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!

*JDrama

KLAXON!!🥳

For those of you who don’t have Viki HER PRIVATE LIFE is coming to Netflix in September.

I thank you ☺️

I think Search WWW might also heard for Netflix too! For those who haven't seen the gorgeous Park Morgan 😍

@Rowdythree

I think Search WWW might also heard for Netflix too! For those who haven't seen the gorgeous Park Morgan 😍

Ohhh I hope so!!

Making a start on D.P.

Nice production and direction so far

Omo, the HP band in leather, singing Bon Jovi! Not what I was expecting to see on a Saturday night 🤪

What a cliff hanger! Did I read that there is now a two week break of HP? 😱

I've just had a lovely hour watching Bon Jovi videos on YouTube thanks to HP 😍

I've just finished ep 8 of series 1 of Hp, and loving it. Watching it with my sons who are really enjoying it too - they're a little young for some of it but we've had some really lovely conversations while watching, about life and death and family. It's really bonding!

I am away and currently entertaining myself by trying to guess the language/country of origin for the 60+ international channels on our hotel TV. I’ll get back to kdrama soon when I’m not so jazzed from an overcooked itinerary. My feel are throbbing. 😩

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I've just binged my way through D.P. Its only 6 x 45 min episodes.
I started watching it because Netflix showed me the trailer and it seemed to have lots of topless soldiers 😂
It's pretty violent and dark although the 3 DP team members are really good, especially Koo Kyo-hwan. I think I really enjoyed it but be prepared for lots of people getting battered horribly.
And I hope the SK army isn't as awful as its portrayed

I watched Hometown Cha Cha Cha this morning. It was good and looks really promising. The leads are well matched. 👍

Looking forward to doing both episodes later Boaty. I see they've hired the same animator again for the title sequence 😁
Started my day with New Year Blues (movie) thanks to Olga. Very sweet.

I've just started Hometown Cha cha cha also. It's very good, wish I could watch it all. Anything with Lee jeong- eun and set near a coast gets my vote.

Plodding through Racket Boys and it's just OK, sweet in parts but not much plot to it.

This video of the Fulham school boys eating Korean fire noodles just put a huge smile on my face! So funny 🔥🍜😂

Haha that video 🤣

I've started Hometown Cha Cha Cha too. So far so good!

I can't wait to start Hometown Cha Cha Cha! Glad everyone thinks it looks promising. D.P. looks great too.

Korean Englishman is a great channel. Those red noodles x2 strength are nasty. Once DH and I decided to challenge ourselves as we both love spice. I couldn't take more that two mouthful and DH cried his way through just half of it.

The very ending of HCCC ep 1 💗💗!!

Excellent video of the Fulham boys 😂 Looking forward to Cha Cha later 👍

Looking forward to binging ^Cha cha cha as well. Started More Than Friends and got to episode 7 before I got annoyed with both leads so probably going to do a lot of FF. Also started The Imperial Coroner for some mindless watching and plodding through Racket Boys . DD is enjoying Zombie Detective ^ with me, which is nice as a rewatch for me because it's not often that she'll watch dramas with me, it's usually sharing Spotify playlists.

Still watching HP in instalments these days, episides are sooo long. Loved the black leather!! Wouldn't be a huge fan of Dr Ahn but he looked well on those drums today

Same Hawthorn! The episodes are really long, sometimes it feels like not a lot happens, but this week's was quite dramatic. My opinion of Dr Ahn increased dramatically after seeing him in Mr Sunshine, where he looked lovely with long hair.

Love that Dr Bong gets to make his own music in HTCC after being a 99ers outsider 😊

Hi hi threadfam! I was away because I got a smart new job and had to pretend to be a grown up for a bit. It was terrible.

My current/recent watches:

• Doom At Your Service -- I leapt at this premise and really enjoyed it for a bit and then got deathly deathly BORED GOD I wished for their deaths. I did like the secondary couple, though, for once. They almost saved it (but it was not enough). 6

• My Roommate Is A Gumiho -- this also dragged, and I was not keen on the May/September thing it was so obviously well into. It's just not my thing! 5

• Backstreet Rookie -- shit, racist. 4

• So I Married the Anti Fan -- tropey fun that whiled away a day of chores - 7.5

• Mr Queen - bonkers, I LOVED it. I usually dislike sageuk farce I think I'm alone on the board with my dislike of Nokdu but this was so interesting and weird. I liked it. It unexpectedly asked big questions about the self as distinct from the body. 9

• W, Between Worlds -- this came onto UK Viki so I finally saw it and agree it is AMAZEBALLS straight into my top ten. I don't like this ML typically, so it was despite myself. AMAZING. 10

• Devil Judge -- watching this now. Good Lord. I'm GRIPPED.