MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #25): We may not always agree (on shows, oppa preference, wonky fashion) but we are never disagreeable…

[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)
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)*
Mad For Each Other (Netflix)
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. 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!

snuck in....😬... for the larks!!!!... Tee Hee Hee!!!!.............................

You're terrible Muriel Bea !!

CANNONBALL!!! 🌊💦

Hello!!!!! Brand shiny new thread, thanks @boatyardblues!

Thanks for the new thread Boaty 🎉

Not my most inspired title but I was like Grommit trying to lay that train track before he runs out of line. It is probably for the best that I’m not a journo. I’d never come up with a tabloid zinger under pressure.

Hurrah new thread- last one seemed to fill up so quick!
Finished DAYS- ending was great (although not unexpected) and back to some really funny bits in the last episode- plus when did elven team leader 🧝‍♂️(or should that be elven CEO?) get so charismatic?
I liked a lot about DAYS - good story, some great acting but in particular the use of music and the way it was shot was great - I'll definitely rewatch the whole thing again.
Now I'd just need to decide what to fill it's slot with- I did start my fellow citizens and good manager both of which are ok so far - had anyone watched either good casting or oh master! Just wondering if either is worth starting?
I'd highly recommend the certified noonas podcast- listened to an episode all about Kim Won Hae- I knew he was in a lot of dramas but blimey when they read out the list 😲

With the Euros on I haven't had brain space for a lot of dramas, but I started a C-drama on Viki Falling into your Smile, which is non-challenging brain fodder. A poor mans GoGo Squid 😂

I watched My Fellow Citizens ages ago and really enjoyed it. Choi Siwan is perfect as a smarmy conman. His cop wife is brilliant and there are so many great female characters in it playing all sorts of canny ex-cons, mobsters and upstanding police women. Honestly, it flips things on its head. sure, there are male characters but it’s the ballsy women that really carry it. Just thinking about it makes me smile, because the script was so whip smart, clever twisty and very, very funny in places.

I have a feeling Good Manager is coming off Netflix today Hydrogen.

Just watched the first half hour of Loud with my porridge. Variety show to form new boygroups. Immediately sucked in by all the fresh faced scrubbed up poppets - they're so sweet! They have to show "charm" as well as song and dance skills - no mean feat for adolescent boys- but first contestant really had that nailed. Wholesome so far and makes a good morning cuppa accompaniment and likely a good family watch if you live with X Factor type fans.

I am 13 episodes into MFEO and love it so much. And my hangul studies are going pretty well, next step is to get myself and actual teacher. Anyone have an online teacher they'd recommend? Otherwise was going to look on preply and verbling.

@Hydrogensonata I enjoyed watching Good Manager.
It was supposed to come off Netflix on 30th June but I can’t see the message now, may be they have renewed the license.

Copied my Good Ajumma Service Announcement from other thread in case it's missed:

^Falling Into Your Smile aka Poor Man's Go Go Squid! is Not Very Good™

Liberal use of disablist language as insults and the FL has the emotional depth and range of a teaspoon. Avoid.^

Pulling up a chair 🪑😁

I'm just over half way through Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart and I don't want it to end 😢!!

boaty I think you asked on the last thread if us newbies were MN regulars or found on google. I'm a long term MNetter but did actually find the thread on google. I was in the process of leaving because things have been weird this last year and I don't think MN is good for my mental heath or my work ethic 🙈 but I name changed because I'm staying for this thread and ONLY this thread. If you see me in AIBU, tell me to get my arse back over here haha.

My DD10 came through this morning with a notebook filled with Enderman (minecraft) Alphabet?! Which she says she's learning. I've convinced her to learn hangul with me instead 😂.

My day job is writing so I've made a deal with myself that I can watch another episode if I get 4,000 words in today. 1k down, 3k to go....

@DoeRay I agree that AIBU is addictive!

I want to see Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart (amongst many things).

I loved Fight For My Way so much I started Itaewon Class but am somewhat regretting it as I find Yi-Seo almost unbearable. I also think Park Saeroyi is unrealistic. Not entirely sure why. He just seems so saintly as a grown-up. DH isn't amused I chose another Park Seo-Joon drama either...

@DoeRay Do words on this thread count? 🤔😂

I’m a long time MNer but only ever post on this thread these days. If anything I would say this thread has been a real boon as we are all lovely & supportive of our mutual addiction, only sometimes mildly disagreeing about dramas/oppas/fashion/interiors as per the thread title. As boaty once said it’s like having a night out in the pub with your hobby mates

I have caught up with DAYS (skipped quite a bit 🤭) but thought SIG & elven CEO were mighty fine. I will miss 🧝‍♀️

Made me laugh from MyKoreanDic

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CQv6hMmDxZ5/?utmmedium=sharee_sheet

I’m just laughing at your last post on the old thread FedUp !

Really sucked into The First half of my life now. Nice character growth and generally quite a different vibe to usual CDrama (for good and bad - because fluff is fun too).
That is a VERY impressive word count target @DoeRay . I'm happy if I end the day on double figures at this stage of addiction. Beware...

@bettys

I’m just laughing at your last post on the old thread FedUp !

I couldn't resist 😂

Ooh lovely new thread! Thanks boaty

I enjoyed My Fellow Citizens too @Hydrogensonata ☺️

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I saw that MyKoreanDic post 🤣🤣🤣

Oooh. New tasty Chinese dish to accompany the raw brains and spam... Donkey hide soup. Mmmmm.

@polkettle

Oooh. New tasty Chinese dish to accompany the raw brains and spam... Donkey hide soup. Mmmmm.

Mmm delicious

If anyone is in the mood for a nice, non-pervy Jdrama I popped round to Olga’s to watch Kikazaru Koi Niha Riyuu ga Atte which is about 5 people who share a house. Lots of lovely food shots, camping by Mount Fuji and a dog that actually gets walked.