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!

Thanks for the Binn of the day link … I have recently introduced my cousin CLOY, wanted to show her our Binn account.

I had about 8 episodes of AOS, which I have just finished - all set for last two episodes. Why do they need S2 when all of this can be sorted in next 2 episodes.
And I would like to point towards PA/guards in black. Even the baddie’s guard looks cool.

Are honey biscuits a real thing? I quite fancy some.

Here’s the new thread for later when this one is full: www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4620364-mslattes-daebak-cybercafe-kdrama-addicts-35-autumn-season-of-mists-mellow-fruitfulness-and-woolly-wookiee-oppa

Same as usual, let’s fill this one first so no one is left behind talking to themself.

Pol - as originator of the Woolly Wookiee, please can you repost the link/pic in the new thread for posterity. 🙏

Nice title boats! 😂

I'm currently 4 eps in on Adamas (revenge ft corruption and murder?) and it's an interesting enough mystery/crime filler while I finish AOS and wait for the next MLN/EAW to drop. Still using Olga's for Big Mouth as it's not yet on Disney+ UK.
Also trying webtoons but afraid of ending up with a repetitive strain injury from all the flicking required!💪

Yay! Sixth Sense Kiss is back on Webtoons 💪💪

Was it you that recommended Manta Betty? It’s now my favourite platform. I like the flat rate monthly all you can eat sub fee. I like that it properly bookmarks your episodes, including showing if you’ve only partially read an episode. I love the daily calendar function so you can see straight away what has updated. I like the grouping of the genres. I love not being fleeced for coins/ink every 5 mins and it’s a very reasonable monthly fee. It so much nicer to use. My only criticism is that it doesn’t seem to have as much content as Webtoons and Tapas, but the quality of what’s there seems good.

This week’s I See You (Manta) storyline for the children’s reaper is brilliantly done, but so sad.

It was either me or more likely FedUp as she recommended it to me in the first place! I agree with all the points you’ve made, I much prefer a flat monthly subscription - I currently spend a lot of time ‘earning’ coins on Webtoon & Tapas so I can fast pass. I just wish they had more CEO / contract marriage style stuff 😂

I don't spend any coins on Webtoons and find it pretty well set up (Tapas is another matter and annoying.) I've now got enough weekly (and daily wait for free) droppers that I'm invested in for every day of the week and spend the first half hour or so of each day reading through my newly arrived chapters. I NEVER fast pass (so disciplined!) for non complete series as then you're tied into paying each week. It really doesn't matter after all that you're a month behind if it's coming out in weekly drips anyway. Between that and fanfic updates (and Wordle) I am very happy in bed after waking with dawn 😁 I just need a Teas Maid (or a better trained DH).

Aah, a Teasmaid would be wonderful Pol, I'm always awake first and I'd love it if I could have a cup of tea without going downstairs and doing all the jobs that involves...

Did anyone watch Seoul Vibe last night? I actually fell asleep and missed the most exciting bit I think, so I need to go back and rewatch. I enjoyed it, but I felt there might have been some parts lost in translation. I also thought a bit of background into the state of South Korea as a country at that time would have helped to set the scene better. It was a good action romp though and I liked the nostalgia. I also liked that it had two cast members from Reply 1988 in too 😁

I got about half way though it and was enjoying it, but got sleepy and was missing chunks. I’ll be watching the rest tonight. I loved the 80s fashion and music. It was also great to see the mopey girl from A Piece of your Mind playing such a whip-snapping character.

Time article on the growth of Thai BL dramas.
time.com/6208817/thailand-bl-dramas-popularity/

Interesting article pol , thanks! Wonder why they didn't reference KinnPorsche ?😂

I stumbled across BL toon Apathetic Boyfriends on Tapas which I am finding very amusing, and cute, and free so far!

I’ve started reading the BL ‘toons on Manta out of curiosity. They seem significantly worse for ethically questionable, coercive and/or unwanted rough sex than the M:F ones, though a couple of those have raised my eyebrows.

I loved today’s AoS. Hope it all turns out well.

For some reason I've ended up in Bali this evening watching A Perfect Fit on Netflix. It's not the highest quality but it does feature bare chested mud wrestling.

Perfect pitch Pol! It piqued my interest and made me hoot with laughter. 🌟

Yes, I gave a bit of a warning (to Bea or Bettys?) quite a while ago that Manta was a verging between being a bit loosey goosey with consent, and downright sexual assault in the worst cases.

As it has gained popularity, the platform seems to have cleaned itself up a bit, but still, not totally. BL is the worst offender.

Are we saving AoS chat for after the finale today? Is anyone watching far behind us? Trying to work out how frankly we can speculate about the extra episodes without spoiling for anyone who is behind & catching up.

Yeah it was me FedUp ! Manta definitely isn’t as curated as Webtoons so you do need to watch out but there is some great stuff in there. Currently really enjoying ‘Check In To My Heart’ and ‘Dubious Moon’ for CEO romance. ‘Who Can Define Popularity’ is a sweet BL and also in fantasy revenge enjoying ‘My Husband, My Sister and I’.

I'm on episode 15 of AOS boaty so a spoiler alert on any comments discussing the finale would be a appreciated so I know to skip them.

As a little end thread treat, here is the Sweat and Soap manga!

www.sweatandsoap.com/manga/sweat-and-soap-chapter-1/

Enjoy! (Ignore questionable ads)

Will do!

I've just watched episode 19 of AOS - I just want it to finish there! That's the end for me