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!

Yippee FedUp! Can we come too in your suitcase?
Really enjoying Live but there is a LOT of weeing in the police station urinals and NO handwashing after the weeing. Tsk.

Hmm….sounds interesting.
Did your dh enjoy it?
I’m going to have a go at making them but the beef bulgogi I made compared very poorly with the bulgogi we had in Korea.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap, It's my day off so now on ep4 of MPD and still enjoying it because the ML is my type of eye candy. 😉I'm going to try Another Miss Oh next, after the recommendations here.

How exciting FedUpWithBriiiiick I envy you.

Still watching Healer, enjoying it a lot, but did anyone else actually prefer JCW as the bungling Bong Soo, rather than as Healer? I thought he was so cute, falling over his words and looking all awkward.

Bungling Bong Soo?

I'm actually doubling up on JCW currently. I've one episode to go of Sound of Magic (in which his character is looking a bit dark atm) and I'm also enjoying some extended bath scenes in The Empress Ki in which he's rather pathetic yet adorable.

Yes Prestel I thought he was very sweet, but then I have had a bit of a thing for the awkward type.

I loved The Sound of Magic but not seen The Empress Ki yet, isn't it over 50 episodes? Is it worth seeing,or should I just look for the bath scenes on Youtube?

Sorry Prestel missed a bit out there. Bungling Bong Soo was the Clark Kent character, the alter ego of Healer.

The latter 🛁

Noted bettys thank you.

Oh, the alter ego! I'm with you. I did like the bit where he pretends to by intimidated by the the FL's dad. That was fun.

I’ve spent an evening half-heartedly watching Her Bucket List (kfilm) on Viki around DS cramming S11 of the Walking Dead. (Korean zombies are way better IMO.) HBL has a dick-move twist that puts it in the same vicinity as S1 of Well Intended Love. It’s also got this weird TV movie failure to launch vibe like the leads are phoning in their performances. Strangely underplayed for a plot with such dark undertones. All in all, a funny fish.

After reading all available episodes of In The Bleak Midwinter thanks to boaty I am now working my way through The Girl Downstairs and wondering if I should skip to the latest ep (there are 136 available so far and still not finished 😱) but it actually shows the misunderstandings of university dating quite well so will prob not spoiler it for myself. On Webtoon.
Am up to date with Shitting Stars, Woori & Showtime and planning a binge of MLN & possibly Taxi although am working this wkend 😫

www.instagram.com/reel/CeA6caLjU6f/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

This made me chortle! 😂

boatyardblues please do not mention Well Intended Love season 1, I am still traumatised.

You are right, Korean zombies are so much better than Walking Dead ones. Although when the zombie apocalypse happens, I'd rather have Shaun of the Dead ones than Korean ones. I don't think I will even last five minutes otherwise.

Jesus wept, life is tough on Jeju Island when you're 6 years old 😳

(Our Blues 16)

That little girl was so cute Briiiiick, I like her grandma, but I did feel she was a bit mean to the poor kid! How exciting about your flights too! ✈️

I need a new weekly show now MLN has finished, are there any new ones worth starting?

I started Green Mothers Club last night and continuing tonight. So far it's quite good but I feel it will either go down hill or plod. Will report back when up to ep 6.

Had a huge walk in countryside with lots of hills so my feet are throbbing tonight. House to myself so just enjoying the solitude and a glass of wine. Off to visit a friend in N London tomorrow so plan to pop into Seoul Plaza to stock up on some Korean sauces and Mandhu.
Saturday is our Road jubilee party, I am taking home made Gimbap (and a quiche 😉)

Ohhh first two episode of Eve have dropped on VIKI. Seo Yea-ji in another femme fatale role.

Jang Nara's getting married. Good on her. And I'd marry her- she's cool.

Ooh! New contract marriage Webtoon? Go'arn then. (Maybe Meant to Be)

He's 6 years younger than her. Go on, ye girl ye!

Oh go on then!!!
Also just started I Confessed To The Boss on Tapas.
There seems to be an unending supply of contract relationships on webtoons <happy sigh>

I have finished Tomorrow which I thought was wonderful, I would love a second series. The storyline between Koo Ryeon and Park Joong-gil was so touching. Also, hasn't Lee Soo-hyuk got absolutely beautiful hair?

I have a couple of episodes left to watch, I love it, the flashbacks to Koo and Park's past are beautifully done. I really hope there's another season.

Oh yes, I'm already thoroughly enjoying I Confessed to the Boss on Tapas Bettys 😁 Have you done 100 days in Europe there btw? Have to wait every 3 days for an episode to unlock which is annoying but love some of the artwork in it. Unusual style.

Oooh no I haven’t seen that one, thanks polkettle !