MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #28): The Lord gives and He takes away. Lee Jong Suk & Park Hyung Sik return from the army; Seo Kang Joon departs.

[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. 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 Name (Netflix)
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)*
The King’s Affection (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, Netflix)*

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)*
Hospital Playlist 2 (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)
Ashin of the North (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 for the heads up Boaty despite wanting to see the lovely Gong Yoo, I shall definitely be giving that movie a miss!

Aesops thanks for those links, that will be my early evening viewing sorted 👍 I'd love to visit NK, to see what it's really like, but as that's not possible I shall stick to viewing it through video 👀

My view on the mistress in Happiness is that's there's more to her than meets the eye. She's definitely up to something, but I think in the end she'll get her just desserts.

Tonight we will be watching Hellbound! I can't wait, I'm really looking forward to this one!

Gong Yoo so fine Oppa! 😍

@Bea

Here you go!!!!!!

blog.kocowa.com/trending/getting-better-all-the-time-7-ajeossi-actors-you-love-to-watch/

Definitely Oppa's Briiiiick! 😍

Aesops the one with the French tourists was fascinating! I'm surprised they were allowed to get some of the footage out!

So who do we think the yakult-fixated baddy is going to be in Jirisan? I don't think it will turn out to be Song Dong-il despite hints and it can't be the dating couple or lovely RIABB Editor Bong/Cha Cha Cha barrista because he's got a baby.

@polkettle

So who do we think the yakult-fixated baddy is going to be in Jirisan? I don't think it will turn out to be Song Dong-il despite hints and it can't be the dating couple or lovely RIABB Editor Bong/Cha Cha Cha barrista because he's got a baby.

Yes, I’m increasingly thinking that the Sung Dong-Il hints were misdirection by the writers. They’ve hinted at FL thinking he caused her parents’ deaths, but I’m wondering if that’s an erroneous assumption by FL. So my question is whether we should only be looking at ajeossi rangers as the younger ones are too young to have been involved in her parents’ deaths. I had a sense the accomplice supervising the young Yakult cousin was an older man.

@bea That article is quite timely actually - ageism against actors seems to be more equal opportunities in Korea as it affects men too. I think it's why Park Hyung-sik and Park Seo-joon are moving away from the romantic lead roles. The lead female in Would You Like Cup of Coffee is portrayed as being quite old (in my opinion) but she's only early 40s!

DH and I have a babysitter tonight but I want to stay in and watch Hellbound and then Happiness if it is subbed.

I think the mistress is playing a very dangerous game. I'm hoping she sacrifices him to an infected person to get his comeuppance. I watched a funny behind the scenes vid of the scene when PHS had just arrested Mr 601 and was in the lobby. The poor actor kept running into the edge of the door with his hands handcuffed behind his back and almost rebounding.

I keep checking Happiness for subs, still at 0%. It is something like 2am in SK so I hope the SE Asia based subbers get busy when they wake up.

Coffee is just an absolute joy! Just watched the latest episode with construction workers! The last scene is just... 😁☺️😁😍💕💕💕

Anyone watching Red Sleeves? I want a big billowy hanbok court lady skirt.

@Bea

Coffee is just an absolute joy! Just watched the latest episode with construction workers! The last scene is just... 😁☺️😁😍💕💕💕

It's adorable 🥰

My frustration at the lack of Happiness subs is ameliorated by some Coffee. I’ve just finished the pho/vending machine one. (I want pho now!)

WHAT?? Yumi's Cells has gone back to only allowing 2 free episodes a day?? NOOOOOOO.

@polkettle

WHAT?? Yumi's Cells has gone back to only allowing 2 free episodes a day?? NOOOOOOO.

Oh boo!!

£5 poorer. Richer in lurrrvvve. Damn you Webtoons.

Haha, we've all done it Pol. I wish I could find another Webtoon I love as much as, Yumi's Cells.

Did anyone else watch the first episode of Hellbound last night?

I did Rowdy . Was intrigued at first - Yoo Ah In is good - but then it felt a bit dull.

I miss Yumi now BA I’ve finished but still enjoying Midnight Poppyland and Eleceed, although they are weekly not daily

Just finishing up episode 6 of Wise Mountain Village Life/Three Meals A Day: Doctors which is just such a weekly treat. I need a loop video of Jung Kyung-ho frowning as he eats something delicious. He's so absolutely charming and funny in it that he's leapt to the top of my Oppas I Want To Be Besties With list.
Better get up.and feed the cats now.

I got up early to watch Happiness before DH and DS1 commandeer the TV to watch the new live action Bebop Cowboy. I’ll be watching too as it looks great, but I needed my Happiness fix first.

@bettys

I did Rowdy . Was intrigued at first - Yoo Ah In is good - but then it felt a bit dull.

I miss Yumi now BA I’ve finished but still enjoying Midnight Poppyland and Eleceed, although they are weekly not daily

I fell asleep Bettys! That seems to happen a lot lately, I'll continue to watch though, as I like the concept.

I tried watching Hellbound yesterday. It didn’t grab me.

Ep 5 of Happiness was solid without being standout, but a good transitional one to set the scene for a few things. The sooner the halmeoni shreds her useless son, the better.

Sidebar: We are up to ep 2 of Bebop Cowboy (Netflix live action version). DS1 is happy because it has diverged sufficiently from the original animé that it won’t spoil the original (his all time fave) for him. John Cho is fantastic in this. He is totally selling the fight choreography and he’s playing Spike whip smart . He’s so under-rated as an actor, its good to see him getting such a decent role.

Crazy romance is really funny and very naughty! Film on Prime. The FL is gong Hyo-Jin and the chemistry between her and ML is intense.

My previous post should have said Cowboy Bebop 🤦‍♀️

I watched the vending machine episode of Coffee this morning, it was amazing. Just such lovely little vignettes. It's almost poetical. Ironically, I discovered I had run out of coffee when I got up, still haven't had a cup.

I watched Hellbound last night with DH Rowdy, I liked the detective and the premise but I didn't think much of the demons or the angel. The demons were too Marvel for me, but I shall keep watching to find out more about creepy cult guy.

DD and I were watching John Cho Cowboy last night (she's a fan of the original) she was very pleased they kept the opening credit seqience... and she kept pointing out similarities and diofferences... she's such an anime nerd!... it's good so far!...