MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (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

[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 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 a star 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. Happiness - 9
3. Devil Judge - 8.75
4. Squid Game - 8.63
5. Navillera - 8.57

2020’s top scoring dramas
1 - Mr Queen - 9.4
2 - Parasite - 9.05
3 - It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88
4 - The Uncanny Counter - 8.50
5 - Once Again - 8.42

2019’s top scoring dramas:

1. Her Private Life - 9.40
2. Melo is My Nature - 9.00

3.= Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within, and The Tale of Nokdu - 8.75

1. Hotel del Luna - 8.50

5.= Romance is a Bonus Book, and Search: WWW - 8.17

We are generally fans of all things Korean, so equally happy to talk about Korean cookery, language, film and music when the mood takes us. A few 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!

Musique - we went to Hankang restaurant in Hanway St after another poster recommended it, might have been Betty. It wasn’t a shiny-shiny place but it was madly popular and the food was good.

Thanks Boaty. DH said he'd been there and hadn't liked it but it transpires that this was 15 years ago so I'll go with your more recent review 😁

It wasn’t a shiny-shiny place but it was madly popular and the food was good

I think not being shiny-shiny may be a Korean thing. All over Korea were taken to places by our guide which were completely utilitarian - one we entered through the kitchen - clean, but functional.
We had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in these places and I wish I’d kept proper records of the names and locations as I’d love to go back next time.

If we ever manage our trip to SK, this will be my approach too. It seems like you can eat well and affordably if you eat in local family-run places. Of course most of them require you to speak Korean because they are not all geared to foreigners.

Wasn't me that recommended Hankang, but I can recommend Bunsik for stringy cheese hot dogs (Charing Cross Road) and Olle for bbq (Shaftesbury Avenue) In fact if you mooch up Charing Cross road there's an Oseyo and Nature Republic Korean beauty shop

Thanks bettys, all very helpful! We may well push the boat out and go for bbq...in fact DH has just looked up Olle and that was where he wanted to go anyway. He also sent me a pic of Nature Republic last week because it a cardboard cutout in the window and he thought I could identify the person...I have no idea who it is though.

Andante I remain very jealous of your recent trip, it sounds so amazing.

Of course most of them require you to speak Korean because they are not all geared to foreigners

Quite a few have photos outside accompanying the names and prices of the dishes so one can point at those.
My Korean is pretty limited in that I can say ‘a table for 2, please’ and ask for any dishes that I know the name of, but if the proprietor then asks me a question I’m baffled.
However we only had the guide for some of the time and when we were on our own we navigated eating without too many problems.

Your post is very reassuring Andante.

Our plan is to hire a guide in Seoul and also in Busan. Family run and established places for food as shiny places in SK appear to be mainly European or Michelin.

Musique I've been to a couple in London and they have been average. Can recommend some excellent Asian restaurants? New Malden has the best we've found in UK for Korean but it's way out of city.

I've just watched our blues the last five minutes were so upsetting that I've had to reapply my face before we head out for an evening walk/drink by the river 😢

When we went to Seoul ten years ago we couldn't speak any Korean but could manage to get by in Seoul. Most places had either pictures on menus or some English writing or a v helpful person serving us so we never struggled to eat or work out what to do, luckily.

Loved the table of eye-rolling 50 somethings in MLN - stylegoalz
Welcome to the 'hood Musique! New Korean places opening all the time, I think Bettys steered you well. Hankang was where the KCC took us on a freebie when they did a walking tour and I thought the BBQ was good. Korean ceramics gallery near the British Museum worth a look if that's your bag at all.

Watched episode 15 of MLN and worried that we'll get a sad ending tomorrow... episode 14 ended so well that I might have to pretend that's it lol.

If we don't get a Changhee and Gu reunion I am going to be really annoyed!

Artwork in a KDrama making me cry for all the right reasons for once (OB)

Me too.

I have succumbed to watching MLN
It's not looking good for Gu 🥹
I have an idea what may happen ...

The whole dynamic with sister and her boyfriend/aunts and daughter is really problematic. Her brothers life also imploding.

Why oh why can't Gu be happy with FL?

Hoping for an extended episode tomorrow with plot turnaround for all 🙏

Oh no! Gutted to read what everyone thinks of MLN ep 15! 😨 I almost don't want to watch it, I really really want a happy ending 🙏

I can’t believe the Great Dane’s sister and daughters are still so implacably opposed to Lee El’s character. Worse still, I can’t believe Lee El hasn’t ditched the Great Dane. However great the bloke is, however amazing the sex is, his family* are awful to her. Life’s. Too. Short.

• Kind restaurant eonni aside.

I have an alternative path in mind for Gu which is less bleak, though it’s really not looking great is it?

The bullet was an asterisk, by the way. 😠

Sadly I've been too busy eating all the meat in the world to watch MLN but I hope things end somewhat happily like you do Rowdy. God knows they all deserve it on some level.

Thank you for your recommendation bettys, we had a delicious dinner courtesy of Olle, and it was nice to know we were following where Park Seo-joon, Jimin, Jungkook and Jin had been before as well! Pol thank you for your pointers too. Being able to do what we want is a bit of a novel concept these days, so why not some korean ceramics?

Episode 11 of Sh**ting Stars - hmm, it's relying a bit too much on antifans to move the plot along. I can accept one antifan but two in consecutive episodes is stretching credulity. The developing relationships of the joint second leads are coming along nicely, but I am missing Mr Rice Soup turned actor, he's barely got a look in lately.

I'm not too fearful about end of MLN. I think we'll see the characters at some sort of peace in the same way as they are at the end of My Mister. But I don't think liberation means everyone coupled up (and the drama has been very clear about the limitations of relationships as a source of liberation all the way through) so it's not going to be a conventional romantic drama ending because it isn't one!

That sounds more optimistic @polkettle

Mr Gu offering Mijeong a part-time job- sadly it wasn't to moonlight as his partner in debt collecting but if it all goes pear shaped then that's my mental spin-off 😂

I am saving ep15
I think only one sister will have a happy (ending with a partner).

I’m not convinced either sister will have a happy ending. Even the happy ending on paper means being shackled to the vile SIL and stepdaughter. I think Mi-yeong could cut through that kind of batshit venality but the other sister is too soft.

I'm saving 15/16 to watch tonight but I'm fully prepared for a non "happy" ending. I'm hoping for hopeful though 🤞

Hopeful feels more realistic. Good call Girl. 👍