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!

Yep, more sunshine please. Kdrama is supposed to be my happy place.

Agreed! Can we start a petition? I don't normally watch those dramas, but Doom at your Service slipped through the net as I didn't realise it was going to feature. I still enjoyed it, but it was upsetting. I'm not going to watch Thirty-nine for that reason 😕

I agree!! If I wanted sadness I'd watch the news ☹️

Started Ghost Doctor and both disconcerted and comforted to find myself in a refashioned Yulje. I keep going "but that's the obstetric waiting area corridor not the way to surgery!" etc

Something very odd has happened to Sung Dong-il's face in this. I think Rowdy's alternative Oppa may have overdone the eye filler

@polkettle

Something very odd has happened to Sung Dong-il's face in this. I think Rowdy's alternative Oppa may have overdone the eye filler

Just looking a photos Pol, and there seems to be something going on with the lower lip/chin also.

It's endemic. The amount of filler used by actresses on 25/21 is enough to sort the potholes on my street 😱

@polkettle

Started Ghost Doctor and both disconcerted and comforted to find myself in a refashioned Yulje. I keep going "but that's the obstetric waiting area corridor not the way to surgery!" etc

Hah, yes! I kept expecting them to bump into Dr Chu and Dr Ahn and the gang any minute. Like a gone wrong deja vu.

I didn't see anything particularly different about Sung Dong-il's face but I shall pay closer attention in the next episode. I found ep1 a bit hard going but it improved a lot in ep2.

Thirty Nine ep 3 was not a ray of sunshine by any means. I can usually cope with the abrupt changes of pace in K-drama, but ricocheting between a person unaware of their own terminal illness and hilarious subplots about food recycling cards really didn't feel right.

So delighted that it's even the same on call room Musique 🥰 It's like revisiting your childhood home after the new family living there have redecorated and knocked a room through.
Enjoyed first two episodes a lot but no question that Sung Dong-il has redecorated too 😁

It's endemic. The amount of filler used by actresses on 25/21 is enough to sort the potholes on my street 😱

The fencing coach has definitely overdone the fillers.

We cracked open the dried shredded squid with evening drinks. Of 6 of us, 3 were a definite no (It’s not meant to be chewy! It’s sweet AND fishy, ugh…) I think it’s quite nice. Another is on the fence. The final person loves it and would cheerfully clear the bowl (and probably will). Pros: it doesn’t smell bad, the flavour isn’t overpowering and it’s not too chewy. Cons: the sweetness is a bit strange.

OK, thirty minutes later in a warm, humid room and the dried squid is reanimating - it’s way smellier already. Superfan and I are now expressing doubts. The no-sayers are joking about it coming back to life and haunting us. 🤣

@polkettle

Something very odd has happened to Sung Dong-il's face in this. I think Rowdy's alternative Oppa may have overdone the eye filler

Oh no! I will be so disappointed if he has succumbed to the pressure to try and look youthful. His worn leathery looking face was part of his appeal 😂 where can I see pictures of this? 🧐

Episode 2 GD about 26 mins in. Have a look and give your diagnoses.

I think he looks really handsome here I'll need to watch Ghost Doctor to see it I think

Boaty your not selling the Squid to me 😬😆

@polkettle

Episode 2 GD about 26 mins in. Have a look and give your diagnoses.

Thanks for the time stamp Pol! Yes I agree, his eyes look very wide! And the upper part of his face is looking very smooth and seems to not move very much when he's talking

Boaty your not selling the Squid to me 😬😆

you're - curses to the lack of editing option😒

I’m doing it as a public service to you all, honest.

On the up side we found peanut mochi balls in a different store today. I will report back. They also had taro flavour and durian mochi 😱😱😱. We did not buy them. One public service tasting per day is enough.

Simi Liu’s insta post today is 👌

@boatyardblues

Simi Liu’s insta post today is 👌

Link chum?

Ta da!
www.instagram.com/p/CaYbyzXrynn/?utm_medium=copy_link

[quote boatyardblues]Ta da!
www.instagram.com/p/CaYbyzXrynn/?utm_medium=copy_link[/quote]
I thank you.

He's got that six pack dad bod I love ❤️

I'm actually watching kdrama in my own sitting room today instead of watching a computer monitor from a sofa bed in my study. I also have alcohol and the best chocolate ice-cream from a shop that I have ever tasted. And DH has gone out. And I have Goblin on the TV and it's all gone a bit spaghetti western.

I'm FREEEEE!

Oh Musique !!! Living the dream 😍

@MusiqueAutomatique

I'm actually watching kdrama in my own sitting room today instead of watching a computer monitor from a sofa bed in my study. I also have alcohol and the best chocolate ice-cream from a shop that I have ever tasted. And DH has gone out. And I have Goblin on the TV and it's all gone a bit spaghetti western.

I'm FREEEEE!

That is the dream

Screengrab from Insta reels but the Song Kang forehead reveal on FLAW was 🔥🔥🔥

It has been dreamy alright, apart from the dog wanting to be let in and out of the sitting room. Also this 90 min episode of Goblin is 50% composed of flashbacks but that just means I don't really have to concentrate too hard which is good.

The squid sounds interesting Boaty. Now that some time has passed would you repurchase?

Simi Liu's back looks like a mountain range.

Boaty I agree that the fencing coach has had masses of work done, she's been in a few things I've seen (My Shy Boss and some others) and I've found her face to be immensely distracting each time. It's a shame because she is an excellent actor.

I will watch ep 4 of Ghost Doctor tomorrow with my beady eyes on the alert for fillers on my beloved Dong-il.

Briiick he looks good with his hair up!