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…

Apparently Disney are now making Korean dramas. There’s one in the pipeline about a police college starring Shin Ye Euan and Kant Daniel. Also in a support role Lee Shin Young from Crash Landing. I’m glad those bullying allegations have been dealt with as he was cute in CLOY.

I'm not sure I like the sound of a Disney K drama 😬

Stop the press, skinny jeans and mullets have been banned in North Korea to prevent 'capitalist culture' from taking over society! Dang! (according to NME 😂)

@Rowdythree

I'm not sure I like the sound of a Disney K drama 😬

I know. I hope the director has complete freedom but I have no idea how these things work and how much the film companies control the director and actors.

Today’s Bin IG was top notch. The comments were filth though. 😂

FL in SIMAAF is starting to annoy me. She’s too wet and pushed around. The student staying over? Puhleease! JJ is just relationships board fodder.

I just caught up with SIMAA-F, I really hate the styling on the show, neither the ML nor FL look particularly great in the show! I'm just not warming to any of the characters. I like the idea of the story, and it could have been good. But maybe the casting was wrong... 😬

I'm about to start Youth of May

Agree with all previous comments on SIMAA-F, she is such a weed!
Why is the male best friend even in the show?
The second couple are loathsome
The editor still didn’t get her just desserts
And why is 2ML also going after the ring? My presssshhhus 😄

Can’t be arsed to finish MC& ML but back to watching She Is The One 😂 although also annoying .
However am enjoying My Roommate is a Gumiho & Moonlight on IQ

@bettys

Agree with all previous comments on SIMAA-F, she is such a weed! Why is the male best friend even in the show? The second couple are loathsome The editor still didn’t get her just desserts And why is 2ML also going after the ring? My presssshhhus 😄

Can’t be arsed to finish MC& ML but back to watching She Is The One 😂 although also annoying .
However am enjoying My Roommate is a Gumiho & Moonlight on IQ

I'd agree with all the SIMAA-F comments- I think the characters are really uneven as well and the motivations for why they'd do things just aren't clear - it feels like a bit of a loop as well of the three of them in a triangle, the FL deciding to stand up for herself but then not and the producers of the show being awful but then nice to her face. Oh and random male friend eating chicken.

I wanted to watch my roommate is a gumiho but I haven't go IQ- is there much worth watching?

I wanted to watch my roommate is a gumiho but I haven't go IQ- is there much worth watching?

I’ve found a fair few cdramas as well as the odd kdrama. I got it on a special offer so it’s been worth it

Hello! I've been totally out of kdrama action all week due to work (and an obsessionnwith watching bts videos on youtube). But my project finished yesterday so as of today I'm back in the game! Getting there with hangul as well, but need to knuckle down a bit to commit to memory. My current dramas are vincenzo, syhh and just started melo. I'm saving doom until later as I have a feeling its one to binge!

I'm saving doom until later as I have a feeling its one to binge!

We are starting Doom as soon as we’ve finished Legend of the Blue Sea which we are finding utterly adorable.

@LarryUnderwood my drama watching has decreased because of BTS too 😂

You're not wrong about the worrying state of Korean trial methodology as shown in Law School Rowdy The jury choosing thing is like whaaa?

I have to keep stopping it whilst I'm watching the episode Pol as it's making me cross! 😠

I'm loving the Youth of May so far, only 2 episodes in, but it's really beautifully done.

I am literally losing the plot with it. Must keep for weekday viewing when I've not had wine. I'll go and get irritated by SIMTAF instead which can be watched steaming drunk with no problems.

www.allkpop.com/article/2021/05/super-juniors-siwon-raises-netizen-eyebrows-with-his-alleged-politics

boaty and any other fellow Siwon admirers, he's been liking Donald Trumps posts 😲😂. According to this very classy news establishment anyway

Omo! Not good Siwon. 😱

I know, I'm just not sure I can enjoy his cheery antics in the same way anymore.
I'll have to watch the bit in She Was Pretty where he dances about naked to check.

Pol Law School is definitely mid week, with a cup of tea viewing! Only 3 episodes left for me to watch. Can't wait to see all the corrupt peeps get their comeuppance 👏

We're very much enjoying Mr Sunshine too! Episode 5 tonight... I love this period of Joseon, not something I've seen before in a drama.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

www.allkpop.com/article/2021/05/super-juniors-siwon-raises-netizen-eyebrows-with-his-alleged-politics

boaty and any other fellow Siwon admirers, he's been liking Donald Trumps posts 😲😂. According to this very classy news establishment anyway

Ewwww that's put me right off.

Skipped threw a not insignificant amount of eos 9 & 10 of SIMAA-F.

At least my expectations are managed with this drama.

*through

I've had a drink 😳

Starting day dipping into 'Certified Noonas' podcast. They're good company. Episode discussing umbrellas and Spud from YAMH umbrella purchase failure being unpicked.

FINALLY a small nugget of warmth in SIMTAF. I actually really liked the bit with her parents. More of that, less of the rest please.

I liked that bit too Pol, particularly where he kept getting wacked by brushes! There were a few quite sweet moments in the last episode.

I've just started It's Okay to not be Okay, everyone is still in bed so I'm enjoying having the TV to myself on a Sunday morning! 📺☕