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!

I like that Sung Hoon has started out so decent in Woori. He plays far too many cads.

It's in my watchlist!

It seems a similar plot to Hoping to Give you a Big Hug Tonight starring the girl with the ears. I couldn't get into that one because of the girl with the ears' crap acting.

Hello everyone <waves> thanks for the warm welcome 🤗. I’m on episode 20 of Mr Sunshine and crushing hard on Goo Dong-Mae! I have a list of ones I want to watch next but not sure which is best…

out of My Liberation Notes, Love ft Marriage and Divorce, Our Blues or Start Up, what would you watch next? Or is there something better…

I'm off to check out Viki

I’d say My Liberation Notes on quality grounds Galadriel, but it really depends what you’re looking for.

I’m enjoying the romances, although I wouldn’t call Mr Sunshine a typical romance! Light and frothy is fine for me. I can’t believe I’ve got to my late forties before discovering that my kink is intense, handsome Korean men who want to take care of me for the rest of my life (and grab me by the wrist)

Do His Private Life Galadriel - that'll sort you for froth with added terrible art bonus and it's better than Start Up which is the only straight romantic froth otherwise on your list. And welcome!
Starting Shitting Stars (apparently an entirely deliberate confusion as Korean title is something about clearing stars' poop) now there's a good few to see. Will save Woori for a complete binge I think.

Doh...that's on your already watched list.

@boatyardblues Just checking in at the new thread.
@bettys I'm into Woori as well and just might try the original Jane the Virgin as a friend enjoyed it very much.

@GaladrielHiggins I cannot recommend LftM&D enough for its unique blend of batshit craziness makjang, karma and cheating husbands. MLN is a must watch. Waiting for new eps to drop is a pain tho, so I often have several shows on the go at the same time.

Galadriel, sorry if I missed it, but have you seen Fight for My Way? Once you get into VIKI (and you will!) check out Melo is my Nature and What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?

Thanks for the recommendations, I want to watch them all, just wish there were more hours in the day!

I love love love kdrama. Been watching kdrama since i was 16 years old back in 2005.

my favorite one is moonlovers.

Hello @GaladrielHiggins, it’s my duty to recommend Hospital Playlist to every newcomer.

Hello @NRRK28 - Moonlovers is in my watch list too.

I am enjoying Falling in to your smile typical Chinese fluff (with unique fashion) while I wait for MLN to fully drop.

Movie recommendations www.top10films.co.uk/72195-17-iconic-movies-from-great-asian-directors/

Anyeong @NRRK28 ! 👋 Wow! You have some serious years’ kdrama under your belt compared to the rest of us. What trends have noticed over that time? I’m sure I’m not the only one who mourns the demise of the (ethically OK) contract marriage drama. Glad to see the back of the wrist grabbers and lechy sexual harrassers though.

I thought Woori got off to a slow start but hit makjang launch velocity by the end. Is any one else distracted by the phallic red lighthouse? DS1 walked in during one of the flashbacks and exclaimed “what the hell is that?”

I meant today’s Woori in my previous post.

In light of Pol’s update I am also going to revert to Shitting Stars for Sh**ting Stars, even if it is juvenile.

Hello @GaladrielHiggins and @NRRK28 👋👋👋
Galadriel Dong-Mae is totally swashbuckling and gorgeous 😍
Thanks for the new thread boaty
I'm really enjoying MLN but am very behind.

I’ve just finished episode 2 of mln and feel like if mr Gu was on mn he’d be posting ‘I work as an itinerant carpenter and labourer for a local family - they have 3 adult children my age, but they never try to socialise with me or invite me out with them. I pay my rent in advance, always try extra hard at work and enjoy a quiet soju or three when I’m not working. But yesterday out of the blue one of the children came and told me I had to worship them… beyond accepting meals from them in the past and once collecting a letter, which let me know they had debt issues, I’ve never spoken more than 2 words to them before. I did look ‘worship’ up in the dictionary, just in case the soju and a recent bump to the head had addled by brain cells, but it turns out it did mean what I thought! AIBU or is it totally batshit to ask this of me when for all they know I could be a serial killer and AIBU to ask why on earth I’d want to worship someone I barely know?’

Leeloo - that’s exactly how it would go down on AIBU! Also the Lee El sister’s woud go along the lines “AIBU to think DSis has lost the plot over some bloke that started working in my Dad’s workshop? He turned up a few months ago. Dad didn’t bother to take up references and pays him cash in hand so we don’t even know his first name, let alone his date of birth or whether he’s hiding a dodgy past. He drinks himself insensible every night and barely says a word. AIBU to be worried for my sister now she’s fallen for this deadbeat loser?”

Of course, they are failing to mention how sexy monosyllabic, sweaty is? There’s something about Son Seok Koo’s broad shoulders and quiet smouldering that makes me come over funny, though I think FedUp has it way worse. 😂

Sweaty Mr Gu… sigh. I should step away from MB and return tomorrow when I can fo rm whole sentences.

OK so I just finished The Uncanny Counter and how I cried. On multiple occasions, from episode 8 onwards.
I didn't know what to expect and hadn't watched any supernatural Kdrama before but what a rollercoaster.
The chemistry between the Counters was perfect- it was touching, at times silly, emotional and quite lovely- I got so invested in the characters!
I am soon glad they are making another series.
I am feeling rather bereft though, and in need of another show with a group/family dynamic.

The Future Diary season 2 starts today @polkettle

They've messed with the formula. There's 2 men and a woman. What do you think?

That was supposed to say: