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!

Good for you Adante getting the trip booked. We are looking at going either next spring or 2022.

Those Hot Dogs look delicious Bea 😋 I'm dying to try the potato ones when next in K Town.

Just finished HCCC it was perfect again. Although the cop is still not worthy of the dental nurse IMO. I'm convinced she would be happier with Coffee Shop owner 🤔 Tomorrow's ep looks interesting ...

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

Me and DS viewing the soldiers 😂

What a great pic! I bet you can't hold DS like that anymore 😁😉

@FedUpWithBriiiiick Haha nope!

Ahhhhhh HCCC 🥰
Glad you're enjoying Beyond Evil @rosegoldwatcher . Me too - despite STILL not having finished it due to watching with very very slow DH . The combination of warmth and small town life and MURRRDERRR very KDrama. I haven't watched Stranger as my tastes lean in to cosy but I would say that characteristically it's often the third episode where you suddenly see the point and work out what's going on and who's who in many Kdramas. And then you just can't stop...
V jealous of all these holiday plans although my dream definitely to visit without my delightful family.

Friend has pointed out this on iPlayer. Going in . ..
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0009tq8/the-spy-gone-north?xtor=ES-211-[47627_PANUK_DIV_39_IPL_Recommends2021_RET_ABC]-20211002-[bbcfour_thespygonenorth_filmdrama]

HTCCC 🥰
Twist is coming tomorrow, I am bracing myself for doom & gloom … can I skip to ep15 when all will be lovey dovey again

@polkettle I also want to visit without family… may be in future we can plan mners trip to Korea.

HOMCHA DAY
(Via Twitter)

The Spy Gone North a pretty good thriller that provided some interesting mid 90s Korean political context and featured a rather less dishy Captain/Director Ri. Worth watching, despite almost total absence of any female speaking parts.

I watched the first couple of episodes of Stranger but couldn't follow it - because I kept dropping off! Possibly one to try again with a ready supply of strong coffee to hand.

Stranger took me a couple of attempts, but once it had me hooked I was gripped. Both leads are fantastic and the writing is so good. Season 2 is even better. It’s very twisty, dark and involved but so, so worth it.

The Crowned Clown... I haven't watched it since it first aired on viki and I've been meaning to ReWatch... It's just soooo good and just gorgeously done! The plot is soo touching and characters are 🥰🥰🥰

Loving HC3 -- just gentle kdrama loveliness. They know what warms ye.

Is it me or is it a particularly rich seam at the moment? I felt like early this year I was not loving as many shows at the same time. But the last three dramas I have watched are Mr Queen, Devil Judge, and HC3. All different genres and all really really satisfying. All huge hits for me. The only one that's letting me down atm is Lovers of the Red Sky which is... fine, just too too slow.

Thanks for letting me know pol. She was amazing in Squid Game. I like Lee Dong Hwi. He's very normal. I think that appeals when everyone else in K drama lead roles is god/goddess level on the looks front.

@Andante57 your trip sounds amazing! Are the ravel company organising travel round the country? I would love to see more of the country but don't fancy driving there (probably not helped by the frequent discussions on here of the rarity of Rh- blood on here)!

Andante thank you for the hotel information! I will squirrel it away until we're ready to book something.

Thegirl what a great picture of you and ds! I bet the view was amazing 👀

Hydrogensonata hope you enjoy all your skin care products! I love trying all the little samples, but it inevitably leads me to spend more money 😬

Off to catch up on Yumi's Cells

Forgot to mention! I had horrible Squid Game inspired dreams last night 😱😱 The marbles episode was brutal. We'll finish it off tonight, I can't wait to see how it ends.

Malorie Blackman - author of Noughts & Crosses is tweeting about Squad Game.

@JinBhoot

Malorie Blackman - author of Noughts & Crosses is tweeting about Squad Game.

Interesting. Given that the format could be located anywhere and Netflix has a global audience, it could rotate around different territories & local teams of writers run with it - in theory.

If they remade Squid Game here what would we get? Hopscotch? Hide & Seek? Kiss Catch? We have a similar game to Red Light Green Light but I can’t remember what it’s called is it Granny’s Footsteps?

Bettys yes, grandmother’s footsteps.

If they remade Squid Game here what would we get?

A gruesome form of musical chairs or pass the parcel?
Do children still play those games at parties? It’s a long time since my children were of an age for those.

Ha ha, pass the parcel with a bomb inside! Musical statues or bumps? British bulldog? Although I'm sure that was pretty dangerous without adding anything else into the mix!

Watching HCCC - that director guy is really annoying me! He annoyed me in the last show I watched him in too 😒

@Andante57

Bettys yes, grandmother’s footsteps.

We used to play, "What's the Time Mr Wolf?" in my youth. (Very similar to Red Light, Green Light but without the sniper fire.)

I'm killing time before HCCC drops by watching some interviews with M&FL. it was filmed in Pohang-si which is on the east coast. May have to add that to the tour schedule.

The interviews are very cute and they genuinely seem to have enjoyed working together.

Ha ha, pass the parcel with a bomb inside!

Is it wrong that I really really like this idea??😈

We need links Mabel. 🙏

Here you go Boaty

emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2F4961PAKRhQQ&data=04%7C01%7C%7C72cf4a2865254fab168808d98671ac13%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637688645033567444%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=hnMDOK40IApzLEi1slmUfOdWnBi%2ByVmaqdxOrvXwCHg%3D&reserved=0
Apologies as on iPhone so if this doesn't work will revert to iPad later.

Her jacket reminds me of what I used to wear for work in the 80's😊