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!

Sounds good Fed Up.

I saw a beautiful photo of Park Seo Joon and Park Hyung Sik today and thought it could really be like 12 Days, but doubt we'd find photos with more than 2 or 3 oppas 😂

Yay FedUp! Confusingly sexy Oppa my favourite category.

Right, I’ve watched the first 2 episodes of Silent Sea with DH and can report it is good. Very suspenseful and creepy so far. Some of the middle aged male crew members are hard to tell apart in their helmets and/or caps, but I have the same problem with Peaky Blinders, Downton and war films when all the men are wearing the same clothing and have similar haircuts.

JinBhoot bah! I hope the shops weren't too awful.

Bettys that is a wonderful line. It makes me want to go back in time to when I was single so that I can use it :)

Briiick is it the skirt he wears to ride his motorbike in that you find attractive?! As previously alluded to, a bit of long hair on a man is a bit of alright so I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Park Hyung-sik has been posting christmassy photos on his instagram, a slightly awkward winking pic and another where the perspective makes him look like the tallest person in the universe. I think I'd got too used to seeing him in baggy clothes in Happiness.

Looking forward to Silent Sea later on tonight.

We’ve diverted to Ghosts on iPlayer for some family viewing. It’s very enjoyable. The Horrible Histories gang doing a haunted house sitcom. 🤣😂🤣

The Silent Sea was very tense but I think it is good. Lots of interesting tensions to unpick in future episodes.

Our alternative Christmas viewing was Elf, as chosen by the children and I wasn't complaining. Just slightly shocked at how old it is now. I've watched a few episodes of Ghosts but couldn't quite get into it.

Ghosts is right up our street, but their Yonderland also tickled our funnybones.

We've never watched Ghosts, I didn't realise it was the Horrible Histories lot. Our Christmas eve viewing was Bad Santa, which probably is not that festive, but has Santa, an elf and presents, and as DH said, what else do we need 😂

Watched Scrooged followed by A Christmassy Ted.

Will catch up on both Silent Sea and Our Beloved Summer after St Stephen's.

Building the alt-oppas list

Have a wonderful day my online besties 🙂

I wish you all a fun filled & relaxing Christmas. If you're lucky enough to be spending Christmas with the family & friends, enjoy every moment.

Those who are unwell, wishing you speedy recovery.

Happy holidays, everyone. 😊

Happy Christmas dear chingus! And whatever your day holds, hope there's some quiet KDrama shaped sanctuary time in it.
Seeing if I can get in an episode now in the dark before teenagers and in-laws wake up to set me up for the day

크리스마스 잘 보내세요

Hope you all have a lovely day.

친구들 해피 크리스마스 보내세요! 🎅

Chingus, have a lovely festive day, with some kdrama thrown in for sanity!

I feel like I hardly got any sleep, so I definitely need some quiet K drama time and maybe a nap 😴

Have a good day all

Merry Christmas all you lovely people (and our lurkers)! I hope you all have a good day.

I have only just woken up, which means I slept for 8 hours. Around six hours is more usual for me so my tank is well and truly full. 🙌🤶 I’m so happy our kids are now teens and the Santa madness has abated. A full days’ festivities on a stupidly early start was hard work.

I hope all of our poorly posters slept well and are on the road to recovery. 🤞

Merry Christmas chingu!! DH did well this year 😁

DH renewed my Viki annual subscription, for the 3rd or 4th year. I need to get up so I can unwrap my supplemental pressies.

Happy Christmas you lovely lot! Me and DS are waiting for DH to wake up so we can open the presents!!!
Might try and fit in an episode while we are waiting 😊

OK, DH did really well this year. The culture dictionary looks brilliant. It explains the different types of funeral, ancestral rites, all sorts of things that I wonder about when I’m watching kdrama. He doesn’t often watch with me but he enables my addiction beautifully. 😄

Well done to K drama enabling husbands 👏I love the look of your books Boaty, my DH got me the Korean Vegan cookbook which I'm very happy about!

Ooh those books look great boaty
DH has done well too! J-hope, BTS Uno and BTS socks!

Merry Christmas all!
Very happy with my kdrama chingu’s present 😉💜

Excellent snow globe 😍
DH has just had a positive lateral flow 😭
So now we aren't going to my parents. They are going to plate up our Xmas dinner and I'll go and do a contactless collection 😅
I knew it was a good idea to buy 3 litres of Bailey's when it was on offer

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

Excellent snow globe 😍 DH has just had a positive lateral flow 😭 So now we aren't going to my parents. They are going to plate up our Xmas dinner and I'll go and do a contactless collection 😅 I knew it was a good idea to buy 3 litres of Bailey's when it was on offer

Oh mate! ☹️

Oh TheGirl That’s pants, but I’m liking your plan B

Sadly RM and Jin have now tested positive