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!

Halfway through episode 6 of Business Proposal, bless him, he really doesn't have a clue.

@Metheven

Halfway through episode 6 of Business Proposal, bless him, he really doesn't have a clue.

Yep. Thank God for the 2ML/2FL doing most of the heavy lifting this week. 👏

Hi leeloo! 👋 Good to see you. 😀

Hi boaty; good to see you too. ☺️

Oops, I posted too soon. What’s FLAW that people are watching?? I need something new to watch while crying over my lack of 25/21 til next weekend… I’m finding it hard to get to get into anything at the moment. Although I did watch The Miracle, which was ok although bizarrely had 12 minute episodes, so I felt I spent more time fast forwarding through the credits and pressing ’next episode’ than watching.

I would like something gripping, but easy watching. Hopefully a beautiful oppa too please?

I was reading an online article about the rise of women going on holiday to Seoul to look for a husband/boyfriend after watching k-dramas! 🙈

FLAW = Forecasting Love and Weather, Netflix, airing weekly Sat & Sun currently.

25/21 - there are so many tweets with possible theories
I am sure hashtag 25/21 theory is trending in Korea.

I will start once ep14 is on air.
I need to know if it will have a Bea friendly ending.
I have seen numerous clips on insta & they are so cute. Loved the cooking scenes from recent episodes.

There were some very handsome assassin types in ancient Korea, weren't there? The one in 100 Days My Prince is breathtakingly beautiful and the one in Love In The Moonlight is too, with the ability to jump like a squirrel.

It’s the hair Metheven…..I am a complete sucker for an assassin with untidy long hair and black robes 😍

👋👋good to see you leeloo!

Oh yes bettys the hair and the black robes, sigh.

I've started Coffee Prince whilst waiting for the weekend and 25/21. Wowee, 2000s kdrama is a bit different! Anyone got any ideas why it's more conservative now?

I do love a slow burn romance though!

sakura06 I just love Coffee Prince it was one of the first kdramas I watched. Slow burn romances are my favourite.

@sakura06 me too! Where are you up to? I'm on ep 5 and loving it, it's so kind of old looking and slapstick but the characters have a lot of heart. I don't understand why it looks so dated, it's so strange how different it feels. Budgets I guess. And yes, so much more daring than more recent ones.

I've only watched 2 episodes Larry. Enjoying it so far though! Glad it's good Metheven. In style, it's similar to You're Beautiful (2009) which I loved. Emo and cross-dressing must have been a theme/trope in the late 00s! FL even has a little of a look of Park Shin Hye about her.

The sly doppelgänger has made an appearance in the contract marriage jdrama. Boo hiss! I am also noting the careful positioning of cookbooks, folders, odd angles etc to hide the FL’s IRL bump. They’re not wildly inventive but they’re doing OK. 🤣

😁

Love it FedUp:😍

It’s the hair Metheven…..I am a complete sucker for an assassin with untidy long hair and black robes 😍 same @bettys, it's the best look, much nicer than the fancy royal robes and hats 😍

Up early to get an episode of Snowdrop in before the day starts, I'm on episode 14, only 2 to go! I can't wait to see how it ends 😬😬 I wish I could stay home and binge the final episodes, I seem to only be able to watch in 20 minute slots at the moment

Metheven if you haven't yet watched Hwarang then I think you should - there are long haired warriors aplenty. Almost every character in fact.

Oh Hwarang is fab in a mad 90s pop video / sageuk way with a plethora of long haired sword fighting dancing oppas 🥰

Thank you MusiqueAutomatique I shall look into it.

Long haired sword fighting dancing oppas bettys? Gulp.

The V/Jin song from Hwarang is ridiculously catchy, I'm going to have it stuck in my head for the rest of the day now ( "It's definitely you" I think it's called). I've also had the "heartbeat" song from Bong Soon stuck in my head lately, might be time for a rewatch....

And we finally have a (lacklustre because they all are) kiss in Love In The Moonlight - I am happy and can now actually get off my behind and do some housework. Well, in a minute, anyway.

I am fully caught up on 25/21 and totally into it! I just hate having to wait for new episodes to drop as prefer to binge watch.
Not sure what to start now? Is FLAW worth a revisit or SNOWDROP?? Decisions!

I still haven’t quite got into 25/21 yet, only seen the first 4 eps so like Jin I will prob wait until 14 is on air before I catch up.

Chucking it down here so I may just go home and watch Hwarang now that it’s come to mind

@AesopsMables

I am fully caught up on 25/21 and totally into it! I just hate having to wait for new episodes to drop as prefer to binge watch. Not sure what to start now? Is FLAW worth a revisit or SNOWDROP?? Decisions!

Snowdrop! It’s all up & gripping once you get past the first couple of episodes.