MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #27): The one where global smash Squid Game launches kdrama into the stratosphere. C’mon in!

[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/Netflix)*
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)
Hometown Cha Cha Cha (Viki)
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)/Couple on the Backtrack (Netflix)
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” 💩

Melting Me Softly
The Birth of a Beauty
Well-Intentioned Love season 1 (S2 is fine)

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 destruction of people's careers in Korea over these rumours is truly terrifying

I agree. What I find the oddest about it all is the advertisers and film companies sacking them on accusations from anonymous netizens.
Since this is someone’s career at stake (not to mention the vile and relentless online abuse) you’d have thought they’d make some attempt to verify the accusations before they shut down the person’s career.

One particular scene of bad acting that sticks is in my mind is in I am not a Robot when they try and trick the buyers of the robot. It's got that American actor in, who acts terribly in lots of K dramas! It's so bad, it's laughable 😂

I have fallen down a k-drama rabbit hole in the last year since covid, it's been great, there are so many of them and they are so well made. I've just finished watching Ghost (from 2012) on Viki, it's a police drama and the male lead So Ji-soeb is quite easy on the eye. I've just started Terius Behind Me, and need to go back to My Roommate is a Gumiho.

Welcome Alex! Pull up a chair. You are amongst fellow obsessives so can let it all out here, unless you are in the fortunate position of having fellow fans in real life? Glad you found us.

KSH has issued a statement admitting it was him. So disappointing. Someone on Twitter said 'This was not the Homecha sequel I ordered' which sums up my feelings!

www.soompi.com/article/1494436wpp/kim-seon-ho-apologizes-for-controversy-involving-ex-girlfriend

I haven't seen I'm not a Robot pol! Will give it a watch.

Welcome Alex.

Welcome Alex! If you find So Ji-soeb easy on the eye then you definitely need to watch Oh My Venus 😉

[quote sakura06]KSH has issued a statement admitting it was him. So disappointing. Someone on Twitter said 'This was not the Homecha sequel I ordered' which sums up my feelings!

www.soompi.com/article/1494436wpp/kim-seon-ho-apologizes-for-controversy-involving-ex-girlfriend[/quote]
Well that's disappointing. I'm just glad this didn't cause HCCC to be cancelled before it had finished airing!

Welcome Alex! The more the merrier 👋

The Swoon staffers must be going mental on the delete button...

I agree, it’s disappointing.
What happens to actors when this happens? Are they ever forgiven?
I suppose KSH will go to the military now.

Ignore that comment - he’s done his military service.

It's not like he's a young man, he's 35! Oh well, I suppose he'll lay low for a while. I've no idea if fans and sponsors are as forgiving.

So RunBTS is now on hiatus 😢

The boys must be knuckling down for a world tour and then the military beckons...

I can't see him coming back from this. A shame in some respects as he is a terrific actor. But, wow, I feel had! Can't imagine how the poor woman must feel. Everyone essentially thinking he's a saint and nicest person ever, and yet she knew he'd behaved like that in private.

My DH reckons he can make a comeback as a villain in a couple of years 😂 I doubt it though to be honest.

Also very pleased HCCC finished its run first!

What a hot mess. Feel desperately sorry for both of them tbh. Career equivalent of the white truck of doom.

What a mess but I still think full story is missing. Was it recently or when they were young?
Why she waited this long? To get a full impact as HTCCC is popular or because he was being jerk so she needed to go public?

Collateral damage: FL & HTCCC team, I feel for them.

Unforgiving nature of public: scandals & punishments, does it improve society positively, do people learn from it or it’s just virtue signalling???

@polkettle

What a hot mess. Feel desperately sorry for both of them tbh. Career equivalent of the white truck of doom.

Definitely career death by white truck of doom Pol

Bah! I just feel unreasonably annoyed by this revelation! I don't know why, as I don't know him personally, only ever seen him as an actor, I've not seen him in any interviews being himself. So I don't know why I feel letdown... Just be a decent human being, then you won't damage your career. 😠

Oh gosh, I think I'm just going to have to ignore any scandal rumours in future. I'm early in HTCCC so not super invested yet and so not too disappointed (obviously shitbag behaviour). But if I were to see a scandal like this involving BTS, or Hyun Bin, or Gong Yoo, or Song JK...I think my heart would break. So I may have to give Soompi a swerve before I see something I don't like!

@Rowdythree I hope you like it! I find leaving it to ferment for 2-3 days is good. My family all think I'm mad but I eat it all the time.

@Rowdythree I completely agree. I'm so disappointed by it (which is ridiculous). I totally bought into the nice guy image. I loved Start-Up. Watched all the interviews, bits of 2D1N, was so excited for HCCC. Gah.

Definitely white truck of doom Pol!

I'm only reading around it a bit Jin, but I think the abortion was last year and they broke up 4 months ago?

OMG, laughing my head off at episode 8 of Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. Simi Liu as garbage boy? 🙌 🙌 🙌

Isn't it good?!

Thank you for the welcome! I haven't seen Oh My Venus yet. I've seen a few from the list at the top of the page. I liked Romance is a Bonus Book and The Beauty Within. Friends are watching Squid Game.

Oh My Venus does not disappoint in the So Ji Soeb stakes. SJS’s martial arts buddy (can’t remember if he was 2ML) was also enjoyable to watch.