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!

The Girl and Bea thanks for the repeat viewing info...I think I'll hold off until Vegas, I won't be able to fit it all in as much as I would like to.

The Girl I hope the gin has eased the difficulties of the day - well done for surviving! I have to supervise ten nine year olds at laser quest soon, I'm kind of tempted to take a hip flask.

Metheven 100 days my Prince is wonderful. Kim Seon-ho's turn in it is very enjoyable.

Pirates has the wonderful Han Hyo-joo in it too. She was so good in Happiness and looks frankly fantastic with lovely curly hair. I definitely have hair envy.

Rowdy Hotel Del Luna is wonderful, a real Hong sisters televisual treat. IU's outfits alone are worth the watch, the supporting cast are brilliant too. The only fly in the ointment for me was that I don't personally find the ML, Yeo Jin-goo that attractive so I just looked at IU's frocks instead.

Jinbhoot No, it doesn't have FL dressed as a male in this one, although if you have any recommendations?

The one that got me was Nokdu where he was dressed as a woman with a damn big Adam's apple that no one seemed to notice. Although, he did look quite pretty.

Good job TheGirl. Childrens' parties are no joke.

Interestingly, despite Korea being a peninsula, there's not many sea based dramas. I welcome our pirate overlords.

Mmm feeling much more relaxed after a couple of gins ☺️ thanks for the support every one 💜
I went with the pirates! I'm in love with Hang Hyo-joo. She rocks her pirate get up just as much as her trackie bottoms in Happiness . Her windswept pirate curly hair is what I imagine my hair could look like but it never works out like that! 😅
There was 0.5 second of a cgi tiger but a lot of cgi penguins, which I wasn't expecting

We definitely need a CGI tiger award at this year’s Daebak Awards. They’re EVERYWHERE!

Of course! This year’s lunar new year heralded the beginning of the year of the tiger!

On the Verge of Insanity has promise. It took a while to get into ep 1 but it drew me in eventually. I need to rewatch ep 2 as I fell asleep and kept waking up, rewinding, nodding off again…

Just finished ep7 of On the Verge of Insanity. I must sleep as tomorrow I am working. This was the first episode where I didn’t had urge to smack ML (R&D team leader) he is such an a**.

@Metheven

Jinbhoot No, it doesn't have FL dressed as a male in this one, although if you have any recommendations?

The one that got me was Nokdu where he was dressed as a woman with a damn big Adam's apple that no one seemed to notice. Although, he did look quite pretty.

Phewww … I will watch 100 days now. I agree about Nokadu.

Mr Queen was the only play where everyone recognised Queen in male disguise. I loved it.

Just hooting at my breakfast dose of abs courtesy of Save it for the Honeymoon Betty's
"Why are you staring at me?" 👀🔥
("Because you have no nipples")

JinBhoot I'm mostly with you on the female dressed as male. King's Affection in particular was just ridiculous. I do have a soft spot for Love in the Moonlight, though, because it's done with a lot of humour and people do work it out so it's less frustrating.

Helloooooo I'm not so into kdrama but am a big BTS fan. Annyeong!
I saw a few messages - is anyone going to the PTD Seoul showing in cinemas?
I've also managed to get tickets for Las Vegas in April!!! BTS are costing me more than my children at this point :)

BTS... Las Vegas stadium 4 nights ... Sold out in about 3 hours... 😱😱😱🤯 😭😭😭😭

@BlueMooMoo

Helloooooo I'm not so into kdrama but am a big BTS fan. Annyeong! I saw a few messages - is anyone going to the PTD Seoul showing in cinemas? I've also managed to get tickets for Las Vegas in April!!! BTS are costing me more than my children at this point :)

welcome to the chat!!! watching kdramas might be easier on the bank account!!!! and congrats!!!!

Oh that's very exciting @BlueMooMoo !!
Im hoping we eventually get UK dates 🤞🤞🤞

Thank you for your welcome. It was absolutely nerve-wracking last night - I still don't know fully if the tickets I bought were a vip package or not! At the same time as multiple tabs for Airbnbs which were vanishing. Managed to secure a relatively decent one I hope. The taxes are a killer though for Vegas - on the tickets alone there was a £50 live entertainment tax.
To be honest my heart is still pumping with adrenaline and partly fear of WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!

Kdramas would definitely be cheaper - hotgong of course incomparable.

^Just hooting at my breakfast dose of abs courtesy of Save it for the Honeymoon Betty's
"Why are you staring at me?" 👀
Because you have no nipples^

polkettle I fear I may be becoming so attuned to Impossible Abs & Nippleless Bods that SHA LA LA is appearing as a caption above my own head

@polkettle is getting all the beams today 😊😊😊

I’ve now embarked on Substitute Boyfriend and I Fell Into A Reverse Harem Game! on Tapas so I haven’t even caught up with 25 21 yet - although it’s perfectly pleasant it’s not become a must-see for me yet

Flippin eck @bettys! You've got a lot on the go at the. Moment! I really need to get back on the kdrama horse!! Where are the days when I had 4 or 5 dramas on the go?!, 😫😭... I've been preoccupied with real life!... 😖😖😖🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

@Bea Where are the days when I had 4 or 5 dramas on the go?!,

It really just depends what’s airing! As we seem to have covered the archive backlog

I’m currently watching:
Business Proposal
FLAW
On The Verge of Insanity
25/21

Webtoons are great for slotting in here & there. I do find I drop a lot more dramas these days especially cdramas

@bettys... You're right! I do seem to drop dramas reactively easily... I actually do have a fair few on the go... But I watch in a much more casual way!... Non of them make me go "I must sit down on the sofa and watch ALL the eps available!"... It's more like "I'll pop it on whilst I've got a spare 20 mins"...
Still watching Young Lady in skippy mode! It's ludicrous and cringey and outrageous! But I HAVE to find out what happens and will all the crazy ajummas get their come uppance! 😡
flaw... Started! It's most promising!
Started Moonshine but not convinced me yet!
Ghost doctor it's fine for now and again
doberman prosecutor... Looks promising 20 mins in v
let me be your Knight will prob drop!
scripting your destiny... It's OK
reset.. Will prob go back
See? Nothing making me go 🥳🥰
Also on a slow ReWatch of CLOY... It's sooo goddamn good! Found myself blubbing away again! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😱😭😂

Sigh!

@BlueMooMoo welcome & SCORE!!!!
Have a wonderful time in Vegas.

We have dropped the idea of Cinema PTD - £50 for two … nah … I will wait for their UK tour as my DC is keen.

How do you become member? What’s the annual fee in UK?

[quote JinBhoot]@BlueMooMoo welcome & SCORE!!!!
Have a wonderful time in Vegas.

We have dropped the idea of Cinema PTD - £50 for two … nah … I will wait for their UK tour as my DC is keen.

How do you become member? What’s the annual fee in UK?[/quote]
It's a complicated process - honestly, weverse is awful but it was fairly cheap. Converted to around £16.
It gets you some discounts on their paid content and early release to merch but I only got it so I could apply for concert tickets.

PTD Seoul cinema - I'm going to the Leicester showing. Their concerts are just so brilliant and at about 3hours long it's not bad. Plus if I can see bangtan nipples in 4k big screen