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!

Saw that one advertised a while ago Rowdy, looking forward to it. Same writer as My Mister

Hi Leonardo. I've just started watching Black as well. We were going to start Vincenzo but DH had a change of heart and wanted to watch something supernatural instead. It often comes up in best kdrama lists (as well as getting the mumsnet seal of approval 😉) so I have high hopes for it.

Prestel and Leonardo - a word of warning: Black is excellent BUT it was such a smash the network tagged on a couple of episodes at the end very late in the production. Those last two episodes made quite a few of us very cross, the last 15 mins in particular. If I recall, it’s tonally consistent up until the swimming pool scene, then the rush job starts to show through the cracks. In spite of this, those of us who’ve watched it still strongly recommend it and it remains in the list in the OP.

Is anyone still watching Thirty-nine? Is it still fecking miserable? 😁

I'm watching it and (controversial opinion) actually find myself more invested in it than FLAW. It IS miserable and ridiculous and ludicrously PPL heavy but its also funny and swoony. A hot mess of a show which is ALL about SYJ and her ability to do melo. The character she plays is self-obsessed and needy and yet... I find it very watchable! I think it's saved by the poppet turn of Mr Peony whose devotion is very awwwww. And some other quality performances too. I can't exactly recommend it but 🤷

Arghh Boaty Spoilers!!!!

Not one of those fumbled failed attempts to set up a second series, is it? Ah well, I've started now. Can't be as bad as the ending of Vagabond (surely?).

This is why no one should be allowed to slate Hellbound unless they've seen it all the way through - the ending was unexpected and absolutely brilliant. Very un-kdrama, in fact, with both a satisfying conclusion and loads of scope for a second series. I know it wasn't to everyone's taste but I like horror and it was intriguing and very thought-provoking.

Oooooh that drama My Liberation Notes looks good! Same writer as My Mister 👍🏻 , Lee Min Ki 👍🏻, Lee El 👍🏻 AND Son Keok Koo 👍🏻👍🏻 who's been on my sneaky Oppa list since Sense8 & Melo

Who is Mr Peony in Thirty-Nine ? Is it Yeon Woo Jin? It's about time he got a decent role. Considering watching it as a slow burn every now and then watch once it's done.

I have given up totally on FLAW.
It's really tedious and the weather emergencies?? Just rubbish. I did well to get to ep3. Will probs watch Thirty Nine when it has all dropped, with no great expectations.

Prestel - It’s OK. I haven’t spoiled at all. It all wraps up satisfactorily. It’s more a quality, consistency and tone issue. It would have been better if they hadn’t dragged the ending out for ratings & kept it lean and mean.

And no second season nonsense. It is conclusive. Fear not.

Prestel Can't be as bad as the ending of Vagabond (surely?).
Gah that was so ANNOYING!!!🤬

Burt my award for worst ending ever goes to Black Knight (never forgive, never forget) as that was really rather good until the last episode.

boaty didn't spoiler anything, just avoid the last 15 minutes, the rest of the show is cracking and Song Seung Heon (forever now known as Him Off Black on this thread) is rather delicious.

Ah, so more Boys Over Flowers, could have cut a couple of nonsense penultimate episodes with no loss kind of thing then. That I can live with.

Phew!

Mr Peony is indeed Yeon Woo-Jin and he is playing a cutie.

To those chingus on here learning Korean - how is it going?
I’ve just had a lesson - songsaengnim is so patient and adorable but I have to say I’m finding it hard.
The pronunciation is particularly difficult - ㄱ ㄲ ㅋ and ㅂ ㅃ ㅍ for example. I fail every listening test.
I suppose it’s just practice and more practice.

@AesopsMables

^Aesops you’ve got a treat in store. I am going to London tonight and I suggested to dh that we watch the latest episode in synch - eg, me on my iPad and him at home on tv, and texting whenever we’ve got something important to say about it. Dh says no let’s wait until tomorrow to watch it together when you’re home. Oh dear, I’ve always found deferred gratification difficult and this evening will be a test of my (non existent) Will power.^

Lol, you're lucky your DH shared your enthusiasm 😀

My DH is several episodes behind me on Business Proposal and I love it so much that I happily rewatched an episode with him last night that I only watched on the weekend! Did you manage to hold out? I think you need to do much more interfering in your daughter's life, have you filled out the SK job application forms yet?!

Pol I am quite enjoying Thirty Nine too, I admit that I don't look forward to it but there's enough going on to keep me interested (ok, the restaurant owner). The consequences of adoption storylines are well done too.

The latest episodes of FLAW remind me of Casualty - that impending sense of doom!

Hello chingu 👋

Welcome @LeonardoAcropolis 🙂

I am watching 100 days my prince it’s good watch but nothing can beat Crowned Clown & Mr Queen in sageuk category.

Did you manage to hold out

Yes! I was sorely tempted though.
However it’s nice having something to look forward to.

Is there a Jdrama about this www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-do-nothing-rent-a-man-shoji-morimoto/

Last year Japan with Sue Perkins touched the subject where guy rented a wife to visit his mum in a old home.

Just looked up the ages of the actresses playing the Thirty-nine 'rs mothers: 60, 53 and... 49 🙄

Ooh that new Lee Min-ki drama looks like it will put us through the emotional wringer! 😭 Should be good though.

Son Seok-koo is a top Pub Oppa.

He looks like he would be absolutely filthy. Total throwdown merchant.

I found last night’s Business Proposal a bit frenetic but can’t decide if that’s because I was overdone myself. I am considering watching again to reappraise. 😉

Oh it definitely merits a re-watch boatyardblues, I thought it was lovely.

@Andante57

To those chingus on here learning Korean - how is it going? I’ve just had a lesson - songsaengnim is so patient and adorable but I have to say I’m finding it hard. The pronunciation is particularly difficult - ㄱ ㄲ ㅋ and ㅂ ㅃ ㅍ for example. I fail every listening test. I suppose it’s just practice and more practice.

I've had a bit of a break from my lessons Andante I just haven't had the time or energy lately. I'm still understanding a lot, so I must have retained something, I'm hoping to start again soon though. I think practice is the only thing really that helps though. I miss my group lessons where there are people to learn alongside and practice with.

DH and I have started D.P, only 2 episodes in, so I know it's going to get tough to watch, it's already quite difficult to watch in parts, but alongside a bit of humour too. I really feel for the young men who just get chewed up once they enter the military. I'm so glad I don't have to send my ds 😢

Man, the downbeat nature of Choi Ban Seok’s 3 month banishment to the local MD’s office in On the Verge is almost too much to bear. He looks utterly crushed. 🙁