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!

Thanks Pol!

Last 5 mins of MLN ❤️❤️❤️ GuMi couple ❤️❤️❤️

The way I see it is, we only get one shot at life and it's important to embrace and celebrate what brings you joy😄

Very true, Saram, and the nice thing about Korea , it’s culture and K drama and music is that there is so much to explore and enjoy.

I wasn’t over impressed by The Sound of Magic. I thought the pet incident was sad and although the mean girl behaved appallingly, his reaction was awful.
I thought the magic was arbitrary and there were a lot of loose ends which weren’t tied up.
When Ah-yi performed a remarkable feat of magic surely the police would have been more astonished?
Also - and this is one of the few things I dislike about K dramas - Hwang In-youp is 31 which I think is a bit old to be playing a schoolboy. Maybe that’s nitpicking though.
Still, Ji Chang Wook is always a pleasure to look at.

Just called 'In the K-indie' in fact.
Lovely bit of drawn bokeh on last panel of today's Secretary Out of Order.

@Andante57 I have similar views about The Sound of Magic

Late to the party - oh my what a treat MLN is. I feel like dropping by for a dinner or BBQ with friends.
The dialogues about heart racing - The whole bike incident- conversation b/w FL & Gu - club meetings…. I can’t pick my favourite.
I am on ep9 now.

I definitely will 😍! Thank you

I couldn’t agree more. Thank you

Hi Saram13 and MusiqueAutomatique 👋!

Thanks for the welcomes

Oh my manners! @KpopArmy I didn’t spot you were newly joined. You have a similar username to a past visitor. Welcome!

Briiick that jdrama sounds totally bizarre.
Can you imagine an idea like that getting anywhere near being made in the UK?!

Rowdy he says he is going to restart it again after watching half of episode one ages ago.
Maybe I'll put reminders in our Google calendar along with 'Bin day' and 'Wash the sheets' 😂I hope you have some success with your DH.

Andante I wasn't convinced by The Sound of Magic just from the trailer. I think I'll give it a miss from your description!

The first half of episode 14 of MLN was a tough watch. All very raw but again, very honest and well done.

Welcome, KpopArmy.

Musique I was puzzled by the Sound of Magic. I thought JCW as the magician was supposed to be a good, if troubled, person so I was shocked by his treatment of the school bully - even though her behaviour at his place and at school was appalling.
Maybe in Korea people feel the punishment fits the crime but I thought a man attacking a woman was never acceptable.

I thought The Sound of Magic was fabulous. Different to what I was expecting from the trailer, but just brilliant. I normally like happy fluffy musicals and the themes in this were definitely grittier than I normally watch.

I have been listening to the soundtrack on youtube for days.

Ji Chang Wook was excellent in it, he really portrayed a beautiful vulnerability as Lee Eul and I thought his singing was top notch. His background in musical theatre obviously served him well in this.

@Andante57 I rather liked that all the loose ends weren't tied up too neatly. I get what you mean about Hwang In-youp being 31, but he certainly could pass for a student.

I really hope we get more musical kdramas.

@Andante57 Forgot to say, the treatment he gave the school bully was certainly jarring.

Hello @KpopArmy 😊

In MLN - I think Mr Gu was referring to The Bridge in episode 9 (suicide regret). I watched the documentary as a part of training about spotting signs of suicide. Very powerful documentary.

what’s the link between My Mister & MLN? Same writer? Or producer?

Writer, Jin. Similar atmospheric feeling in the dialogue.

Blubbing like a baby at episode 12 of Tomorrow where Mr. Lim is talking to his mum😭

👋 @KpopArmy

I just have ep 14 of MLN to go then I'm up to date before the last episodes next week. The end of 13 made me cry so I'll have the tissues ready for 14.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap I just caught up on MLN last night. This is definitely going to be one of my all time favourite dramas, everything is just done so well.

Started Our Blues. A bit distracted by Cha Seung Won who looks like somebody who looks a bit like Cha Seung Won, or is that just me?

For the longest time I thought it was Lee Moo-saeng...

Ok, the comments about Sound of Magic got me curious so I decided to brave the singing and give it a go and I must admit I'm rather enjoying the darker, more fantastical elements. It's kind of Willy Wonka meets Buffy the Musical. JCW is rocking evil magician, a welcome improvement on Lovestruck (loser) in the City.

Elsewhere, after a couple of tough (harrowing?) episodes in the middle, Tomorrow has now found another gear and is cracking on with the underlying storyline and is shaping up nicely with just one episode to go.

Look at this header. What a boy.

www.instagram.com/reel/Cd-oeiuPE8z/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

whatever that Insta was linked to has vanished. Spill the beans FedUp.

I’m watching Woori my lunch break because I fell asleep half way through last night’s episode. It’s such fantastic melo-makjang-a-go-go. The evil MIL picture smashing fight scene made me whoop with delight and then laugh hard. I mean, I had my suspicions but to be proved right in that way? ⭐️ 🤣

Oh noooo it was Mr Gu practice some sort of fight scene by himself on a bus all mental and sweaty

Is it possible the link was incomplete? I’m clutching at straws here, but that sounds like essential viewing. 🙏

😅