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 don't have that, is it a paid subscription? I'll have a look at My Mister, thank you :)

Yes, Viki is a subscription service but one the more reasonably priced ones. From c£3.50-4 a month. A whole year upfront is around £50. The subs are done but teams of volunteers so the speed at which newly aired stuff has the subs added can be variable, but the subs are more faithful to all the Korean relational terms like hyeong and eonni than Netflix. There is a vast back catalogue to dig into.

It’s Viki Rakuten by the way.

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

My Mister is an excellent choice @Chikapu. It's a 10.

Chinese nonsense complete Betty's and face transplant be damned,the most unbelievable aspect of the whole show was the pristine state of her white sailor dress despite spending a night sitting on a grubby wall weeping and then nursing her mother for days.

Yes!! I'm waiting for Olga to sub but I did see the end scene on the beach 😂Flaming arrows ha ha that is one of the most bonkers proposal scenes.
Have also started Dine in Love but not as taken with ML as the deliciously cheelboned numbers obsessed CEO

cheelboned??? Cheekboned!!! 🙄

Did anyone watch Alchemy of Souls?
It seems to have an enormous budget. The CGI made me feel like I should be watching it in the cinema rather than at home in my living room! It's historical (but in a made-up place that isn't Korea, oh no no) and there's lots of magic.

There seems to a be a sort of sageuk Hogwarts which promises to be fun and luckily for those people confused by the plot, an exposition dragon.

I'm delighted to see Jung So-min again, she was the FL in Because This Is My First Life and I loved her in that. The other actors are mostly unfamiliar to me but I know the ML has been in loads of dramas that I just haven't got around to watching. Lots of lovely costumes and sets and young male rival mages.

There was a bit of a deluge of characters which was confusing and they packed way too much into the first episode. If it calms down a bit it will be fantastic.

Nothing like a line of surprise flaming oil bins on a deserted beach to say I Forgive You Bettys (he's available for Jubilees and Olympic Opening Ceremonies)

I've just started Happiness on Viki 😊There's so much choice I'm fighting the urge to start loads at once!

@Chikapu I have just a couple of episodes of Happiness left and really enjoying it. The zombies are definitely different to any others I have seen on screen before. Loving the FL too, she is a real badass.

@MusiqueAutomatique I will start Alchemy of Souls when I finish a couple of other dramas, so I don't have too many on the go. I tend to get too confused otherwise😂It does look very good.

I am also watching Coffee and Vanilla I think it is a jdrama. Absolute rubbish, but I want to finish it to see what happens, think I will be fast forwarding a lot of it. The ML is very easy on the eye, but that seems to be the only thing going for it. Don't think the FL will ever win an award for acting.

I do love a good zombie!

I’m weak. I gave in to the urge. Now watching 5 shows and that doesn’t include the English ones!!
NB. I have a cleaner 🤣

kdrama has introduced me to SK’s Mariah Carey singing Vincent (Starry, starry night)

I have joined Dibe with Love club.
ML is alright (wish it was Yang Yang). 2nd couple is typical cdrama 2nd couple.

after ep1, all I want now is bitter gourd. I am visiting family on few weeks time so these days compiling list of things to eat while I am there.
Messages MIL to add bitter gourd on the list, she makes the best one, stir fried & then cooked in mince, shallots & tomatoes. Here is not bitter where as my parents believe, bitter the better. My mum cooks it differently - stuffed with mince & lentils.

Watched ep 2 & 3: dinner tonight was stir fried rice with tomato omelette 😂😂😂 yes I am that gullible to PPL etc.

Off to watch ep4 & I hope it picks some pace.

Glad to see more Diners with Love! 😂😂😂... It's quite cute and just the lighthearted nonsense l need at the moment! My dad used to make the egg and tomato dish... It's lovely with rice! I've not had it in such a long time... Made me quite sad / wistful!... 😔😊

Also watching Dine With Love! I was going to ask about the significance of the pig’s intestines but that became obvious later!

Took me ages to work out that the ML from Dine With Love is the 2ML from Love is Sweet.

So it is!!! I knew I knew him from somewhere! I kind of prefer the specky grungy director though. ML was originally in a boy band hence singing competition scene I guess, though annoying that he was playing electric guitar & it came out like acoustic🤔

Hugs 🤗

I also prefer director.
The events before singing competition were unclear- how come she was in a sparkly dress & why was it important to change?

Story & editing is quite patchy at places but I am not complaining & enjoying the fluff.

Yes, they've taken the flashback to a new extreme in Dine with Love. It's constant back and forth. I'm also loving the fluff.

I'm also hurtling towards the end of Matrimonial Chaos. Despite a mid series slump, it's a goodun. I'll reserve full judgment until I see the 🐝.

Anyone watching Love the way you are ?
fluff? Yay or nay?