MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #26): With the dog days of summer behind us, it’s time to dust off your persimmon racks and dig out your down jackets for a cosy k-autumn

[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)
Monthly Magazine Home (Viki)
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)
Racket Boys (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/Netflix)


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)*

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID aka “the shit list” 💩

Well-Intentioned Love season 1 (S2 is fine)
The Birth of a Beauty

Thread Regulars’ Top Scoring Dramas of 2020
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). 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!

Ji Sung is a proper oppa. I’m still a noona to him, but he should be topping the charts.

Toasty LJS and Yoona!
And there I was wondering what his new drama was going to be the other day!! And Yoona! Hated K2 but loved her in Hyoris Bed and Breakfast! 😂😁
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏Please be good! Please be good!! 😊

@Bea

Toasty LJS and Yoona! And there I was wondering what his new drama was going to be the other day!! And Yoona! Hated K2 but loved her in Hyoris Bed and Breakfast! 😂😁 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏Please be good! Please be good!! 😊

LJS will be lawyer ….. oooo getting ready for combed back hair.

I am watching BTS In the Soop & enjoying their cooking & meal planning. They should have their own cooking show.
While watching this show I keep wondering if female idols can do such a programme? No make-up and just enjoying care free time without being scrutinised (not behaving lady-like or labelled as provocative)

I'm almost scared to ask as I adore LJS, but why is he toasty? 🙈

[hoping its a good thing]

@leeloo1 it's from this kiss scene in Pinocchio

I really like the relationship between the young lawyer and his cop friend in The Devil Judge. It is such a lovely friendship. I’m keeping everything crossed they get together.

Anniversary present from DH 😁

That’s fantastic FedUp. Can you please fibd out from him where he bought it from. 🙏

@boatyardblues

That’s fantastic FedUp. Can you please fibd out from him where he bought it from. 🙏

Amazon I think. Hol on I'll find out 😁

Kpop K-pop Merchandise Korean Drama Kdrama Merch Merchandise T-Shirt https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZQXSBCK/ref=cmswwrcppapiglttfabcH6WGWDK7GY26NF0MWK8H?psc=1

He actually wanted to get me something BTS related but was completely bewildered by all the merch 😂😂😂

Ah FedUp, he’s definitely a keeper! Thanks for the link. 😄

Happy Anniversary! Great shirt FedUp
Bang into The Bond (while I drum my fingers on slow Police Uni and Be Yourself subs). Apart from anything else it's so pretty to look at in a 1980s-Chinese-Communist-Chic sorta way.

I'm definitely not one of those people who can watch an episode per week 😂 Went to start Cha cha cha but decided to go with Falling into your smile because at least I won't have to wait.
DS was commenting that he couldn't understand why I could manage a 40 episode C-drama but any thing more than 16 episodes for a K-drama was a struggle😂 I have no idea why, it just is

@JinBhoot... they've just announced Season 2 !!! In The Soop with Bangtan... sooo excited... it's sooo calming and relaxing and funny and endearing!!!!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick he needs to head to cokodive.com/ !!! or he needs to message me for pointers!!!!!........

Ah monkeywench I have a feeling FedUp said Falling into your Smile was a bit pants......

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Anniversary present from DH 😁

... Fab!!!!.... I got this last year from friends for my birthday!!! [

@bettys I don't mind some mindless fluff, I need something that doesn't tax my brain and rots my teeth lol

My Unicorn Girl definitely fell into that category and was a quick watch with FFW. On the other hand, I watched Sweet and Sour and ened up being so frustrated with the open end, even though I should be used to ambiguous ending with my live of Cohen Brothers films🤔

[quote Bea]@JinBhoot... they've just announced Season 2 !!! In The Soop with Bangtan... sooo excited... it's sooo calming and relaxing and funny and endearing!!!!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick he needs to head to cokodive.com/ !!! or he needs to message me for pointers!!!!!........ [/quote]
I'll let him know Bea! Lots of ideas for Xmas 🤔😄

Oh if its mindless fluff you want, have you seen Unforgettable Love yet? (Olga)
I've already forgotten it....but 'twas fun

@bettys yup, utterly mindless fluff 😂
I once happened to catch one of those pop up videos on Fb which was a Thai Lakorn. Was riveted for 20mins of my life that I would never get back. It was like watching a cross between Hollyoaks and Eastenders on steroids or coke possibly both 😂😂 I don't even know how I got dragged in, I just couldn't switch off and was just WTF did I just watch for about an hour later😂

@Bea I am starting ep5. Even they commented about being in a cooking show.

I am planning to make pajeon over the weekend, found Maangchi’s recipe.
I’ll also try nurungji with left over rice. (Probably will boil rice just to make this as I usually cook pulao & biryani).

SUGA & at times Jin is so relatable. Others are too hyper or active except Jimin’s sleeping habits 😂😂😂 if opportunity presents, I can easily sleep for 12+ hours.

I’m puzzling over how Su Hyeon got Elijah up to the rooftop garden. Piggyback up the stairs and a second trip for the wheelchair? 🤔 Also, Su Hyeon has a bad habit of not calling for back up.

Sorry ^ Devil Judge again.

So Mr Sunshine is finished (GREAT recommendation btw, thank you!) and thinking of Vagabond. I can’t see it in the recommended list. What do you guys reckon? Fun and satisfying? I’m pushing for Memories of the Alhambra but DH resistant.

Fiddle the ending of Vagabond had me 🤬🤬 and I skipped lots of Alhambra (whilst admiring Hyun Bin in linen jacket & jeans)