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!

We'd have to pay it virtually, I'm not sure if have anyone to play it with me in real life 😂

I must admit I was impressed with long-hair LJS. He looks good in a bathtub. Maybe I was too harsh pegging him as a feathery-stroker.

Park Yer-bum, on the other hand...

I'm now fully into Matrimonial Chaos
It's a slow burner but very good 'slice of life' drama. Its 30min bite size episodes also, albeit 32 of them.

@Rowdythree

We'd have to pay it virtually, I'm not sure if have anyone to play it with me in real life 😂

DH would not be impressed, unless he could throw in cards for Shin Hye-sun and Shin Min-a 😜

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

I must admit I was impressed with long-hair LJS. He looks good in a bathtub. Maybe I was too harsh pegging him as a feathery-stroker.

Park Yer-bum, on the other hand...

Do you have a picture Briiiiick?

Dh would definitely want cards with Park Shin Hye, Shin Min-a and Son Ye Jin on 😂

Your wish is my command Rowdy.

I think the long hair will be a winner for you 😜

Well, you think right Briiiiick 😂 he definitely does not look like a feathery stroker with long hair!

@Rowdythree

Well, you think right Briiiiick 😂 he definitely does not look like a feathery stroker with long hair!

It’s not the long hair that improves LJS in that picture. It’s the manly guns. They must have worked him hard in the army.

It must be strange for K celebs in the military. One moment everyone bending over backwards to do their bidding and the next a squaddie being shouted at by a strict Sergeant.

I'm into the top trumps idea! What categories could we have??
No. of dramas?
Longevity?
Leg length?
Chemistry?
Snogging skills?

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

I'm into the top trumps idea! What categories could we have?? No. of dramas? Longevity? Leg length? Chemistry? Snogging skills?

Knitwear points

@FedUpWithBriiiiick definitely knitwear points!

Number of:
Endorsements
Bathtub photos
Cancellations 😁

Extra points for the SPAM endorsement gig.

Hmmm, watching Dali and the 2ml/ possible bad guy has serious skulking game- points for skulking would only apply to 2ml/baddies though?

Or henchmen. I watched Mask a while ago and the villans henchman has serious skulking skills.
Also he was so clearly an evil henchman he couldn't have been more obvious if he'd been wearing a big flashing sign

Basically we need a versatility score. Able to play ML in melo & romance AND pull of a convincing serial killer? Kerching! (Yes, Lee Seung Gi I’m looking at you.) One track flower boy or gurning slapstick ML (Kim Young Kwang)? Not so many points.

I feel bad for Sung Hoon, though. He gets such duff roles.

Oh yes definitely knitware!!

Namgoong Min does well on versatility, and KJH.

Uh oh! I am so close to finishing Oh My Venus. Another 20 mins then 🥾🍑.

I once made a set of Alaska Man Top Trumps (from a strange specialist dating magazine I came across) which included a category for 'number of bear attacks survived'. Think there could definitely be a 'number of Van of Dooms dodged' equivalent for our Toppa Trumps. Plus number of Subway sandwiches eaten and some kind of wound endurance scale for level of wincing when having a graze anointed.

Toppa Trumps, it's going to be a smash!!! My categories:

Ability to make a push-against-the- wall snog look sexy and manly not aggressive and pervy.

Domesticity teacher - believably shows FL how to cook/brew drip coffee/tidy up

Willingness to perform fan service (especially of the shower scene variety)

I finished Oh My Venus last night and enjoyed rewatching. I had forgotten how warm hearted it is as well as some of the plot, including Sung Hoon’s storyline. In view of his flawless English, I remain convinced that Henry Lau’s sloppy Korean pronunciation of Venus (as Penis) was entirely mischievous. I noticed So Ji Sub, Shin Min Ah and Sung Hoon all managed to say it without it sounding rude.

Willingness to perform fan service (especially of the shower scene variety)

This category feels so wrong, and yet so right. 😂