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!

There’s a promoted fan collection on the Viki homepage today called My Ultimate favourite “slice of life” K-dramas. Own up, which one of you made it? 😄

Not me but I shall be reading and taking notes!!

@boatyardblues

Can’t Run Away from Love is playing out more like a workplace sexual harrassment case right now. FL is one of those naive, unboundaried milkmaid types that hasn’t worked out how to roar “fuck off creep!” and the value of a well timed knee to the groin. Sigh. I should hand in my feminist credentials because I plan to continue watching. 😂

Sorry Boats. I should have warned you. I gave up on this one a few eps in. The FL is WET.

Im off to bed now after my night shifts and I'm off till Monday now 🎉🎉🎉
Got an afternoon of kdramas in pajamas pencilled in later 😁

I used radish kimchi in my fried rice at lunchtime. It was a bit sour and smelled funny. I double checked the (sealed until point of cooking lunch) pouch. BBE 07/12/21. 🤢 Questions to you all:

1. Does young radish kimchi smell weird/different anyway?
2. Does sour mean it’s off?
3. Am I going to die/spend my evening on the loo?

I have no useful advice to offer you boaty but you will probably be fine….

I see that Kimcheese Toastie has made it into the Waitrose magazine. We’ve been making it in this thread for yeeeeears now we are so ahead of the curve! We should’ve marketed it ourselves

DH came down later for his lunch. I explained the situation. He’s eaten his share too. 🤞

@boatyardblues

DH came down later for his lunch. I explained the situation. He’s eaten his share too. 🤞

Yous are in it together now, shits or no shits. True romance 🥰

No idea about kimichi but fermented stuff does become sour yet edible.

I have made these pickles cucumbers & THEY ARE AMAZING.

thesubversivetable.com/korean-cucumber-pickle/

Today’s lunch was chips topped with fresh salad & pickled cucumbers (to balance the meal 😉)

@bettys

I have no useful advice to offer you boaty but you will probably be fine….

I see that Kimcheese Toastie has made it into the Waitrose magazine. We’ve been making it in this thread for yeeeeears now we are so ahead of the curve! We should’ve marketed it ourselves

Waitrose magazine probably stole the idea from us. Reading your post triggered a 💡moment for me: my next cauliflower cheese will have a heaped teaspoon of gochugaru in the cheese sauce instead of grainy mustard. Print that Waitrose!

My evening plans have been nixed by a friend’s illness. A warm sofa & Shirasu Jin’s tousled locks await.

I jad kimcheese on toast for lunch today, despite being more of an Aldi shopper than waitrose.
Kimchi macaroni cheese was also delicious 😋

I fancy a bit of medical romance. Any tip offs? (any country) Doctors any good?

Hopefully you will both survive overfermented radish kimchi Boaty.

I had a Japanese lunch yesterday with copious amounts of pickled ginger and it was delish.

I haven't really watched any dramas over the last few nights due to actually having a social life which makes a welcome change. I'm off out tomorrow night as well, I will have to have the weekend in to recover.

DH has decided he wants to give up watching Goblin together, he just finds it impenetrable and doesn't understand why characters are acting the way they are. I do not understand this at all, it seems reasonably straightforward to me. Does anyone recall having similar issues comprehending this show?!

Thanks for the pic of PHS Rowdy!

Hope the sleep goes well The Girl

DH has decided he wants to give up watching Goblin together, he just finds it impenetrable and doesn't understand why characters are acting the way they are. I do not understand this at all, it seems reasonably straightforward to me

I dropped Goblin because I just didn't 'get' the characters and the age difference between ML & FL was too great, although I adored Gong Too in long haired sword slashy warrior mode.

Doctors is great pol. There's a problematic student/teacher element but it's a fun watch overall.

I fancy a bit of medical romance. Any tip offs? (any country) Doctors any good?

pol if you mean the one with Kim Rae Won & Park Shin Hye I thoroughly enjoyed it, although the school story is a bit .

I'm seriously considering making that cucumber pickle Jin

Ha you beat me to it sakura ! By the way, welcome to sakuradh on the spreadsheet !

Marvellous. Thanking you. I have tip top ignoring dodgy relationship skillz 😉

I also enjoyed Doctors, I was about to say the same as Sakura and Bettys, I think it might be worth a re watch soon.

What always puzzles me about hospital dramas, are the high heels the female doctors seem to wear! It makes my feet hurt just watching them 😬

Now I sound like my mother 😂

So far so good, DH and I are both still of sound body post rancid kimchi though I’m less certain about my mind. When DH asked what was for dinner earlier I said “sausage ffffff” and made a vague billowing cloud gesture with my hands because I was in brain fart mode after a busy day. He guessed correctly: toad in the hole. 😂

I saw that kimcheese toast recipe and will be trying at the weekend.
Today we had kimchee fried rice ( without the spam) but I subbed that for a pork chop. Or as I now call it 'healthy Samjyupsal'😉

I'm ploughing through My Only One and up to ep 21. It's still v good 👍🏽

I like how Waitrose think that the ideal accompaniment is several glasses of wine....

Our Beloved Summer was a bit of a Debbie Downer this week. Hope it gets a little jollier for the last two episodes. I can't take another Record of Youth...

There's not a lot of doctoring going on so far but if PSH carries on kickboxing every bad girl she meets in those tight leather trousers she's definitely going to need treatment for a yeast infection.

There's not a lot of doctoring going on so far but if PSH carries on kickboxing every bad girl she meets in those tight leather trousers she's definitely going to need treatment for a yeast infection. 😂😂😂
I've had a lovely sleep thanks Musique
I'm now drinking wine and about to watch another ep of The Red Sleeve ☺️