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!

Slightly confused as to what scrambled egg and tomato stained sheets are supposed to suggestively resemble. A trip to the STI clinic would be required...

Breakfast in bed? (Huevos Ranchos)

Breakfast in bed must qualify as most overrated romantic "treat" anyway imo. Cups of tea in bed only please.

Is the secret cartoon character cupboard the equivalent of the secret Lego and airfix room?

Continuing my Dine... monologue...just noticed the stripped Action Man the bff keeps by her desk.

Doraemon Trauma Cupboard

Ah yes. That well known American pandemic of 2009 making an appearance I see.
I do find the mismatch between quantity of food served and quantity of food eaten in CDramas distracting: "Look at this mounded plate of yumminess and watch us eat one carrot shaving and half a grain of rice!"

That tricksy ex girlfriend trying to trick our Su Kelan with caviar and mango allergy! Tricksy wench!

She's an utter cah and needs that smug smirk wiping off her face! 😡

So I've reached episode 10 and they're finally starting to go pubic but - yes - worried about incoming Plot to fill next six hours. Should I skippity skip or is there lots of niceness?

Oi! You're storming ahead... Though I will confess I did do some skippitydoohdahing to check the outcome... 😳😑

I'm here for the second couple. Rampant sexiness.

Caviar ex needs a good boot up the doot. I get cross at limp-wristed FLs not just showing these tricksy tramps WHO'S BOSS.

Not only have I finished Reply 1988, but I've also completed Sh**ting Stars and Our Blues. Must add scores to the spreadsheet!

I've started Woori The Virgin and I loved the first episode, so I'm hoping that the rest of the series lives up to it, and I think DH and I are finally going to start Pachinko, about a million years after everyone else. I might give Dine With Love a go too, you've all got me intrigued now.

The Girl everytime I try to post using the android browser version of Mumsnet the bloody thing opens up another of my internet tabs, even if I close the offending tab. It seems to have loads of bugs lately which is a right pain.

Alchemy of Souls episode 2 was slightly calmer but not much 😂

One of the more random things Asian drama has brought into my life is my daily joy at Instagram updates of a Taiwanese ice hockey player (who I randomly followed after he played a baddy in a drama but have never seen in anything again), his pregnant model wife and their two year old daughter Doreen. They're just so sweetly happy together and make me smile. While also feeling baffled as to what happened to my life that I am beaming at a Taiwanese toddler going to the dentist at 7.15 in the morning

Morning All!

I had high hopes for Alchemy of Souls and it certainly hasn't disappointed so far. It has a real epic feel to it but also has warmth and humour, I'm liking it a lot.

I've actually got quite a few dramas on the go atm. I'm still slowly working through Empress Ki which is very ott at times so I need a break from it but I do enjoy it when I go back to it. I've just started Sweet Home with DH while we wait for more AOS, am watching Tunnel on Viki but with adverts so it's slightly slow going and am also galloping through Uncontrollably Fond, which has become my newest guilty pleasure.

Well I made it to the end of DWL with a fair amount of judicious skipping. The last ep was very long drawn out…apparently there’s a 20 minute special about their life one year on but I can’t find it anywhere
what a messy way to water a plant 🙄

To add more fun, I am watching Dine with Love on YouTube, subtitles seems to be very patchy google literal translator kinda job. Some dialogues don’t make sense at all. I am watching it with skippity dooo as well.

Started When my love blooms it’s very slow but I am enjoying its it has scored 5 on the spreadsheet so I am guessing it will go 💩 midway.

you've finished it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😱

Finally!
whatsondisneyplus.com/k-drama-kiss-six-sense-coming-soon-to-disney-uk-ireland/

Gah that's not the casting I have in my head 😡(but it won't stop me from popping round to Olga's to watch it)

I know...It's so much easier to be a dreamboat when you're drawn.

I like a good lawyer comedy drama as much as the next chingu, but I'm about Extraordinary Attorney Woo after seeing the trailer.

I'm not keen on dramas representing people with autism as one-dimensional characters (the eccentric genius).

agree with you there @FedUpWithBriiiiick it just feels slightly awkward to watch and then add in to the mix... Park Eun Bin who just makes my teeth itch ever since do you like Brahms... I find her very annoying (shallow i know! )....just about managed to put up with her in Kings Affection but this one might be a pass from me....

Dining With Love finished... it filled the fluff void !... daft but harmless... now what?????????? 😳

Eat Love Kill - i think can only be found on disney (will look into it!) Yeo Jin Goo (Crowned Clown / Hotel Del Luna ... too many to mention!) and Moon Ga Young (True Beauty) - i love them both 😍 ... although i've read reviews where it's a little muddles and can't decide what it is ... thriller? rom com? horror? supernatural?... and i'm thinking.... isn't that the very essence of a kdrama!? 😂