MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #34): July brings internal conflict. Make the most of sunshine and the long days, or keep on top of your kdrama? 🤔

[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)🌟
My Liberation Notes🌟
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)
Our Blues (Netflix)🌟
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.

The Red Sleeve - 10
Happiness - 9
Devil Judge - 8.75
Squid Game - 8.63
Navillera - 8.57

2020’s top scoring dramas
Mr Queen - 9.4
Parasite - 9.05
It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88
The Uncanny Counter - 8.50
Once Again - 8.42

2019’s top scoring dramas:
Her Private Life - 9.40
Melo is My Nature - 9.00
Tied 3rd: Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within, and The Tale of Nokdu - 8.75
Hotel del Luna - 8.50
Tied 5th: Romance is a Bonus Book, and Search: WWW

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!

Happy hols boaty & I hope you managed to watch Remarriage & Desires on the plane without embarrassment

So will there be a S3 for Yumi's Cells? And who should play Sun Rok?

<also adds Senpai etc to the watchlist>

Happy hols Boaty!
I think no S3 because they used up all the good Soonrok courting stuff on Babi already. Irritating (wanted lovely tsundere introvert whipping off his glasses turn) but overall I think they did a good enough job and enjoyed finale. The internet found the bit part actor who played blurry Soonrok and he's quite a hotty so he'll do 😉
Old Fashioned Cupcake a better watch than Senpai (still incomplete) I think although excellent Bad Western Bearded Man love triangle in the latter plus the excuse to get a shirt off is fantastically tenuous. Happy days

Hyun Bin is flying to Milan. I swear I can catch the approaching pheromones on the morning breeze.

Why Her all came together brilliantly in the final episode, just a few unanswered questions about what happened to a couple of the characters, but overall it was an excellent show.

Agree Rowdy. Kdrama is strange, they blur out knife blades and suicide pills yet show the process of someone dying, almost in slow motion. i know which I find more traumatising.😕

Completely behind on the thread! I caught Covid a few weeks ago and felt so rough, I did watch My Mister but was in such a fog I had to rewatch a few episodes to work out what was going on 🙄I hope I wasn't the only one who cried like a baby over it 😂
I finished Sweat and Soap, hands down the most bonkers thing I've ever watched but ultimately very sweet and joyful.
I've watched one episode of Black so far, I think I'm going to love this one.

Chikapu, I've only just finished Black and thoroughly enjoyed it. A young Seung Heon Heon was also ML in an 2003's Summer Scent and very handsome he was in that too.

Boaty, happy hols in Europe. Near me, three traveller caravans have moved into the church carpark after they got rid of the previous lot last weekend. I fear I now live in a holiday destination area!

I know, it was a very disturbing scene when he was chomping the pills, I was disappointed he didn't get to face his punishment. What happened to the three disgraced sons?

I know I’m being unreasonable, but I can’t go cold turkey on the thread for over a week. Please can you give good warning of any possible Alchemy of Souls spoilers so I can quickly scroll past. There’s no point getting a VPN because the wifi is shit too.

Not exactly a spoiler but am enjoying the cute interactions of Billy Idol Mage and Anime Princess.

Plus, maybe the clothes department are being overly authentic with servant's clothes and making them thick & clumpy, but Jung So Min looks a bit preggers to me. Probably not as I can't find anything online about it.

Thank you for the oblique update Betty. If Jung So Min is expecting it might explain the change of lead for the mooted S2. I could live with it in those circs, but I hated the idea of them binning off JSM.

Rowdy, There's been some online speculation about a S2 for WH?* *but no actual news. I'd watch a S2.
I'm now debating whether to start AofS; wait till it's completed, or go now for the oldie Time between Dog and Wolf. Maybe it's time for a BL drama.😉

So after my Good Morning Call re-re-watch, I had a Coffee & Vanilla re-re-watch, and then decided to read all 79 chapters of the manga.

I need help.

Migs really, thats surprising, I think everything got tied up pretty well, although I'd quite like to see the love storey that followed 😁 I'd watch it if it did happen.

Briiiiick sounds like you've had a good day 👍

The Crown Prince in AoS has splendid eyebrows. The scene in ep10 when Uk is on the boat, and Mu Deok runs to see him was very sweet ♥️

What, did you not have time to squeeze in Scum's Wish ? 😂

<makes note to read manga>

Only the anime version @bettys... I couldn't get into the live action, even though Dori is in it 😁

Yep the live action version is a bit 😖

Hello everyone, hope you're all well. I've been in a bit of K drama funk. Suspicious Partner has got me back in the swing of things. It seems I don't want realism, just fluff. Also looking forward to starting Alchemy of Souls.

I am not able to contribute much on kdrama front this week but I’m enjoying vicariously via your updates.

On the plus side the neighbour’s cat that visits our villa decided I was trustworthy enough for a lap cuddle with my morning coffee today. Progress after hissing at us the first day. 😄

Holiday cats = best cats.

Other than EAW, I have no Ks on the go.

Binging on Js has left me exhausted and slightly concerned* for my psychological and sexual health.

But not that concerned... <fires up Senpai, This Can't Be Love>

He’s very interested in our ping pong matches too and runs after any ball that goes out of bounds near him. He is an excellent holiday cat.

He’s very interested in our ping pong matches too and runs after any ball that goes out of bounds near him.

KAWAII!!!! 🥰