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!

@Hydrogensonata..
Yes! to @Rowdythree rec for W Two Worlds... It's fab! Exciting and plot twisty!
And if you've not seen The Crowned Clown! That's full of intrigue and thrills but also jam packed with at beautiful warmth! 🥰

@bea I think I tried it very early on in watching kdramas and couldn't get into it- I might have more luck now?
I thought the bit with the glass bathroom and they way they both reacted was very well done- watching from the outside you're like nooooo stop digging/don't say that you don't mean it - cringe but not in a bad way!

@Hydrogensonata another vote for W: Two Worlds.

I have started When the Camellia Blooms
Looks promising… few mins in - reaction of ladies & men on discovering FL is a young mother 😂😂😂
Will continue with next episode after rounding up kids to bed

Ok so watched the first episode of Squid Game and I think I already know who the Front man is. Who can I DM??

Also, I really liked When the Camellia Blooms! Kang Ha-neul is adorbs, and I think the son is the kid in Racket Boys?

Pol - thanks so much for the heads-up on An Incurable Case of Love. It perfectly matches my current needs and mood. Too notch trash. 👏

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

Also, I really liked When the Camellia Blooms! Kang Ha-neul is adorbs, and I think the son is the kid in Racket Boys?

Yes it is Briiiiick. I recognised him straight away.

I'm all caught up with HCCC now, I wish I hadn't started it before it all airs! I think next episode isn't going to be good, given there's no preview and it's the notorious episode 13!! 😕

I don’t trust Dr Kisugi.

🙇 Boaty. Happy to listen to your Front Man theories FedUp.

Also happy to hear Front Man theories. I was wrong about who it was!

I quite liked When the Camellia Blooms, but found the tone odd with the serial killer. I wasn't totally sold on the storyline with the ex and felt a little sorry for him. Overall couldn't understand how it destroyed CLOY in the awards season!

Interview with the rising star, giant doll from Squid Game 😂

www.vulture.com/article/squid-game-an-interview-with-the-giant-robot-doll.html

“If you could get slapped by Gong Yoo or Wi Ha-joon, who would you choose?
[Giggles.] Oh my God, both! They can take turns. “

I've started Doctor Stranger today, I downloaded it a while ago to watch on holiday, but didn't get round to it. There was a lot of scene setting in the first two episodes but it was okay. I always find stories involving North Korea quite fascinating.

I'm in one of those moods where I'm flitting between dramas. The only ones that have me hooked at the moment are the on airs...

Finished Police University. While there's nothing about it that means you particularly must watch it, there's nothing about it that means you should avoid it either. It's sweet enough, begins and ends well and gets bogged down with too much plot in the middle. Could ff through some parts.
As ever the Korean bad guys love to keep a convenient bit of incriminating paperwork... Gotta admire a baddy who still pays attention to his record keeping.

If you could get slapped by Gong Yoo or Wi Ha-joon, who would you choose?[Giggles.] Oh my God, both! They can take turns

Am both amused at the interview and appalled at the idea of choosing who to get slapped by 😱 (needs the context really) but would love to be waved at from a tube train by Gong Yoo

Clunky way to share but SO GOOD
twitter.com/Glitter_brawl/status/1446152132567179265?t=K2xyP82ZZTohVK5DTWphaA&s=19

Oh pol, I'm crying at that interview 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@polkettle love that interview!
Good call from everyone who suggested w: two worlds 😁
Everything I'm watching that's on air seems to be dropping Friday-Sunday - I'm keeping everything crossed HTCCC doesn't go downhill and get all unnecessarily angsty

Well lads, the FedUp Family Trip to Japan 2023 has been booked!

12 nights in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka await! 😁

@Rowdythree I'm in one of those moods where I'm flitting between dramas. The only ones that have me hooked at the moment are the on airs … same here.
I watched Stay tuned* today all five episodes, it’s a Japanese drama. There was nothing else to watch & wasn’t in a mood of Camelia blooms.

@polkettle insta clip 😂

@Hydrogensonata how many episodes of W: two worlds have you watched so far?

HTCCC should be Friday & Saturday.

Oooh @FedUpWithBriiiiick that's so exciting!!!!

Briiiiick! How exciting. That sounds absolutely amazing. I'm imagining you driving across that road over the sea to Osaka! It looks so beautiful.

Just watched ep2 of Beyond Evil, I want to know what's going on so badly! It's very creepy though, made me feel a bit scared when I went to the loo 😂

@polkettle that clip is brilliant 🤣 Lee Dong Wook looks so shocked.

FedUp that sounds great!

HooRAY FedUp!!

Daebak FedUp !! Have you booked independently or with a travel agent?

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I'm toooo jealous!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