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!

@polkettle

Aw. Thanks chingus. I do saranghae that adul.

😂😂😂❤️❤️❤️

Just as an FYI, Our Beloved Summer has landed on webtoons...

Very tangential to thread but watching The Rescue - documentary about rescue of Thai boys trapped in the cave and it's amazing. Don't miss it if you have Disney plus.

I haven’t watched yet but wanted to flag that Extreme Job (film) is currently available with subs on Dramac**l. It’s the very high grossing comedy by the same writer/director as Melo. I’ve tried to get hold of it on DVD or proper platform where I can pay in vain for months, so finally cracked and went looking.

@polkettle

Very tangential to thread but watching The Rescue - documentary about rescue of Thai boys trapped in the cave and it's amazing. Don't miss it if you have Disney plus.

There's also a four part documentary about North Korea on Disney+. I'm planning on starting that tonight as DH is out.

There's also a four part documentary about North Korea on Disney+. I'm planning on starting that tonight as DH is out.

Thanks for heads up Rowdy. We have Disney+.

Excellent calendar opening by DS Pol 👏

Interesting article off the back of Choosing Spouse by Lottery

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0f0bcbc0-5804-11ec-a3f7-65d2d47c7fea?shareToken=68dc3233fbfe854e5b8eda4fd8adb206

@boatyardblues

There's also a four part documentary about North Korea on Disney+. I'm planning on starting that tonight as DH is out.

Thanks for heads up Rowdy. We have Disney+.

Yes thanks @Rowdythree

Feeling cross tonight, took DS to see Gorillaz concert in cinema tonight, only to be turned away because they changed it to a 15 today!! Dozens of poor kids gutted ☹️

Oh no, I can imagine how gutted he would have been Briiiiick! What was their reasoning behind the late change? I'd be furious too! 😟

I'm very impressed and slightly envious of everyone's cooking skills! All your insta pictures make me feel really hungry 🤤

@Rowdythree

Oh no, I can imagine how gutted he would have been Briiiiick! What was their reasoning behind the late change? I'd be furious too! 😟

Rating was TBC until today apparently. But still sold child tickets 🤷‍♀️

Strongly worded letter sent to Odeon

I hope they at least gave you a refund! 😠

@Rowdythree

I hope they at least gave you a refund! 😠

I should bloody hope so!! 😰

Anyway, I'm enjoying My Beloved Summer so far, but mostly for Choi Woo-shik 👍

I’m enjoying My Beloved Summer for that special edgy, slightly deadpan Korean humour and rude, don’t give a fuck FL. Those badass women who’ve shrugged off their man-pleasing social conditioning are such a joy to watch. Aspirational even. She’d no doubt be hideous to work with or know socially IRL but I love these characters in kdrama so much. Also the butt-clenching social awkwardness of the blind date in the quite restaurant was pitch perfect. 👌 It’s not quite Melo, but it’s swimming in the same water.

I’m Team Rude Marketing Team Leader, in case anyone is keeping a tally. You work out the arrangements for Choi Woo-Shik amongst yourselves. 😄

Boaty I also loved the restaurant scene, just when you were wondering where it was going he just goes for the jugular...argh. Her brass neck in helping herself to his wine too! Brilliantly awful behaviour. Overhearing things in restaurants/cafes is another trope, I remember seeing it in Yumi's Cells when blokey gets dumped.

I keep replaying in my head the amazing wrestling move Park Hyung-sik did in episode 9 of Happiness when he took down the pastor. I am very worried about him though, I cannot imagine how they are going to tie it all up in two hours.

Briiiick that is terrible for your poor boy, I hope he wasn't too disappointed.

Oppa advent day nine

It's lovely Lion - Kim Jae Wook

@Rowdythree

Oppa advent day nine

It's lovely Lion - Kim Jae Wook

Rawr 🦁

Another lovely Advent Oppa Rowdy 😍
Musique same re Happiness that wrestling move was hot! Hope PHS stops the noble idiocy soon.

It was a hot wrestling move! 🔥 It reminded me of when he did jujitsu with Bong Soon in Strong Girl

I hope it has a happy ending! With only two episodes to go, I'm getting worried 😬

The documentary on North Korea is absolutely fascinating! Some of the schemes and plots by NK make K drama plots pale into comparison!

Oppa Advent makes everything better 😍
Phooey to that FedUp. Reminds me of the cruel blow of not getting into Bambi after queuing aged 6 and sobbing all the way home. Although if I had got in I would have been sobbing anyway. (Remember the days of queuing for a cinema ticket uncertain whether you'd make the cut? Inconceivable to my kids)
I love the Chinese ice skating pair so much. It's such a sweet and balanced relationship.

I am here every morning to checks Oppa of the day, thanks @Rowdythree. How does the calendar look like?

What’s the name of Chinese ice skating drama?