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’m very much liking the cut of Tablo’s jib. His 2 Fever’s End EPs have lots of collaborations and veer between different genres. It’s a very Korean way of approaching things. There’s so much interest, I have bookmarked both for repeat listening.

TOTALLY fed up of the mardy faced scheming ex in Cute Programmer Bettys. See this is why I like the low stress noble endeavour CDramas where nothing happens 😁.

Absolutely agree pol , the mardy faced scheming ex is one of the worst I've come across in a while. Totally deluded. Plus the MLs character is such a pillock and so childish I am unsure what it is these women see in him.

Honestly he'd better pull his finger out and give her a proper unnecessary single use plastic strewn confession and actual consensual snog soon 🙄

I've watched this so no one else need bother, it started off strong with the abs and flirty carrot eating, but didn't really progress..oh well 🤷‍♀️

Okay I am finding his suffering quite satisfying. Idiotic man.

@Metheven I know!!!! He's so adorable 😭

Thank you for your services to the thread Rowdy. 🙂

🚨WEBTOON KLAXON🚨

Unloveable Replacement is good good good good!

Boaty Found Fever's End 2 on Amazon Music and it's a keeper. I can just imagine the resigned sighs of my neighbours as Korean lyrics blast over the hedges...just when they got accustomed to Spanish ones! 😎
Send more hip hop finds my way 🎶

@boatyardblues Yes, 이소라 = Lee So Ra :) If you don't know it already, maybe try her 'Song Request' (featuring SUGA). Great performance from both 😍

@MigsandTiggs This may be a bit obvious, but have you tried BTS members' solo mixtapes yet? RM: Mono. J-Hope: Hope World, try Base Line. SUGA: Agust D and D-2, for example Moonlight and Daechwita from the latter. The songs that drove me to study Korean 😃And their earlier, more hip-hop oriented numbers, such as Paldogangsan?

My course chingus have also put me on to other hip-hop numbers like Okay Dokey by MINO, ZICO and Hello Bitches by CL. I think I'm confusing neighbours too 😂

Another recommendation was the London-based artist Miso Extra (try 1013) (she's Japanese/English, not Korean though).

And: I feel like a proud mother to see that Balming Tiger are about to release a collab with Namjoon 🙌Don't think I'll be seeing them in a tiny room with an audience of 200 anymore...

Hello all.

I've had a name change but I'm still a defunct computing term so hopefully you'll be able to work out who I am.

I've just finished Find Me in Your Memory which was pretty rubbish and really struggled to fill 16 eps. I wouldn't recommend it. I'd definitely recommend Record of Youth, though, which I watched previously. I think it was MigsandTiggs who tipped it and I agree it was surprisingly good. All the characters were well fleshed out and had interesting storylines.

I'm now trying to decide what to watch next. Is Dr Romantic any good? Or can anyone recommend a crime one that's not too dark, I enjoyed Tunnel.

@Cobol I liked Dr Romantic S1 and would recommend.

@Saram13 I've only just become a BTS fan so will be listening to everything you mentioned .....once I get past those IG clips of Jimin dancing. I swear that boy has had an infusion of latin blood!!

boaty Loving Fevers End especially Cave Me In

Also v much enjoying FedUp’s tip off of Unloveable Replacement

OMG HE'S STILL BEING A PILLOCK Bettys
🙄🙄🙄 All that trouble to find her! Screaming at my laptop.
I liked the Microsoft Excel burn though

JUST EFFING TELL HER YOU EFFING LOVE HER YOU ABSOLUTE OAF

I know!!!😤He for sure wins the Daebak Pillock Award For Not Communicating And Extending The Plotline Unnecessarily

Thanks MigsandTiggs. I don't normally watch medical dramas but I think I'll give it a go.

I forgot the insta handle of Mr Binn

instagram.com/binof_theday?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I fancy a rewatch of My Contracted Husband, Mr Oh. A wee gem.

I just clicked through to Binn of the day and a chortle at his Ss Patrick's Day Guinness ‘tache.

We are now <80 posts from the end of the thread so here’s my usual call for additions and updates to the OP. With the AOS finale imminent we may power through to the end more quickly than usual.

I can only apologise for the typos. DS1 got back from his house party in spite of sn extension before we got home from the pub. 😂

Aww happy memories of Mr Binn ❤️ we definitely need a Mr SSK! Although I'm not sure they make a cardboard version of him yet... We might have to DIY 😂