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 Hydrogensonata]@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 😁[/quote]
Good luck in the new role! Fighting!

I’m still totally confused about what’s going on in You Are My Spring in the good twin/bad twin? front. The cliff hanger at the end of this week’s episodes looks to be decisive, but is it? So confused.

Same from me Hydrogen! Hope it goes well. 🤞

Hydrogensonata, good luck for tomorrow! 🍀🤞

Hwaiting Hydrogen!
Even though I probably WILL forget it quite soon, Unforgettable Love was great company this weekend with the usual CDrama random treats - in this case a SpongeBob double duvet set and anxiety being cured through flicking through an album of cat photos. Thanks Bettys it was worth Olga's boobs.

My pleasure pol always good to share (and yes, I probably will forget it soon!)

I am nearing the end of reading Nevertheless on webtoon and am interested to see whether they’ll change the ending or not…..

So I'd been thinking that one episode a day of Nevertheless was ALL I could read for free on Webtoons (also nearly at end) but discovered today that was oh so wrong. Have galloped through available Yumis Cells. What else?

Thanks all - I need some hwaiting today to keep going- nothing set up and it's a newly created role so no handover still aja hwaiting!

Racket boys 💕 love it and thought the ending was great

Now onto evil twin mystery/looking out for the kiss in YAMS

👏👏👏 For getting through the first day Hydrogensonata 😊

Aw. Final Racket Boys capital H Heartwarming 🥰
And also loving today's YAMS banter while remaining mystified by the completely out of kilter murder thing. Was wondering if some sort of twist related to drama being filmed in hotel but doesn't make much sense.

I need to catch on today’s Pol, but I just sat there slack jawed thinking WTF?!?!? last night. Glad I’m not alone in scratching my head at yesterday’s closing scene.

It’s such an odd show, in that there seem to be two or three quite separate and jarring plots all vying for screen time - I include the ex/idol storyline here. It’s almost like the writer(s) are using a bingo ball jumbler to organise the scenes each week. If the FL/ML storyline wasn’t so endearing I’d have binned it off by now.

You're right. But the central couple SO lovely I'm really enjoying it. Could watch them flirt for days and like their buddies too. I still (somewhat despite the odds) think we're being played as viewers for doom and it's actually all about healing. But...

@boatyardblues I could probably manage ML/FL storyline plus possibly the evil twin murder plotline - I quite like the juxtaposition of the two but there's a lot of extra ones too unless they can somehow pull it all together?
I like the banter between the friends and the bit post kiss where he tries to follow her made me after tonights though worry the cute plotline won't last.

Oh and Dr Chase needs a reality check- I wonder why she finds you so scary? Probably a combination of your identical twin being a murderer,you tried to strangle her, you grabbed a knife with your bare hands and you spend most off your time skulking around looking incredibly creepy and saying incredibly creepy things in a very creepy manner. The actor does a good job of portraying the creepiness! Might have to watch the first episode again to see the difference?

@polkettle on Webtoon I really recommend:
Let’s Play
The Remarried Empress
Men of the Harem
Sirens Lament
See you In My 19th Life
My Cold-Blooded King
Teenage Mercenary
Freaking Romance

Also enjoyable:
My Boo
Untouchable
Devil No 4
True Beauty
She’s Hopeless
His Majesty’s Proposal

I’ve succumbed to buying coins for the series I really really like that aren’t completed no matter how much I tell myself I’m only going to read completed ones….
However only being able to read one or two chapters a day is quite good when you can’t binge-watch drama due to having to do stuff

Men of the Harem

That’s a title I could get behind if it was a kdrama. Is the webtoon as much fun as it sounds?

boaty depends what you’re imagining 🤔😂

It’s fun…female emperor institutes her own harem after being jilted, which man will she fall for?

Oh, I could definitely get behind that. For one horrible moment I thought you were going to tell me it was about the court eunuchs stitch and bitch club.

Some of them are set in fantasy worlds that wouldn’t translate well to dramas, but I think See You In my 19th Life would be good as a drama

For one horrible moment I thought you were going to tell me it was about the court eunuchs stitch and bitch club
…..actually also could be fun 😂

I've had no WiFi or reception for a week!! Was in the middle of nowhere!! (but it was soooo beautiful!)
Finished Gumiho... It was good! Fun!.. 2nd lead couple were lovely!
Half way through last ep of Racket Boys.. It is lovely!
Got a heck of a lot of catching up to do! 😫😩😫😩😫

MARVELLOUS Bettys 🥰👏. Men of the Harem absolutely irresistible title.

All those who enter the WEBTOON world BEWARE!

It's highly addictive, and super frustrating when you get limited to 1 ep. a day 😁😁😁

@Bea

I've had no WiFi or reception for a week!! Was in the middle of nowhere!! (but it was soooo beautiful!) Finished Gumiho... It was good! Fun!.. 2nd lead couple were lovely! Half way through last ep of Racket Boys.. It is lovely! Got a heck of a lot of catching up to do! 😫😩😫😩😫

Hope you had a lovely break Bea! No WiFi sounds slightly stressful, but probably quite relaxing in the end!

No YOU'VE just read every available episode of Men of the Harem before breakfast. Oh jeez. Help.