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!

[quote bettys]@Cassini I have just read the synopsis of Tears in Heaven 😱😂 is it on iQ?

We have a Guilty Pleasures category on the thread header but maybe we should add When You Just Don’t Care About The Plot……..[/quote]
Aka Overwhelmingly Compelling Visuals 😉

I like this category When you just don’t care about the plot

Let add this with Don't even bother or Shitty drama alert category

It is on Viki 👌👌👌

I am glad I was saving Nevertheless for a binge as now I don't need to get invested in Nice Beanie man, but I do feel sorry for anyone being compared to our beloved PM 😂

I also have the firefighter drama bookmarked for later.

Agreed that we need a Warning ⚠️ 👎🏻category and a Overwhelmingly Compelling Visuals category 😍👍🏻

I’ve never deployed the poo emoji but I think the ‘avoid’ category would be a fitting use of it. 💩💩💩

Second attempt at Ashin of the North tonight, hopefully I can stay awake! 🤞

@Rowdythree

Second attempt at Ashin of the North tonight, hopefully I can stay awake! 🤞

Fighting!

@polkettle

Nooooo. Lovely Mr Beanie guy is being edited out of Nevertheless because his girlfriend says he cheated on her. Nooooooo 😭

Saw this this afternoon and thought the thread will be in uproar- not Mr Beanie guy ☹️ how are the going to just edit him out?(truck of doom?!) @polkettle that photo poses more slot of questions- yes to a flat cap and perhaps a pie might make a good addition?

May turn out to be quite unfair on Ms two tone hair as presumably she'll also see her role cut back.

That would be very unfair on her if that turns out to be the case! I like her character too, and her hair!

Another fail at watching Ashin of the North 😴💤 I think we went wrong starting it from the beginning again, as I fell asleep at almost the exact same place I did last time! I'll just have to continue on from where we left off tomorrow.

@Rowdythree

That would be very unfair on her if that turns out to be the case! I like her character too, and her hair!

Another fail at watching Ashin of the North 😴💤 I think we went wrong starting it from the beginning again, as I fell asleep at almost the exact same place I did last time! I'll just have to continue on from where we left off tomorrow.

It's intense, Rowdy. Non stop revenge thriller! Had to pause loads of times to consolidate the first 2 series. But worth it!

You can do it!

This has made me think I need to give army base stew another go: m.youtube.com/watch?v=KRDRShaiBY0 This recipe had baked beans too.

Arrrrggghhhh I am desperate to watch the BTS live lounge and couldn't last night as we were in the car and now I'm at my in laws and the WiFi is rubbish for streaming so the picture is crap. I am genuinely so sad

Ahh Larry, I watched it last night on not very good holiday WiFi. I'm definitely rewatching on a big telly with HD when we get home!

Ohhhhh!!! https://www.instagram.com/p/CR5JYi7MwVZ/?utmmedium=sharee_sheet
Yumi's Cells!!

Hurrah Yumi’s Cells - They look so cute!!! But she’s not blonde 🤔
I recently got hooked on Siren’s Lament, Men of The Harem and The Remarried Empress. However despite my best intentions to only read completed series I keep getting sucked into ongoing ones which then go on hiatus - reminds me why I like KDrama & their 16 eps & done setup 😂

@bettys

Hurrah Yumi’s Cells - They look so cute!!! But she’s not blonde 🤔 I recently got hooked on Siren’s Lament, Men of The Harem and The Remarried Empress. However despite my best intentions to only read completed series I keep getting sucked into ongoing ones which then go on hiatus - reminds me why I like KDrama & their 16 eps & done setup 😂

Are you me?

Are you me? FedUp 🤣🤣

I also took a look at Manta but as you said, some of it is a little….erm….unsavoury 😖

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Ohhhhh!!! [[https://www.instagram.com/p/CR5JYi7MwVZ/?utm]]medium=sharee_sheet Yumi's Cells!!

Yay! 🙌 Can't wait!

No HP2 until next week?! 😭😭😭

Stop!!

^ Sorry. Couldn’t resist. I love MMH. It’s just right for where I’m at currently. 😄

FL’s sunbae’s shiny black joggers at the manor house look like bin bags. So fashion forward! 🤣

Potential candidate for the Daebak wonky fashion award?

The anonymous chat room party game? On a work trip? 🤯😱😱😱 I just can’t… It’s the stuff HR investigations are made of. What could possibly go wrong? 😳

It’s more like ‘Starp!’ 😂

Hello again everyone!
I've not been posting for months as not been watching any K Dramas 😮
I've dived back in again and watching Monthly Magazine which is just my 'cup of tea'. Every character and the storyline, just fabulous.

To celebrate my return to k viewing I even made Mandu and Ramen for dinner.

Hope everyone is well