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!

Rol is the goodest, most handsome boy 🥰

If anybody is up for a fun Variety Show, The Hungry and the Hairy is great craic. Noh Hong-chul is a bit mental, but it's pretty funny 😄

We are quite chatty at the mo. I don’t think the thread has more than a few days’ headroom, if that. Time to discussing updates and tweaks to The List.

@MusiqueAutomatique sending best wishes to you & your family.

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
I also love this aspect of story telling in Kdrama. Another one is when they end the episode with an exciting turn & then next episode starts from same scene but with added information (equally thrilling).

@sakura06 go for Crowned Clown, one of my favourite sageuk.

I have finished Beauty Inside, it was an easy watch.

Thanks Jin! 👍

Jin the kdrama writers are technically fantastic. They are so good at hooking you in.

I just finished Happiness.

Wow.

Is anyone still waiting to watch it or can we discuss it? I really don't want to spoil anyone's enjoyment but I want to talk about how brilliant it was.

We've just finished watching Happiness too! I'm interested in hearing others thoughts on the final episode

I don't think I'll be able to sleep now!

I've still got to do the final episode with DH tonight but know where we're heading from Instagram spoilers so 👍

Oppa advent day thirteen

After the Happiness finale it can no other than Park Hyung Sik

Oh dear, I haven't even started it yet! I'm a Celeb is over now so I can entice DH 😄

@Rowdythree

Oppa advent day thirteen

After the Happiness finale it can no other than Park Hyung Sik

Oh my giddy aunt, that finger bite! 😶‍🌫️

PHS has been fabulous in Happiness he deffo deserves a window in the Advent calendar 😊

What an absolute minx.

The daughter of a friend is doing an MA in audio production and had to make 10 minute documentary so she came and interviewed me about KDrama. It's a sweet (and very professional!) piece she made.
m.soundcloud.com/user-310391270/korean-drama-queen

@Rowdythree

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 😀

Waterstones in Bimringham also has a load of Manga ! Worth a look if you're in Birmingham anyway... !!...

Ahh that's ace Pol ❤️

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

If anybody is up for a fun Variety Show, The Hungry and the Hairy is great craic. Noh Hong-chul is a bit mental, but it's pretty funny 😄

I am enjoying it too!!! But Hong Chul needs to calm down... continually hooting and shouting and exclaiming....must be driving Rain mad!!!

@boatyardblues - The List...
Would You Like A Cup of Coffee? (one of my faves this year! so Lovely!)
Young Lady And Gentleman (not sure how many have watched this one!... and not finished airing yet) - file under Daytime Soap!!! sort of like Once Again (which is better!)... but similar in soapiness!!!
Dali & Cocky Prince - Fabulous ! Proper Kdrama fun! and was good ALL the way through didn't fizzle out!
Happiness - will be interesting to see what everyone thought of final ep!!!
Kings Affection - historical...
Hometown Cha Cha Cha ??

Thanks Bea. I forgot to say to propose the categories too. Coffee? must be in the Slice of Life grouping. Is Young Lady Chinese, so the everything else? Dali - romance, but light or dark?

oops! soory @boatyardblues
Coffee - Slice of Life
Young Lady (Korean - Viki)
Dali - Lighter Fluff Romance

I think we should add To Fly With Me into the "other countries" drama category. It was adorable.

YY to Would you like a cup of coffee? in slice of life/serious.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

I think we should add To Fly With Me into the "other countries" drama category. It was adorable.

YY to Would you like a cup of coffee? in slice of life/serious.

YY to both of these

[quote polkettle]What an absolute minx.

The daughter of a friend is doing an MA in audio production and had to make 10 minute documentary so she came and interviewed me about KDrama. It's a sweet (and very professional!) piece she made.
m.soundcloud.com/user-310391270/korean-drama-queen[/quote]
I love this!! Totally agree with your comments about how much joy K dramas bring.

Well done, young Martha!

[quote polkettle]What an absolute minx.

The daughter of a friend is doing an MA in audio production and had to make 10 minute documentary so she came and interviewed me about KDrama. It's a sweet (and very professional!) piece she made.
m.soundcloud.com/user-310391270/korean-drama-queen[/quote]
It was lovely, wanted to hear more.
Well done Martha 😊

I enjoyed the soundcloud feature. It was very well done. Of course I am now dead envious of Pol having a fellow kdrama addict in her real 3D life, as well as her new international Instagram buddy.