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!

@Bea IT IS indeed.
I like Coldplay & BTS is a recent discovery.
This song has Coldplay-ish feel with something extra from BTS.
Oh I feel like going to a concert & dancing 💃🏻.

I have a girl crush on Jung HoYeon (FL in Squid Game) She is COOL.

How are you finding Squid Game Pol? DS and I found it gripping.

It's great! But I need a little healing dose of something else between episodes - hence a few to go. I'm a wuss.

I've just put on episode 7 and this time wincing at special KDrama foreigner acting from those VIPs... How do they actually get their glasses to their mouths?

[quote JinBhoot]My Universe - Coldplay & BTS

[/quote] Omg I love it! It sounds like a Coldplay song, but also like BTS from their Love Yourself era! Definitely a bop! I hadn't been too keen on their recent English language songs, so I was glad to hear them singing in Korean and including the rap line 👏👏

Off camping again this weekend, got my downloads ready, sadly no Soju for warmth. If only there was an Asian supermarket in my little town!

@polkettle

I've just put on episode 7 and this time wincing at special KDrama foreigner acting from those VIPs... How do they actually get their glasses to their mouths?

DS and I kept saying that Pol! They needed straws for their drinks. Very silly masks and they looked uncomfortably heavy.

Watching My Bargain Queen for some-easy-on-the-brain watching after a stressy work week.

Highly amused by the FL's coffee mug which says Super Gran. Lost in translation, methinks!! 😂😂😂

Finished! Guessed first twist (which needed way more unpacking) but not second. Thought ending a bit muted all round really. Overall too bloke heavy.

Offsetting with syrupy wallow in Touch Your Heart

@polkettle

Finished! Guessed first twist (which needed way more unpacking) but not second. Thought ending a bit muted all round really. Overall too bloke heavy.

I can’t disagree with that.

I have stepped off the k-path to sample a Brazilian mystery with supernatural elements on Netflix this evening. It is called Invisible City and it’s really good so far (up to ep 4). To be honest, I had to watch it after the trailer because I wanted to hear more of the song!

Whilst waiting for the next episodes of HTCCC I started watching what happens to my family- starts off as mostly silly and a bit cringy in places but then in proper K-drama style becomes actually quite deep with some very emotional bits.
I do like the way you a K-drama can start as one thing and then become something better/more interesting than you expected (equally it sometimes goes the other way!)

Haha FedUp I've not thought about Super Gran for a very long time 😂

While my credentials to join the Army are still limited I did yell at the radio this morning when Claudia Winkleman introduced the "new Coldplay song". No mention of your sweet scouts at all 😠
Have you seen that the telephone number used for Squid Game was actually someone's real number and they are having to field endless calls from wouldbe players? Oops...

I had one of regular (mostly annoying) Netflix update emails this morning. Squid Game is #2 most viewed in the UK at the mo. I blame TikTok. Talking other parents of teens, it has gone viral on there & I know several that are watching it with their teens.

I am watching Cinderella & 4 knights while waiting for the HCCC. I am hoping for story to move forward today.
Cinderella is annoying but I can’t stop watching it 😆 just 15 mins till HCCC drop.

I am introducing my Coldplay mad family to BTS. Hopefully Kdrama is next stop & I’ll have IRL ppl to discuss & watch dramas.

I’m lolling at Ms Pyo askjng the straight-laced policeman out from the back of the police car and his reaction. 🤦‍♀️

Ooh, one-sided love. Bummer!

I’ve just twigged HCCC FL was the FL in Oh My Venus. I much prefer her in HCCC. I didn’t warm to her much in OMV at all - I only stuck it out for Sub-in-a-tub.

Also, I think the thread eonnis have correctly called the predictions for sad back story and the lottery.

HCCC - can’t wait for the next episode.
Is it safe to assume, ML is not on the deathbed or terminally ill?

Tending plants & Orchids - here goes the speculation of being spy 😂😂😂

The photo in the book might be his baby photo with his parents.

I’ve just twigged HCCC FL was the FL in Oh My Venus. I much prefer her in HCCC. I didn’t warm to her much in OMV at all - I only stuck it out for Sub-in-a-tub.

OMG I didn't twig at all? OMV was the very first kDrama I watched. She has changed so much but I can now see it!
Saving HCCC for double whammy tomorrow. DH just asked when it's on next?!!

I did realise HTCCC was OMV FL. I thought they were a bit similar at the beginning ie a bit princessy, but HTCCC character is sweeter.

@boatyardblues

I’ve just twigged HCCC FL was the FL in Oh My Venus. I much prefer her in HCCC. I didn’t warm to her much in OMV at all - I only stuck it out for Sub-in-a-tub.

There's no mistaking those dimples!!