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'm plowing through another c-drama Love at Night. FL in bed by episode 16 which is positively outrageous compared to the standard snail's pace, but still all the usual lovely tropes of obnoxious love rivals, huffing, tsundere, e-commerce and Kelly Hoppen Interiors.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

I'm plowing through another c-drama Love at Night. FL in bed by episode 16 which is positively outrageous compared to the standard snail's pace, but still all the usual lovely tropes of obnoxious love rivals, huffing, tsundere, e-commerce and Kelly Hoppen Interiors.

Oh and very, very short skirts...

If you're used to the normal Swoon interviews on YouTube, it's worth looking at the Yoo Ah-In one they've just released. Quite a contrast in styling... 😂

@polkettle

If you're used to the normal Swoon interviews on YouTube, it's worth looking at the Yoo Ah-In one they've just released. Quite a contrast in styling... 😂

He's an odd wee sod, isn't he?

"odd wee sod" 😂👌 Perfect.

@polkettle

"odd wee sod" 😂👌 Perfect.

The literary inspiration you can get from Irish slang/colloquialisms it plentiful, Pol 😁

@polkettle

"odd wee sod" 😂👌 Perfect.

At least he admits to it! 😂 I thought he came across quite likeable in the interview!

Honestly these mountain rangers are HOPELESS. Do they not carry supplies? Emergency blankets? A compass? Can they not light a fire? They wouldn't even get a Brownie badge with the skills they've got.

I've gotten totally behind on my shows! I've got two Would you like a cup of coffee and four episodes of Jirisan to watch! I kind of got side tracked with Dali instead 😬

I hope it's snows tomorrow so I can stay home and catch up on everything!

Oh thank God! Jirisan is substantially back on track and the whacky woo episode has served its purpose. I’m still not sure what all the moon bear/ghost lights stuff was about but I’ll just gloss over that. The very final shot in the forward look to next week was promising. 🤞

Is anyone is still watching Hellbound, and got to episode 4 or later? Who is playing the deacon with the retro glasses? He is so familiar, but I can't place him!

I won’t be able to watch Happiness until later tomorrow morning. I just had to watch the first 5-10 mins without subs to check how things were going to shake down with FL, penthouse guy and PHS. I’ve seen enough to turn in.

@Rowdythree I haven’t got further than ep 1 with Hellbound but MDL is my go to for those kind of answers

mydramalist.com/57415-hell/cast

@bettys thank you! I found him, it's Ryu Kyung Soo and he was in Itaewon Class. That was really annoying me!

I'm really enjoying Hellbound now, after being disappointed in the first episode.

Excuse me for interrupting the drama discussion, but I thought you might be the best ladies to ask - is Viki Pass worth it in the UK?

I'm thinking of buying a year for my mum for Christmas (think she's run through all the 50 hour long historical dramas on Netflix at this point!), but I've seen reviews online mentioning region locked content, poor quality, lack of subtitles, stolen credit card details, etc which has made me stop and rethink.

Thank you all!

Hi @thevampirelestat !

Several of us on here have the Viki Pass, it soon becomes indispensable if you are a kdrama fan…and also leads in to cdramas, jdramas, tdramas and even the occasional Thai dramas!

I’ve had mine for 3 years and never had a problem with payment. There is the occasional grumble when subs are slow 😂 but I prefer the subbing to Netflix. I wouldn’t be without it!

……I should add there is some content that is not available in the uk but that is no different to Netflix really

The Viki subtitling is all done by volunteer teams. It’s why they are able to offer so much content at such low cost. Sometimes it’s frustrating for a currently airing show if they have a slow team working on it, as it might take 2 or 3 days for them to finish the subs. You get the occasional typo but those get reported and corrected once the show has been up for a while. The amateur translations are actually more faithful to bative Korean and relational terms like unni (big sis/older female family friend), hyung (big brother/older male friend) are properly translated, unlike Netflix’s airbrushing them out. The volunteer translators provide little translator notes (TN) explaining cultural points/reference sometimes. Apparently it’s a no-no for professional translators, but I appreciate them. There is a ‘learn’ mode on Viki where you can have both English & Korean subs showing. I’m in year 3 too & we haven’t had any card issues, though DH renews mine each year for Christmas. 😄 There’s a huge amount of content and many of the Viki own productions are really high quality. It’s an absolute steal at £3-4 per month. I have no hesitation in recommending it.

Bative = native

@thevampirelestat... another three year viki member here... just like Boatyard and Bettys have said... no problem with it at all! I wouldn't be without it! There's goodies on there whcih are not on netflix ... Enjoy! and what a Kind Daughter you are!!!!

Chingu, I am off to Birmingham for a conference! Lots of k-drama time ahead 👍

Ah, a mini-break FedUp. 😉

@boatyardblues

Ah, a mini-break FedUp. 😉

A jolly, as we public sector workers say 😁

Thank you so much for the help - that's her Christmas present sorted then

hopefully she lets me watch Goblin on it too, been meaning to finish it for ages!

Ah silverley, if you like Goblin maybe you should take out a Viki subscription of your own & stick around. 😉