MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #35): Autumn - season of mists, mellow fruitfulness and Woolly Wookiee oppa

[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 an asterisk 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
Alchemy of Souls (Netflix) 🌟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)
Sweat and Soap (Viki, Japanese)
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.

1. The Red Sleeve - 10
2. Happiness - 9
3. Devil Judge - 8.75
4. Squid Game - 8.63
5. Navillera - 8.57

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

2019’s top scoring dramas

1. Her Private Life - 9.40
2. Melo is My Nature - 9.00

3.= Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within, and The Tale of Nokdu - 8.75

1. Hotel del Luna - 8.50

5.= Romance is a Bonus Book, and Search: WWW - 8.17

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 am now up to date with the eerily white baguette chat! 😂 I can never look at a baguette the same way again, or an octopus 🐙😂 beside the aforementioned baguette the ML appears to have quite a few 🚩🚩🚩

I'm looking forward to watching the vet show to purify my mind 😇

Oh and LEENALCHI were absolutely brilliant to watch live, the whole concept and story telling of the album was translated and the quality of the vocals and instrumentalists were excellent! 👏

https://youtube.com/shorts/dOYWtSnyaYM?feature=share

Replace "parents" with "spouses"

@AesopsMables I've just finished Misaeng and it is good; 9.0 from me. A weightier drama that made me reflect deeply on some parts and great ending!

I just remembered what I have seen the FL from the vet programme in. She was in Tempted, where she played a very similar character

Having dipped into a couple more filthy manwhas, Don’t xxxx where you work stands out for having a decent, balanced relationship The chaebol ML in Destructive Desire just torched the FL’s new business to get back at her for leaving him/to win her back. 😮 What a prince! Not a sociopath, no siree…

Have you ventured into the manga yet, Boaty? 😬

By manga, I’m assuming you mean the Japanese stuff. No, not yet. I still have Soap & Sweat on my mind and how batshit/wrong things might be if you don’t have to talk real humans into playing the part.

Yah ha.

Coincidentally S&S is on the Baguette site. It's one of the sweeter ones. I stick to the manga that has been adapted into live action. The other stuff is GRIM.

@polkettle Have you finished One Night Morning yet? No spoilers if you haven't, but it is just lovely right to the end.

The words "Obscene baguette comes out every Saturday" have taken on a whole new meaning!😂

Not yet *FedUp- spinning them out like a packet of wine gums 😍
😂 Miggs

Ohhh Positively Yours is on the Baguette site in full! Take that, Tapas ink!

The old man and his bull actually genuinely touching in today's vet installment.

@Rowdythree so glad you got to see LEENALCHI and that you enjoyed it so much! 🤩They will be playing near here, but not quite near enough to make it work, unfortunately 😬Hopefully they'll be back sooner or later 🙂

I'm going to (have to) stick with my guns on not going down the manga/manhwa rabbithole, baguettes or no baguettes 😁. I'm still working my way through Youth of May and EAW (lack of time, not lack of interest) 😨

Good call Saram. It’s a guaranteed time sink.

Afternoon all, hope you don't mind if I join the thread. Currently watching Mr Queen, bit more than halfway through.

Hello Iwillshine 👋 welcome to the thread, Mr Queen is a brilliant show

I am so behind on my dramas, last week I only had Today's Webtoon on the go, but for some reason I now have 6 shows I'm watching plus the smut to read 😬hopefully I can get up to date on the vet show and watch ep2 of Little Women tonight. I feel like I need a spreadsheet to keep track of everything at the moment!

Welcome @IwillShineOnYouLikeMorningStar ! Lovely to have you with us.

(Thank goodness we haven’t frightened all the lurkers and newbies away with smut.)

Speaking of smut, My Friend’s Hidden Charm is adorable (as well as very saucy). I bet you can all guess what the hidden charm is. No psychos, no nasty coercive ML. Just youthful exuberance. 😄

@polkettle yes! It was!... I'm really really enjoying the vet show! It's fun and gentle and... Yes! The old man and the bull... 😢

Hello! 👋@IwillShineOnYouLikeMorningStar come and join in!

Welcome Iwillshine! I loved Mr Queen and like everything the FL is in. Have you seen the mini series Hymn of Death?

The whole of ep 6 was quite moving, but especially the bull story 😢 I did wonder what the old man was going to do with the bull though, afterwards...

I took a day off to do admin etc.... watched BTS Permission to dance on Disney+ and the lyrics were in English on screen. Those young men are amazing.💖How do they manage to sing while dancing?? And the calorie deficit from their routines - I need a lie down after a Step class!!

Not seen that yet Migs, I think I'm going to have to start a list. Currently I only watch the free stuff on Viki, plus whatever is available on Netflix, or Amazon Prime without any extra payment. Am thinking of possibly getting the Viki subscription for a couple of months, when I've finished all the free stuff that's currently available.

Am also attempting to learn Korean. Anyone else who's been learning it - what online resources can you recommend? Am still very much a beginner.

Hello IwillShineOnYouLikeMorningStar and welcome. I was like you, only watching the free stuff on Viki, and have just subscribed, I am so glad I have, there is just so much on there. As for a list, after you have been on here for a couple of weeks, it will be a fully fledged book.

Hi @IIwillShineOnYouLikeMorningStar
Welcome to the thread! 👋 I loved Mr Queen
I'm barely watching anything at the moment due to work craziness. My brain is mush 😂