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!

Was about to say that it wasn't as bad as Dr Romantic for that TheGirl but we've just had a positive fountain of blood mysteriously issue from the back of someone's neck. It's to be hoped they haven't nicked the jugular because I'm not sure that's survivable 😂

Good times Boaty 👍👍

It was a very busy restaurant so Mr Binn was very pleased to be getting lots of admiring looks. He treated me to a couple of bottles of pomegranate soju for taking him out 😆

I think he might be ready to move on to a new place if anyone else would like to give him a home.

Pomegranate soju? I need to get some of that in my life!

I am watching jdrama Million Yen Women on Netflix with my misspent morning. It’s not at all what I was expecting and a million times less dodgy than the trailer implied. I will be scoring it favourably.

Checking out the C-drama Cupids Kitchen on Viki with the FL from Fly With You. Will report back!

Pomegranate soju sounds pretty good to me too! Was the food good Rowdy? I'm glad Mr Bin had fun too

DH and I watched I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK last night, an old-ish film from 2006 with a young Rain as the ML. I was expecting a straightforward romcom partly because of Rain, I knew he was an idol then so thought he would have played it safe. However, because it was directed by Park Chan wook who also did Oldboy it really followed none of the usual romcom tropes and took its own rather more bizarre path to true love. It is set in a psychiatric hospital but is definitely more comical than tragic.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the film and would recommend it, if you can be bothered with tracking it down on dvd that is.

How's the hangover now Boaty? Soothed by a constant supply of drama?

Well, a couple of hours of TV in my PJs has eaten my day. I watched the whole of Million Zen Women in more or less a single sitting with refreshment/comfort breaks. It was fantastic. One of the twists was so unexpected and good I whooped with delight and woke the cat up. Highly, highly recommended. It would be really hard to put it in a single genre because it was so unusual.

The hangover is OK thanks. I must have put away more water/tea before I turned in than I thought.

Which platform did you watch that Rain film on Musique?

Pomegranate soju? I need to get some of that in my life!

I haven't tried it yet, I'll report back when I have. I'd never seen this flavour before so I had to get a couple of bottles to bring home. A bloody expensive way to get it though, buying it in a restaurant! It is too be savoured 🍶

As dh and I are non drinkers, is there such a thing as non alcoholic soju, I wonder?
Unfortunately my Korean doesn’t stretch to asking for that when we go in May (if we go - I’m hoping and praying they lift the quarantine regulations by then, otherwise we’ll have to postpone the trip).

There’s a non-alcoholic rice drink like makgeoli. I bought some recently in our nearest specialist shop, it was relabelled in English as “breakfast rice drink.” I wish I could remember what it’s called.

It is cloudy and sweetened, so nothing like soju.

Is it Sikhye? It's a sweet cloudy drink made from rice.

I'm still immersed in My Only One
It's very similar to once Again. Very comfortable to watch, unlike my waistline expansion after 10 days of choosing viewing over gym in my spare time. It's not the gym break alone that's to blame but the copious snacks I eat whilst said viewing 🤔

I hardly moved this morning watching Million Yen Women, a combination of hangover/late night and the cat crashing out on my lap. I had to go to the gym this afternoon to even things up.

Thank you boaty and Aesop’s, I’ll look into those.

I was pretty sure I'd already added The Red Sleeve to the spreadsheet but couldn't spot it so have re-added it. Can those who have watched it pls add their scores as I think it is a hot contender, it's definitely in my top 3 of 2021!

Also boaty can we add The Red Sleeve to Historical for the next thread?

Cupid's Kitchen has an idiotic premise, and I'm struggling with the ML's immovable face and ham acting. On ep. 7, is anyone else watching that can tell me if it redeems itself later on, or should I give up now?

Also boaty can we add The Red Sleeve to Historical for the next thread?

Done.

I've enjoyed it but I do think Our Beloved Summer faffed about on a lot of unnecessary stuff and was sluggish and now has left no time and space to adequately unpack the bigger and more interesting things it's thrown in. Poor pacing by writer nim.
Galloping through Doctors very happily.
Cannot WAIT for Thirty-nine which looks so up my alley from each new preview.

@AesopsMables

I'm still immersed in My Only One It's very similar to once Again. Very comfortable to watch, unlike my waistline expansion after 10 days of choosing viewing over gym in my spare time. It's not the gym break alone that's to blame but the copious snacks I eat whilst said viewing 🤔

I liked my only one- it was quite easy viewing - I thought the older characters (parents, grandma) were all really good and generally not too over the top- Uee is great and I have a bit of a soft spot for Lee Jang Woo. @AesopsMables have you seen marriage contract? It's on Netflix, Uee is amazing in it (it's on of the few dramas that made me cry but isn't depressing if they makes sense)

I haven't watched Marriage Contract so now added to my watch list!
Yes Hydrogensenata The older characters are so good in MOO. I love the Grandmother and the Billionaire Aunty so much, all that hair pulling cracks me up!!

Boaty the film I was talking about is only on DVD as far as I know. I've started watching Million Yen Women and am liking it a lot, thanks for the recommendation.

Covid cases have tripled in a week at my work but we still had to go to a whole staff face to face meeting about it...I despair!

@polkettle

I've enjoyed it but I do think Our Beloved Summer faffed about on a lot of unnecessary stuff and was sluggish and now has left no time and space to adequately unpack the bigger and more interesting things it's thrown in. Poor pacing by writer nim. Galloping through Doctors very happily. Cannot WAIT for Thirty-nine which looks so up my alley from each new preview.

I agree about the pacing of Our Beloved Summer. There’s been so many interesting developments in the last 2 episodes and I’m so frustrated we won’t have time to explore them. Nope. There are about 6 glacial pace episodes in the middle they could have compressed into one to buy more time at the end.

I have watched all 24 episodes of Nothing But You on iQiYi on double speed and I don't feel I missed anything.

@bettys

I have watched all 24 episodes of Nothing But You on iQiYi on double speed and I don't feel I missed anything.

Without looking it up I’m placing my bet on cdrama.