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…

Hi DoeRae 👋 what are you watching???

Sorry DoeRay 🤭

Hello @DoeRay
Welcome to our rabbit hole Kdrama addicts club.
What kept you awake? What are recommendations by Reddit? Are they similar to ours? (First post of the thread)

Nevertheless sounds brilliant!

I agree about Hospital Playlist @boatyardblues, especially about Jo Jung-Suk. I think I preferred Dr Ahn in Season 1, even though he was too pushy 🙈 I'm looking forward to Season 2 once there are a few more episodes.

Welcome @DoeRay! Drink plenty of water!! 😂😂😂

Thank you all for the warm welcome 

So the book I read was rather dark and problematic, I still have mixed feelings on it to be honest, but I can't deny it had me hooked all the way through (because the MC was just so manipulative - like a car crash you can't look away from) and one of the reviewers said Cheese in the Trap vibes?

So that's what led me to the subreddits.

I started off with CITT last night, but it seemed a bit too same-y to the book I'd read (the author for sure watched it)... so being the sucker for a fictional badboy I am, I went back to reddit and found Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

Which is what kept me awake  I've always been a fan of court politics type stuff and was sneaking my grandma's yank-her-up-on-the-horse dramatical adventure romances since I was waaaay too young for them... so this is right up my street!

@JinBhoot so the sub I was looking at didn't seem to have a main list of recs like this thread, more people asking for 'similar to' or for specific tropes. I noted two from my searches which I'm going to look into after this one, Nevertheless and Goblin? Healer seems to be recced a lot too (someone there said it should be the first one you watch, I got the memo too late!)

[I also promise my posts won't always be this long and rambling... blame it on the caffeine and newbie excitement ]

Ohhhhh Goblin is good! Note, it is also known as guardian: the lonely and great god. So if you can't find by searching for goblin use that instead. And prepare to weep.

I still haven't finished vincenzo, loving it but the episodes are so long that it's difficult to fit them in! Caned 9 episodes of MFEO on Saturday, and that was a joy. Can't wait to finish it. My roommate is a gumiho is next on the list, with maybe a side order of DOTS? And of course, copious amounts of BTS youtube crack .

@Doeray! That's a new one to me, what streaming platform did you watch it on?

Cheese in the trap is a good watch, but the main character is definitely manipulative. Maybe you might go back to it after watching a few others. It also has the same FL as Goblin!

Goblin and Healer are both brilliant, in different ways! You're in the right place here for people burning the candle at both ends and surviving on caffeine 😁

@DoeRay Helloooooooo!!!! I’m a big fan of Cheese in the Trap apart from the ending but an EVEN BIGGER fan of Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Goryeo which in spite of the countless dramas I have watched since then has not left my Top Ten. What platform are you watching on though? It’s hard to find….. (well done for tracking it down)

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

Exactly pol - I’m just enjoying the pretty 🥰 I do like-but-not-like how it’s all so ambiguous and more realistic about young people. Also 🤞 for unni-loving-unni

Is anyone else law having Netflix issues?

And I have missed one, what is MFEO?

@Cassini Mad For Each Other on Netflix

The only reason Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart isn’t in the recommended list at the top of the thread is I think it’s only me & hello that have watched it……so many handsome princes…. IU ….fab music by Epik High….heart wrenching….and an epic bad boy lead in Lee Joong Gi

@bettys! Where can I watch it! I need to know 😩🙏😂 sounds brilliant!

Welcome @DoeRay! Definitely watch Goblin, my all time favourite Kdrama, I rewatched the final episode 3 times.

I’m watching my roommate is a gumiho, does anyone else find the amount of extreme closeups really distracting? Liking it other than that!

Welcome DoeRay! You will find this a welcoming, non-judgemental place for the k-addicted. We are a terrible influence on each other and we don’t do rehab. If you are happy down the rabbit hole, you won’t find a bunch of nicer obsessives anywhere on MN.

@Rowdythree if you pop round to Olga's you can watch it there.

It's got everyone in it ... bad-boy Lee Joong Gi...IU....Kang Ha Neul....Hong Jong Hyun.....Nam Joo Hyuk....Baekhyun.....Jisoo (boo hiss) and of course Korea's very own Dennis Waterman Sung Dong Il

Well you know I love Sung Dong Il 😁♥️

I’m watching my roommate is a gumiho, does anyone else find the amount of extreme closeups really distracting? Liking it other than that!

I find Jang Ki Yong’s nostrils distracting, having never noticed them before. Maybe the close-ups are the problem.

@Rowdythree

Well you know I love Sung Dong Il 😁♥️

I know I just said this was a really accepting community, but this post is testing my boundaries. 😳😂

I’ve just noticed that we are heading towards the end of this thread. It’s time to start thinking about updates to the header. I’m thinking Mad for Each Other under the grown-up/dark romance heading. What else?

I can't help it Boaty! I have a soft spot for him 🙈😂

Well you know I love Sung Dong Il 😁♥️

To be fair I'm sure he's a really nice bloke, seems to be so in the snippets I've seen of the variety show House on Wheels, it's just when he plays soju-fuelled grumpy dads like in Reply 1988 he gets a bit much (and if it was between him & Mr Sunshine for age-appropriate oppas I know who I'd pick....)

@boatyardblues

I’ve just noticed that we are heading towards the end of this thread. It’s time to start thinking about updates to the header. I’m thinking Mad for Each Other under the grown-up/dark romance heading. What else?

Is it too early to put Racket Boys under slice of life?

Thanks for the tip re Goblin!

Rowdy & bettys re Scarlet Heart, so I'm actually watching it on KissAsian because I couldn't find it available anywhere in the UK. I'm planning to do a "Game of Thrones" (watch like I'm a USA resident and purchase when it becomes available here) so the content creators get paid in the end anyway. Hopefully that's okay to say - I'm a creator myself and don't bother sending dmca takedowns because I know most people who can pay, do. I would make my stuff available in Brazil if I could 🙈

I would have stuck with CITT if it weren't for all the other temptations haha, so I'll definitely circle back to it at some point

Omg @DoeRay... There's such a lot to watch! You won't surface for months!... Enjoy! 😂😂
Healer! Deffo one of the first you should watch!
What's wrong with Sec Kim! / Crash Landing on You / Strong Girl Bong Soon / Love From Another Star... Are all the ones that define kdrama for me! Loads more! But these are the ones that pop up in my head! 😍😂😍😂

So happy to see this thread that you love watching Kdrama!!! I highly recommend to watch Mr Sunshine. It’s one of my favorite.