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!

It's confusing the horse too, Boaty... 😂

I’m catching up on Our Blues. I’m pleased with how ep 3 worked out.

I prioritised catching up on My Liberation Notes TBH because I’m finding the less firmed up aspects intriguing. I loved Lee El’s blind date (“I’m a pick up girl”) and her date’s mounting disquiet at what she was saying. I loved her coffee meeting with her boss and their blossoming thing, which I am currently unable to define. I liked the 3 musketeers at their coffee shop meet-up. I’m itching to know Mr Gu’s back story. Basically, I am hooked in (even though I hate Lee Min Ki’s whiny wanker character).

Only two episodes in but I'm hooked too Boaty. Hadn't realised it was the same writer as My Mister. Think it's going to be a slow burn classic.
Boggling at the nightmare of the must join work 'Joy' clubs and lunch seating.

@polkettle

Only two episodes in but I'm hooked too Boaty. Hadn't realised it was the same writer as My Mister. Think it's going to be a slow burn classic. Boggling at the nightmare of the must join work 'Joy' clubs and lunch seating.

I know! The horror! 😱 I salute their solution to the pestering.

Dear God. Jeong-ok, please stop talking about your exes. This is killing the mood faster than Lee El’s “pick-up girl” explanaytion.

Kim Won Bin is beautifully proportioned.

I'm going to start my liberation notes. In spite of my 'no more than 2 different weekly drop dramas' the FOMO is real. Plus, I can't find anything to binge at the mo.

It gives great convincing hot sticky summer does My Liberation

I like to think I would be a pick-up girl too.

[quote polkettle]Tuesday distraction is the "story" of this photo shoot.
www.instagram.com/p/CchBdMmp4KV/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=[/quote]
The stylist covered all the bases with this photo:

• people who like horses
• people who like bags
• people who like abs.

I'm surprised they didn't throw in a dog and a cat for good measure.

We finished Thirty-Nine tonight. Jeez, it's funny how depressing a programme about terminal illness can be. At one point I thought the new Mrs Bin may as well save her own tears to drink them later, like Allison in Crybaby.

Aesops I am also going to start My Liberation Notes for fear of missing out.

Off-topic, but I came on this morning to a whole new horrid layout ( I use MN CLassic) and if I can’t rejig it I am in danger of flouncing for the first time ever in 20 yrs of MNing…..

@bettys

Off-topic, but I came on this morning to a whole new horrid layout ( I use MN CLassic) and if I can’t rejig it I am in danger of flouncing for the first time ever in 20 yrs of MNing…..

Having awful trouble with the app to bettys

But PLEASE don't flounce! You are essential x

Bless you FedUp !! Is there any way of getting rid of the header sticky? Or is it ‘cos I use the website not the app on my phone?
Dammit just wanted to catch up on the goss now I am all grumpy!!!

Whoa... What happened to mumsnet? It looks absolutely awful on my fire tablet, I had to change to my phone just to make it bearable.
Forgotten what I was going to say now.
Anyway, I'm currently watching Tomorrow, which I'm enjoying, Rowoon is so different, really funny, but the last episode was unexpectedly rather emotional so while I wait for the next episode of that I've started watching Love Alarm for some light relief. I think it's quite likely going to be a load of tosh but it's been reasonably enjoyable so far.

@Prestel

Whoa... What happened to mumsnet? It looks absolutely awful on my fire tablet, I had to change to my phone just to make it bearable. Forgotten what I was going to say now. Anyway, I'm currently watching Tomorrow, which I'm enjoying, Rowoon is so different, really funny, but the last episode was unexpectedly rather emotional so while I wait for the next episode of that I've started watching Love Alarm for some light relief. I think it's quite likely going to be a load of tosh but it's been reasonably enjoyable so far.

PSA! Be warned that season 2 of Love Alarm is... sub par.

App still bollocksed, I see...

I have a tab open on my phone in Safari with the MN mobile version. I hate updates like this but it’s bearable and readable, if a touch prim and even tinier to read.

I’ve been doing other stuff like going to the pub with friends and proper family time. My kdrama viewing is suffering…

@bettys

Bless you FedUp !! Is there any way of getting rid of the header sticky? Or is it ‘cos I use the website not the app on my phone? Dammit just wanted to catch up on the goss now I am all grumpy!!!

I guess that's on the website? The app has issues with bookmarks and "reads" not working etc.

why is it mumsnet only on half my page!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????? (on laptop!)... I'm flouncing with you @bettys 😡....ooooooo! access to much more emojis though!!!!!!! 🤗❤

It's making me feel incredibley lop sided!!!!!!!! 😒

Thanks for the heads up FedUp, I'll definitely stick at season 1 (if I actually make it that far).

Why is Soundtrack #1 not available on UK Disney? WHY?? stamps tiny foot

@polkettle

Why is Soundtrack #1 not available on UK Disney? WHY?? stamps tiny foot

Yeah, Disney+! Why?!

Oooh, I typed a response this AM and not sure where it went how annoying!

I watched all 4 episodes of My Liberation Notes last night. Soooo Gooood.
There is an undercurrent to this show which is very provocative and tense. Combined with a mysterious ML who is mixed into the miserable family life. I just know this is going to get better and better. Dare I say that I would watch this over Our Blues !!💥