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!

I've finally finished Its Okay to not be okay, aah I loved it! I didn't fancy it when it first came out, I'm so glad I got around to watching it! Motorhoming around Korea doesn't seem like a bad way to pass the time either! 🚐

Rowdy yes everyone says it’s so good.
Seo Yea-ji Is an excellent actress - I wonder if her career will ever recover after the recent scandal. I don’t know how long ‘cancellation’ lasts in Korea.
Having said that, I don’t suppose Ji Soo’s carrier will ever recover, though I could be wrong.

Yes I wonder, I was shocked when her scandal was revealed! I have liked her in everything I've seen her in, she is a good actress. I wonder if it's a case of keeping her head down for a while, or whether that's it for her 😬

I imagine scandals are more career ending in Korea than they are here, where they seem to boost career opportunities rather than limit them!

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

Normal service has been resumed on Kim Jihun's Instagram. No more dead wildlife just pull ups and sweaty gym selfies (although this one looks a bit like he tipped some water on himself for extra sweatiness 😂)

Oh my. He's... moist.

*I imagine scandals are more career ending in Korea than they are here, where they seem to boost career opportunities rather than limit them8

Yes.
Funnily enough I remember many years ago a tabloid spread accusing Jack Straw of being a school bully but that blew over without consequences. Also Peter Mandelson was cancelled a few times but made comebacks.
Long before that, when Lord Profumo was exposed, he cancelled himself and devoted the rest of his life to charity work.

It’s a tricky one re Korean celebrity bullying scandals. Should mistakes and bad behaviour ruin a career forever or is bullying such deeply unpleasant behaviour and so damaging to its victims, that its perpetrators should be punished forever?

For the first time in ageeesssss DH has gone to the pub without me. I've had a few drinks and managed a lovely binge of Reply 1997. Im trying to boot myself off at ep 13. I havnt checked who she ends up with but I'll eat my hat if it's not SIG. Also why has he got the same hair cut from age 17 to being a Judge!!???? I'm not managing to suspend my disbelief at his older self. He's still well gorgeous though.
It's def not as good as 1988. The lovely relationships between the older women in that are top notch.

There's quite a few Reply 1997 cast cameos in Reply 1994 if you get to that eventually TheGirl.

(as the same characters I mean)

For Reply series- is there any order? Or can be watched any sequence?

I'll look out for them pol
Jin I don't think it matters what order, I watched 94, 88, 97. That decision was mostly made on wanting to watch the actors in it at the time 😂

I just have 97 to go but this is my running order & exact rationale. 😂

They're all completely self contained (and you wouldn't want to watch together as some crossover cast and same actors for parents in each one is disconcerting) BUT Reply 1994 does contain a big spoiler for 1997 in that I now know who the husband is (Reply 88 has a briefer sweet 1994 ref but not a spoiler), so you could watch in order made if you want to avoid that. On the other hand, depending on your personality, I'd endorse spoilering as I think the "who's the husband" aspect actually distracts from enjoyment. I liked both better from knowing early on and relaxing into how journey unfolds. Reply 1988 is in my top 3 in so far as I can settle on that- brilliant ensemble cast. There are a few in jokes in HP about YYS 's character in 94 btw.

I just have 97 to go but this is my running order & exact rationale
Glad to know I'm in good company boaty 😂

I just finished Doom! A lovely happy ending, and Team leader Elf became hotter as the series went on! By the final episode I had quite fallen for him myself 😂

Just need to finish Youth of May now then I can start new shows! I might have to go for Reply 1997 for more Seo In Guk 😍

I’m just catching up on today’s Nevertheless and pausing to say Na-Bi has gone up in my estimation in her flirtation with her hoobae and knocking ML back with “closer than I am with you”. Do we think our player has met his match? I hope she is kind to her hoobae and doesn’t use him. He seems very sweet and genuine (for now).

I'll be catching up with Nevertheless while the football is on later 😁

It’s got all murky and awks. I’m about half way through due to interruptions. Tsundere Beret guy and the girl with the red lowlights definitely need to couple up. They are perfect for one another in an opposites attract way.

There really should be at least two episodes of Nevertheless each week. This is torture. But 👌.

Heol, norty Nevertheless,

Loving all the student angst and am over invested in beret guy and the guy Sol spilt coffee on

Oh yes, I like Sol and Spilt Coffee Guy - another interesting combo. I’m all confused over Sol and her BFF. Is BFF closeted lesbian and sweet on Sol, to the extent of following Sol to art school? Is Sol interested in her BFF, because it seems like Sol and Split Coffee are getting on like a house on fire and there is chemistry. In which direction is the girl love interest flowing?

And hooray for Beret Guy and Red.

🤷🏻‍♀️I thought it was going to be an unni likes unni strand so maybe Spilt Coffee Guy is just serving to make BFF jealous, although she is a serial blind dater herself.
I predict lots of push pull with Beret Guy & Red.
Who is the woman that has come back ?🤔

It’s going to be a bumpy road with lots of straps to slip off shoulders.

Can't keep up with the pace of these threads!
Been on a bit of a kreality spiral, but back on the dramas.
Fallen completely in love with PSJ - again (Youn's kitchen and stay)! Though am also watching arthdal chronicles so that's fast switching me to Song Joong Ki!!! Turns out I'm very flippant when it comes to my pretty lead men. Though I still have Ji Sung in my heart!!

About to start the final episode of Sell Your Haunted House - really enjoying it.
Avengers Social Club was fun too.

DH is laughing at me 🤨 I was watching BTS latest performances of Butter on YouTube. He asked me why I was watching it over and over. I explained that as well as the main video there were stage cams for each member so it was 8 videos. He thinks I've lost the plot. I maintain this is perfectly reasonable behaviour.
He's now distracted by 22 men on telly, tch 🤔

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

LTB

Only joking - but I think your explanation is entirely reasonable

I felt I should pause Imitation to investigate the avuncular manager’s past life as a member of g.o.d. This was the MV I chose at random: m.youtube.com/watch?v=8qksrTDbd24 It has a Prisoner-meets-Boys to Men vibe with a Monty Python twist. I’m not sure I’m any the wiser, but I don’t think their streetfighter backing singer would even make it into idol school these days.