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!

You’re on safe ground Rowdy. It’s good and has a Bea-friendly ending. Go with it. 👍

Thanks Boaty!

Just Between Lovers = Lovely Eyes Junho with Tousled Hair 🤩

Hmm need something nonsensical after all those zombies…maybe that jdrama pol has started or a BL…

The JDrama is a dip in thing really as each episode has its own sextory story. But the two I've watched have had charm as well as some eyebrow raising moments.

Sextory

I’ve started that 60 minutes jdrama. The dolls are really feckin’ creepy. 😱

As I say, eyebrow raising... I like that it has a little preamble at the beginning that says look we know this looks pretty freaking weird but it's perfectly normal in Japan honest guv.

The doll thing was the un-fun kind of sexy. If the stories are all geared around niche Japanese subcultures I’m not sure I need to see any more of this series. 🤷‍♀️

I'll just say it's a good thing that there's a strong radical feminism movement in Japan. They really have their work cut out for them...

The 60 minutes show isn't sounding too appealing.

I handed in the British version of this today but had to explain what was in the envelope. At least in kdramas it is obvious what is happening when the long envelope with vertical hangeul comes out

Are you moving on to another job Musique or have you had enough where you are?

Hwaiting 💪 Musique
Children's book called The Potato of The Mole featuring heavily in Because of Love and I have never wanted to read a book more.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I was also a snotty chaebol in a seaside village forced to enter into a contract marriage!

Hope you're moving onto brighter and better things Musique.

DH set his alarm as the song from Mr Queen this morning so it just screamed 'BONG HWAN A!' at us. An utterly terrifying start to the day.

I'm not sure I can watch 'All of us are Dead' from what you've all said about the bullying. Sounds grim. I only want fluffy these days...

We watched a bleak (but very good) Korean film at the weekend called Microhabitat on MUBI. Reminded me a little of Parasite in that it doesn't hold back on the social abs economic problems faced by people (especially the young) in South Korea. Weirdly started Because This is My First Life around the same time which has a similar theme and the best friend in it is the lead in aforementioned film. Really enjoying Because This is My First Life. Very sweet and a little heartbreaking.

Every time I want to write 'and' my phone writes 'abs' 😳

I love BTIMFL. I rewatch every year. The scene in the restaurant where the director, young 2nd director and writer try to patch things up with her and sweep everything under the carpet gets me every time, such powerful writing and performances. There are so many things I love about it.

Been a while, but managed to find you again.
I'm currently watching All of Us are Dead. It's a fun zombie series. Really enjoying it.
Recently watched The Guest, which was good, hometown cha cha cha, you raise me up and a few films just to get quick fixes.

Started watching Police University- has anyone finished it and is it worth it? It's not pulling me back.

I did Police University on balance I'd say no @jisungismylife if you're not enjoying it already. I thought it started strongly and then got bogged down in circuitous plot halfway through. I liked the campus life elements much more than the whodunnit. It ends happily and sweetly enough though.

There’s a new series set in a police training college called Rookies with a cute cast including Kang Daniel, Chae SooBin and Lee Shin Young.
However, It’s Disney and I don’t know when it will be available in UK - though I’ve seen a few clips including quite a racy one with the trainee cops all naked together in a shower.

@polkettle

I did Police University on balance I'd say no *@jisungismylife* if you're not enjoying it already. I thought it started strongly and then got bogged down in circuitous plot halfway through. I liked the campus life elements much more than the whodunnit. It ends happily and sweetly enough though.

Thank you, I'll leave it then.

@boatyardblues

I love BTIMFL. I rewatch every year. The scene in the restaurant where the director, young 2nd director and writer try to patch things up with her and sweep everything under the carpet gets me every time, such powerful writing and performances. There are so many things I love about it.

I also love and rewatch on an annual basis. Resets the Kdrama soul.

Started Dr Brain instead as have a free trial with Apple TV, it’s just a bit bonkers (cat? Really?)

Day #76. Still no Snowdrop on Disney+...

It has taken me 50+ minutes to watch the first 35 minutes of All of Us Are Dead ep 2. Zombies make me very tense, fast zombies more so. I have to keep pausing. 😄

I too loved BTIMFL, as you say Boaty the scene where her attacker and the other men she thought she could trust were just so spineless was very powerful.

I think I'm going to leave All Of Us Are Dead to DH, I can't cope with jump scares and the like.

My workplace has been pretty awful for a good few years but it has plumbed new depths lately. Four of us from a department of twelve will have left in the space of four months. I do have a lovely new job lined up with the same salary but a significantly better work life balance. Just got to keep my head down until Easter now.

I can think of at least four stories based on the title Potato of the Mole, I too wish I could read it!

Hooray for new and better horizons Musique
The cat did make me hoot Bettys - I mean the whole series is totally "oh really?" but plays it so straight faced that I found myself nodding along and going "yes, of course". Did you enjoy the truck of doom?