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!

[Rowdythree]

That was the most exciting and tense Eurovision ever! But in very happy that we vans second to Ukraine. What a night! 🇺🇦

[boatyardblues]

I may have nodded off a few minutes into the public votes updates and have been woken by the kids’ rowdy reaction to the final scores. Oops!

[boatyardblues]

Kim Won Bin is growing on me.

[boatyardblues]

We’re not far off filling this thread so I’ll post the link to the new one again so we don’t lose any stragglers:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4549540-mslattes-daebak-cybercafe-kdrama-addicts-33-so-much-good-content-airing-just-now-our-filthy-noonas-hearts-are-fit-to-burst-like-squashed-frogs-on-a-country-road

[AesopsMables]

Just back from a very wet walk. Hot shower then food before I catch up on Our Blues before today's drop at 3pm. I've given up on Our Gap Soon it was very tedious after first 2 episodes. I need to find a mid-week binge.

[boatyardblues]

I am all in favour of the drunken workout in yesterday’s Sh**ting Stars. I also liked that he tidied up on his way home. Always a redeeming value in an oppa.

Our Blues is a curate’s egg of a show. Some of the characters are so compelling I am hungry for more and others infuriate me intensely. I don’t want to stop watching but I find myself pausing often to noodle around on the internet and it’s now taken 3rd place in my weekend catch-ups behind Shooting Stars, which is a slight affair in itself.

My Liberation Notebook on the other hand? Doesn’t put a foot wrong and I think of it often in between the weekend episodes. I loved Lee El’s meeting with Mr Lottery and her colleague, the way that her guileless approach to romance brought both of them up short. I think Mr Lottery is on the cusp of falling hard for Lee El’s character, almost certainly unrequited, and I’m very much looking forward to their imminent business trip. 😄 She has challenged his beliefs to the core. Credit where it’s due to the actress playing the Great Dane’s awful sister: she brings impressive intensity to her current scenes with Lee El.

[JinBhoot]

If anyone is looking for a filler drama between live weekend ones then watch Best Lover on Netflix.
Its our favourite genre (contract marriage), drama is in mandarin but set in Korean entertainment industry. It’s from 2016 so quite dated with some shady story line & poor acting (supporting FL), not a wow but decent fluff to keep you busy.

[Bea]

Tomorrow! Episode 13!...wowser! They're not shying away from difficult subjects! Reader... I blubbed!... A. Lot! 😭😢

[Prestel]

@Bea

Tomorrow! Episode 13!...wowser! They're not shying away from difficult subjects! Reader... I blubbed!... A. Lot! 😭😢

I've been watching Tomorrow with DH but have gotten behind because he keeps deciding he (understandably) wants to watch something more cheerful. I hope I can get him back to it as I'm desperate to find out about the various reaper's backstories. I do agree it can get very emotional, though.

[boatyardblues]

I need to get back to Tomorrow. Sounds like it is worth sticking with.

I’m part way through today’s MLN. I have to go out shortly so I can’t finish it in one go. First of all, I loved Gu and Mi-Yeong’s conversation about goats. I genuinely think she frightens him. She’s is deep, uncompromising and thoughtful when he’s used to lackeys and back-stabbing oneupmanship (is that a word?). I was also really moved by Ms Joy Club and what the Great Dane said. A great set of principles to live by. 👏

[Metheven]

I wonder where JCW’s Grrr went. This one’s another puzzler. Does his agent need a kick up the backside?

As far as I am concerned, boatyardblues he still has it in spades, although his agent has definitely has help him make some dodgy choices. I think he is really shining in The Sound of Magic I am loving it, but I do love musicals.

Apart from the woman who plays Hwang In-Yeop's mother. Her face is so full of fillers, I am surprised she can even blink. Whenever she is on screen, she is most distracting, all I can look at is her face, totally ignoring any dialogue.

[boatyardblues]

Lee El’s character’s maverick dating approach is hilarious. 🤣

[boatyardblues]

Oooof. The rebar accident made me gasp. (MLN)

[polkettle]

The quality of MLN just floors me. Every scene is a shiny gem. Joy club lady! Ji Geong's honesty! The car! The final conversation in Gu's kitchen! Pitch perfect in composition.

[boatyardblues]

@polkettle

The quality of MLN just floors me. Every scene is a shiny gem. Joy club lady! Ji Geong's honesty! The car! The final conversation in Gu's kitchen! Pitch perfect in composition.

I feel the same. It’s really special. So much is conveyed with demeanour or a glance, like the scene with the visitor to the house. Mi-yeong’s father totally had the measure of him. That combined with the information about the car over dinner. Well… I have thoroughly enjoyed the subtle flourishing of Gu. Mi-yeong has reached through to the closed part of him. I think it’s an amazing drama.

[boatyardblues]

New thread countdown.

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