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!

And important news for anyone planning to visit the Hallyu exhibition at the V&A - looks like tickets are selling out extremely fast. I was tipped first thing by a friend that they'd just gone sale, and when I checked in a few minutes later every time block I clicked on was either sold out or 1 ticket only left. I booked for myself and the friend I'm going with in two consecutive blocks, seemed to be the only solution.

I am really looking forward to the Hallyu exhibition at the V&A. Thanks for the tip off about the tickets - I’ll get on to it today.

It must be a glitch that doesn't seem normal....it's right through until next year

I’ve emailed the V&A to flag the problem. I will try phoning later to see if I can book over the phone.

www.instagram.com/p/Cf7uiWuOOS4/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I hope it is a glitch! It's one of the main reasons I'm going to London in November!!

I'm going to ring too @boatyardblues 👍

I can't miss out! 😬

Ok folks. All tickets are now available!!

I've ordered mine for 2nd Nov @ 10:30

🙌🙌🙌

Glad it's sorted FedUp!

Apologies for any panic caused in the Daebak cafe 😱 I've missed out on tickets for exhibitions in London before that have sold out at the speed of light. Plus I was at a Korean cultural event this weekend and it was totally swamped, they had to close the queue hours before it ended. So it didn't seem all that unlikely 🙈 [shuffles away]

Nope, you did well Saram! Appreciated the 🥾🍑

I’ve just bought our tickets for November. Sadly not on the same date as FedUp.

Thanks for the heads up to book the tickets Saram, I need to book tickets for myself and DD to attend. I'm not sure when to go, I wish I knew her college timetable in advance 😒

I'm also glad to hear that we can cling on to our Noona status rather than becoming Ahjummas 😁 Maybe we should all have a Filthy Noona badge so we can recognise one another if we bump into each other at the exhibition 🖐🏼

Good to know there isn't a problem about the Hallyu exhibition! I'm really looking forward to going but haven't booked our tickets yet. I'm considering going on my day off so I can actually go around and enjoy myself instead of dealing with children taking up my attention. I think a thread joint trip to the exhibition was mooted at one point, is anyone still up for that?

Migs yes, the siblings are lacking in the personal care department aren't they? I thought it was quite refreshing though in one way to see an attractive female character portrayed as a slob though 😁

Boaty and Bettys these are interesting questions about whether it's the outer shell or the inner person that has the hold over the MLs. I will be sad to see Jung So-min go though, I really rate her as an actor.

I'm bingeing on various webtoons at the moment. One I'm currently reading is american (so not really relevant here in our world of lovely asian entertainment) but has a character from Wales that is seen actually speaking welsh. It was a bit of a 'whaaaaat' moment.

@MusiqueAutomatique Let’s Play by any chance? 😂 Never heard Bunty used as a nickname before 🤔🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Hallyu booked for Sept!

Apologies for lack of contribution this week, it's too hot 🥵

Hallyu booked! I will be the one Stealth Bangtanning!!!! 😎💜... (ALL my BTS Merch on!!!)...

Wellll.... No... not really! 😆😆😆

currently watching She Would Never Know and I really like it.... I like the CEO and Wedding Dress Sister budding romance though i can't figure out how that is going to work out as his sister is pretty 😣 and the grandfather is very objectionable... not to mention his friendship with conflicted/ backed into a corner/horrible father/but still doesn't give you the right to be a d**k BM Lee!... i'm on ep7 or 8 and i'm still having a hard time figuring out who is who and how they are related to each other... it feels like a very larghe cast if characters... though Tall Rowoon is as lovely as lovely as ever ! 🥰

Hallyu booked for October! 🫰I may indulge in a bit of stealth Bangtaning & hoping for goodies in the museum shop 💜😎 Will we spot other Daebak Café members hmmm?👀👀

Very much looking forward to this!
I pray 🙏🙏to the great KDrama Gods that he has not followed the path to Turkeysville ala now demoted Grrrr Ji Chang Wook!!!! I am lighting incense as a offering right now!!! 🙏

Am I the only one who gave up She Would Never Know?
I can't deal with the FL, I find her so flat. And he's a bit... young.
They don't have any chemistry either.

It was supposed to be my light-hearted break from Snowdrop, brilliant show but so depressing I keep pausing it.
I've moved on to K2, not exactly light hearted but with good leads.

anonacfr I gave up on She Would Never Know , just couldn't get into it either. Definitely no chemistry between them, I was very disappointed.

Very much enjoying Extraordinary Attorney Woo. It's the only currently airing I'm watching.

I had She Would Never Know in my watch list. I'll give it a miss. Thanks Methaven and anon!

I skipped to the end of She Would Never Know as the relationships were annoying me.
Very much enjoying Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and may pop round to Olga's for Sixth Sense Kiss though that will prob make me sigh over absence of hot 2D male torsos (plus everyone looks 10 yrs older than the webtoon)

I have just devoured Another Love (manhwa) on Webtoons. Thankfully it starts with a full of holiday romance which cuts to sexy times early on so no major irritation about them still dancing around each other at ep 125. Good set up. Another webtoon crying out for an adaptation when it’s completed.

Full on.