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 got any good Yoongi pictures?... Asking for a friend

[quote Rowdythree]@bea got any good Yoongi pictures?... Asking for a friend [/quote]
Ohhhhhh!!!!!! You don't know what you're asking for!!!! One of my absolute favourites!!!!

@Rowdythree ... just a quick peruse on my phone....the first one makes me hoot! ... he was locked outside his studio... he'd forgotten the passcode as they had been away for a while...

I'll sue you Min Yoongi!!!!!! last one! I'm sorry blame Rowdy!!!

Ooh! Thank you very much Bea 🙌😍

@bettys

And another one for boaty with RM it’s all true - facts

It MUST BE TRUE if it's coming from KoreaBoo!!!!!

We are not generally Coldplay fans in this house but My Universe is lovely!!! And that making of video is so nice.
Re BTS being small, my favourite pic of them with a celeb is one with Taylor Swift towering over them. I'll see if I can find it.

Here's the YT clips of it. I always use TS as my height barometer as we are the same height (the only similarity 😂) I presume she is wearing heels here but still!

Yoongi is my favourite too. These days Daechwicha is our jam in the car 😂
I also like Hobi, he is such a darling specially after watching In the Soop. He is always helping members & go to person.
Jimin is also interesting & fun to watch in Run & other shows.

While watching HTCCC, I was wondering if I get opportunity to have meal with one BTS member, who would I like … I was inclining towards RM becz we can converse but Hobi or Jimin might be more fun dinner guests. But then Yoongi for serious discussion about life etc. I can’t decide as don’t think one alone will be fun to hangout with.

I need to watch tonight’s LOTRS but don’t want oust my boys as DS2 is rewatching Squid Game with his hyeong. Apparently lots of their friends are talking about it in school.

I can definitely think of one more thing...

He can change my lightbulbs any day fnarr fnarr

Starting Yumis cells tonight- I've not read the webtoon- hope that won't matter!
Is anyone watching one the woman? Wondering if it's worth starting- I tried to start king eternal monarch but for some reason it just didn't click

I'm part way through ep4 of Yumi's Cells and I'm loving it! Woong and Yumi are super cute. It won't matter that you haven't read the Webtoon Hydrogensonata! Kids have just kicked me off the TV though, so I'll have to finish watching it tomorrow.

Jin I'd like to share a bottle of red wine with Yoongi, we wouldn't be able to converse, but that would be fine 🍷😂

I think not knowing the WEBTOON might be an advantage Hydrogen!

I couldn't get into Eternal Monarch either, but that is likely down to my utter dislike of Lee Min-ho 😁

@Rowdythree come to think of, it’s all hypothetical. So in that fictional world language is no barrier, I will be fluent in Korean.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

He can change my lightbulbs any day fnarr fnarr

😁 I mean he could do all those things as well... He's a multi talented chap 😁

As well as those lovely dimples, I noticed that Kim Seon Ho has lovely hands. Not quite as beautiful as So Ji Sub’s hands, but very elegant. With all those skills, he’d be a welcome addition to any home.

Watching this roundup of imminent Korean Netflix series & films I got very excited about the futuristic project that Gong Yoo and Bae Doo Na are attached to.🙏

Yumis cells is fantastic- couldn't stop watching!
Unfortunately I may not feel so fantastic at 6.00 when I have to get up for work but hey ho- that's what coffee is for!

BTS has just announced 4 concerts in LA.

Ok checking back in after a very long hiatus from the boards! How are we all doing?

I started watching Squid Game this evening and am also still ploughing through CLOY (I love it but the episodes are a bit long) and the Japanese dramas Ending Planner and I Will Not Work Overtime, Period. I’m also into Asadoras at the moment and heartily recommend Manpuko.

I gave up halfway through Oh My Master!/ Oh My Ladylord as me and dh accidentally found out how it ends and were so pissed off we couldn’t bear to continue. Such as shame as we really really loved it, but the ending absolutely ruins it.

Still working on my kdrama bullet journal. Well, k & J drama!

@JinBhoot

BTS has just announced 4 concerts in LA.

I had to do a double take when they announced! 😱😂😂😂💜

Oh Bea, those pics are 🥰. I've been away for ages as life has got in the way of drama watching, and I haven't started HTCCC yet and didn't want to find out too much about it. But BTS chat with Min Yoongi pics is a great way to kick off the day. Ahhhh they are so lovely...all of them without exception. But Yoongi and Hobi are my faves. I think. But then RM. And JK. And Jin. And Jimin. And Taehyung. How can anyone choose?

HeeeeeeeeechulOppa!!! Helloooo 🙋🏻‍♀️!

Also thoroughly got into Squid Game but gave up on Oh My Ladylord as the story took a stupid turn imo. Haven’t watched any jdramas recently though did thoroughly enjoy Kikazaru Koi niha Riyuu ga Atte