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!

True. 😂

See, whilst I am delighted for the King and lovely Rowoon to start getting jiggy at the house bang in the middle of the palace which no-one else seems to know about I am fearful for the king that a baby bump and newly enhanced hormonal norks would be much harder to explain away than a lack of stubble. There’s only so much artifice breast binders and a roomy hanbok can achieve.

Happy Door One Day, everyone!

I found Lee Dong Wook behind my door one 😍

I have an L’Occitane advent calendar. No oppas, but nice smellies.

Nespresso Vertuo here. First pod was DH's favourite so he got that 😒

I do like Rowdy's calendar. I hope we get a lovely oppa every day 🥰

In real life I don't have an actual calendar so an Oppa a day works for me 😁

Breaking news 🚨 Gong Yoo is now on Instagram!

I am HERE for Oppa Advent 😍

@Rowdythree

In real life I don't have an actual calendar so an Oppa a day works for me 😁

Breaking news 🚨 Gong Yoo is now on Instagram!

Link pls. I hate accidentally signing up for fan sites.

Here you go Boaty he's only shared 2 pics so far 😄

instagram.com/gongyoo_official?utm_medium=copy_link

Aah the link isn't working its @ gongyoo official _

No gaps between the underscore and the letters though

I think Pol opening advent calendar door one of her Highgrove (sp?) calendar is the funniest thing I've seen today 😂😂😂

I am totally invested in these advent calendar adventures.

Can't wait to find out which oppa is behind door 25 and whether the Highgrove or Nat trust calendar will peak first.

( I have the M&S beauty advent calendar box thing & a hand embroidered Norwegian one from 1963 which comes out every year)

@bettys I'd love to see a picture of your Norwegian one! I bet it's beautiful 😍

I hope I didn't peak too soon having Lee Dong Wook behind door one of the Oppa advent calendar 😬

I'm struggling to finish Doctor Stranger, it's annoying me on so many levels, but I only have one episode left, so I will push through. It's not a very good advertisement for Korean healthcare!

@Rowdythree I don't have an advent calendar - we always used to get the ones with the odd tasting cheap chocolate or just religious pictures and Lee Dong Wook is better than a wired tasting mini chocolate or a picture of a shepherd any day 😁

Oh no! There's actually five episodes of Doctor Stranger to go! 🤦‍♀️Damn these 20 episode series! 😡

If door 24 of Highgrove isn't Diana's ghostly visage, I'd be asking for my money back @polkettle

I'm hoping for/terrified of a full Charles and Camilla Nativity for the 24th FedUp.

I tried watching Pol’s Highgrove reveal but it kept skipping to another video so I’m, like, really frustrated. What was the picture today? A wizened Duchy sausage?

I have HOGO today. I’m going out later but want to cuddle under a warm blanket with Once Again for company. I keep falling asleep and having to rewatch half episodes. I’m scared I’ve missed a pivotal conversation, but it’s often the stunt man and his 2 dwarves or the market ajummas (skip, skip, skip). One thing I’ve noticed is how huge the dentist’s hands are, though it’s possible Da-Hee’s are minute. I didn’t notice that about him in Hometown Cha Cha Cha.

Has anyone else done their Spotify 'It's a wrap' I was really surprised that BTS were my 5th most listened to artist! I really don't feel like I ever listen to them, so I reckon someone else had been using my account 😂 Kpop was my 5th most listened to genre, but that's probably because of soundtracks.

I was in the top 2% of Mido and Falasol listeners Rowdy 😂 Bit shameful really... but not inaccurate of my HP obsession.
If you want to watch the whole thing Boaty it's on @pollyversusadventcalendar but it's a niche sport.

Thoroughly enjoying the Chinese ice skating btw if anyone needs a soothing slips down without thought watch. At the drumming my fingers for subs stage.

@Rowdythree here is a pic of the Norwegian advent calendar. When ds was little I would roll it up & only reveal a character a day.

I skipped a LOT of Dr Stranger

@boatyardblues for the full video of pol’s advent adventures you need to hold your finger on the pic and then ‘watch video’ will pop up

Just done my Spotify Wrap, favourite genre is kpop and most played artists are DPR Ian & BTS 💜

@polkettle

Thoroughly enjoying the Chinese ice skating btw if anyone needs a soothing slips down without thought watch. At the drumming my fingers for subs stage.

I'm on episode 13 Pol, it's my favourite thing I'm watching at the moment! I can't work out if Coach Xiao's sister is friend or foe 🤔 I also love the theme tune, it's very 80s

bettys I love the advent calendar, gorgeous 😍

Oh that's a lovely thing Bettys.
I think she's probably friend Rowdy but annoying... She's going to end up with the other skater that liked the 2fl in the play I reckon.