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!

The "let's put on a show" unit!

There is something like this - a PR unit of some kind. I remember seeing in one of the thread faves’ wikis that their national service had landed in it post-basic training. I’ll see if I can remember who.

I would imagine it would be quite difficult for them socially and reputationally if they were exempted and chose not to enlist. Govt probs has a tightrope to walk in terms of wanting them to stay active for as long as possible but not risk their reputation at home and also raise questions about wider exemption practices. I would imaging there'd be an exepmtion announcement, then BTS will announce that they will enlist anyway to do their duty, and the govt will respond with a shorter service length or st like that. And they'll be held up as examples of dutiful patriots. Maybe.

@LarryUnderwood

I would imagine it would be quite difficult for them socially and reputationally if they were exempted and chose not to enlist. Govt probs has a tightrope to walk in terms of wanting them to stay active for as long as possible but not risk their reputation at home and also raise questions about wider exemption practices. I would imaging there'd be an exepmtion announcement, then BTS will announce that they will enlist anyway to do their duty, and the govt will respond with a shorter service length or st like that. And they'll be held up as examples of dutiful patriots. Maybe.

This is what I meant to say but you are sooo much more erudite and succinct! 😱😳😳😳👍💕

@Rowdythree 4 more episodes to go- I think Ji Sung is so good in it- I also saw the clip of Ji Sung and PSJ winning best couple for it 😁
I've decided I'm going to finish KMHM and maybe tomorrow with you this week and start HTCCC on Saturday- planning a binging day - been madly busy at work so haven't been able to get more than 1-2 episodes in on an evening ☹️

@boatyardblues

I have a small buffet of ongoing and already dropped dramas that I dip in and out of to suit my mood. It is the only way, surely?

I've got more buffetty than when I first started watching dramas-. Plus I have a few where I've got a favourite episode or two that I like to watch again after a bad day! @Rowdythree I really didn't think I'd like shopping king Louis but it was so warm and low stakes cosy!

Haven't read through properly yet, but just wanted to post this for any other West Midlands folk

londonkoreanlinks.net/2021/09/09/korea-day-festival-and-group-exhibition-in-coventry/

Did anyone else hear the head honcho of Portmeirion on R4 Today yesterday or the day before? It was a feature about significant market demand for British fine china in China and the far east, including brands like Portmeirion, Spode and Crown Derby. South Korea was mentioned as being a significant and long-standing market for Portmeirion, to the extent that they’ve invested in a sales infrastructure there. It was interesting to me because I remember Portmeirion being huge here in the 80s. My aunt had loads of the stuff. Then it went out of fashion, big time. It tickles me to see it pop up so often in kdramas.

That event looks great Rowdy. There is a fan dance in the classical dance section of the programne. 👏 Sadly, not in my area.

I'm definitely going to go, I'll drag my DD along for some cultural enrichment 😁

I bet the kpop dance society bit will be a blast, even if its really amateur. The contemporary dance sounds good too.

That event looks good Rowdy! Hanbok made of traditional paper sounds interesting. And I would love to see the kpop soc dance team 💃

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

That event looks good Rowdy! Hanbok made of traditional paper sounds interesting. And I would love to see the kpop soc dance team 💃

Yes, please report back on how drilled and in time they are. The routines are usually very complicated and show up any weaknesses.

I will take many notes and pictures 🧐

Just caught up with HP ep11! So many nice things! 🥰 This series has really grown on me, I'll be really sad if there is no more! It's like a woolly snuggly cardigan that you don't want to throw away, I just want to keep it for comfort and warmth 🤗

@boatyardblues that's so interesting about Portmeirion (I'm from N Wales)! I have spotted it once in a drama (maybe The Heirs?).

I've just got Viki and have started with Goblin. I'm not sure about the subtitling of songs. Finding it a bit intrusive. Hopefully I'll get used to it. Kim Go Eun is adorable in it and I'm loving the relationship between the reaper and the goblin.

There’s lots of good stuff on Viki sakura. You talking about Goblin has reminded me how much I enjoyed it. It might be time for a second viewing.

I HATE the song subtitling. God I wish you could turn it off. In general I find Viki subs way way better than Netflix they go into the puns, note register changes, call people oppa and noona instead of replacing with the name in general it's vastly superior, only spoiled by the insertion of cheesy lyrics into every emotional moment.

I'm impatiently waiting for HTCCC. Loving it!

I prefer Viki subs too because they are truer to what is being said on screen, but agree? The song lyrics are a total bother!! Especially with those c-dramas that have the song lyrics in mandarin on the side of the screen, as well as the English translation. Very intrusive 😁

Another lyrics hater here! 🙋‍♀️

I also prefer Viki subtitles as they translate sayings and proverbs etc literally and explain them.
Agree about song lyrics being annoying.

I'm in Portugal this week, had a night in last night to specifically to catch up on HCCC. It's only showing the trailer on their Netflix 😢

@AesopsMables

I'm in Portugal this week, had a night in last night to specifically to catch up on HCCC. It's only showing the trailer on their Netflix 😢

Oh are you having a nice time? Hope the weather is better than here!

looks shifty I quite like seeing the song lyrics...

LAST HOSPITAL PLAYLIST DAY 😭🥰😭🥰😭🥰😭🥰😭🥰😭🥰😭🥰😭🥰
I may need an Intervention given how much time I have spent with last week's episode this week. Feel free to issue shoulder pat followed by small shoulder shake.

So far resisting buying the 99ers Lego set but did get a mug.

That mug is excellent!

LOVE THE MUG!!!