MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #29): The one where we celebrate our growing community, score the year’s dramas, thank Korean creatives and performers for another year’s happy distraction

[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, but we can point you in the right direction. We also dip into Japanese, Taiwanese & Chinese drama as & when.

The previous thread is here but our lists below are cumulative so include 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. Writer/actor Simon Pegg referred to it fondly as “tonal chaos” - it’s part of kdrama’s charm. View the categories below as best approximate & ask if you need guidance about suitability for younger viewers.

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)
Dali & the Cocky Prince (Viki)
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)
Yumi’s Cells (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)/Rain or Shine (Netflix)*
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)
Would You Like a Cup of Coffee (Viki)

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)*
Happiness* (Viki)
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)
To Fly with Me (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 & can be viewed without S1)

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

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!

Oh no Hydrogen! 😕 Does it mean you’ll have a lower key Christmas than you’d planned?

We have cancelled plans to be with clinically vulnerable loved ones because rates are rocketing & it’s just not worth it. We’ll review in a few weeks. The tiny glimmer of silver lining is more lie-ins and guilt-free Silent Sea.

Sorry to hear you are also having a tough time Larry. Hugs and a “fighting!” from me too. 💐

Hydrogen, oh no, bad luck :( I hope you feel ok at least, even if it alters Christmas for you. Larry I'm new around here but I hope things get easier for you.

Rowdy you continue to do really well with age-appropriate oppas, Gong Yoo is growing on me through watching Goblin every night. I've not come across Ji Sung before, he's definitely worth knowing about.

Bea I will try them on the zombie episode, thank you for the recommendation! They seemed to enjoy the water squirting episode and trying to figure out what the trigger words in gestures were.

I spent quite a lot of yesterday watching a webdrama on Viki called Pumpkin Time. The episodes are very short especially if you take away the recaps. There is rather startling revelation in the first five minutes and then it's high school romance but it's rather nice and fluffy. Yes, I watched it all in one day and have slightly sore eyes in consequence.

Talking of covid we went to the pantomime after DS's quarantine ended and it felt like the unsafest thing I have done this year. That's despite having a job where I come in contact with lots of different people. Over 50% of the adults in the audience weren't wearing masks and the staff weren't checking covid passes like they said they would. That's something else I will choose not to do again!

@Hydrogensonata

Fighting *@LarryUnderwood*

Thanks for todays oppa! That's cheered me up after getting the Christmas present no-one wants- a positive COVID test 😭

Oh mate!!! Hope you are ok x

It mostly feels like a nasty cold and a racking dry cough so far- cat is very unhappy with the coughing!
I don't mind being on my own for Christmas but gutted as I'd got some lovely long festive runs planned in instead will stay snug with dramas and webtoons!

Hydrogen that is a real shame about the runs, there's not much you can do to replicate running whilst stuck inside. My commiserations.

Just been looking up The Silent Sea because somehow it had escaped my notice and I'm delighted to see it has got my number 1 favourite actress in it, Kim Sung-Young. She has been nothing less than brilliant in everything I've seen her in, but I fear her comedy skills may not be required in this one.

@MusiqueAutomatique

Just been looking up The Silent Sea because somehow it had escaped my notice and I'm delighted to see it has got my number 1 favourite actress in it, Kim Sung-Young. She has been nothing less than brilliant in everything I've seen her in, but I fear her comedy skills may not be required in this one.

Yes spotted her too! I adore her. Her scenes in Because This Is My First Life are sublime.

Ahh noo Hydrogen that sucks!!
Hope you don't feel too awful 😰

I love her too and was sad not to have seen her in much recently because me and my Kdrama pal up the road called her THWAIK for short (The Hardest Working Actress in Korea) after she was in everything but she hadn't been living up to the nickname recently.
So so sorry Hydrogen. Keep cosy and get well soon. Expecting it to be my turn on the two line roulette game any day...

I think you are the only one out of us not to get it yet Pol! Letting the side down...

I haven’t had it yet, unless it was the crappy dry cough I had in late February last year but no-one was testing then so who knows?

Kim Sung Young is brilliant isn't she! I always enjoy watching her, even if I don't always like the character she plays.

