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!

Happy birthday Musique too!

Happy birthday Musique 🥳

Happy Birthdays Musique & TheGirl 🥂

Crazy Love has had some good reviews on MDL and I’ve just checked chez Olga so HH KJW here we go!

Musique if you favoured Reply 1997 then I must try it as I loved1988.

Hardly any viewing this week so far as no commute and DD1 is here until Friday and the only thing on TV each evening is the Johnny Depp live court screening 😕

Ooh I see what you mean about ep 7 of Pachinko Bettys. I had no idea about that. Very much not in the book. Such a rich series - honestly I think it's better than the book.

I enjoyed the book but not enough to be that bothered about not being able to see the tv adaption but you're all making me very curious to watch it now. I can't keep adding subscriptions, though :(

Happy Birthday Musique and TheGirl.

Hello everyone! I have posted before under a different name but with the new layout I seem to have re-logged under a different name!
I want some suggestions. I just finished A Business Proposal- the 2 girls are adorable and I love their friendship. I like the upbeat anime-like moments and the supporting cast but I thought it ended a little... flat. They tried to build drama in the relationships and then seemed to drop it.
My main issue with Kdrama is finding one that sustains the emotional intensity throughout hours and hours.
I gave up on Descendants of the Sun, and another one I can't recall that involved a one night stand and lots of food (the young fit boss kept fainting and it bored me).
I basically need a new CLOY. Help...

Apple earning its KDrama fan subs much more than Disney at the moment. Still fuming about their missing Korean content for UK.

another one I can't recall that involved a one night stand and lots of food (the young fit boss kept fainting and it bored me)

I don't recognise this one, does anyone else? I'm super curious about a fit, fainting boss now.

Oh and hi anonacfr and happy birthday Musique and TheGirl (sorry for my tardy manners)

Oooh hang on. Is it My Secret Romance? The one with the lunch boxes and the boss who modelled his own company's underwear (quite probably because the wooden actor who played him actually was an underwear model)?
Yeah, it's pretty awful though also oddly watchable if you can manage to gloss over the ridiculous dietician nonsense. It also features a certain hot assassin from 100 Days My Prince if I remember correctly.

It is My Secret Romance! Main actor was wooden but rather pretty. And he has a cute Insta- dog. 😳I'll admit to being rather shallow.
He was an Olympic swimmer I'm pretty sure, does that count? He is in Love (ft marriage and divorce) that I was going to try.

I enjoyed the book but not enough to be that bothered about not being able to see the tv adaption but you're all making me very curious to watch it now. I can't keep adding subscriptions, though :(

Prestel It is worth watching for the title sequence alone. When it's all dropped you could binge-watch on a free trial or one month's subscription...it's definitely worth £4.99 (says she whose 3 month free trial accidentally rolled over into a pay month). There's also Dr Brian sorry Brain which is worth a watch, & Slow Horses (UK) which DH is watching & I are watching although I may also be reading manhwa at the same time

It took me a while, but I got there in the end!

I haven't seen Love (ft marriage and divorce) but I'm doubtful it's a new CLOY somehow....😀

I'm not sure anything's a new CLOY tbh. Dr Stranger features some North Korea action but gets itself tied up in knots plot wise and ends rather flat. Healer is probably the best straightforward thriller I've seen. I'm more into the supernatural and/or hot assassin type stuff so am struggling to think of any other CLOY friendly shows. I agree Descendants of the Sun was a bit meh. If you want to try a sageuk I really rate the aforementioned 100 Days My Prince. It has absolutely everything you expect from a kdrama including a classic amnesia-driven plot line.

bettys I have bad form for free trials. We did one with Amazon Prime for The Grand Tour and never left. We also did a free trial for Starzplay to watch a particular show and ended up paying for some months before we cancelled and there wasn't even much on there worth watching! So Apple could be a bit risky if it's got several good shows. I'm really tempted though....

Speaking of Amazon Prime the UK version of Call My Agent starts tomorrow, called 10%.Looks like it is following the French version closely.

Enjoying Shitting Stars although having seen FLs suede jacket I want one, even though (or perhaps because) it is very similar to one that my Sindy doll has.

Plus what is the sweet that she drops into her soju glass??

I’ve not long woken up from a vivid dream where I was much younger and Nam Joo Hyuk was my boyfriend. We were at the seaside and when the waves broke they released “jellies” in the style of School Nurse Files. Pineapples were a recurring motif too for some reason. It was definitely strange (hat tip to my subconscious for dredging all that up). I was so sad when I woke up and realised that NJH wasn’t actually my boyfriend and I was not 25 again. 😭

Gah!! I had no idea that S**ting Stars is only 2 eps into its run! I was enjoying thoroughly as its a lovely fun piece of fluff drama... An antidote and a break in Doom and gloom and angst from Again My Life and Tomorrow... So I was thinking!... Excellent! A great drama to giggle over whilst having a quiet breakfast!... But! I've watched all available eps!! 😭😭😭... Now what! 😩😩😩😩😖😖😖

Anyone watched Bulgasal? Just saw it on Netflix and it looked quite intriguing.
I've not watched any supernatural dramas yet.

I'm not sure anything's a new CLOY tbh

Park Ji Eun, the writer of CLOY and My Love from the Star, Legend of the Blue Sea etc, has written, or is writing, a new series as I read that IU had turned down a role in it.
I agree, though, nothing could really match CLOY.

Speaking of IU, though, Hotel Del Luna is very good if you fancy trying something supernatural anonacfr.

I got half way through and then lost interest even though I rate the ML

*boatyardblues · 26/04/2022 07:08

Has anyone else got the most appalling earworm from that “cuando cuando cuando…” love song in Our Blues? I’ve been humming the chorus on and off for the last 3 days. 🤦‍♀️*

Cuando, cuando, cuando is my elderly mother's favourite song. I even know the words as she used to dance around the kitchen singing it when I was a child.

*anonacfr · 28/04/2022 10:10

Anyone watched Bulgasal? Just saw it on Netflix and it looked quite intriguing.
I've not watched any supernatural dramas yet.*

It started off well, then dragged and went nowhere, till the end when it teased a possible happy ending in the epilogue. Very fanciable ML but only in that role. Saw him elsewhere and it was "meh".

What’s it called? Who is it by? I feel like I need to listen to it properly.