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!

Just a Plug and his pup and a pair of leather trousers and a bag and...🤔

😂😂pol !! Just looking at those trousers in this heat makes me feel hot but not in a good way 🥵

The whole set is worth staring at in confused disbelief looking at. The last one of Plumber Plug staring at a running tap dressed in a brown life jacket is a corker. www.instagram.com/p/CRhKOb8Mk4u/?utm_medium=copy_link

Is he trying to work out how to turn it off??? 🤣🤣

@bettys he does look rather confused the poor love!
I think it's the trousers plus velour green sofa combo that really makes it!

If anyone hasn't started it you are my spring is fab!

Ah the Insta treats keep coming...
www.instagram.com/p/CRiA-jypCrz/?utm_medium=copy_link

😂 What a hunk of meat.

I just had a flashback to my one and only attempt at budae jjigae (army base stew), which called for Spam. As I said at the time, a recipe that really should have stayed in the ‘50s. 🤮

I reckon my DH would really like the army base stew…

[quote polkettle]The whole set is worth staring at in confused disbelief looking at. The last one of Plumber Plug staring at a running tap dressed in a brown life jacket is a corker. www.instagram.com/p/CRhKOb8Mk4u/?utm_medium=copy_link[/quote]
Oh my god 😂😂😂

The one of him in the brown life jacket with the whippet on the worktop looks plain Wrong. The whippet isn’t even in focus and the camera crew are reflected in the shiny bowl if you zoom in. Amateur hour!

Indulge my teeny tiny bit of mad Hospital Playlist speculation which is that Minha & Songhwa (obviously not them but the actors because I do just about still understand that they are fictional characters. Just about...) have both updated their Instas today and from harbour sunset and their interaction I am making several mental leaps to reckon they've been filming a stay in Minha's parents' Sokcho B&B to be included in final episodes.

@polkettle

Indulge my teeny tiny bit of mad Hospital Playlist speculation which is that Minha & Songhwa (obviously not them but the actors because I do just about still understand that they are fictional characters. Just about...) have both updated their Instas today and from harbour sunset and their interaction I am making several mental leaps to reckon they've been filming a stay in Minha's parents' Sokcho B&B to be included in final episodes.

There's been hints already!!! I hope it happens 👍

@polkettle
I've never eaten spam
And I sincerely hope I never will 😁

I keep thinking about those trousers/velour sofa combo in this heat (not in that way!) I feel peeling those off would be a job for some poor intern

I used to own a pair of PVC trousers back in the day, they were unbearable in the heat and a right pain to peel off. Worse than the leather trousers I had later.

Ep6 of Gumiho... It's really lovely and sweet and funny! It's a lovely easy watch... A real classic kdrama... Romance... Good friendships... Supernatural... Intrigue... Just lovely! Hope it stays like this! 😍😍

Oh my gosh! The giant spam picture! 😂 We did have spam fritters at primary school and I remember them being nice but I really don't fancy it now. Unless YYS came round and cooked it for me 😁

The yin and the yang of YYS - yesterday = smiley with giant spam, today = leather trousers, steamy pouting, water and watches.

Blimey 👀👀👀 😁

I'm not liking the blond dye job either 😒

I have been having a short foray into J drama as I do every now and again to see if I get it....nope, still odd.

I also finished a xiaxia Miss the Dragon, very derivative and with a meh ending. I am now trying to finish off the half dozen dramas I am stuck at in the middle section. I think some skipperty dodah is in order.

Hope everyone is keeping well in the heat 🥵

I think we can safely say that YYS will advertise ANYTHING.

I also finished a xiaxia Miss the Dragon, very derivative and with a meh ending

Oh that was on my list, I won't bother now

I love SPAM... haven't had it for ages... it's a real staple in chinese food! My mum used to put it in the sweetcorn soup she'd make for dinner... soudns mad but it was yummy!... i want to buy a tin now!!!!

Registered for this. The trailer looks great
www.eventbrite.com/e/korean-film-nights-weekends-tickets-162662310349?aff=KCCUK