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!

I have nothing to watch at the moment- can’t believe spend weekend without any drama watching.

These days enjoying Three meals a day/Hospital playlist village life.
I am on episode 6, they are making me so hungry with delicious food & I want to hangout with them. Can’t I be their guest? I am good at cooking & don’t shy away from dishwashing.

Fair enough. He'd be a right bore about his "craft" and demand fancy nuts.

Me too Jin. They're ALL adorable. Also become a bit obsessed with the fish shaped building which features when they go to town and turns out to be part of some strange cycle/steam train combo in Jeongson. It has been added to my ever expanding list of Korean holiday must sees.

I know but I can still dislike him. He’s definitely not invited to the pub

Fair enough. He'd be a right bore about his "craft" and demand fancy nuts

Definitely off the list for both these reasons. Plus I have a feeling he'd be a boring drunk instead of a fun drunk. Such a shame as I think he's a great actor.

Ju Ji Hoon now.....FUN when he's had a few drinks I bet!

Ju hi Hoon is definitely on the pub list! He would be good for drinking games and a piggy back home! I could have done with him last night 🤣

No places for bores or fancy nut snackers 🙅‍♀️

Ju Ji Hoon now.....FUN when he's had a few drinks I bet!

Externally verified FUN, what with the historic party drug posession conviction ‘n’ all. I agree, FUN!

I was quite a fan of Ahn Bo-Hyun in Yumi's Cells! DH has long hair though!

I've started My Name, but got spoilered a little on Reddit. Looking forward to seeing him in that too.

@boatyardblues when I visited Korea in 2009 you definitely had to buy bottled water (even for home consumption). I accidentally climbed Mt Namsan one day and ended up drinking from a fountain. I regretted that decision! The plumbing was also dodgy and toilet paper had to be binned! Hopefully things have improved since then.

Enjoying the pub discussion! There's something quite magnetic about Yoo Ah-In (think am basing that entirely on the kiss in Chicago Typewriter) but he definitely comes across as quite egotistical!

The kiss in Chicago Typewriter was hawt. Sadly now ruined by reading his Insta. 🤦‍♀️

Oh no! Unfollow him and watch the kiss again! 😂

@sakura06

Oh no! Unfollow him and watch the kiss again! 😂

😂😂😂😂😂

I'm enjoying Mr Binn's return to insta! Thanks Thegirl and Pol!

Me too! Looking forward to Mr Binn's festive shenanigans!

DH has persuaded me to watch 'You are beautiful' which makes a nice contrast to 'My Name'. Who doesn't want to watch Park Shin Hye as a nun who joins a boyband?

I just watched the trailer for You are beautiful Sakura! It looks funny! 😂 Let us know if it's worth a watch!

My cat always comes and sits on me to watch telly when The King's Affection is on. I think she likes Sageuk and I'm now contemplating buying her hanbok. Perfectly sane behaviour.

@polkettle

My cat always comes and sits on me to watch telly when The King's Affection is on. I think she likes Sageuk and I'm now contemplating buying her hanbok. Perfectly sane behaviour.

😂

I am tuning in now to see Rowoon’s surprise at unexpectedly finding lady lumps in the crown prince’s general vicinity. As others have said, for a trainer Joseon physician he has been remarkably unobservant. 😄

I've started Dali and the Cocky Prince so far, so good 👍

The King's Affection has really woken up and got pretty good. Still too many identikit scheming men with beards though.

@polkettle

The King's Affection has really woken up and got pretty good. Still too many identikit scheming men with beards though.

Yes & yes! DH got waylaid by a sleeping cat and without his mobile to hand, so watched tonight’s with me. When queen 2’s conniving father had the face off with queen 1’s conniving father both DH and I said they looked so similar it was hard to tell them apart. I also explained how the “prince” came to be in role. DH was surprised at home good the set-up was as he eye-rolls a lot about my kdrama addiction.

There was more politics than House of Cards today, some of it hard to follow with all the identikit grey haired/wispy bearded courtiers. I am not sure how the current situation can be satisfactorily resolved. Angst!

How good…

I feel the Kings Affection is dragging... And I've recently discovered its 20 eps long!! 🤣😭😭... Shakes fist at Netflix!! 👊✊😱😡

@Rowdythree... Dali is truly lovely! Enjoy! 😍☺️👍

Just a query about Dali, where did his gangster tattoos come from in ep2? He didn't have them in the shower scene in the first episode 😂

It's a sticker Rowdy. Explained later.

Aah! That makes more sense!