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 finished Search WWW. Became less interested in the FL/ML story as I was in the business/Song Ga-young plot as it went on but it was a solid show with some iconic moments.

Bin arrived safe and sound thanks to Pols careful wrapping 😊
However I've left him with DH for the afternoon and come home to this!
Bin says he's getting into the local drama/comedy scene.
DH says "it's an improvement"

🤣🤣🤣
Do we think DH is feeling a little threatened by having Mr Binn's perfect eyes following him around the room?

Definitely Pol 😂😂😂

Amazing 😂😂😂

Shall I put these pics on Mr Binn's Insta TheGirl or would you rather not? No worries either way.

At this rate Mr Binn will be touring the UK!.. It's like shared custody! 🤣😂🤣😂

Anyone know what this is all about? (Click for the translation) www.instagram.com/p/CWQMlRFvGz3/?utm_medium=copy_link

Yes they can go on his Instagram Pol 😂

[quote boatyardblues]Anyone know what this is all about? (Click for the translation) www.instagram.com/p/CWQMlRFvGz3/?utm_medium=copy_link[/quote]
Looks like this is it www.soompi.com/article/1498156wpp/lee-ji-hoon-says-he-has-made-plans-to-resolve-misunderstandings-over-sponsor-in-person

More up to date www.soompi.com/article/1498547wpp/lee-ji-hoon-says-he-has-resolved-misunderstandings-with-former-writer-of-sponsor

@Bea

At this rate Mr Binn will be touring the UK!.. It's like shared custody! 🤣😂🤣😂

I'll bring him to the Giant's Causeway 😂

Bin’s tour of the UK will likely delight his international Instagram followers. It is a funny idea. 🙂

I can certainly show him the of delights worcs/gloucs area 😂

I need to warn you all that (even allowing for the fact that I may have been diddled at the Post Office) Mr Binn is a Large Parcel and thus not a cheap send (well of COURSE he's not - he's cardboard Hyun Bin) so he may be stopping with TheGirl until he can be handed on round the back of a soju bar or similar...

Insta is 🔥🔥🔥 at news of the return of BinOppa!

I have an answer about the plastic bottles in the Japanese bath! From my Japanese friend-
"I looked up the bottle thing. Not just for your benefit. I was a bit curious too. It turns out, it’s to save a few pennies by increasing the depth of the bath water (as Japanese baths are deep) and save some water. The water in the bottle is, then used to clean the dishes or in the washing machine, as it would be clean water still. Also apparently the water in the bottle becomes the same temp as the water in the bath so it saves on gas a bit"

@polkettle

I have an answer about the plastic bottles in the Japanese bath! From my Japanese friend- "I looked up the bottle thing. Not just for your benefit. I was a bit curious too. It turns out, it’s to save a few pennies by increasing the depth of the bath water (as Japanese baths are deep) and save some water. The water in the bottle is, then used to clean the dishes or in the washing machine, as it would be clean water still. Also apparently the water in the bottle becomes the same temp as the water in the bath so it saves on gas a bit"

How curious!!

Loving the cardboard Oppa excitement on IG 😂
Maybe I can get Mr Binn to do some jobs for postage fees. I'm sure we will be able to send him onwards. 📮

I'm so glad to see Mr Bin back on my insta feed 😁 have fun with him Thegirl!

@polkettle

I have an answer about the plastic bottles in the Japanese bath! From my Japanese friend- "I looked up the bottle thing. Not just for your benefit. I was a bit curious too. It turns out, it’s to save a few pennies by increasing the depth of the bath water (as Japanese baths are deep) and save some water. The water in the bottle is, then used to clean the dishes or in the washing machine, as it would be clean water still. Also apparently the water in the bottle becomes the same temp as the water in the bath so it saves on gas a bit"

Thanks Pol. I think I’d buy into that more if they were those water cooler kegs, but 3 x 2l bottles won’t really cut it. 🤣

Also glad to see Mr Bin.

I just watched the first episode of Now we are breaking up. So far so ball breaking, badass FL. Jang Ki Yong is still rocking that crisp white shirt look, but less the puppyish ingenue in this. It’s started well.

Is there any chance MrBin could visit some local landmarks, or are you too embarrassed to be seen out in public with him Girl?

Squeeeeeeing at the return of Mr Binn on IG 🤩
If he fancies a trip to SW London or Yorkshire at some point that’d be grand!

Have got to the end of ep 3 of Happiness and it’s reminding me of the Belgian series Cordon but with a lot more flair (and Park Hyung Sik who is impressive in this, low key but dynamic)

I'm definitely planning on taking Mr Bin to see the local sights.
In the city centre no one would bat an eyelid at Mr Bin.
My biggest concern is going to the Trafford Centre in pre christmas times. I need to find a weekday morning to go else it's hell. Even with my charming companion 😂

I've just googled to check where exactly the Squid Game doll is in the Trafford Centre and apparently it was only there as a one day thing 😭😭😭