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!

Thanks all. We are ok. I'm not convinced DS is covid free. Will have to LFT him.

Sorry to hear you’re poorly, FedUp - I hope you don’t feel too grim. One of the odd things about Covid is some people barely notice they’ve got it and other poor souls have to go to hospital.
Anyway, as you say, every cloud……..

I can’t remember if you’ve seen Hometown Cha Cha Cha? If not it’s perfect viewing for convalescents.

Aigoo FedUp! Hope DS as the last man standing can keep the abalone porridge pot stirring and is a dab hand with a damp flannel and a shoulder pat. You need a nice 100 episoder like Once Again to keep you company.

Does anyone know what abalone tastes like? If it’s like scallops I’d be OK, but I’m not convinced abalone porridge would fortify me during illness. It might more of a trial like bad medicine.

On food, I bought a persimmon this week to satisfy my curiosity. It was good. Wet and a bit slimy like mango but with a delicate flavour and less sweet. I would buy them again and I’m now curious to try dry persimmons.

With these threads filling up faster, I’ll open up discussion about additions & updates for the next OP now. I’ll add the Netflix tag to Search: WWW. What else needs to go in the list? That Japanese hospital drama with the tsundere doctor needs a mention, but perhaps under ‘For the joy, not the quality’ category.

Get well soon @FedUpWithBriiiiick, sending you lots of best wishes & positive vibes.

@boatyardblues

With these threads filling up faster, I’ll open up discussion about additions & updates for the next OP now. I’ll add the Netflix tag to Search: WWW. What else needs to go in the list? That Japanese hospital drama with the tsundere doctor needs a mention, but perhaps under ‘For the joy, not the quality’ category.

HCCC has to go in surely.

It’s already in the gentle romance section, but I’ll add 2 ** because it was so beloved.

I just did the internal happy dance because I’d forgotten Jirisan drops on Thurs/Fri on Viki & I have 2 episodes to watch back to back.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick hope you feel better soon
I've got to finish writing a paper this weekend so holding back on kdramas even though it's tempting- promising myself if I get the second draft done I can reward myself by catching up on Dali/one the woman!
@boatyardblues I'd say Yumis cells needs to go on the list?

Yumi’s Cells - light & fluffy or more grown up subcategory? I’m leaning towards light & fluffy.

My menfolk have just left for a lunchtime screening of Dune. I’m hunkered down under a warm blanket with the cat on my lap. I’m just firing up Viki. I am living the dream! 😁

Pausing to comment on the set dressing of the ranger station offices at the start of ep 3. It looks like a real office with storage cupboards, boxes and filing. I am convinced! Same goes for most kdrama police stations.

Sweet potato makkeoli? I need to try some!

Yumi’s Cells - light & fluffy or more grown up subcategory? I’m leaning towards light & fluffy.

I would say light & fluffy.

I've had Abalone in China, it's like a muscle more than delicate scallops. Adore Makgeolli it's soo yum, sweet potato flavoured sounds fab!

Get well soon Fedup and I second once again for recuperating.

@boatyardblues

My menfolk have just left for a lunchtime screening of Dune. I’m hunkered down under a warm blanket with the cat on my lap. I’m just firing up Viki. I am living the dream! 😁

Sounds like heaven Boaty!

Jirisan is totally fitting the bill. Cat is still snoozing. All is right with the world. 🙂

@boatyardblues * for Hospital Playlist please

Welcome @namebunny 🙂

Persimmon, ahhh that’s what they are called. In my native language they are called Japanese Fruit (translation). Used to eat them a lot, I prefer chilled & soft ones as they are more juicy & sweet. I would say it’s an acquired taste, afterwards it leaves a taste like kiwis.

Done Jin. 👍

New Park Hyung Sik drama Happiness on viki!!! Woo hoo! Welcome back!! 😍❤️❤️😍

Oooh it looks intriguing! Feels like aaaages since he went off to do his military service

Yeah WOOGA squad back together!!

Just finished ep 1!... It's... 😲😲😮😯... I'll be v interested to see how it goes! 👍👍👍😁

Just watched the trailer! Looks good... I think I'll be hinting at DH that we need to be watching this! He'll always be Mr Ahn to me though 😍

Just started Happiness. The first 7 minutes have me sold! Great start.

Park Hyung Sik looks well after his stint in the army. He’s less flowerboy babyfaced and more mature. It really suits him and helps with this role.