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!

Does anyone know anything about manga books? I'm looking for something suitable for my ds who will soon be 10. He loves pokemon, but I don't know anything about what will be suitable for his age... Can anyone help?

I've not yet watched Happiness and it's feeling very frustrating. DH has an online quiz and won't be done til 9.30pm but I am very much looking forward to discussing it. I think it is such a good show, probably my very favourite of the year even though I don't like scary stuff usually.

I'm delighted that Simon Pegg is a kdrama fan and has Jin in his house. More people need to be aware of the wonder that is kdrama. One device I love is the flashback to a scene we have scene earlier but with extra information...I have never seen that in a western show but I expect Simon Pegg appreciates that sort of thing as a writer.

Rowdy I don't know much but I can ask a 14 year old I know who likes manga tomorrow, he will hopefully have some ideas.

In other news my smallest child has covid, just hoping we don't all catch it.

Somebody give Mr Binn a home! He loves to hang out with new friends.

He's going to visit Rowdy next! 😁

Brilliant!

I just broke the news to the kids while we were having dinner, dd2 was most excited as she'd seen some of his pictures. Ds didn't have a clue 😂

Musique I hope your dc stay well and that the rest of you manage to avoid it. My DD currently has it too, and I just feel like I'm waiting for someone else to test positive 🙄

Thank you for your reply re Manga books 😊

Musique hoping your dc isn’t feeling too grim.

We’ve watched another episode of Jirisan and we are enjoying it but the quibble about the life insurance seems weird since afaik there’s no proof of suicide.
I’ve got my suspicions about who the villain is but I’m usually wrong whereas my dh has such an uncanny ability to predict what will happen that I suspect him of reading resumes of future episodes.

Sorry Rowdy, missed your comment - hope your dd feels better soon.

Sorry to hear people's children are coming down with Covid. Rubbish. Hope they get well soon.

I just finished Touch Your Heart which I really enjoyed. Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na have lovely chemistry.

It sounds like there are so many good dramas at the moment. Anyone watching The Red Sleeve? Apologies if I missed it.

Debating getting DH a cardboard Shin-Hye!

@Rowdythree

Does anyone know anything about manga books? I'm looking for something suitable for my ds who will soon be 10. He loves pokemon, but I don't know anything about what will be suitable for his age... Can anyone help?

My DS got some Pokémon ones from Forbidden Planet (do you have one near you?). Also there are Zelda ones.

I'll see if I can find links to the ones he got.

No hentai in those thankfully!!!

@Rowdythree

forbiddenplanet.com/catalog/comics-and-graphic-novels/?q=Pokémon&page=1

forbiddenplanet.com/catalog/comics-and-graphic-novels/?q=Zelda&sort=relevance&page=1

Hope these links work

@sakura06... The Red Sleeve is lovely lovely lovely! I much prefer it to the Kings Affection which I want to finish before continuing with red sleeve (think I'm up to ep 4)...thus I'm banking up my red sleeves! 👍👍... Finding Affection very tiresome... But seems to be picking up now! Just finished ep 18!! 😖

Musique hope youngest recovers well, and the rest of you avoid it

Thanks Bea! Had considered Affection too so good to know it's not the best. Might watch The Crowned Clown first.

I’m so excited for lots of Bin & Roland bromance !🐶

Yay! Me too. SO MUCH HANDSOME GOOD BOY IN ONE PLACE.
Manga wise mine and all their friends were obsessed with One Piece aged 10 and Dragon Ball also good. I hope both are broadly suitable - I am pretty relaxed about what they read when so you may want to check yourself- but to best of knowledge these don't have much in the way of big boobies etc.

And not a Manga but graphic novel series Amulet is just brilliant.

@bettys

I’m so excited for lots of Bin & Roland bromance !🐶

OH MY GOD ALL THE GOOD BOYS!

Thanks for all the manga recommendations, especially the info about the big boobies! Not sure that would be appropriate 😂 There is Tokyo Toys in Birmingham which has a good selection I believe, so I'll see if I can get over there.

Roland's face when I told him Mr Binn was coming for a visit 😀

I am also excited about the Rowland/Mr Bin opportunities. 😄

Roland! Not Rowland. 🤦‍♀️

Rowdy I am worried that if we go down with covid in succession that at least one of us will be isolating for Christmas and we won't be able to have our visitors...sorry to hear your dd is also afflicted!

Andante, Briiiick and Sakura you honestly wouldn't know he was even ill. I got worried last night because he said his head hurt but he'd just banged it on the wall.

Roland is very beautiful, I expect he'll get on well with Mr Bin.

DH's quiz has finally finished so now we can FINALLY watch ep 12 of Happiness.

I treated myself to an episode of Hwarang whilst I was waiting though, so it's not all been bad.

Glad he's not too ill Musique!

Roland is beautiful Rowdy! 🥰