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!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

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.

How do insta reels work! I can't find it!!! 😵

I’ve been trying to get into the spreadsheet for a couple of days to edit my score without joy. Can I PM someone a list of my scores later this evening so we can run the numbers for the OP? I will also weave the previous year top scorers into the main recommendations list with some kind of annotation to reduce the text at the end.

I need to go out for an hour or so, so don’t go mad and use all of the remaining 47 posts.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick

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

TENS! TENS! TENS! TENS ACROSS THE BOARD!

🔟🔟🔟🔟🔟

Just impossibly smug and beamy 🥰🥰🥰

Yes yes alright @polkettle 🙄

@boatyardblues

I’ve been trying to get into the spreadsheet for a couple of days to edit my score without joy. Can I PM someone a list of my scores later this evening so we can run the numbers for the OP? I will also weave the previous year top scorers into the main recommendations list with some kind of annotation to reduce the text at the end.

I need to go out for an hour or so, so don’t go mad and use all of the remaining 47 posts.

I'll help!

I'm happy to help too!

I've just started The Future Diary it is pleasantly different, but I'm not quite hooked yet (still on first ep) but will keep going. Loving seeing all the sights and really like the couple so far. Nice that the girl is so far seeming far more naturally kawaii than the simpering types in dramas.

I'm saving the final two episodes of Our Beloved Summer for tomorrow night with cider. Will be back to discuss.

We finally finished The Silent Sea which left more than a few unanswered questions (most of them impossible science ones like how the heck did those plants thrive like that without any access to light? How the jiggins does an inorganic molecule behave like a virus and where did it come from anyway?).

To be honest I am glad it is over, I think we massively overstretched ourselves with the number of dramas we had on the go at once. Better to stick to two or three and power through them, at least it is for this household.

I too have missed the Gong Yoo insta reel, not that I followed him just to see it or anything Briiiick, you understand.

Thanks FedUp and Bettys. Here are my 2021 scores (I’ll get to other years later when I can get editing).

In-House Marriage Honey = 7
Jirisan = 8
Kingdom: Ashin of the North = 8
My Name = 9
My Roommate is a Gumiho = 5
Rinko Wants to Try = 7
Scripting your destiny = 7
Spacesweepers = 8
The King’s Affection = 8
The Red Sleeve = 10
The Silent Sea = 8
To Fly with You = 6
Vincenzo = 7
Would You Like a cup of coffee = 8
You are my spring = 7
You Make me dance = 8
Yumi’s Cells = 7

@boatyardblues

Thanks FedUp and Bettys. Here are my 2021 scores (I’ll get to other years later when I can get editing).

In-House Marriage Honey = 7
Jirisan = 8
Kingdom: Ashin of the North = 8
My Name = 9
My Roommate is a Gumiho = 5
Rinko Wants to Try = 7
Scripting your destiny = 7
Spacesweepers = 8
The King’s Affection = 8
The Red Sleeve = 10
The Silent Sea = 8
To Fly with You = 6
Vincenzo = 7
Would You Like a cup of coffee = 8
You are my spring = 7
You Make me dance = 8
Yumi’s Cells = 7

Done 👍

Mwah 😘

We’ll soon be out of thread. Has everyone else updated so we can run the top 5 scores tonight?

I've updated all of mine, except The Red Sleeve as I haven't finished it.

I've hardly watched any dramas this week! I'm having withdrawal symptoms 😅

Well, I’ve had a quick look at the scores. I thought I should set a threshold of 3 votes so it’s a representative view, particularly now there are loads of us in the spreadsheet. The Red Sleeve would win with a score of 10 but it’s only counted 2 votes (is the formula capturing all the columns?).

