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!

Meant to start Liberation Notes tonight but got sidetracked by Lee Joon Gi in Again My Life on Viki which isn't that good but somehow ended up watching 2 episodes.

It was a great frock Musique. She is COOL.
So loving Our Blues - packing in so much nuance and subtext already.

Baesang award nominees thread. Don't know anything about the Blue House one that seems to have got a few
twitter.com/daheeverse/status/1513321721172213760?t=oJp-Om1N7cvIr1I6sPj_iQ&s=19

My heart broke a little in the scene where due to retire cop got beat up by teenagers, in particular where he tried to hide the fact from his team 😢 Live is REALLY good. So much so I'm going to skive off work today to view the last 3 eps.

We started Our Blues last night, got through about 1.5 episodes and I really like it. There is so much going on and it all feels really fresh somehow.

Plus it has my favourite age-appropriate oppa in the form of Cha Seung-won. He's the only man on the planet who looks better with a moustache than without. The cast as a whole is really strong, it's good to see Lee Jung-eun in there as well.

Pol maybe we should all bombard Viki with requests to show Going To The Blue House Like This, I want to watch it now.

Pol 👋🙂 I also loved Crying in H Mart and very much like Japanese Breakfast. Was due to see her live last month, but the concert was put back to October.

So was delighted to see BTS x Michelle Z at the Grammys 😍 Where was Yoongi though? Presumably still hobnobbing with Megan TS 😁

Incidentally, an interview with Michelle Z introduced me to Shin Joong Hyun. Well worth checking out if anyone's into psychedelic rock. Fascinating life story too.

25/21 sounds right up my street (favourite K-drama to date was probably Reply 1988, the last episode of which prompted extreme ugly crying in the Saram household). So will start that soon. Have just started Strong Girl and really enjoying it so far 😀

Also want to check out FLAW, though reviews here seem a little mixed. I sort of feel loyal to Song Kang as Navillera and Sweet Home were my first two K-dramas. Although I think he's a really good actor, I find him a bit boring and smug when interviewed (no offence to any SK fans 😬). So not sure how long I'll keep this allegiance up 🤔

It's Monday, and no Business Proposal sob, sob.

I have seen a trailer for The Sound of Magic and it looks right up my street, I love musicals. Also starring the lovely Ji Chang Wook, so even better.

Ahh just finished Business Proposal 💖💖💖 such a fun drama!! Really enjoyed it!!

It really was brilliant, wasn't it TheGirlWithTheArabStrap, one of the best dramas I think I have seen.

@Metheven

It's Monday, and no Business Proposal sob, sob.

I have seen a trailer for The Sound of Magic and it looks right up my street, I love musicals. Also starring the lovely Ji Chang Wook, so even better.

Just came here to share the trailers… looking forward to see JCW.

The thing is for Song Kang to look like Song Kang he has to spend his life in the gym. I think many of our younger and best stacked Oppas might not be scintillating company irl.
This is why I still love my HP crew and particularly JKH who was both funny and a poppet on their variety show spin off.

@polkettle

The thing is for Song Kang to look like Song Kang he has to spend his life in the gym. I think many of our younger and best stacked Oppas might not be scintillating company irl. This is why I still love my HP crew and particularly JKH who was both funny and a poppet on their variety show spin off.

I agree Pol. On the other hand, some of them could be working out to thought-provoking podcasts and audiobooks.

They could be Boaty. They could be...
Feeling both sorry for and amused by HB and SYJ being papped with their honeymoon golf clubs and luggage waiting for transport outside LA airport like any of us who booked a taxi through a dodgy site. HB is doing proper Irritated Alpha Male Saying Heads Will Roll on phone while SYJ soothes.

So.....I finally finished watching Black last night. Blimey! Still, I didn't mind the ending that much, it's definitely one of those shows which is more about the journey than the destination. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As for Sound of Magic, I don't think even JCW can tempt me to watch a musical, but the trailer did look interesting.
Saram I think Song Kang is just a pretty face, really, but I've seen a clip of him playing the piano which makes him slightly less boring, I think. He clearly doesn't spend all his time in the gym (though probably most of it😀). Anyway, I did enjoy FLAW, it was frustrating in places but I rather liked the concept of instead of telling the stories of how couples got together it told the stories of what happened next.

As for Sound of Magic, I don't think even JCW can tempt me to watch a musical

Same.

Namgoong Min strikes me as a musclebound oppa who has a hinterland. I almost posted this earlier but then wondered if he’s just a really good actor who plays sharp, cultured men well but is a gym bore in real life. On balance I’m going with hinterland.

I'm on my way home from work and have a date with final episode of FLAW and ep 2 of Our Blues. So ready to curl up on the sofa with a glass of wine and be charmed by the gentle fishing village lifestyle -with strangely rich market owners.

Plus it has my favourite age-appropriate oppa in the form of Cha Seung-won. He's the only man on the planet who looks better with a moustache than without.

Musique I have to agree with you, Cha Seung won and Tom Selleck are the only ones on the 'Good Moustache' list!

I've just watched the first ep of Our Blues, someone take me to Jeju! The haenyo divers are amazing, how do they hold their breath for so long! Also it was really nice to see Lee Jung Eun in clothes that don't make her look matronly!

I know! I was thinking “Lee Jung-Eun las a figure!” She’s so often in a hanbok, it was lovely to see she had legs. 🤣

I’m catching up on ep 2 of Our Blues. I hope Han Su’s motives for reconnecting with Eun Hui are not cynical. 😔 Her character is such a decent and open person, I don’t want her to get hurt. (A sign of quality writing that I’m already this invested!)

@boatyardblues yes me too, I so want his motives to be wholesome. I am predicting, however, a cynical start with him later realising the true meaning of friendship and redefining his values resulting in him calling wife and daughter home to reconnect as a family, only for daughter to achieve sudden success, probably with some kind of last minute sponsorship arrangement with Eun Hui in an underdog-makes-good scenario, but only after him and Eun Hui have made up after he initially betrays her and then earns her forgiveness.

Just dropping in to throw this bomb

www.instagram.com/reel/CbpaiWRr9tr/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

That would be adorable. 🤞

I’m still trying to get my NJH fix so have started Start Up. I know you all gave it mixed reviews BUT NJH!!! And lovely matriarch Rosa. 🤗

Boaty I really liked Start Up NJH is lovely in it. Super cute computer genius 😍

Hahaha. I’m only just sloping off to bed. TBH I wanted to stay up watching Start Up as I was on a roll. I was very relieved when NJH got his haircut. He was a bit too convincing as a nerd and almost unrecogniseable. I’m finding Chief Hong less likeable in this as matriarch Rosa's ”good boy”, but I suspect I am supposed to - for now. It is far more enjoyable than I was expecting. There are two MLs in my favourite leggy racehorse oppa format. What took me so long?

I hope you're not too tired today Boaty!, I haven't seen start up yet either, i need something new to watch.

Last night we finished Polish show Cracow Monsters which was really good if you like shows about mythical monsters and legends and with a good strong female lead 👍