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!

Darn it, my message disappeared. So annoying. Why is it so hard to rewrite something you've lost? It never sounds the same!

I hope your DS continues to be bored The Girl although fever dream pokemon sound kinda cool.

I have roped DH into watching Million Yen Women (well, he was looking over my shoulder at my tablet), episode 3 was pretty satisfying.

I also watched episode 2 of Ghost Doctor, the one with Rain and Kim Bum, AND, it transpires, Sung Dong il. I swear that man is in 75% of all korean TV output. The second episode was better than the first so I shall keep on going. It's all a welcome distraction from reality at any rate.

Good to see a few more people watching Million Yen Women. 🙂 I loved it.

Oops. Posted too soon.

I have also finished Our Beloved Summer and was well satisfied with the final episode. I will wait for others to catch up.

Finished OBS too. All good but I think it's one that will disappear instantly from my head. Not quite enough to it.
Also finished Doctors which was better than I expected and I really enjoyed. Despite total dodginess of foundation of relationship I liked how they negotiated thoughtfully and grew together and no noble idiocy. Plus some proper meaty storylines. Ill served by ridiculously omnipresent ott musical score though (not to mention heckling cicadas in every outdoor scene 😁)

Just watched first ten minutes of Million Yen Women and sold! Must STOP and WORK.

Yayaaa I am glad so many of you are watching Million Yen Women
I recommended it back in December before Christmas & was eagerly waiting to discuss with it here.
Next time I just have to convince @boatyardblues to get ball rolling 😁 one word from boaty and it will pick up.

I do wonder how it will be done in Kdrama
land? Who will play the roles? Will they have a character roaming around casually without clothes?

have finished Our Beloved Summer... A lovely touching drama... esp the last few eps... last episode well tied and and very sweetly told... Good Stuff!

Also finished Our Beloved Summer. Despite my usual hate of "3 years later" plot shite, this wasn't too bad.

A fair to middling drama, completely inoffensive.

I'm getting fomo from Million Yen Women so starting that next. It's been on My List for years!!

@JinBhoot

Yayaaa I am glad so many of you are watching Million Yen Women I recommended it back in December before Christmas & was eagerly waiting to discuss with it here. Next time I just have to convince *@boatyardblues to get ball rolling 😁 one word from boaty* and it will pick up.

I do wonder how it will be done in Kdrama
land? Who will play the roles? Will they have a character roaming around casually without clothes?

I laugh at the idea that I’m any kind of influencer. If you knew me in real life you would too. 😄 In truth, it’s like the spreadsheet, where there can be outlier scores (yes, sakuradh we are looking at you) and a numbers game. Once 2 or 3 people converge on a view, positive or negative, the chances of it being a Marmite outlier significantly reduce. There was also a lot of good stuff on before Christmas too, so fewer of us had time to go off piste and find the treats. Well done JinBhoot!

I think you're right, Andante. Obviously I have no idea what really happened, but was quite upset by how people went for Kim Jung Hyun when it seemed there was some emotional abuse going on in his relationship with Seo Yea-Ji. I did like her too though. Rubbish all round.

Mr Queen was really fun though. ML and FL had great chemistry.

Haha boaty! 😂

I’ve tried watching the first episode of The Man’s Voice on Viki but the young woman jiggling the poor cat like a baby, giving substandard stressy stroking and the mother yahhing and yelling around the cat is stressing me out from an animal welfare POV. If anyone can reassure me the standard of cat care massively improves I will try again, but I’m out for now.

I have noticed that Netflix’s strategy of reeling in the uninitiated with Squid Game and Silent Sea is paying off. A colleague asked for recommendations for follow on viewing today. I’ve suggested Kingdom.

I've just finished The Red Sleeve 😭😭😭
Oh my goodness I'm a wreck. The last two episodes were just so sad (and still very beautiful)
I loved how it was all about women's lives and choices, just so good.

I know Girl, not easy viewing but so worth it.

A colleague asked for recommendations for follow on viewing today. I’ve suggested Kingdom.

Yes Boaty. My #1 political-zombie-sageuk-thriller-romance-drama.

My #1 political-zombie-sageuk-thriller-romance-drama.

😂👌 I ❤️ KDrama

5 episodes in to Million Yen Women and I feel I have an inkling of what the twist is here. Looking forward to being totally wrong.

It wasn’t the twist per se that had me whooping with surprise but one of the twists that flowed from it.

Do you know the way that @polkettle is always right and has immaculate taste in programming?

The Future Diary is compulsory viewing.

I've just added The Future Diary & The Red Sleeve to the 2021 spreadsheet.......pls score if you have watched as it is nearly time to add up the scores for the next thread

Just seen an Insta reel of Gong Yoo with his shirt off and I've come over all funny

Also, "Insta reel" are two words of the English language I never thought I would say with a straight face.

Ahhhh so happy that someone else has dipped their roles in the shouldn't-work-but-it-SO-does Future Diary fairy dust 🥰
Off to search Insta Reels (there's me doing it too)

*toes even

I loved The Future Diary. It was the perfect show.

TENS! TENS! TENS! TENS ACROSS THE BOARD!

🔟🔟🔟🔟🔟

Will I put you down for a 10 on the spreadsheet Pol?