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’ve been waiting for DH to go to bed so I can mainline some Once Again before I turn in. There’s too much yah!-ing, hairpulling and general overacting to watch it with him in the room. He huffs and tuts. It has the production feel of a bad daytime soap and the lighting is so bright but I am inexplicably hooked.

@Rowdythree 'You Are Beautiful' is fluffy fun so far! Will let you know at the end how it is as DH is not the most reliable judge when it comes to Park Shin Hye!

We’ve just watched the final episode of Hometown Cha Cha Cha - gosh it’s adorable.
I’m glad that Chief Hong seems to be getting uncancelled in real life.

Would you recommend Jirisan or Now We are Breaking Up for our next series?

boaty Once Again is v v addictive!

I am verrrrry tempted by Red Sleeves nothing to do with Lovely Eyes no really honestly

Jirisan. DS2 was taking the mick out of Breaking Up at the weekend because of the mawkish melo handwringing and I couldn’t really defend the claim. 🤣 But Park Morgan. 😍 Jirisan has a lot more going on, and different strands to keep it interesting. Breaking Up is a bit one trick pony so far.

[quote sakura06]@Rowdythree 'You Are Beautiful' is fluffy fun so far! Will let you know at the end how it is as DH is not the most reliable judge when it comes to Park Shin Hye![/quote]
Randomly awake in the middle of the night and saw the news Park Shin Hye is getting married and having a baby! 🤗

I was just coming here to post that Rowdy 😁 Ooh I love a kbaby! 🥰

I loved once again Boaty
Probs in my top 10 as it was easy and fun with lots of K-Pathos.

Ahh I'd just seen that about Park Shin Hye too! 😍
Boaty Once Again will suck you in despite the cheap looking sets and over acting! I was so sad when I finished the 100 episodes.

Absolutely loved Once Again. Although I did get distracted by the regular absence of lenses in people's glasses.

Ohhh I didn't even realise that's who Park Shin Hye was seeing. Good for her!

Thanks Boaty. Jirisan it is.

@boatyardblues

I’ve been waiting for DH to go to bed so I can mainline some Once Again before I turn in. There’s too much yah!-ing, hairpulling and general overacting to watch it with him in the room. He huffs and tuts. It has the production feel of a bad daytime soap and the lighting is so bright but I am inexplicably hooked.

OMG! Sounds like Young Lady and Gentleman which is epic!!! In a Horrednous sooo bad it's good way!! .... think I'm going to wait until ALL 50 eps drop and then binge and skippitydoohdah all the way through as it's way too infuriating to watch drip fed!

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

Ahh I'd just seen that about Park Shin Hye too! 😍 Boaty Once Again will suck you in despite the cheap looking sets and over acting! I was so sad when I finished the 100 episodes.

100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oooo! Ep 9 of Coffee is up... so going to enjoy that one! its got Ms Jo (Healer) in!!!

Squished down to a mere 50 x 1 hour episodes on Netflix, Bea. The originals must have been 30 mins.

@boatyardblues... not sure i could head into another Hair pulling Yah-ing universe!!!! It's too much!!!!! 😫

Oh God!!!! Just watched the first 5 mins... The Mother is the Screeching Ahjumma in Young Lady.... she must be stock Screeching Hair Pulling Soap Lady!!!!

@Bea

oooo! Ep 9 of Coffee is up... so going to enjoy that one! its got Ms Jo (Healer) in!!!

Yey! 🥰

It's honestly not very hair-pully Bea! More warm and wholesome than melo and reasonably grounded. Reminded me of old school Corrie from my childhood before soaps got all serious

Honestly Once Again is upmarket for a soap, it has great little touches & lots of warmth. I loved the schooldays reenactment of the parents 😂

Bea I have also started Young Lady but think I will wait until it’s finished then binge like you plan to 👍

Lovely news about Park Shin Hye. I am a big fan. DH is a little gutted she's getting married 😂

It’s good to see Park Shin Hye getting married and having a baby. They all seem to have such gruelling schedules and beauty standards to maintain that it’s reassuring when they get to step off the treadmill and embrace some normality.

Also, kudos to her & her fiance for doing things in the ‘wrong’ order. 😁

Oh dear! Once Again is nice and easy to watch!... Think this one will be my nice and easy watch! 😖🤣😖🤣