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!

DAEBAK!!! Yumi's Cells www.viki.com/tv/38034c-yumis-cells

I see what you mean about going to bed in HP without a wee and after all that beer! Bucket in their tents?

^DAEBAK!!! Yumi's Cells www.viki.com/tv/38034c-yumis-cells^

Heol!!! On Viki yay!!! 👯‍♂️ (closest I could get to cells)

As a side note I have just binged I’ll See You In My 19th Life up to date on Webtoon, that would make a great drama!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

DAEBAK!!! Yumi's Cells www.viki.com/tv/38034c-yumis-cells

Yes! I hope they do the Webtoon justice! I just love Yumi and Woong so much in that 😍 I wonder when it airs!?

Sakura. I did the test, it was quite difficult 😬 I scored 100% on understanding but low on grammer. The course sounds good, if I can sign up for September I will! Thanks for sharing 👍

That's brilliant Rowdy! I can pick out only a few words after hundreds of hours of drama watching. 😳 Keen to learn though!

OK guys guys guys! DH and kids are away tonight, they've just left. I have a whole 24 hours to myself with just some washing up and about 2 hrs of work to do. Help me plan my viewing! Obviously I have the latest episode of Nevertheless, plus I want to watch a couple of episodes of DAYS. But I have a window here to start something new too, or rematch an old fave. I also haven't seen the most recent BTS lives. And there's loads of Run BTs I haven't seen. What to do what to do?!

Loving Terrius, only on episode 5 yet but the friends are hilarious. Loved the bag shop photo shoot.

Question, the kids are Jun-su and Jun-hui, I think - and she calls them Jun Jun when she's addressing them jointly. Is that a common thing, or just a her thing, or maybe a twin thing? I know siblings often share the first syllable in common, so would say, Ik Jun and Ik Sun from HP, would their parents have called them Ik Ik?

Would love to do that online course but just spent around $50 of an Amazon.com voucher that had been hanging around for ages on Talk to me in Korean books so should probably just use them!

@LarryUnderwood

OK guys guys guys! DH and kids are away tonight, they've just left. I have a whole 24 hours to myself with just some washing up and about 2 hrs of work to do. Help me plan my viewing! Obviously I have the latest episode of Nevertheless, plus I want to watch a couple of episodes of DAYS. But I have a window here to start something new too, or rematch an old fave. I also haven't seen the most recent BTS lives. And there's loads of Run BTs I haven't seen. What to do what to do?!

@LarryUnderwood what kind of thing are you in the mood for ? I dragged myself of the sofa for a very wet 10k but now back and warming up with more suspicious partner💕

After 4 or so dramas I'm finally beaten down by l the ppl and thinking that a garlic bread topped Pizza Alvolo would actually slip down quite nicely rather than being a terrible idea .
Also here for Sol's Shetland Pony Love t-shirt in Nevertheless
A better week for potato/noodle boy too.
Hooray for carbs.

The Pizza Alvolo pizzas always look structurally unsound - too many toppings. There must be a layer of card under each slice so they don’t flop mid-scene.

“Do you want to see the butterflies?” is right up there with “do you want to come and see my etchings?”

And what’s with the gratuitous kitten? Such a trope!

On the upside, I enjoyed a bit of cut noodle technique. That looks do-able at home.

Never turn down a gratuitous kitten Boaty. That one did look awfully young though.

@Hydrogensonata I've settled on I'm Not A Robot for a couple of episodes, then I'm doing Nevertheless, then DAYS.

I Am Not a Robot was unexpectedly good and enjoyable.

I think Yoo Seung Ho from I am Not a Robot is absolutely gorgeous! 😍 I'm currently watching him in My Strange Hero

Enjoy your 24 hour binge session Larry! 🎉🎉

I'm really enjoying it so far!

I'm already on ep 5 of Nevertheless. It's been quite good so far. Unpopular opinion but Song Kang isn't doing it for me really, his legs are too skinny and I couldn't tell his feet from FL's when they were in bed as they were very smooth and feminine looking. I'm rooting for the noodle boy with the sparkly eyed smile, plus he would keep her better nourished. Much more than a can of Lime pop and a kiss taste of lollipop 🍭 😏

Aesops - You need to see Song Kang dancing in Navillera to really appreciate his legs.

@rowdythree is my strange hero good? I liked him in I am not a robot too - might give that a try after suspicious partners

[quote Hydrogensonata]@rowdythree is my strange hero good? I liked him in I am not a robot too - might give that a try after suspicious partners[/quote]
Yep! It has all the usual, loveable rogue, evil rich people and some good snogs 👍 it's 32 episodes, but they're 30 minutes each so it's the same length as usual. The storyline is a bit strange in that it's set in high school and the ML is a 27yo high school student, and the FL is his teacher 😬 I'm about 2/3 of the way through it.

If you want to have a good cry, watch him in Remember. I cried my eyes out watching that, I say say its my worst K drama as I found it so sad 😂

Getting back into Racket Boys. It's so sweet and fun 😊

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Getting back into Racket Boys. It's so sweet and fun 😊

Tomorrow is final episode, I am already sad.

@JinBhoot I love racket boys it's very wholesome
Suspicious partners is good- JCW has great chemistry with the FL unlike in melting me softly/backstreet rookie both of which I ditched

Omo! A proper snog in this week’s You Are My Spring, with tongue by the look of things. 😮 So forward!

A mini rant: what is it with all these lookalike animated credit sequences? It’s almost like the network hired an animator with a cutesy style and is trying to get their money’s worth.

@boatyardblues - I'll keep my eye out for that tomorrow- first day at a new role tomorrow so I'm heading for an early night tonight and keeping new episodes for tomorrow to reward myself 😁