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!

polkettle I usually start the day with a cup of tea & Yumis Cells and was just about to google Can I Really Make Steamed Buns In A Rice Cooker?
No Let’s Play today 😭

……..I don’t even have a rice cooker…

@bettys

polkettle I usually start the day with a cup of tea & Yumis Cells and was just about to google Can I Really Make Steamed Buns In A Rice Cooker? No Let’s Play today 😭

I need to know about steamed buns & rice cookers.

I’m on ep 258 of Yumi’s Cells so, y’know, spoilers!!!

But I’ve googled and apparently you can if you have a steamer basket

I’d forgotten how Mighty Fine Gong Yoo is - how could I?

Starting Squid Game while peeling a glut of pears

I'm on ep 316 of Yumi's Cells and all of a sudden I can access more than 2 episodes? Anyone else noticed that?

Aah, Gong Yoo @bettys 🥰 need to start Squid Game, will see if DH fancies it tonight

So over being short staffed 😭 the only thing keeping me sane is my dramas and BTS 😁 starting Run On while attempting to tire my mind enough for a nap before night 2/3😱

Finished first ep of Squid Game and after a slow start I am hooked!!! Hoping for more Gong Yoo but that may have been it

Rowdy I’m getting 5 eps of Yumis Cells a day free now, dunno why.

Fighting monkeywench! Run On is very soothing though I thought it ran out of steam

@bettys

I’m on ep 258 of Yumi’s Cells so, y’know, spoilers!!!

But I’ve googled and apparently you can if you have a steamer basket

Behold... The Rice Cooker... with the Steamer Basket and a Char Siu Bao Bun! 😁😍

Here!!!! Argh!

OMG! It won't post 😫.... third time lucky!!!!

Oooh, look at that👀 It was worth the wait Bea.
I'm also getting 5 eps a day of Yumi. I might have used a few of them to read the ending 😏

I loved Run On monkeywrench. Still managing some running 2 months after I watched it and reckon Im Siwan inspired me!

My brother has recommended Squid Game to us. I feel behind the times. My usual reaction to family recommendations these days is: 'Is it Korean?' so no excuses on this one.

Incase you are missing HCCC

@Dontwanttobeyourmonkeywench So over being short staffed 😭 the only thing keeping me sane is my dramas and BTS 😁
same!!!!!! 💯😪 and I'm not even sure if I'm sane anymore
I hope things get better at work

@polkettle

Oooh, look at that👀 It was worth the wait Bea. I'm also getting 5 eps a day of Yumi. I might have used a few of them to read the ending 😏

Ooh Pol! I hadn't even thought of doing that now I'm going to have to restrain myself!

Bea I have that model of rice cooker, it has a steam function and I only ever use it for buns and mandhu. It's really good

I should add only steam buns and mandhu. Of course it gets used all the time for rice. It even has GABA and crust rice settings 😃

I'm also getting 5 eps a day of Yumi. I might have used a few of them to read the ending

I’ve also done that 😂 still enjoying the ride though 😀

A question fot those of you who are ahead of me with Witch at Court: does FL become at all likeable? She’s horrid at the mo (college professor rape case just finished), like really, really awful. I need to know it is worth continuing as she is making me hate it right now.

I'm still a bazillion episodes away from the end of Yumi's Cells 😩

@boatyardblues

A question fot those of you who are ahead of me with Witch at Court: does FL become at all likeable? She’s horrid at the mo (college professor rape case just finished), like really, really awful. I need to know it is worth continuing as she is making me hate it right now.

She does change her way of working Boaty, and she did learn her lesson about how victims may feel. She's definitely not your typical FL, but I grew to like her gutsiness and determination. I enjoyed seeing a different kind of FL succeed in life

Thanks Rowdy. I’ve got up to secret camera perve now & see how her involvement iin the case might shift her perspective.

Yep, that marks a bit of a turning point for her. I'd stick with it, I whizzed through it as I really enjoyed it.

Witch At Court... FL! It's that smirky face which annoys me... nevermind the character being very difficuly to like at the beginning... but i find the actor hard to warm to... It is good though and I enjoyed it... It was a perfect "watch on the go nothing too taxing" drama which i still wanted to find out the ending... It's good and worth a watch in between the On Airs!...