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!

@bettys yes I would definitely try Reset. I'm going to be very sad if no one else likes it though

You'll be ready for king of knitwear Wookie in Healer next Metheven

Oh blimey, polkettle at this rate I am never going to leave the house again. Seriously, how does anyone do anything else?

You are bad, bad people encouraging me like this.

Brambly - where is Reset hosted?

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone.
Also good to hear Possessed is worth sticking with. We started it recently but had a little break from it as it was getting a bit dark and we needed more comedy and I wasn't sure if it was worth getting back to. It will have to wait until we've finished The Silent Sea, though, which has me totally gripped. I love horror and I love sci-fi so it's right up my street even before you throw in Gong Yoo and Bae Doona.

Welcome @Prestel 🙂

Smonday blues kicking here …. Usually a good kdrama helps but these days nothing is grabbing my attention.

As we are talking about shower & fighing scenes then let me re-throw this from Legend of Fuyao There is a scene involving ML & FL fighting/teasing/flirting in water

Watch from 3:20 youtu.be/SV5Ag6hvtME

Background: ML & FL are not a couple yet. She needs his help (wouldn’t go in details incase you want to watch the series).
He only agrees to help if she steals his special necklace. In this scene she entered his room in disguise but he figured out. So in this scene she is trying to snatch the necklace & him trying to avoid that.

@boatyardblues that would help...it is on Viki

Good time stamping & direction Jin. With the underwater snogging I was pained thinking about the discomfort of getting water up your nose. Great fighting and deployment of the ML’s abs though. 👏

Hi Prestel, I de-lurked myself after a long time and I'm glad I did. Welcome!

Boaty I am watching the Winter Olympics too. Currently on Women's slopestyle snowboarding. It is epic. Controversial but think I like the Winter games better than the Summer version.

As for Soundtrack#1 I think I'll wait until it is all on Disney+ then just get a month sub. I like PHS so much I'd be very tempted to watch it even if it's rubbish, but your opinion would be very useful in judging whether it's worth it.

Ji Chang-wook takes on half a dozen men in a full-on brawl completely in the nip - pixellated for modesty, of course, but still! I thought I'd got to an age where I'd seen everything but apparently not

Sounds good, Prestel. Were all the starkers men pixillated, or just Ji Chang-Wook?

Controversial but think I like the Winter games better than the Summer version.

Not at all - I agree!

I can't see Soundtrack #1 on Disney+ when I search. Am I doing something wrong? Still no Snowdrop either... 🤔

Andante57 All safely pixellated, I'm afraid. It's just my overactive imagination that made it shocking! And the fact it was all rather unexpected. I'd fancied a break from love and romance (and shower scenes!) so was watching it thinking it was going to be a straightforward action/thriller thing with lots of running, fighting, bad guys and plot twists. So the room full of naked guys sort of came out of nowhere and left me a bit . Episode 4, quite near the beginning if I remember correctly, if you want to check it out. Some pretty impressive fighting moves from Ji Chang-Wook too if you can work out where to look

Oh just found article saying that Snowdrop is finally being released on 9th Feb... bit late off the blocks there, lads.

Prestel & boaty like I say, I did watch Possessed until the end but it is not a 🐝 friendly ending (ie happy) although there is hope.

I watched the K2 for Wookie after Healer. The shower scene is extremely enjoyable but the drama goes a bit downhill after that. JCW has far more chemistry with the villainess than the FL. Suspicious Partner much better and less chaste.

If anyone fancies an Olympic themed a drama featuring our favourite moley-nosed ML and the FL from PYHOMS and MLH:

Hello the Sharpshooter just landed on Viki. Will report on quality in due course.

[quote BramblyHedge]@boatyardblues that would help...it is on Viki[/quote]
Ah Brambly, it’s a cdrama. I’m on a cdrama moratorium of sorts as they’re such an enormous time sink and rarely deliver on the passion or depth front for me.

I quite enjoyed it bettys in a trashy, throwaway nonsense kind of way but I agree Healer is far superior and it would probably be quite a disappointment if watched straight after. I also liked Suspicious Partner. There was definitely a bit more chemistry between the leads than the norm.
As for Possessed, I'm not expecting much, it's definitely a bit patchy and also quite dark, but as long as it keeps along in the same vein and reaches some kind of ending, rather than completely fall off a cliff, I think I'd like to finish it. It's sort of hanging at the moment. Not bad enough to eject but not gripping enough to have me rushing back.

Thanks Prestel, I’ll have a look.

Gone into Start Up as something serviceable that could be downloaded for train ride home from weekend break. Like the WV of D subtle variant.
I also love a bit of Winter Olympics aka Hurtling Down Things In Different Ways Olympics.

Having generated so much interest I felt honor bound to refresh my memory and double check where to find said shower fight scene - Ep4 approx 25 mins in. And it's just as mental as I remember!

@boatyardblues fair enough...though it is only 15 x 45mins so more KDrama length and was different to any other cdrama I have seen.

In which case I may dip in Brambly🤣. It’s the 50 hours of sexless moppets building up courage to speak to one another and then maybe, just maybe, hold hand by hour 15 that I’m totally over. I lost Christmas week to To Fly with You which left me strangely unsatisfied even though it ticked all the boxes. In spite of that it prompted me to tune in for the Olympic speed skating which has totally delivered on the thrills and spills.

After watching To Fly with You I felt like I had insider expert knowledge of speed skating when watching it earlier 😆 I'm just watching the Ski jump now, it's amazing!

I'm going to give that shooting one a go pol

Musique I am thoroughly enjoying Lost in Translation but hate hate hate that bastard CEO!!!! I’m on ep 72 and just hoping the other boys find out what’s going on. And what’s with Jun’s skin? Are those tattoos or burns or a skin allergy?