Musique you definitely need to look up Ji Sung. He's an all round top Oppa and seems like a good un in real life too!

My K drama viewing has been lacking lately, still got 3 dramas to finish before new year. I'm not starting any new ones until then 😬

I have a lovely sore throat and slight cough today so I was sure it was coming but 3 tests later I'm confronting the reality I may have... a cold.

I'm just glad we are all coming through unscathed. Stay well everyone x

@Hydrogensonata - Oh no, wishing you speedy recovery. Have a relaxing Christmas - snuggled in a blanket while binge watching dramas.

How is everyones Christmas preps going? I was meant to go abroad to see my family but cancelled plans last min. Now I must do some food shopping for. Tomorrow is last working day but I don’t want to go for groceries on Friday.

Lately in Kdrama land, nothing is keeping my interest intact.
I am watching J drama Million Yen Women and it is quite interesting.

What is everyone watching these days?

I wondered where everyone was. Been checking the old thread 🙈

Sorry to hear you're unwell Hydrogen. Get Well Soon! Also, pigs in blankets tteoknokki sounds amazing!

Both my kids have Covid, so we've had to cancel our festive plans. Poor things.

I've enjoyed The Crowned Clown immensely! So good! Had to look up who beat Yoo Jin-Goo for Best Actor in that year at the Baeksangs: Lee Byung-Hun. I've still not seen Mr. Sunshine, which is something to fix.

@Rowdythree Can you do a 12 Days of Christmas Oppas too?! 😁

I'm currently watching:

^My Beloved Summer
Heirs/Inheritors (^slowly)
WWWSK (3rd rewatch - need some PSJ in my day)

Looking forward to:

^The Silent Sea
Snowdrop^
The new Park Min-young/Song Kang one about meteorologists

Oh! And Bad and Crazy.

Jin Sorry to hear about your cancelled plans.

With our plans up in smoke we’ve had to do a food shop for Christmas. I told DH earlier that we need to pop out tomorrow for more fun food as there isn’t nearly enough chocolate, cake and party food in the house. I am so knackered that I’m slightly relieved we aren’t away this year, though sad about not seeing family.

I just caught up on My Beloved Summer. It’s lovely and the right pace for where I am at now. I’m also watching To Fly with You and am eagerly anticipating Silent Sea. I’ve bookmarked loads of Netflix stuff but can’t remember what.

If this thread is anything to go by, there’s a lot of COVID about this Christmas. Commiserations also to the Sakura household.

I have a new tickly cough and felt under par earlier but have been testing negative for the last few days so 🤞

@sakura06

I wondered where everyone was. Been checking the old thread 🙈

Sorry to hear you're unwell Hydrogen. Get Well Soon! Also, pigs in blankets tteoknokki sounds amazing!

Both my kids have Covid, so we've had to cancel our festive plans. Poor things.

I've enjoyed The Crowned Clown immensely! So good! Had to look up who beat Yoo Jin-Goo for Best Actor in that year at the Baeksangs: Lee Byung-Hun. I've still not seen Mr. Sunshine, which is something to fix.

@Rowdythree Can you do a 12 Days of Christmas Oppas too?! 😁

I would like to second 12 days of Christmas oppas

So sorry to those who are having to isolate and cancel their Christmas plans. My parents cancelled on me today so I'm disappointing that I won't see them, and I'm just crossing my fingers the rest of my household don't come down with covid.🤞

Briiiiick how is Snowdrop? I want to watch that, but as it had already been controversial, I wanted to wait a while before watching incase it was cancelled. 😬

Sakura, twelve days of Christmas Oppa's you say... 🤔😀

Sorry to everyone who's Christmas plans are changing. At least K-dramas are always here for us!

Rowdy I haven't started Snowdrop, it's supposed to be coming on Disney +, but not there yet. Good point about the cancellation though. I'll keep a watching brief.

@boatyardblues finished the old thread off for you following your valiant efforts until 00:16 😁

Oppa advent day twenty three!

It's our penultimate Oppa, it can be none other than Park Seo Joon

And because its Christmas Eve Eve, here's a photo of him looking like the cover of a Christmas single