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!

Despite buying a lot of proper literary translated stuff yesterday I ended up reading non-Korean The Love Hypothesis in one sitting in a thoroughly satisfying afternoon/evening and it is totally KDrama (tsundere hero + dating contract, well written, funny) in book form except with additional 18+ chapter 2/3 through... Looking forward to catching up on 25/21 and FLAW today.

Rowdy I gave myself a sleepless night by eating tiramisu once...I think decaff espresso martinis should be available! Hope you slept anyway.

Fingers crossed for you Boaty, when DS had it in December no one else caught it and we didn't isolate from him, so I think you've probably escaped!

Pol that book sounds ripe for a kdrama adaptation! Know any Korean producers?! I'm reading a biography of Wilkie Collins by Dorothy L. Sayers. Even 170 years later I think his personal life would be too outre for a kdrama adaptation.

I'm going to watch 25/21 now and then do a lateral flow test to see if I have to work on Tuesday or not. Touches wood I think I am feeling a bit better than yesterday.

This made me smile: www.instagram.com/tv/CaFFHyvgIXj/?utm_medium=copy_link

I had to run to our big Tesco yesterday evening and let fly a heartfelt “aigoo!” as I hauled myself out of the car to schlep across the car park to the store. Some Korean words and exclamations are really handy. 😄

Did anyone else think that the meeting scene in FLAW was really misogynistic? The way forecaster Um refused to start the meeting, and then all the male staff sat and watched whilst Ha Kyung struggled, and the other 2 female staff tried to help her out 😠 what a bunch of bastards

@Rowdythree

Did anyone else think that the meeting scene in FLAW was really misogynistic? The way forecaster Um refused to start the meeting, and then all the male staff sat and watched whilst Ha Kyung struggled, and the other 2 female staff tried to help her out 😠 what a bunch of bastards

Yeah, a real dick move by all the men present. It reminded me of reading about women Met police officers saying if they complained about sexual harrassment they knew no one would come to their aid in an emergency or have their back. It’s the same kind of closing ranks. The men disapprove of Director Cha’s promotion (and so young) so aren’t being collegiate. Arseholes! I really feel for her. She clearly has mastery of her subject area and the data, so I hope embracing a more risky relationship helps her become less risk averse and more confident in her work decisions.

I think we’re supposed to feel sympathy for senior forecaster Um’s domestic situation but I don’t. He’s totally tone deaf and making no effort to engage at home. It’s also clear he thinks PMY’s job was his for the taking. Entitled arse.

I don't either, I think he's a dick at home and at work!

Surely there’ll be a cohabitation storyline coming up for PMY & Song Kang?

@bettys

Surely there’ll be a cohabitation storyline coming up for PMY & Song Kang?

Weeeeeelllll, the sale of her apartment has just fallen through and she does need to buy out her ex so…

Forecaster Um was living away for 14 years? 😱

@boatyardblues

Forecaster Um was living away for 14 years? 😱

I don't know why they didn't call it quits! I don't think he's ever even met his daughter before 😆

I've just taken the dc swimming, and it was absolutely freezing 🥶 I'm now back by the fire and on episode 2 of Snowdrop, it is very 빤작 빤작 and it has a Disney feel to it. In episode 1 when the girls were running around the dorm, the soundtrack sounded like they were at Hogworts ✨ Anyway, I am really enjoying it, the 80s fashion and the scenery are👌

That Disney sparkle does gradually dull as events unfold Rowdy. In hindsight I think it might have been deliberate (though totally overcooked) to contrast with what follows, but I found it quite jarring. My abiding reaction was “chill the fuck out everyone”. It was like kids hopped up on Haribos acting out, until it wasn’t. Overall I recommend watching Snowdrop as the narrative arc is great, but it was uneven in places.

FLAW ep 4, they've got as much chance of keeping that relationship quiet as I have of going out with Song Kang 😆

Today's book (bloke has nicked the telly for once 🙄) is If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha about four different young women in Seoul and it is brilliant although pretty devastating on the reality of hostess bars and plastic surgery and Parasite-like class divisions. KDrama reset button but very readable.

Forecaster Um's domestic situation reminds me of the soldiers who came back home from WWII to find their wives and children had become used to their absence. He's definitely being insensitive to his wife and daughter here.

The meeting was uncomfortable too, Um was undermining her and making her look bad. I'm glad her other subordinates (including the two men) were on her side though. I'm not sure I would have left my dinner and beer just to avoid a bit of gossip, but maybe that says too much about my love of food.

Thanks for keeping us updated with books Pol, I keep adding them all to a list. I'm still reading Pachinko, but should finish it soon.

I'm so glad I have new dramas to watch and books to read. I feel like I'm slowly getting my K mojo back 🤩

I also watched episodes 1 and 2 of 25/21 and it is so good. The best balance between comedy and sadness I've seen since Hospital Playlist^. The three high school girls are such distinctive characters that I want to know more about them and am actively looking forward to the next episode, which I haven't felt in a while. It's a pleasure to see Nam Joo-hyuk do his thing again too. I was shocked when I found out Kim Tae-ri's real age!

Forecaster Um's domestic situation reminds me of the soldiers who came back home from WWII to find their wives and children had become used to their absence. He's definitely being insensitive to his wife and daughter here.

That's a good point Musique, 14 years seems a bit extreme though! That's my entire marriage to DH! I think I'd definitely have moved on from him if I only saw him every now and then 😬

I've just watched ep 4 of 25/21 and I'm enjoying it so much. I loved the bit when they all met up in the alleyway and they realise they all know each other. And the fencing scene at the end. Nam Joo-hyuk is a total dreamboat in this 😍

I’m getting a bit of a rebound affair vibe from FLAW At the moment. There are 12 more episodes to go, that’s a lot of ducking & diving behind desks, there has to be more of a twist somewhere. I’m enjoying it but please please don’t do a noble idiocy or 3 years in Geneva to put space between us storyline. I just want more of PMY trouncing slovenly journalist & kicking cheating ex fiancé in the shins

Enjoyed Miss Granny and 39 yesterday. Also managed to finish on the verge of insanity which I highly recommend. Don't let the subject matter put you off (AI and electronic software) it's a good all rounder with a super ending.
I had a 2 hr nap this afternoon so still wide awake. Will catch up on my k blogger favourites.
Pol - I'm going to try that book you recommend in your last post.

I have given up on Why Women Love. Young ML is annoying & his behaviour of perusing FL is NOT romantic at all. Specially for 30yr old professional women.
Chinese dramas don’t know how to move story … so many bells & whistles are attached but it’s a drag ALWAYS.

Let me know what you think Aesops We can start a book group 😉 I might bung them on the spreadsheet somewhere to keep track.
Also really enjoying 25/21 All the new screeners scratching different itches very satisfactorily so far.

Jin I wonder if you might enjoy either Surgeons or Because of Love - differently pitched CDramas.

Loving the smoooth moooves of "Class 7's Pretty Boy" in 25/21 😁