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!

I've started Sky Castle tonight and on ep 3. It wasn't a show I thought I would like but it's good so far. Fully caught up with EAW and completed Why Her. After a 10 day break from viewing I'm certainly making up for it.

Here, this looks fun!

www.instagram.com/tv/Cgk2Uo-ATD9/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Hard agree!

@Andante57 Article commission 🙌😀

Did anyone else check out the V&A online shop already? Catalogue and exhibition t-shirt look promising 👀

@boatyardblues @FedUpWithBriiiiick I'll have a look to see when that series will be out on Netflix Europe. Probably 6-8 weeks later than in the UK.

Does anyone have any obvious suggestions for Korean-content accounts to follow on Instagram? At the moment, Korea-wise, I follow the 7 (obviously 😺), a few Etsy makers, theswoonnetflix, and thekoreanvegan.

An old favourite of ours is MyKoreanDic, but his content has not been as good recently.

@polkettle has loads. She's a fiend for insta.

Saram re. Instagram, have a look at deemalovesdrama. She’s even more of a K drama addict than us noonas - she did a trip to Switzerland checking out all the CLOY locations.

FedUp I love MyKoreanDic - he makes me laugh.

Insta has changed its algorithm and it’s become quite annoying as one has to scroll through masses of posts that it thinks you might like. Okay, I have found some Korean content that way but it does take longer going through it.

Insta is losing its USP. It used to be so easy, now you have to trawl through endless terms of pretty girls in gym gear making avocado toast while pointing at invisible text on the screen...

KWWWAAAAAAAA!!!!!

This looks really good! I always love a trip back to the 80s

Saram I like Koreanet_official on Insta, for random factual snippets

I should be working, but now I'm looking up Korean content on Insta. 😁

I am indeed a follower of anybody and everybody on Insta. I follow actors as and when they crop up but that tends to mean a lot of golf posts and sponsored face care posts (although also some excellent floofy dogs and cats)(on a separate note my gaydar is completely befuddled by Korean actors' dual love of tiny groomed dogs in dresses AND a day on the putting green)
There are a few good collating KDrama accounts - I like dramask and kdram.aluv but they do post spoilers of episodes quite quickly so approach with caution... Also suggest following hashtags of your favourite shows and that will lead you to some interesting places...
And follow the Korean editions of Esquire and Marie Claire etc for hotty ad shoots and Dispatch for the gossip.

Great post Pol!

You know, I was just thinking last night what a great community the Daebak Cafe is. We all have input, and areas of expertise we bring to the table. Super welcoming to newbies, no hierarchy (although we all know Boaty is boss 😁)

And we all agree that SSK is the hottest thing since sliced teokbokki... although I spotted him first, so nyah.

We're the best ☺️😘

We really are Daebak! 😁🤗 (and Boaty is the boss 😉)

FedUp Seoul Vibe looks excellent and Yoo Ah In is a fantastic actor. I know he has starred in loads of highly regarded films and dramas, but I also love his cameo in Descendants of the Sun - so plausible as a ‘sorry, no, we can’t help you - next please’ bank clerk.

Yoo Ah In is a fine actor and the doorway snog in Chicago Typewriter was top notch, but I had to unfollow his insta feed because he came across like an absolute dick. The kind of porn-influenced pretentious knobbery that made me dislike him quite vehemently. It has thrown shade on my enjoyment of his work ever since. TLDR version: avoid his insta feed.

I’m not down with all this boss stuff. The Daebak café only works because everyone pitches in. I do take perverse pleasure in keeping on top of starting new threads because it’s a tiny beacon of light in a life littered with ironing hillocks, unattended domestic filing and dusty bookshelves.

To give Yoo Ah In some credit he is about the only actor to feature the man (a photographer?) widely reported to be his boyfriend on his Insta. While he hasn't directly commented on his sexuality he's about as close to an openly gay idol as anyone's allowed themselves to be. They like their pretentious art though it's true...

Thank you for that additional info Pol. I feel more kindly disposed toward him now.

Boaty yes I unfollowed him as I found his posts pretentious.

I also found Yoo Ah's Insta to be a bit pretentious and porn-sick. I do not like him.

That first kiss in EAW. 💗Why wasn't there a Lee Jun-Ho in my life when I was a teenager??

@FedUpWithBriiiiick @Andante57 @Rowdythree @polkettle @boatyardblues many thanks for all the Instagram tips! I'll look them all up 😀

I really enjoy posts by the people I've chosen to follow, but agree that the barrage of random suggestions you have to wade through to access them is rather irritating.

@boatyardblues I swore off ironing years ago 🙈 but dust and paperwork - I hear you.

I've never joined or followed any kind of internet forum before in my life. But am really glad desperation for someone with whom to share my love of all things Korean drove me to find Mumsnet (and language course) chingus 😃🙏

Watching new C-drama You Are My Glory on Viki, starring Dilraba Dilmurat. This time: SPACE PATRIOTISM!

Poor DD is so pale and whitened in this one, she's practically transparent 😳