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!

@polkettle

I just thought it ended up as a total male fantasy: Look at all these beautiful women who want to sleep with the nerd AND sacrifice themselves to his career success! I thought it was all going to go very meta but... Hangover is now at the allow in angsty "serious" CDrama stage. 3 episodes in to Because of Love

Yes the Murakami-esque meta-ness puttered out by the last three episodes unfortunately and it went down the usual J-drama trope at the end.

Yeayh new thread! Finished off Rinko San which I enjoyed - considering what to watch next whilst re-watching bits of once again and finishing off my secret hotel (an old one- mainly watching for Namgoong Min) started watching can't run away from love but I didn't really enjoy the first few episode- does it get better?

started watching can't run away from love but I didn't really enjoy the first few episode- does it get better?

I’ve stalled. It carries on in the same vein.

I thought the old thread was very quiet then it just occurred to me there might be a new one. I'm a bit of a dimwit.

We nearly finished Our Beloved Summer but due to an annoyingly strong cider I fell asleep 20 minutes before the end and have no recollection of things a while before it too.

Polkettle I know what you mean about Million Yen Women, the charisma that makes these women fall at his feet is not immediately obvious to me. The whole male fantasy thing is also really Murakami too. At least in the show we get to see the inner lives and motivations of the women, unlike in many Murakami novels. I am enjoying it nevertheless.

No kdrama for me tonight as we are off to an actual birthday party. I realised I had no idea what people wear to this sort of event any more...hopefully I will blend in and not look like a child who has been at the dressing up box.

And thanks for the new thread Boaty

I'm just back from a very stressful escape room activity for my dds birthday! Sheesh, I think I'll be opening the pomegranate soju tonight!

I'm so behind on all my dramas, but I did manage to sneak in half of episode 13 of The Red Sleeve today. I really want to finish it now.

I'm hoping we will start All of us are Dead tonight, we didn't get round to it last night. DD1 really wants to watch it with us. 🧟‍♀️ the bullying scenes sound grim though.

I’m on ep 6 of All of Us Are Dead it’s very good, if brutal. And unlike The Walking Dead it does that kdrama thing of sprinkling humour, pathos $ romance through so you are rooting for the characters. Except for that bastard bully - that’s a twist I wasn’t expecting 😡

@boatyardblues 3 Years!!!!??? 3 Years!!!! Wowser!!!!...

I'm in a bit of a kdrama rut at the moment... it always happens now and again... finished The Silent Sea with Dh and really enjoyed it in its claustrophobic Spacey Deliciousness...

am now struggling to find something that really grabs me..
started with Moonshine on Viki... which is promising and am half haerttedly watching Gentleman and Young Lady! (yes! it's awful and belongs to shit list but it is cheesy tropey over the top dallas/dynasty compelling!).... but nothing is grabbing me at the moment.. it will pass.... it always does!!!!!......

@bettys

I’m on ep 6 of All of Us Are Dead it’s very good, if brutal. And unlike The Walking Dead it does that kdrama thing of sprinkling humour, pathos $ romance through so you are rooting for the characters. Except for that bastard bully - that’s a twist I wasn’t expecting 😡

Bettys! This is on my next to watch list!!!!

3 Years!!!!??? 3 Years!!!! Wowser!!!!...

Yeah, the header now has our top 5s for 2019, 2020 and 2021. What can I say? We just like to discuss kdrama a lot. So much so we’ve already banked 29,000 posts about it. Some of them silly. A few of my Friday night soliloquys in amongst them. 🤣 Some with oppa pics for wider appraisal and appreciation. 😄

I’m still getting a WTF moment about every 10 mins with Birthcare Centre. The way the nursery nurses behave to the FL is so off. It seems such a weird set-up and not well geared to encouraging bonding.

👏
After a slow start bang into Because of Love now. It's that rare beast - the classy CDrama.

Boaty I've watched Birth Centre and it constantly reminded me of Stepford Wives. Its almost satire with a dash of absurdity.

I've had a whole day viewing. Finished Future Diary and now 7 eps down on Marriage Contract. Need to move my backside tomorrow as feeling like a 🦥

Episode 7 of All Of Us ARe DEad and I am shouting ‘OPEN THE BLOODY DOOR!!!!!!!’

I had to pause it is so tense

Let me know if you want Instagram Future Diary info Aesops
Pretty sure I was the only person whose running playlist went from Happiness theme to the Nolans this morning.

Because of Love is really proper good but once again plot hinging on inability to pay medical bills and baffled because surely the whole point of China's political system should include state funded healthcare. Also I ❤️ the NHS (although possibly British drama writers deprived of such a rich seam of emotional story lines by its existence feel differently)

Update on pomegranate soju - it's very sweet, and artificial tasting. It reminded me of an alcopop. I don't think I'll be buying it again, also my head hurts 😩

@Rowdythree

Update on pomegranate soju - it's very sweet, and artificial tasting. It reminded me of an alcopop. I don't think I'll be buying it again, also my head hurts 😩

Cause and effect. My sympathies. Hate hangers.

Ending Again on viki - 12eps, 15min each.
Contract marriage: It tells the story of a fraud marriage romance between two people who don't want to marry but decided to get married to be able to receive the Newlyweds loan to help them rent a house.

I've noticed that Soju on its own sans added flavours or mixed with beer is fine but mixed it's poisonous ☠️!

I'm living dangerously today trying to do ironing and watch Marriage Contract. How many dramas contain people either falling/jumping/stumbling or being pushed in front of vehicles. This one alone has had 3 instances. Jeez, if we get to SK I'm going to be a nervous wreck driving 🥺

Jin so there is Contract Marriage what you're referring to above. Then Marriage Contract which I'm in the middle of which has a slightly different plot.

@AesopsMables

Jin so there is Contract Marriage what you're referring to above. Then Marriage Contract which I'm in the middle of which has a slightly different plot.

Oh I was referring to general contract marriage not the drama. Ending Again is a contract marriage story. Use of : was a wrong choice.

Ooops, my fault for trying to multi task!

Thanks for flagging up Ending Again JinBhoot. It has been perfect Sunday afternoon viewing. I am cooking our dinner but will be getting back to it soon.

I'm trying back with Bewitched by my Sexy Boyfriend. It's difficult watching, started off a bit silly, has become a bit dark (not in a violent way, just in a sleazy way).

Taking one for the team. I'm watching it so you don't have to 💪