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!

Oh I am so enjoying On The Verge of Insanity , a top tip from AesopsMables . Pure class slice of life office politics & HR shenanigans

Im still working my way through Stranger and just love how the two main characters are both following their own line, and how they interact with each other.
Loved the awkward dinner scene with wife of the head prosecutor (?? Can't remember the exact job titles but he's dodgy and his wife is a scheming so and so) . The wife was making digs about ML liking pretty girls (when he's obviously not interested) and Bae Doona's character says "But I like pretty girls??" with a hard stare. Love it!

Oh I am so enjoying On The Verge of Insanity , a top tip from AesopsMables . Pure class slice of life office politics & HR shenanigans

Bettys So pleased you are enjoying it!

Looking forward to following you both into that one.
Pachinko trailer looks pretty lush.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

Im still working my way through Stranger and just love how the two main characters are both following their own line, and how they interact with each other. Loved the awkward dinner scene with wife of the head prosecutor (?? Can't remember the exact job titles but he's dodgy and his wife is a scheming so and so) . The wife was making digs about ML liking pretty girls (when he's obviously not interested) and Bae Doona's character says "But I like pretty girls??" with a hard stare. Love it!

I love that show.

[quote polkettle]Looking forward to following you both into that one.
Pachinko trailer looks pretty lush.

[/quote] SQUEEEEE!!!

Pachinko does indeed look sumptuous. DH had a free year’s subscription which has now rolled into monthly payments. He was muttering about cancelling but I will keep quiet in the hope he’s forgotten until Pachinko has finished. 😀

[quote Bea]@FedUpWithBriiiiick 😱😱😱😱😳😳😳😳 how do you know?? !!... Surreptitiously hiding all my merch!...

(there's a new lovely photobook out for pre order at the moment! I'm successfully ignoring it as I think UK / europe dates coming soon.. ish! - late last night Las Vegas stadium dates announced! To play 4 nights - which will undoubtedly be sold out! - down the road from where the Grammys are to be held the weekend before!.... What a flex! 😂😳😂😱😱😱💜💜💜💜💜💜🤯 😂😂😂😂😂😂[/quote]
I suspect UK/Europe dates too.
How does ticket allocation work? Do you have to be registered ARMY? Or member etc?
Apart from tickets do we have to purchase Army bombs? I am looking at approximate costs. DC wants to go so I want to know the expected damage 😉

@JinBhoot Army usually get pre-sale chance to buy tickets, although the latest shows in Las Vegas are only being sold to Army.
You don't have to have an Army bomb. But if I was able to get tickets I would really really want one 😂

Sterling PPL work from the Valentino brand ambassador in today's Thirty-nine.
Hoping that it becomes a bit cheerier as my initial staunch defence starting to look shaky. Bloody KDrama and their love of a terminal illness trope - makes you long for a nice swift White Truck of Doom

I'm glad I haven't started Thirty Nine it sounds a bit depressing!

The Pachinko trailer looks amazing, more like a film than a series. I need to finish the book before I watch it. I was wondering how they were going to deal with the passing of time in the story. Can't wait to watch it!

Snowdrop is starting to get a bit darker...

@polkettle

Sterling PPL work from the Valentino brand ambassador in today's Thirty-nine. Hoping that it becomes a bit cheerier as my initial staunch defence starting to look shaky. Bloody KDrama and their love of a terminal illness trope - makes you long for a nice swift White Truck of Doom

Well I have finished the delightful Suspicious Partner which I thoroughly enjoyed apart from the lacklustre proposal (and all of the kisses) at the end.

I started You Are My Destiny and found it a bit odd. Did anyone find that but continued watching it? Should I cut my losses or is it worth seeing?

Also started Strangers From Hell which is looking good. If my dentist looked like Lee Dong-Wook, I would make an appointment every week.

Metheven inspire of it being odd, and the wierdest baby name ever, I quite enjoyed You Are My Destiny. You have to give yourself up to the kdrama classic bonkers plot though.

I am overly invested in the war between Cordless Vacuum and Robot Vacuum departments in On The Verge of Insanity

bettys maybe I will give it another episode or two see if the bonkers plot will envelop me.

FedUp The thing is I'm still really enjoying it! I'm just less sure that I should be. Sister remains unequivocally great at least

Briiick I totally buy Kim Tae-ri as eighteen! I can imagine her being twenty-one at any rate, which isn't bad going as she's early thirties in reality. Maybe it's been too long since I saw a real life eighteen year old.

I am enjoying 25/21 so much. Each episode just gets better. I loved the fish scene so much, and the bit with the banana milk. Just dreamy.

I only just bought Pachinko so now I feel I have to panic read it! Argh!

Right, going in for what promises to be a depressing watch of Thirty-Nine.

I absolutely love Snowdrop, favourite show of the year so far 👌💯💯

Although I'm not liking Jung Hae In at the moment. Jang Seung Jo on the other hand, looks brilliant a bit roughed up 😍

Jeez, Thirty-Nine is the grey cloud squatting over my midweek. Pffffffffff. Great cast but February really calls for sunshine to get us through to spring. Those nightclub outfits were also so hideous. If it was PPL it was an epic fail.

Who watched Dr Brain on AppleTV? I know someone was watching. I watched the first episode earlier in the week. It was good, really good, but seriously weird in places. Does it continue in the same vein? I feel the need to chip away at it slowly.

I’m Team Jung Hae In in Snowdrop Rowdy, but I agree roughed up Jang Seung Jo had his own charm. He’s certainly more age appropriate for the bulk of the thread demographic. 😂

I've just watched ep5 and his character was a bit of a bastard, I've been on his side up until this one. I'm sure he'll win me back round 😄

Ah yes, it is a rollercoaster ride. I’d urge you to pay attention to some of their sartorial choices. Get used to seeing a lot of Jang Seung Jo’s brown coat. Hmmm, must be a bit chilly, right? But JHI? All that effort in the gym must have made him impervious to the cold! 😂

Me and Bettys have done Dr Brain Boaty. It's bonkers but very stylish and fast paced with a great cast obviously. I'd say it was for a quick binge rather than slow digestion because you definitely shouldn't think too hard about the plot.

@Rowdythree

I've just watched ep5 and his character was a bit of a bastard, I've been on his side up until this one. I'm sure he'll win me back round 😄

Thinking about it, if this scenario was presented on the MN Relationships board other posters would remind FL “when someone shows you who they are, believe them” and counselled her to harden her heart and make plans to leave. And that would have been that, 5-6 episodes tops.

STOP WITH THE TERMINAL ILLNESS STORYLINES ALREADY
www.soompi.com/article/1514687wpp/krystal-shares-thoughts-on-playing-a-timid-secretary-with-a-terminal-illness-in-upcoming-drama-with-kim-jae-wook