MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #32): Spring is in the air, it’s blossom season and the BinJin wedding was lovely. Happiness abounds!

[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 actively 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)*
Snowdrop (Disney+)
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)
Pachinko (AppleTV)
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)
Business Proposal (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)
Twenty-five Twenty-one (Netflix)*
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)*

On The Verge of Insanity (Viki)
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, writers, film and music when the mood takes us. We have some ARMY (BTS fans) among our regulars. Some 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!

Rowdy The Wailing is my brother's all-time favourite film. He studied film though, and can have quite pretentious taste. DH says it's excellent too but very creepy.

We're going to watch it tonight. 😬 I think I'll be hiding behind my blanket!

I'm looking forward to My Blues, I'll start it tomorrow.

Briiiiick I hope you have an amazing holiday with lots of sunshine 🌞

Great first episode for Our Blues, loving the Han-Su & Eun-Hui back story

I’ve started My Liberation Notes. The awkward scene in the BBQ restaurant after Lee El’s rant is making me squirm with secondhand embarrassment. It’s brilliantly done. 😬

We just finished The Wailing, it was very good and very creepy but not in the way I expected. There are so many twists and turns in the film that sometimes we didn't know what was going on, it has several different 'horror' styles in the film. E.g zombie, religious, murder. However, it is a really good supernatural thriller, with quite a few familiar faces in. The little girl was excellent in it (she was played by the younger sister in I'll go to you... ) it's on Amazon Prime if anyone wants to watch it.

I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep for a while now 😬

@boatyardblues

I’ve started My Liberation Notes. The awkward scene in the BBQ restaurant after Lee El’s rant is making me squirm with secondhand embarrassment. It’s brilliantly done. 😬

Oh no I have FOMO!!!

Thanks Rowdy! ☀️

I thought My Liberation Notes was very promising, even if its not as jolly as Our Blues. It was interesting to see introversion explored so directly. Lee Min Ki’s character is not very attractive - a slightly whiny ‘failure to launch’ type. Lee El’s is kind of annoying too. But in kdrama we trust: all will be revealed. I have high hopes for it. 🤞

I also really enjoyed the adult friendship group reflecting on the challenges posed by growing up in such a rural area. It was littered with writing gems and has a barnstorming cast.

Listening to Japanese Breakfast having just finished Crying in H Mart (highly recommended) and properly looking up Michelle Zauner. They were nominated for two Grammies and she's delighted that even though they didn't win, she managed to get a photo with BTS at the ceremony which was her only goal 😁

I'm going to save Liberation Notes until fully dropped. I can't watch more than two weekly shows at the same time and need to create a binge watch list. Our Blues was irresistible with the cast and Jeju setting.

On ep 6 of Live it's a little dated but def watchable.

Isn't Live written by the same person as Our Blues ?

I like Live. It was perhaps my third or fourth kdrama and I found the older officer’s failing marriage storyline compelling. There are some fantastic performances in Live. Interesting if it is the same writer as Our Blues.

* Bettys* it is the same writer.
As I'm watching both concurrently I may see some similarities 🤔
Boaty I agree about the failing marriage storyline being really good,

Evening chingus, hope you've all had a good weekend! I'm settling down for an evening bingeing Business Proposal which I'm absolutely loving! It really whizzes along!

TheGirlWithTheArabStrap what a lovely evening for you - enjoy.

Humph. DH took control of the TV while I was out with DS1. He is streaming the new Matrix film which was absolutely panned on release. He has another 1.5 hours to go. This has put a major spanner in my kdrama plans (after a busy day of chores and housework - just feel that martyrdom coming off me in waves 🤣). I’m messing around on MN instead. 😄

My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time boatyardblues. I hope you manage to kick him off soon.

I have been watching My Secret Romance this weekend, which is a nice, light drama to watch. I really don't like serious stuff, my brain can't cope

I hope you get your K drama fix soon Boaty

thegirl it's so easy to watch isn't it, enjoy!

Metheven light dramas are the best, I usually watch any heavier, more serious dramas with DH, but if I'm watching on my own I prefer light and fluffy.

I've just finished Mad for Each Other which I really enjoyed, I didn't fancy it when it came out so I'm glad I've finally watched it. I'm not sure what to watch next, I'll start the new shows but I need something to watch alongside.

I’ve joined him in the living room. I asked DH how it’s going. “Like a TV movie, but interesting. Kind of.” I didn’t know Neil Patrick Harris was in it. He’s aged really well (or has a good surgeon 😉).

Glad you enjoyed The Wailing Rowdy. Definitely not for me. I cannot do creepy at all!

Watched the first Business Proposal^ last night and loved it! Looking forward to continuing inbetween my Simu Liu fix in Kim's Convenience.^

I'm heartened to see so many fellow Stardust fans (and, um, a fellow male swimmer fan).

Polkettle Michelle Zauner (aka Japanese Breakfast) wore an amazing dress to the Grammys, possibly the most three dimensional garment I've ever seen.

Sorry about your DH hogging the TV Boaty. Mine watches shows about the USA space programme or one which I can't remember the name of but has people with brain implants in which self destruct if they leave the company. I either resort to my tablet or else sit there asking annoying questions about what's happening. I'm going to go down in a minute and persuade him to watch Our Blues.

TheGirl I have four episodes left, I think I am going to treat myself to finishing it in two goes over the next couple of days. It's my favourite drama of the year so far for sure.

We drove home from 8am to 4pm yesterday but it gave me a chance to catch up on all the goings on during PTD Day 1 and watch another episode of Weightlifting Fairy. Today has just been post-holiday laundry, but I have managed to get halfway through Pachinko in book form.

Ah a bit more of a bittersweet episode for Our Blues. The actor playing the sound Han-Su made me well up a bit when he was in the sea.
Also kudos for Lee Byung Hun playing against type

YOUNG Han-Su that should've read.

Anyone else watching My Liberation Notes? What is it about Son Seok Koo that makes him so attractive? He plays aloof, brooding weirdos (I’m thinking Melo and Matrimonial Chaos) far too convincingly, he’s not classically good looking and yet somehow he smoulders. He definitely works out (appreciation for the shorts in tonight’s episode 🙌), though I thought he was much older than he is. I can’t work him out at all.

What is it about Son Seok Koo that makes him so attractive?

It's his eyes...and his quirky mouth that lifts up slightly at the corners.. He's also in Designated Survivor the kversion and steals it imo.