MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #30): In which we return to Korea from our January Japanese adventures

[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 list is cumulative so includes 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)
The Red Sleeve (Viki)*

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)
Black (Netflix)*
Happiness* (Viki)
Hotel del Luna (Viki/Netflix)*
King: The Eternal Monarch (Netflix)
Kingdom (Netflix)*
Kingdom: Ashin of the North (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)
In House Marriage Honey (Viki, Japanese)
In Time With You (Viki - Japanese)
Instead of Tipsy Why Not Get Drunk (Viki, Chinese)
Lost Romance (Viki, Taiwanese)
Love O2O (Viki, Chinese)
Million Yen Women (Netflix, Japanese)
Morning Call (Netflix, Japanese)
My Little Happiness (Viki, Chinese)
Put Your Head on My Shoulder (Netflix, Chinese)
Rinko Wants To Try (Viki)
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 aka “the shit list” 💩

Melting Me Softly
The Birth of a Beauty
Well-Intentioned Love season 1 (S2 is fine & stands alone)

Posters’ Top Scoring 2021 Dramas
Courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by thread regulars. Marks out of 10.

1. The Red Sleeve - 10 (2 votes, more pending)
2. Happiness - 9 (6 votes)
3. Devil Judge - 8.75 (3 votes)
4. Squid Game - 8.63 (12 votes)
5. Navillera - 8.57 (7 votes)

2020’s top scoring dramas
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 sometimes resort to acronyms and/or abbreviations of show titles or favourite actors’ names. 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!

I'm gutted it's going to be on Apple TV! I hope I can find it elsewhere.

I think you're probably right about LMH age, he's definitely more late 30s than early

@Rowdythree

I'm gutted it's going to be on Apple TV! I hope I can find it elsewhere.

I think you're probably right about LMH age, he's definitely more late 30s than early

I'm sure you will get it in a cupboard round at Olga's 👍

Omg! I'm in the the house all alone today! Done the hovering and boring stuff... So settling down and enjoying a CLOY ReWatch... And my god! I love it! I am laughing out loud at all the lovely funny bits! It's just brilliant! Sigh!... 😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰

I’ve had a busy day of boring life admin. Just settling down for some kdrama now.

OMO I'm going to pub tonight!

I’m still recovering from going out last night. I have just slept through half of hour of kdrama. 😄

I've had a lovely lazy K drama filled day, I've only two episodes left of Just Between Lovers. DH is going out tonight, so I'll have the TV to myself, I'm not sure if I should finish off Between lovers or watch a film, or start something new altogether 🤔

Like you need to ask Bea…

I'm ready for the pub in my Squid Game tshirt. God, I'm such a basic bitch 😂

Mr Binn might get his first pint of the black stuff tonight...

Please make that happen FedUp. 🙏 I love Mr Binn’s travels and local excursions.

Awesome! Can't wait to see the photos! 😀

I had to sack off Noble My Love. There was nothing endearing about the ML’s endless efforts to hem in and control the FL’s choices, his obsessive jealously or his unrelenting negging and undermining of her. It’s like a Relationships board bingo card.

Well, I have finished Touch Your Heart. I was quite fun and I did enjoy it, but it is very, um, chaste. Are all kdramas like that? Still calling each other by their surnames even though they are dating and very lacklustre kisses.

Can anyone educate me as to the slippers that they always wear in the house? I understand it is bad manners to wear shoes in the house, so does each house have slippers for visitors to wear or does everyone have a pair with them at all times? Do they get washed after every visitor?

@Rowdythree

I've had a lovely lazy K drama filled day, I've only two episodes left of Just Between Lovers. DH is going out tonight, so I'll have the TV to myself, I'm not sure if I should finish off Between lovers or watch a film, or start something new altogether 🤔

Finish just between Lovers with lovely lovely eyes Junho! 😁🥰

I finished it 🥰❤️I didn't think it was going to have a happy ending, I might have cried a bit! Lovely Junho 😍

I still have time to watch something else! 🙌

What have you not watched?! 😂😂😂😂

Not the pub Briiick! Steady on there! I hope Mr Bin enjoyed his guinness.

Methven almost kdramas are very chaste indeed. The most you'll get are very long kissing scenes and abs. I hear korean films are very different though. Jdramas have all the sex!

I've had a busy day of flying kites and moving furniture. My visitors are still here so watching the Fleetwood Mac stuff on BBC2. Christine McVie used to play her harmonica for dolphins apparently. I did manage to watch an episode of Ghost Doctor earlier and it's hitting its stride now. I feel I need more romance though, which is slightly difficult when the ML is in a coma.

There's loads 😂😂 I might do a random selection

I'm just about to get started on this combination.... Pomegranate soju on its own wasn't nice 😬

I started watching Possessed on Netflix earlier. I’m a few episodes in. The FL is gorgeous. The ML is the failed director brother from My Mister in really hideous detective attire and awful hair and facial hair which makes him look the Beast alongside Beauty. I kind of admire their decision to choose a more ordinary ML. It suits the down at heel, misfit character he’s playing. It’s a serial killer procedural/ghosts, mediums and woo mash-up. The jury’s out on whether they’ve overcooked the woo, as it’s just bridged what could be a shark-jumping plot development. Or it might work. I’d say it’s about 50:50 at the mo. I will return with an update. Note for the squeamish: there are lots of gory murders, the killer is prolific.

Methven almost kdramas are very chaste indeed. The most you'll get are very long kissing scenes and abs. I hear korean films are very different though. Jdramas have all the sex!

This is so true. The Handmaiden was 😱 and weird-kinky* too but a fantastic twisty thriller.

• My MIL and FIL watched it because I told them I’d heard it was good and the Daily Mail reviewed it favourably. She texted me after to say it was awfully rude, soft porn really. 🤣

@MusiqueAutomatique Abs. I like abs. I will watch for abs.

Haha. ML is Possession is being covertly “handsomed”. He is looking less like a homeless guy in this episode.

Metheven it seems korean ML are contractually obliged to have abs and some sort of completely unnecessary shower scene. A stand out for me is My Love From The Star where the ML showers wearing a towel, like a nun wearing a linen shift to bathe in. Most odd.

Boaty we have the film Thirst to watch on DVD, which DH tells me is about korean vampires having copious amounts of sex. I'll probably watch that without my mother present. I hope your PIL enjoyed The Handmaiden

MusiqueAutomatique Oh I do like an unnecessary shower scene. My Love From The Star sounds very odd indeed.

I have just started watching Goblin, will there be an unnecessary shower scene in that? (Please say yes, please say yes)

Rowdy how's the IPA/pomegranate soju combo tasting?