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!

@JinBhoot Ditch ditch ditch!!!! And swing over to S2 which is much more fun, but references the twist in S1 if you’re sharp enough to spot it!

I’ll PM you the twist

@bettys that sounds like you have previous experience 🏕

Yes, but with skiing not camping. Soju bottles fit very snugly into ski boots ⛷

It was great, definitely recommend the restaurant to those in the West Midlands area! It seemed very authentic Korean food 👍

Yum Rowdy
Anyone read The Vegetarian? Aigoo.

I started The Vegetarian about 18 months ago but it was hard work. I got to the point where the husband was still insisting on painful, coercive sex with his emaciated wife and took a step back.

Yep, KDrama it ain't Boaty.

Thank you Betty

Well intended love … well intended

Up to date on the Nekidness and Filth and two thumbs up for smiley potato guy and continuing phwoar for beanie guy.

@polkettle

Up to date on the Nekidness and Filth and two thumbs up for smiley potato guy and continuing phwoar for beanie guy.

Seconded. 👌

What is this you're talking about Boaty and Pol? I feel like I'm missing out!

I've just started on HP s2, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would!

Nevertheless on Netfix Rowdy. It’s proper norty for kdrama.

Pol - can we call smiley potato guy Nice Noodles? I think the noodle bar will begin to feature more prominently.

Absolutely. Nice Noodles he is forthwith. Hope there will be canoodles for mr noodles eventually and he won't just end up heartbroken.

@polkettle

Up to date on the Nekidness and Filth and two thumbs up for smiley potato guy and continuing phwoar for beanie guy.

Nevertheless?

Yup Jin.

Aah yes! I'm going to save that for a binge whilst I'm camping. It might keep me warm on a cold night 🔥😂

@Rowdythree they should have released it in winter, would have cut down on heating bills....

I've spent the day feeling under the weather post jab 2 but thanks for the recommendations it's not been a bad day- watched some of racket boys which is just lovely and suspicious partners.

Now if only a hunky opppa was around to pat me gently with a towel and check I was ok. Instead the cat had decided that as I'm nice and warm he's not moving a muscle from my stomach all day. Not especially helpful.
Although actually being patted with a damp towel would make me just feel hot and damp not any better

Top Notch Nortiness in Nevertheless,

HOW COULD YOU TURN BEANIE MAN DOWN, WOMAN?????

And where is nice spilt water guy?

Nice Noodle man has obvs had a crush for years

I still think it will end in tears

Nice Noodles is nick of time with the sports car lottery winner guy off of Sisyphus I see.

On age appropriate/inappropriate Oppa question - FL in The Rational Life is 41 playing 33, ML is 22 playing ? a year or two older...

HOW COULD YOU TURN BEANIE MAN DOWN, WOMAN?????

I might have to watch the first 10 mins again. He was very attractive without his beanie and shirt off. I have been wondering if he was in Mr Sunshine as one of the cruel Japanese soldiers, as he looks familiar. Off to check now.

I'm 47 mins into ep 1 of Nevertheless (despite also being into DAYS, vincenzo, melo and love is phantom ) and have taken a break to get a nice cold gin. It is quite atmospheric even at the start

boaty Beanie Man has only had a couple of small parts before, according to MDL. I think they DTD but then he asks her to be his gf and she turns him down mad woman.

pol The half-your-age-plus-7 rule works for when she is playing 33 but not her rl age of 41.....how is the drama otherwise? Worth watching?

She told him to get some clothes on and every viewer went "nooo!"
Just done first 2 episodes Bettys and it's neither gripping nor irritating so far so let's see. Nice to have an older go-getter FL who is not playing cute though.

@Rowdythree

It was great, definitely recommend the restaurant to those in the West Midlands area! It seemed very authentic Korean food 👍

Planning a visit towards end of summer hols!! Lots to fit in this summer! Have to space put to relish! 😁💜😁💜

@JinBhoot - I watched that episode last night and thought Ik-jun kept mouthing 'wow' - but I could be wrong. He is so cute though!

I was confused by when he knew about his sister's relationship though... When he overheard the office phone call I was sure he knew who she was (I thought the top of the class/year hint gave it away to him), but then with the phone call at the end it seemed 100% sure he didn't know earlier. But if he didn't know then why would he just randomly have told her repeatedly that his friend's girlfriend was making his life hell by being selfish? Maybe it's the subtitles being rubbish?