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!

To Fly With You Jin. It's a cosy one.

@polkettle

To Fly With You Jin. It's a cosy one.

I've just got to the couples electric toothbrush episode! I definitely feel like DH and I should have those in our lives 😁

Finding it hard to believe that DH and I have sustained a marriage this long without them Rowdy
Enjoying BTS boys airport arrival wear...

Top Oppa Rowdy !!

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

Just found it- it’s good! Now I want to watch the drama too, I can just see Choi Woo Sik in the role plus of course soundtrack by his bestie V

To Fly With You is super cosy and charming. The ML and FM are very cute, and it is quite a natural show IYKWIM.

Cong Rong's cousin from My Little Happiness is 2ML.

Enjoying BTS boys airport arrival wear
Hobi’s robe looks perfect for travelling but I will look idiot in it.

Their insta accounts: I think it’s a first step towards rebranding them individually (not as a group).
They are getting ready for enlisting.
Some PR company must be working on the plan.

Remember the days of queuing for a cinema ticket uncertain whether you'd make the cut? Inconceivable to my kids)

Polkettle yes indeed, and also shortly before the film started people outside the cinema looking around anxiously before realising, yes, they’d been stood up.

I suppose it filled the hours of the day before the internet Andante 😁
I see there's going to be a Korean remake of Someday or One Day. I still think about the original (Taiwanese) one often and play the soundtrack a lot. Really worth a binge.

I've just got to the couples electric toothbrush episode! I definitely feel like DH and I should have those in our lives 😁

It’s a thing here too. I was on the Boots site last weekend looking for a replacement for ours. They had couple sets with one black one & one pink one. 🙄 I was about to say that if we had them, I’d go for the black one but in reality going for pink means I’d have it to myself and my 3 menfolk would fight over the black one. 🤣

Tonight’s Jirisan is noble idiocy-a-go-go.

Oppa advent day 10!

Will he ever show signs of aging? - it's Kim Soo Hyun

@Rowdythree

Oppa advent day 10!

Will he ever show signs of aging? - it's Kim Soo Hyun

He's a 10/10 ❤️

Dorian Gray's attic must be stuffed with Oppa portraits these days.

I just googled to check how old he is. 33!!!?! He looks 24 max. Its a relief my haggard face will never be in the same room as him 😂

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

I just googled to check how old he is. 33!!!?! He looks 24 max. Its a relief my haggard face will never be in the same room as him 😂

😂 That made me chuckle! I'm more than happy for my face to never be in the same room as his too 🤣

Kim Soo Hyun, what a treat. Thank you Rowdy.
I loved his cameo in CLOY, he suits a green tracksuit! He is a vaguely age appropriate oppa too.

@polkettle

Dorian Gray's attic must be stuffed with Oppa portraits these days.

SK has very high numbers of cosmetic surgeons. 🤫

SK has very high numbers of cosmetic surgeons

When I told someone we were going to Korea next year she said “did you know it’s the cosmetic surgery centre of the world?”

Yes ok, I realise I look like Keith Richard…….

I have wondered about reactions if I visit SK as I am of the Mary Beard school of aging gracefully rather than the Joan Rivers school. I also take after my Dad and do not fit in the dainty lady box. Horror is the word that springs to mind. 😁

I’m sure you look lovely Boaty.

Unfortunately I have proof of needing SK cosmetic attention: years ago when dd was 9 or 10 we went into the local branch of NatWest and the teller said to dd ‘are you having a nice day out with Nan?’.

Oh no! 😧

Thanks for recommending To Fly With You.
Such a chill watching, loving the knitwear as well. Cast have appropriate college students look. 2nd pairs are not overacting. So far well balanced.
Only thing slightly annoying me now is skating partners. First one left with the hopes of becoming GF & second one is ruining her future. Come on ladies, you are too young to ruin your life after crush.

I'm shocked, I tell you... shocked!

Love at Night is only 30 episodes long. I had it pegged for a 50 parter.

I almost can't watch the confession scene in To fly with you 🙈

@Rowdythree

I almost can't watch the confession scene in To fly with you 🙈

The ice rink one? It's CRINGE 😬