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!

@polkettle

I'll ask him. 12 Days of Binmas?

Yayaaa 🎶 He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice Bin is coming to town 🎶

Meanwhile in Manchester
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/parents-rant-over-inappropriate-pop-22091733

@polkettle

I'll ask him. 12 Days of Binmas?

Yes please!

The King’s Affection is motoring along now. 👏

Any more updates for the OP?

The prince is so tiny and unhairy inTKA I’m having to suspend my disbelief so hard it hurts. But Rowoon makes everything OK.

I’ve added Ashin of the North to the new OP. Have enough of us seen My Name to recommend it for the gritty crime/thriller category?

@JinBhoot it should be spicy and tangy, a bit sour and also crunchy. It has a lot of flavour.

@boatyardblues I definitely vote for My Name, binged it this weekend and it is FAB!

@boatyardblues

I’ve added Ashin of the North to the new OP. Have enough of us seen My Name to recommend it for the gritty crime/thriller category?

Good call

Aww look after yourself SKJ! ❤️

@polkettle 12 days of binmas would be a lovely treat! If Bin wants to visit (be posted to) Manchester I can take him to see the Squid Game doll 😁

Haven’t finished My Name yet but is great so far and worth adding if only for introduction to a new AAO (age appropriate Oppa)

Plus this is the best role I’ve seen Ahn Byo Hun in in ages and almost makes up for his dodgy wig in Yumi

And am fixated by gangster henchmen’s killer kicks - last saw this guy in Sweet Munchies a very different role

I love the idea of Bin on tour. 😄

Yes! I just had to check he still folded as he needed some neck support poor lamb. Very happy to send him to you for a holiday TheGirl and then you can pass him on to whoever wants a ride turn next 😂 #PassTheBin

New thread lined up to go once this one is full: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/4397105-MsLatt-s-Daebak-Cybercaf-Kdrama-addicts-28-The-Lord-gives-and-He-takes-away-Lee-Jong-Suk-Park-Hyung-Sik-return-from-the-army-Seo-Kang-Joon-departs?watched=1

It should take us long to fill this one. 😄

ShouldN’T!

Ha ha, Bin on tour sounds brilliant! 🙌🤣 Not sure there are much in the way of sights to see in my area. It would certainly raise a few eyebrows in the village if I took him a wondering 🤣🤣

Rowdy - I think Bin would look good teamed with a pony-sized hound. 😉 I don’t think Son Ye Jin’s little yapper dog suits a strapping lad like Bin.

Also, did we miss this news? celedrama.com/celebrity-news/breaking-news-hyun-bin-and-son-ye-jin-confirmed-married/

Ooh you got me excited there Boaty! But think Fake News. Or at least non-confirmation. Although looking at the escalation in SYJ's fancy dress for her dog does have me thinking ahjumma-like that she really needs a baby now...

That's true, he would certainly look good on a dog walk! He could hold Roland's lead 😂

You know he has previous dog walking experience Rowdy. He'd love to rough and tumble with Roland.
I'd like to pretend I just knocked this kimchi jeon up but I did not. But the cafe round the corner has just added to their menu 😋

@polkettle

You know he has previous dog walking experience Rowdy. He'd love to rough and tumble with Roland. I'd like to pretend I just knocked this kimchi jeon up but I did not. But the cafe round the corner has just added to their menu 😋

Yum

@boatyardblues... I Love the new thread title!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂

#BinOnTour! Love it!
Let me know when he's free 😁

The new thread title is excellent boaty 👏👏👏

Viki! Taeycon in The Secret Royal Inspector! It looks great fun but i feel like i'm drowning in good stuff at the moment... I must resist and it will do me good... i can finish the on airs I'm watching at the moment and then binge SRI later!!!!... There's so much good stuff out there at the moment!!!!