MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #31): After a kdrama dry January, a bounteous February glut saw the carousing begin!

[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, AppleTV and Disney+. 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)

The Addicts’ Top Scoring 2021 Dramas
Courtesy of Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by thread regulars. Marks out of 10.

So, current rankings @ 21.15ish today:

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!

I’m laughing my head off at the fallout from the Staff Council dinner post-exams in On the Verge.... It has made me nostalgic for those messy drunk office parties I remember from the 90s. Things are much more careful these days.

Early morning insomniac listen to the third, KPop episode of the 'Hello Hallyu' podcast and again, so interesting (especially for a mere dabbler like me). What particularly intrigued me was discussion about how KPop songs shift and combine musical genres within a song unexpectedly (which I suppose I'd noticed but not thought about) Just like the dramas then.

Pol - that shift between genres was described in the kpop (?) Explainer episode on Netflix.

I started reading Business Proposal on tapas. Let’s just say she was a lot more sexually explicit on the first blind date. 😱

It was ExplaineD and it’s in season 1. Worth a watch - only 20 mins.

Haven't come across that - will look up thanks.
And welcome to Tapas Addicts Anonymous Bettys and me will see you at the church hall for circle time and support on topics like "Whaddya mean a two day timer?" and "One Tap Ink - is it worth it?". The password is SHALALA

@polkettle

Haven't come across that - will look up thanks. And welcome to Tapas Addicts Anonymous Bettys and me will see you at the church hall for circle time and support on topics like "Whaddya mean a two day timer?" and "One Tap Ink - is it worth it?". The password is SHALALA

👍

@polkettle

Haven't come across that - will look up thanks. And welcome to Tapas Addicts Anonymous Bettys and me will see you at the church hall for circle time and support on topics like "Whaddya mean a two day timer?" and "One Tap Ink - is it worth it?". The password is SHALALA

😂 😂

Dare I say......as much as I like Ahn Hyo Seop (and I do) he isn't quite as handsome as Kang Tae Moo .....perhaps we should add "Toons and the real world - how not to get confused" as a circle time topic

And back in the real world.....an interesting article on the anti-feminist stance & politics in the current election

@bettys

And back in the real world.....an interesting article on the anti-feminist stance & politics in the current election

I despair. 😔

Interesting and depressing... can't see how there can be progress without reform/equality in military service. Shove a lot of twenty year old men together and bond them by bullying for 18 months and this is the result.
Re. Kang Tae Moo , the fact that I used to worry about my sons getting unrealistic notions about women's bodies from Manga is in NO WAY a double standard...😁
This MN thread would make a perfect KDrama plot starter
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4499744-To-have-done-the-most-embarrassing-thing-ever

Definitely depressing, no wonder marriage and birth rates have plummeted

@bettys

And back in the real world.....an interesting article on the anti-feminist stance & politics in the current election

I could understand their frustration if men and women were on the same starting blocks to begin with. What a time to be a woman 🙄 I definitely can't see things changing any time soon, and you can't even say you're a feminist without fear of retribution. It's very depressing that this attitude is coming from young men, not the older generation 😔

I’m away from superfast broadband at the mo so will read the article later.

I have now hit the free content wall on Tapas and have reached a crossroads. If I download the app, how much am I looking to pony up to keep reading? What’s your typical monthly spend, Tapas addicts?

[quote polkettle]Interesting and depressing... can't see how there can be progress without reform/equality in military service. Shove a lot of twenty year old men together and bond them by bullying for 18 months and this is the result.
Re. Kang Tae Moo , the fact that I used to worry about my sons getting unrealistic notions about women's bodies from Manga is in NO WAY a double standard...😁
This MN thread would make a perfect KDrama plot starter
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4499744-To-have-done-the-most-embarrassing-thing-ever[/quote]
I saw screenshot on Twitter & was looking for thread … 😂😂😂😂

You don't have to actually spend any money to read (most) things slowly Boaty. Plenty of series unlock an episode every day or two days up until a certain point in the series and you can also "earn" free ink to unlock more. It's only when you get hooked on - just for example- Positively Yours and know that it's complete so you could read the whole thing in exchange for hard cash that you find yourself in dangerous territory...

Omo! Finally watched the FLAW crocodile toes and starts typing an involved story about a run in to do with tapir toes and odd toed ungulates generally but then thinks better of it Anyway...let's just say it definitely struck a chord.

@bettys

And back in the real world.....an interesting article on the anti-feminist stance & politics in the current election

Blimey, what a thoroughly depressing read.

@polkettle

Omo! Finally watched the FLAW crocodile toes and starts typing an involved story about a run in to do with tapir toes and odd toed ungulates generally but then thinks better of it Anyway...let's just say it definitely struck a chord.

The horror of finding a mistake in your lovely new book

Is there no Thirty-Nine tonight?

I'm settling down to watch ep 8 of 25/21 with a sherry.

Episode 7 was a bit downbeat but I loved the moment when the ahjussi was consoling her in the restaurant. So sweet.

Now we just have to find out who the mystery girl is on the tape.

We are very behind on Thirty-Nine but I think so.

On hiatus this week due to Presidential election

The Conservative candidate Yoon Suk Yeol has won the election, not great for the women or feminists of South Korea 😬

The result may suck but this thread of election coverage graphics is glorious.
twitter.com/TheAPJournalist/status/1501588975856676864?t=LRbmvazkrHmHcr0CUD-S6Q&s=19

[quote polkettle]The result may suck but this thread of election coverage graphics is glorious.
twitter.com/TheAPJournalist/status/1501588975856676864?t=LRbmvazkrHmHcr0CUD-S6Q&s=19[/quote]
Hahaha
They have PTD in one of the clips