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 loving Rowdy and Pols Advent calendars. Pol your video today was 👌. DS and the cat jumped at the triumphant cheers 😂😂😂

Also I'm annoying DS by playing this bit of pop genius over and over again 😁

Unprecedented advent calendar scenes this early in December. It can only be downhill from here...
To Fly with You really is a good 'un by wholesome CDrama standards. Cracks along, sweet chemistry, no one too annoying and even a bit of emotional heft. Plus great PPL for a "couple's electric toothbrush set".

Jin is properly enjoying himself doing his fishy dance @TheGirlWithTheArabStrap, adorable! I'm listening to korean hiphop today but I can't play it to my children because there is an awful lot of swearing in english rather annoyingly. My favourite track is Gottasadae by bewhY, worth watching the video on Youtube if you like horses and semi-naked men.

@Rowdythree thank you for all the pretty pictures, they continue to improve my life!

Is anyone watching Let Me Be Your Knight on Viki? It's the everyday tale of a woman being chased by gangsters who decides to impersonate her estranged twin sister as a sleep specialist so that she can be the live-in doctor in the house of a top boy band. I accidently watched four hours of it yesterday and whilst there are some dodgy bits (the ending of episode 3) it definitely fulfills the ludicrous romance brief.

@boatyardblues Episodes 9 and 10 of Happiness are going to be on in my house tonight, I'm looking forward to it but feeling anxious already.

@MusiqueAutomatique I do like horses and semi naked men so will check that out!
Also Will you be my night sounds like an epically ridiculous story line so will have to check that out too!!

Hirses and semi-naked men sent me STRAIGHT to YouTube. Thanks Musique horizons expanded once more ...
I had my eye on the knight sleep one so will add to watch list.

Horses even.

That is a v fancy stable yard 👀 and by semi naked you meant just in tiny pants 🤣

Damn. I’m stuck watching Lost in Space under duresse. Queuing up the horses and tiny pants for when I get the TV back.

Thanks for the jdrama Choosing Spouse by Lottery recommendation. It is thought-provoking and surprisingly affecting.

Well, yes, very tiny pants. I did honestly send you all there because I really liked the track, I only looked it up on Youtube today out of curiosity. I was richly rewarded.

If you like the sound of korean hiphop featuring less nudity but more hanbok then have a look at 'Tiger' by Ravi. He's a bit of a sweetheart in 2 days 1 night despite looking all tough and ghetto in his rap videos.

It's definitely the most fun thing I've experienced today anyway, applying for a job and taking kids for covid tests yet again have been my only other activities.

I’ve had a trip out to the mass vaccination centre with DS1 for his second dose. I managed to get my booster done early as I already had a date for it. A two-for-one if you like. My arm hurts like hell now. 😕

I’m looking forward to an evening of kdrama now DH and DS have cleared their backlog of weekly viewing.

I have finished Would you like a cup of coffee, it was lovely but last episode made me sad. Donno why I wanted to have a good cry afterwards. May be it’s Monday blues kicking early.
I want sunshine, jumper free weather & holiday.

@boatyardblues I hope you will feel better. Booster jab didn’t agree with me, I am now recovering & currently only shoulder is hurting.

Jim’s Tuna song, is there a story behind it? I have watched it numerous times with a big grin. It’s funny & bonkers.
How many versions there will be for Butter? It’s quite a versatile song.

Well, yes, very tiny pants. I did honestly send you all there because I really liked the track, I only looked it up on Youtube today out of curiosity. I was richly rewarded

I went!!! Mad, and the horse was obvs thinking WTF. I've liked BeWHY since he did a track on Prison Playbook

I introduced DS1 to The Cure as there were a few of their songs on one of my playlists. He says I am slightly rehabilitated, as he’d written me off because of my enthusiasm for kpop and Korean hip hop. (I like that I can’t understand if they are rapping vile, sexist stuff.)

There's a new J-drama just dropped on Viki: Bewitched by my Sexy Boyfriend.

First episode was utter dog-shit, so I'm taking one for the team.

Thank you for your services to the thread FedUp. 🎖🎖🏅

Encounter - nay or yay?

@JinBhoot

Encounter - nay or yay?

It’s OK. Cuban bits are scenic. The flipped dynamic (older, higher status woman, younger, less powerful/wealthy male) is interesting. Depends whether Park Bo Gum floats your boat. He doesn’t do it for me and there’s an awful lot of soulful gazing and slow-burning build up. I did finish it but it’s not a fave of mine.

Omo episode 9 of Happiness was 😱😱

@JinBhoot

Encounter - nay or yay?

You're the second person to mention Encounter today Jin! I haven't seen it, but I'm not keen on Park Bo Gum 😬

Caught up with secret royal inspector and joy tonight- I'm not sure why I like it so much? I do like the ML and FL and Choi Tae-Hwan is doing a very good job as the creepy psychotic noblemans son- not quite as creepy as Taecyeon in Vincenzo but still a very good attempt!
In true Sunday evening style I've also been down the jdrama rabbit hole and watched "the man who defies the world of BL" which was really funny in parts, very tongue in cheek and has my second favourite jdrama opening credits after princess jellyfish- think John Travolta, sequin jackets etc. Mad as a box of frogs!

Okay, so singing Film Out on my own at karaoke was definitely over ambitious. But Japanese friend (who'd never heard it) going to practice and take it on with me next time so 💪 #whathappensinthenoraebangboothstaysinthenoraebangbooth

Good effort Pol. Gotta love a tryer! 👏

I wish I could go and karaoke myself hoarse right now. Bloody COVID.