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!

PSJ's second London blog! Probably the only time he and I will have anything in common, when he complained he'd left his washing outside and it started to rain 😂

@boatyardblues

Well, this morning has been an unmitigated clusterfuck for me. Like a once every couple of years type event. Luckily nothing major or long term is affected but still lots of disruption on numerous fronts and I’ve had to book off an unplanned leave day to sort it out.

Sending best wishes xx 💪 Fighting!

Phew! Boy am I glad things are getting back to normal. Thanks for your kind wishes. Solidarity with my sister posters who also had a crap Monday. Roll on Tuesday. 🥳

I am just waiting on my LFT to see whether I can head out to a friend's soon, so no restorative kdrama for me tonight.

@boatyardblues

Phew! Boy am I glad things are getting back to normal. Thanks for your kind wishes. Solidarity with my sister posters who also had a crap Monday. Roll on Tuesday. 🥳

I am just waiting on my LFT to see whether I can head out to a friend's soon, so no restorative kdrama for me tonight.

Restorative vino instead Boaty?

Hope you're ok boaty ❤️
I'd also spotted Love and Leashes 😳 🤣

Sorry to hear of all the shit mondays going on. Mine turned out to be not too bad, bar one particularly vituperative email which I've taken great pleasure in ignoring. There'll probably be another one waiting in my inbox tomorrow morning

I'm enjoying Rinko as a reminder that adults do actually do more than kiss from a million different angles. Also watched Our Beloved Summer. I feel so sad for Ung #2. I think Mr Manager is winning over Best Friend with his clam activities too.

Hope all is ok Boaty 👊

Here’s to a better Tuesday all!

I finished In Time with You earlier. It was lovely and I thought the final outcome was realistically portrayed. I could have done with a bit more Rinko-style bedfun if I’m honest, but all in all it was terrific. I take back what I said about all Japanese FL characters being squeaky pushovers. This one was admirable and the ML was lovely.

I agree 💯 Boaty. I loved that last scene with the shoes and the family.

Just watched the final episode of The Future Diary on Netflix and it will make for a very cute January blues binge pick-you-up.

another one I'm really enjoying reading at the moment is Act like you love me, it's very easy to read, and a bit bonkers

Curse you Rowdy!!!! Not only was I up v v late catching up with all the available chapters of Act Like You Love Me, I spent precious Fast Pass coins to get to the end which is a bastard CLIFFHANGER and now will have to wait until March for more

Struggling to finish To Fly With You as their romance is sooooo slow. I have about 3 weeks before my iQiyi deal runs out, does anyone have any recs??? Anyone watched Nothing But You ? I watched 3 eps of Bad & Crazy but keep forgetting to back to it.

Curse you Rowdy!!!! Not only was I up v v late catching up with all the available chapters of Act Like You Love Me, I spent precious Fast Pass coins to get to the end which is a bastard CLIFFHANGER and now will have to wait until March for more angry angry

Oh no Bettys! 😬😬 I'm only on episode 33, your way ahead of me!

10 episodes in here 😁 Top tip - thanks Rowdy

I know I've found a good binge when I download it for watching on my commute and find 30 mins over lunch! My Only One is getting better and better. On ep 12 and it's all starting to knit together.
My favourite genre is for sure 'slice of life'

@polkettle

10 episodes in here 😁 Top tip - thanks Rowdy

I think this one would make a good drama, and Mingji merch would sell like hotcakes, with people hoping to be able to control an idol 😆

Thanks guys. As if I didn't have enough webtoons!!! 😁

If you could control an idol and make him do whatever you wanted - who and what?
Hmmm... this may not be discussable on public forum 😁

Pol 😁🤔 so many options, how could you decide???

I couldn't possibly decide who, or what I'd want them to do 😬😳

Park Morgan for a spot of hoovering?
Dong Mae to stride around the garden slamming the heads off weeds?

And someone to clean the shower .....hmmmmmmmm...

slashing the heads off weeds with his sword (not a metaphor)

Yes, brilliant idea to have a different one for every household task. Rowoon can come and replace all the blown lightbulbs.

Yep, different idols for different jobs is a great idea! I'll definitely have Park Morgan round for the housework though 👍

So Ji Sub for personal training but not dietary advice/meal planning.

ML Ren from In Time with You for drinking companion and days out.

DH has us watching Indonesian action film The Raid Redemption tonight and it is the most extreme fighty fighty fighty but also sort of ridiculous fun.