So, current rankings @ 21.15ish today:
(The Red Sleeve @ 10 - only 2 votes)
Happiness @ 9 with 6 votes
Devil Judge @ 8.75 - 3 votes
Squid Game @ 8.63 - 12 votes
Navillera @ 8.57 - 7 votes
My Name @ 8.5 - 3 votes
(Youth of May @ 8.5 - 1 vote)
Would you like a cup of coffee @ 8.42 - 6 votes
Mad for each other @ 8.25 - 6 votes
Hometown Cha Cha Cha @ 8.13 - 11 votes
Silent Sea @ 8 - 5 votes
To My Star @ 8 - 4 votes

Anyone care to score The Red Sleeve or argue against a minimum votes threshold?

I think a minimum votes thing is good in principle but The Red Sleeve should allowed to be included in this case as it has received such universal love and is only missing out because late in the year. And also because it's different from the other rather thrillerish top scorers.

OK, I’ll include it which means the top 5 buts at Navillera & everything below is excluded.

Is Our Beloved Summer light romance or heavier romance? I’m leaning towards heavier.

What else is missing from the list? I’ve added Million Yen Women, In-house Marriage Honey, Rinko & In Time with You to the non-Korean list.

@boatyardblues

OK, I’ll include it which means the top 5 buts at Navillera & everything below is excluded.

Is Our Beloved Summer light romance or heavier romance? I’m leaning towards heavier.

What else is missing from the list? I’ve added Million Yen Women, In-house Marriage Honey, Rinko & In Time with You to the non-Korean list.

Oh can we not add Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu? English title is We Married As A Job

FedUp - I had a quick look & it doesn’t seem to be on Viki or Netflix yet. If it’s still with Olga, we usually wait until it moves to a legit platform.

The spreadsheet is capturing all the votes, I've just checked. Normally I would say a minimum of 3 votes to be included in the roundup but I'm pretty confident that with extra votes The Red Sleeve would still be in the top 5.

By the same token Backstreet Rookie with only 2 votes gets the pile o' poo award.

I really must get round to Devil Judge which is a surprise entry in the top 5

I need to watch Devil Judge too bettys, I can't believe I haven't watched it yet, its got the gorgeous Ji Sung in it 😍

We've almost finished our second viewing of Kingdom it's just as good, if not better on the second viewing. I really hope we get a third series! Has anyone read the webtoon it's based on?

By the same token Backstreet Rookie with only 2 votes gets the pile o' poo award.

Want me to add it to the shit list, or is that too harsh?

I was surprised by Devil Judge scoring so high. I was about half way through but lost interest. It was not a high scorer for me, though perhaps the plot gets more interesting further in and I bailed too soon. I also didn’t like any of the main characters. Even hot actors couldn’tvsave it for me. 🤷‍♀️ Horses for courses, huh?

It is an example of a show scoring highly because it hasn't been rated much. I'm depressed that we're going to end up "recommending" Squid Game like a bunch of noobs. And if you asked each of us to name our top 3 shows of the year you'd end up with a very different picture I reckon but Happiness and The Red Sleeve would still definitely feature and maybe the others too so it's all good 🤷

Can we set sakuradh loose on Squid Game to drop it down the rankings, or has he already scored highly? (Something went horribly wrong with the spreadsheet on my phone. I have to scroll sideways to see more than the first 2 columns at the mo so late additions are way off the chart.)

Can we set sakuradh loose on Squid Game to drop it down the rankings, or has he already scored highly?

He's already scored it boaty as a 9.

I also feel that it's a bit noobish to recommend Squid Game but at least we didn't rate it top. My top 3 of 2021 are The Red Sleeve, Happiness and My Name. Although I gave Squid Game a 9 too on reflection there just wasn't enough Gong Yoo......

I'm not ashamed of my love for Squid Game.

It’s a bind. If we don’t endorse global smash Squid Game we look like kdrama snobs and it was bloody good. Even genuine noobs wrote glowing reviews about the underlying humanity of the characters and the quality of the writing in the mainstream press. So it was a fit showcase of what kdrama has to offer.

While we're on the subject, great cast but this sound a little... familiar? www.soompi.com/article/1510535wpp/ryu-jun-yeol-iu-park-jung-min-and-more-confirmed-to-star-in-upcoming-webtoon-based-drama