnarly edge of your seat plot immersion, total fantasy/transport to another place/era/non ordinary world, swoony swoon swooniness or a recognisable world refracted through a cosy rose tint of everyone/thing becoming their best version. All of them have charm at times but turns out I am a particular sucker for the last. On which topic more Racket Boys tonight!

I have to agree the filthiness of Nevertheless is rather agreeable. I can get behind Netflix’s intrusion into the kdrama market and their maddening interference in the highly successful one & done format if there is compensating filth.

@bettys

Unhooking AND Unbuttoning

😂😂😂 (I did wonder why she was wearing a bra under her pyjamas but it is more realistic than full knitwear to bed at least)

Both bra AND camisole 😆 I will start watching Nevertheless after few more episodes are available. I saw the sofa clip on Instagram. I read somewhere that show is rated 19 … Why not 18?

@polkettle

Nevertheless is FILTH. Absolute filth. Happy sigh.

I think part of what it comes down to with HP and generally is the flavour of escapism you favour - gnarly edge of your seat plot immersion, total fantasy/transport to another place/era/non ordinary world, swoony swoon swooniness or a recognisable world refracted through a cosy rose tint of everyone/thing becoming their best version. All of them have charm at times but turns out I am a particular sucker for the last. On which topic more Racket Boys tonight!

I think that’s my preferred genre as well. My preference do change from time to time (very momentarily) but I always come back to my default genre.

I can’t wait for Racket Boys, I am watching it with DC so hopefully it will stay PG or max peck on a cheek.

Isn't 19 legal adult age in Korea?

Looking forward to starting Nevertheless for some Percy Filth 🔥👌

We all get different things out of watching K drama like pol says, and we've all got ones that we have a soft spot for! That's why we love them, and enjoy watching them and discussing them here ♥️

I've got 2 episodes left of its okay to not be okay, and 2 left of Youth of May to watch, plus this week's Doom to finish off then I can start some new ones. All of these 3 series have been excellent! I've really enjoyed them all, even though they have been a bit dark at times.

I will start watching Nevertheless after few more episodes are available. I saw the sofa clip on Instagram. I read somewhere that show is rated 19 … Why not 18?

It's because when you are born in Korea you are already 1, so it's reflected in the higher legal adult age

Thanks 😊
I didn’t know about the legal age & age at the birth .. so when someone says they are 30 in real they are 29? 🧐

I am loving my cultural enrichment via this group.

As I understand it, it depends when abouts in the year a person is born, they can either be 1 or 2 years older in korean age than the international age. This is because everyone's age goes up by one year on new years day. So if you are born on December 1st you are 1, then on new years day a month later, you will become 2 years old, when in actual fact you are only 1 month old! So it's best to look at the year of birth rather than age to find out how old someone is.

On the actual day of your birth, you will celebrate, but your age doesn't change, as it already changed on new years day.

I hope I've got that right

Very interesting @Rowdythree.

In other news, on my WhatsApp gifs - top trending gif is Vincenzo in hanbok with the flower behind his ear 😂😂😂😂😂

So random, but I did search for Racket Boys gif last week.

I'm definitely going to start Nevertheless after these recommendations 👀👀👀

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

I'm definitely going to start Nevertheless after these recommendations 👀👀👀

Me too 🥵

The racy scene was a welcome change of pace. You won’t be disappointed. 😄

Me as well 🤣

We should all be disappointed in ourselves...

I mean it's all going to end in tears I think but WHO CARES 👅

Hello! Hope it's okay to join! I'm just getting started after reading a book last year and noticing one of the reviews likened it to a certain "kdrama". Interest piqued, I found a reddit rec page yesterday and...

I did not sleep a wink last night !!

I'm going to have to sleep tonight but I don't know if I can pry myself away...

About to watch another episode with a cuppa and then catch up on the thread.

Welcome DoeRay!! Wow you have truly been captured fast by the Kdrama bug!

Welcome! Another addict in the making 👍🏻

Welcome DoeRay! 👋What is it that you're watching?

Right, I need to watch Nevertheless 😂

Also, I’ve finished MFEO, it was so brilliant, went to some dark places but it was all balanced very well with lighthearted moments, and the ended wrapped up it perfectly