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!

Boaty, did you look up Lawyer Do? His look has changed drastically over the years!

I had not looked him up, but I will. I like him with long hair. 👍

The Certified Noonas podcast episode on the BL genre is very entertaining AND educational. They just mentioned AO3. 😉

The Girl and Briick I also watched Proof Live, but I only got two songs in before I had to stop for a meeting, boooo. I'm getting the soju in so I can sit down and have a little drink watching their company dinner tomorrow.

No judgement from me Pol, I was actually mildly depressed for about 3 days because Hospital Playlist didn't have a third series, I had to give myself a stern talking to about taking TV shows too seriously.

Here's my preference ranking of the Hospital Playlist MLs:

1. Yoo Yeon-seok=Kim Dae-myung


2. Jo Jung-suk


3. Jung Kyung-ho

I love the bear!

Boaty he is/was an actual rock musician so has had a lot of long hair going on over the years.

I'll have to listen to that podcast boaty ☺️

Yep TheGirl AO3 😉 Once you've found a hashtag it's like crack... 75,000 alternative universe Ikjun is a travel writer and Songhwa is a cafe owning lawyer fic? Or Songhwa is a concert pianist, Ikjun is a composer? Or Ikjun has amnesia? Or is the crown prince of Korea? Bring it on! Actually I loved all the couples in HP but somehow these two are my preferred fanfic portal.
Re. Lawyer Do - liking his rockstar past. I was quite transfixed by the fact that you could see daylight through his ear piercings at points in 💩🌟

I was also transfixed by Lawyer Do’s holey earlobes. Thanks to whoever explained it was spacers wot done it because I was boggling at the idea idols are made to wear heavy enough earrings to do that much damage.

I just watched the Netflix trailer for Alchemy of Souls three times back to back. It looks amazing! Two great leads. Looks like the comedy and sexual tension will be A* quality. 🙏

boaty I am on chapter 55 of Purple Hyacinth, pleeeeease tell me there is a kiss at some point!
plus I really want Grumpy Cat & Cute Secretary to get together

pol …… I blame you…..I could have a productive evening of ironing & paperwork but NO!!! It’s The Time I Love You or whatever the flip it’s called (doesn’t really matter)

I think I dancer Lawyer Do more now that I’ve seen that rock pic. Plus I’m glad his odd shaped holes in his ear have been explained too. Loved his & her nonchalant attitude to being caught in the morning

Dancer???? Fancy!! Bloody auto correct

Yes Pol finding the right AO3 tag is the best ❤️

Um… It’s still dropping weekly. I am just keeping everything crossed they get to boff* before one or other of them is offed by one of the other assassins.

• Have sex (British English slang) for the benefit of any confused non-native British English speakers. All the US sites have this wrong.

Oh FFS MN. I liked it better when it was all fields around here & an asterisk was allowed to just be asterisk. (Waves fist impotently at MNHQ)

Um… It’s still dropping weekly. I am just keeping everything crossed they get to boff* before one or other of them is offed by one of the other assassins

I’ll take that as a no then 😩

Betty - their fighting and derring-do injuries are many, so there are lots of shirt off/applying bandages etc scenes and some other almost snogging ones. I remain hopeful.

Cultural post. I lived as an ex-pat in various countries in the Far East for 8 years, am intrigued by Korean/Chinese culture and now using kdramas as a starting point for further cultural exploration eg food, familial responsibilities, society etc. I know the shows are fiction and for entertainment only, however, I've started* watching Why Her? *and wondered again why so many shows have rape and/or workplace sexual harassment tropes. I found this article:
https://www.iar-gwu.org/blog/iar-web/sexual-violence-insexual violence in S Korea
It explains the light sentencing we see in so many dramas. I also discovered that the SK owner of the world's largest child-porn site on the dark web only got an 18month sentence and then a request for his extradition to the US was denied. This was in 2020! 😡
Anyone here interested in SK beyond the Hallyu wave? I still plan to visit the country next year (already been to China).😃

Anyone here interested in SK beyond the Hallyu wave? I still plan to visit the country next year (already been to China).

Short answer: yes. We’ve shared articles on here previously about feminists in SK, politics, historical events, law, cultural phenomena like molka (voyeuristic porn). Like it says in the OP, we discuss all things Korean as it provides the context for our TV viewing. 😄

Come on Bettys - you could have done ironing and paperwork while watching Lovey Dovey Fell Over Has Anyone Got The Time no problem 😉.

Definitely Migs - been reading quite a lot of SK women writers and they are excellent but pour buckets of cold water on hallyu froth. But that's why it's an absorbing culture.

Definitely interested in SK culture and politics. Those stats about sentencing sound grim 🤬

Migs thanks for that article. I'm really interested in lots of aspects of Korea and nearby countries, I really want to go hiking up those beautiful mountains and do a bit of bird watching. Plus I find the history fascinating too. Would you like to go back to China? What were the highlights for you?

Forfans of Park Seojoon, Choi Wooshik, Park Hyungsik and V: they are releasing a spin-off of In The Soop (the BTS reality show) based around their friendship. Might give it a look...

n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/408/0000158332 mind blown! 😂

Yes absolutely Migs, there's a feminist contingent amongst us, and we do discuss current affairs on occasion. We have to put our views aside for some of the more "old fashioned" dramas, for sure!

I think we can all agree although we love East Asian pop culture etc, none of us are blind to the problems in those areas, especially in relation to VAWG.

Thanks for the reply @boatyardblues much appreciated as I'm a newbie. Any search words for me to hunt out the old posts?

@polkettle Any books you would recommend? particularly but not exclusively on the burden of filial devotion...

@MusiqueAutomatique I don't think I would go back to China as I still have to tour Japan, S Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia. There was so much to admire in China. I loved the Guilin scenery and went to a show there that was staged on the water. It was produced by the same man who designed the opening ceremony for the summer Olympics. Other highlights were the iconic Tianamen Square, Imperial palaces, adorable baby pandas, terracotta warriors (1000's of them!) and eating dumplings made in the shape of goldfish, complete with long fins. Oooh, the food. I hogged the stir fried garlic stems.😋

Come on Bettys - you could have done ironing and paperwork while watching Lovey Dovey Fell Over Has Anyone Got The Time no problem 😉.

This is so true - after all I spent my whole (first) career watching television while I worked so why change the habits of a life time? 🤷🏻‍♀️