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!

Damn posted too soon - meant to add that as pol says it is def going to be classy, and has the added bonus of Mr Ma who is also in Eve on Viki playing a morally ambiguous man who falls for revengeful FL (and gets his abs out)

I beg your pardon? Oppa Byung-eun gets naked in Eve?

I don't cry a lot but Our Blues finale got me this weekend with a chicken drumstick, toes being stroked and words being written on a window. Top notch stuff.

Saram that exam sounds really hard - have a 🏆- I’m so impressed. I would’ve found the listening part the hardest as I’ve evidently got a poor ear for languages even though my musical ear is ok.

Thanks all for the MLN encouragement. Dh is loving it so we’ll continue.
I think it’s partly that it’s such a contrast to Lovestruck in the City which was the drama we watched before we started MLN.

*spoiler alert**

i very much enjoyed it but found the last episode confusing. Why did the policeman tell his friend she wasn’t to come round anymore?
Did he secretly love her or what did he think of her?

However JCW is such a good actor and very easy on the eye. Also it was fun seeing Kim Ji Won in such a contrasting role compared to MLN.

Everyone on this thread:

www.instagram.com/reel/Cd5UXWhF_1K/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

It's been a while since I saw it Andante and from memory that episode was a late addition "extra" story. Yes, I think policeman loves her but knows a relationship is impossible so it's self preservation but she still wants first kiss to be with him rather than creep co-star?

FedUp Not naked, he just whips his shirt off. But there’s a lot of naughtiness & rumpy pumpy in Eve - I haven’t watched the latest 2 eps yet to see if the abs count stays as high

DS2 beat me to the front room after dinner and is watching Peaky Blinders. 😩 We are handing over in half an hour so I can watch the last episode of Our Blues on a big screen.

Congratulations @Saram13 I am in awe of anybody who can learn anything as an adult, I know I can't.

@MusiqueAutomatique I am having the same problems as you with Mumsnet at the moment. Messages disappearing when I go to check something, a right pain. Trying to get this thread to load on my phone is even worse, takes five minutes for me to be able to read it properly. Grrr.

The good thing about signing up for a month of IQiyi is that (along with drooling at Ryu Wotsit) it would be positively irresponsible not to check out the Chinese fluff while I'm there...

I've found one with both 'love' and 'time' in the title and a ml called Mr Gu and a plotline with twins swapping identities and a contract marriage and yet, unfathomably, it's new so I haven't seen it already.

15 minutes in to the first episode and there's already been horse decor in the executive office, the ML having OCD, the FL bff arriving on a cute vehicle AND an accidental fall/kiss. IT'S CDRAMA BINGO.

Hi everyone,
I've watched quite a lot of kdrama this week but mostly old stuff, and I don't suppose anyone is interested in my thoughts on episode 18 of Reply 1988 after all this time😂

I'm just uploading the new BTS album (with CD3 most importantly!) to my phone's SD card, I've really enjoyed hearing all the demos and the three new songs. Goodness knows what will happen with military service, if they aren't exempted I would prefer them to all go together I think.

I will start on Woori and Yumi's Cells 2 next week.

In the meantime we still have the final three episodes of Our Blues.
It's currently joint number 1 for kdramas of the year for me.

Love the bonsai Briiick!

Metheven sorry to hear of your Mumsnet woes! It's a right pain.

What is it what is it I'm sure I've seen it !!!?? Did her sis end up in hospital and she took her place and her sis is a real bitch and everyone at work is wondering why she's suddenly so nice?

It's still screening (I think) Betty's. It's just Quite A Lot Like some other ones. Called something like A Time to Love? But the sis IS a bitch and needs money for surgery to correct her too much cosmetic surgery and there's a mum in hospital and a sick grandma who needs to see her grandson married. MARVELLOUS. And only 24 short episodes so 👍👍

It's amazing pol how almost identical it is to the plot of Nothing But You (also on iQyi) and yet just enough different to make it worth watching 😂

It's even the same ML!!! <adds to list for when I don't want to be exhausted by trying to work out the plot>

Just finished Shitting Stars. ‘Twas perfect fluff. My favourite couple were Mr 6pm and [spoiler redacted], followed by Ms Cricket Sweater-Bowl Cut and [spoiler redacted] followed by the ML/FL in 3rd place. Agree with whoever said Lawyer Do needs his own series.

Thank you Polkettle, your explanation makes sense. I think there had been plans to make a second season of Lovestruck in the City so maybe the handsome policeman/actress story would have been developed in that had it happened.

I agree on the couple ranking. I loved Lawyer Do and his weird spacer stretched earlobes.

The wine glasses they all used at dinner on Jeju gave me the ick. Can't stop thinking about them 😳

Criminal

@FedUp the last 20 months of my life in a nutshell 🤔😂🙌

With wonderful timing, BTS Proof Live on YouTube takes place in my lunch hour! 💜

Anyone else watching?

Anyone looking for something new to watch might want to have a go at Doctor Lawyer. The FL is Woori, (she's been busy this year, hasn't she) and ML is So Ji-Subs (My secret terrius). I'm finding it very watchable, 4 episodes in.
Love all, play was 16hrs I'll never get back. I don't know why I persevere with some shows.😫