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 wouldn't have put them together! He's definitely punching above his weight there! 😂

Beautiful advent, @bettys.

Can't believe it's December, lads. Another great year's watching and laughing together nearly over. ❤️

Thank you for the advent calendar comments, my mum's Norwegian pen friend sent it to her in 1963 along with one of those whirly angel candle thingys which also comes out every year.

I am catching up with Love at Night and revelling in MLs stallion themed décor

Ooh is there horse based decor? I do love a manly bachelor pad horse sculpture.

I don't think any bachelor pad will beat Law School's elephant themed manly decor. I've never seen anything so Masculine!

Ooh is there horse based decor? I do love a manly bachelor pad horse sculpture

A large painting of a white horse in his office or apartment I’m skipping so much I can’t remember which, plus a photo shoot of ML & horse - they both looked tiny but maybe it was a polo pony 🤔 I know nothing about horses

Loving the Advent calendar chat!! An Oppa Advent calendar would be amazing!
bettys that Norwegian one is lovely 🎄
Heading to IG now for Gong Yoo and Pols calendar opening 😁

Your advent calendars all sound amazing. I'm making do with watching my children open up their Where's Wally calendar which isn't quite providing the thrills but nevermind.

I don't have Spotify but DH made me a BTS playlist last week (he's the kpop fan in this house) so today it's been 50:50 Bob Dylan:BTS. Can't see that collaboration happening anytime soon...

a photo shoot of ML & horse - they both looked tiny
Sold. Ice skating while satisfactory in many other respects, a disappointingly horse (and Westlife) decor-free zone so far.
If anyone has never seen ? Vogue photo shoot of Hyun Bin with Lovely Horse it's worth looking up...

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

Loving the Advent calendar chat!! An Oppa Advent calendar would be amazing! bettys that Norwegian one is lovely 🎄 Heading to IG now for Gong Yoo and Pols calendar opening 😁

But which oppa would be behind the last door??

Bought some kimchi last week after my trip to the Korean restaurant up in ramsbottom- had it with cheese on toast for tea and it was delicious!
Is anyone watching secret royal inspector and joy? I'm really enjoying it- slight tones of Mr Queen (not as good) and considering I struggle with sageuks it's enjoyable-seems light on the usual "left state minister-whispy beard palace intrigue" so far

Hydrogen - Betty and I got experimental with kimchi in one of our very early threads. The kimcheese toasty was an immediate hit. Other posters have taken it further than me, but there are a surprising number of things that work well with kimchi. It’s good with cold ham and bubble and squeak at Christmas.

Hydrogen maybe we could have a vote for the Oppa behind the last door?? Although I think the most universally loved is probably Hyun Bin (as Captain Ri)???

Hydrogen as boaty says we have experience on the experimental kimchi front.

I am particularly fond of cauliflower kimcheese 👌

Oppa advent day two

It's our baby faced Oppa Song Jung Ki

@Rowdythree

Oppa advent day two

It's our baby faced Oppa Song Jung Ki

As angelic as the baby Jeebus himself 👼🏻

I do love a kimcheese toastie. Despite DH's protestations.

@Rowdythree

Oppa advent day two

It's our baby faced Oppa Song Jung Ki

👍 A good start to the day.

I have Verveine body lotion today.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

I do love a kimcheese toastie. Despite DH's protestations.

Mmm kimcheese toastie 😋 I'm going to have one for lunch

What was the verdict on best ready made/readily available kimchi? I might treat myself for the festive season.

How are you feeling @Rowdythree? Hope you are taking plenty of rest x

What was the verdict on best ready made/readily available kimchi? I might treat myself for the festive season

FedUp I usually either buy Chongga or Bibigo depending on which Kmart I’m in….it’s more often the one with PSJ on the cover (Bibigo) as I like having him win my fridge

The ahjumma republic one in a small tin from sainsbos is perfectly acceptable in a kimcheese toastie and as emergency rations.

The only one I really haven’t liked was in a tub from M&S in their deli section- Vadasz brand?

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

How are you feeling *@Rowdythree*? Hope you are taking plenty of rest x

Yeah, I'm feeling mostly okay, getting plenty of rest thanks Briiiiick

I'm a big fan of Mr Kimchi and order regularly now, each time in increasing quantities! I'll have one of those enormous Kimchi tubs in my fridge before too long!

Yep Mr Kimchi all the way! I have a monthly subscription now!

Ooh I'll have to give Mr kimchi a try
What other kimchi experiments would you recommend?