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!

Oh Woong, looking from the outside you just want to give him a little shake 😔

@boatyardblues I quite like Ruby in as a character to watch although she'd drive me mad in person - I liked the bit where Wu Gi says he's not close to this friend and it just slides off her 😁 awkward wine gathering was good and Woong insisting Ba Bi took his jacket and then the super awkward jacket return meeting. In the manga do you find out who Wu Gi likes at work?

Still waiting for one the woman to be subbed- episode 9 went up Friday and it's still at 9%☹️

@Hydrogensonata, no you never find out who Wu Gi likes, he isn't a main character after the first few episodes. He pops up every now and then.

Ruby is bonkers, I quite like her character though, although in real life she'd drive me bonkers too. I'm not liking Babi very much at the moment. I really liked him in the Webtoon though 🤔

For a bright guy, Wung is making a lot of daft decisions. 🤦‍♀️

I’m filing away the endless circle of alcohol trick for future reference.
Me too 🤣

Ruby character reminds me of the NDN in Let's eat who had a sad back story, I wonder if we will see another dimension to Ruby?

Reading another Squid Game article has reminded me to post that I didn’t even connect Sang-Woo in Squid Game with the ML in Prison Playbook. It’s the same actor, Park Hae-soo. He gave off a completely different vibe in Squid Game. The middle aged salary man persona rendered him invisible to me. 😧

Poor V - he looks gutted not to be dancing

I know!!! It was an amazing concert though, just chock full of splendid visuals ( some of those buttons were clinging on for dear life!) and great songs!

The middle aged salary man persona rendered him invisible to me. 😧

Me too!! Didn’t make the connection at all what a splendid actor he is!

@Hydrogensonata. @Rowdythree I’ve now finished Yumi’s Cells webtoon and you do see who Wook likes right at the very end 😍

@bettys

Poor V - he looks gutted not to be dancing

I know!!! It was an amazing concert though, just chock full of splendid visuals ( some of those buttons were clinging on for dear life!) and great songs!

It was really good, they seemed a bit disappointed in themselves which is a shame. It must be pretty hard to keep up the stamina/energy without a crowd to gee them along.

And this time they didn't show the monitors with ARMY

@bettys

The middle aged salary man persona rendered him invisible to me. 😧

Me too!! Didn’t make the connection at all what a splendid actor he is!

@Hydrogensonata. @Rowdythree I’ve now finished Yumi’s Cells webtoon and you do see who Wook likes right at the very end 😍

Ooh great! I think I'm going to finish it today, but I'm putting off reading it, as I really don't want it end 😢 I hope it's a happy ending!

Loving Park Hae-Soo in PP has me retrospectively changing my SG allegiances 😁
His wife has just had their first baby so it's been quite the month for him!
I might need to reactivate my iQuYi Bea...or hope that it comes to Viki in a few weeks like MMH did.

@bettys

The middle aged salary man persona rendered him invisible to me. 😧

Me too!! Didn’t make the connection at all what a splendid actor he is!

@Hydrogensonata. @Rowdythree I’ve now finished Yumi’s Cells webtoon and you do see who Wook likes right at the very end 😍

I've start d reading it on webtooon but at 5 episodes a day it's going to take a while! Started I can hear your voice last night but it didn't grab me so giving pop up mystic bar a try? What I really want is for someone to sub the two episodes of one the woman that are sat waiting on vicki

@polkettle

Loving Park Hae-Soo in PP has me retrospectively changing my SG allegiances 😁 His wife has just had their first baby so it's been quite the month for him! I might need to reactivate my iQuYi Bea...or hope that it comes to Viki in a few weeks like MMH did.

Park Hae-soo is AWESOME in PP. Does dopey fecker well 😄

Has anyone watched Flower of Evil? I'm looking for something to tempt DH with now we've finished Beyond Evil

I’ve been puzzling over why Yumi or Wung didn’t just tell Babi that Wing is living at Yumi’s when they were talking at the bus stop. Is it not done in SK, living together before marriage? I am surprised it was such an issue.

Wing = Wung obvs.

I liked Search www too. I haven't listened to any podcasts. Still working through My Secret Terius. I'm so happy to find so much TV to watch, I was running out of decent TV until I found kdramas. Very useful during lockdown!

Start Up was good too.

I loved Search www Alex, that's one of my favourites.

Boaty I'm guessing it's not the done thing in SK, it was quite a naive question that Babi asked really. Surely even if you don't say it out loud, people know that bfs and gfs spend the night at their other half's. 🤷‍♀️

DH has requested something zombie related to watch...I think we've watched all the K zombie options 🙄

DH has requested something zombie related to watch...I think we've watched all the K zombie options

DS2 is working his way through all God knows how many seasons of Walking Dead on Disney+.

I also enjoyed Permission to Dance - on Stage but I had to go to work halfway through so I've just been trying to find some unofficial snippets for the last parts.
I was on shift with my newly kdrama watching colleague and we did make the other people in with us watch a bit of the concert 😂 they were slightly confused. One guy did say that Jungkook was ridiculously cute 👍😁

@Rowdythree

Has anyone watched Flower of Evil? I'm looking for something to tempt DH with now we've finished Beyond Evil

Flower of Evil is really good and gripping... Though a few plot holes... But good enough for you to ignore them! Enjoy!!

PTD was awesome! 💜💜💜 The transition from Blue To Grey... To Black Swan... To Blood Sweat and Tears... To Fake Love was exceptionally gorgeous!!... BST AND FL! I proper shouted!!..😱😱. And LGO on the Giant Sofa! 💕💜💕💜

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap... It's being repeated at 1am on Sunday 31st Oct I think! If you bought a ticket so you can watch again! 😊💜

@Rowdythree Have you seen Sweet Home? Monsters not zombies but very good.

@bettys, yes we've seen Sweet Home and he's watched all the Walking Dead Boaty! Thanks for the suggestions, we settled on a Stephen King called Midnight Mass, which I think is going to be too scary for me! 😬😨

@Bea, I'll save Flower of Evil for next time

Omo they're doing a Korean remake of Call My Agent! That's either going to be all my Christmases come at once or deeply unsettling.