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!

Yes I can👍

Love in Contract has given me a bit of a spark back.

PMY back in top form 👍

Me too, I was beginning to think I was falling out of love with K dramas. Sometimes I feel like I'm watching them just for the sake of it rather than for the enjoyment. I really hope this one ticks all the boxes!

I've just started LIC and already getting all the feels that Law Cafe doesn't deliver, so thank you to whomever first brought it up. I'm mystified how the FL actress could go from Red Sleeve to that crap.

Apologies but I'm in a bad mood after spending all week in England waiting on a delivery that was an omnishambles of cock ups! 😤I'm off home to Scotland tomorrow and to hell with it!!!

Plus there's a problem with the V&A website so I couldn't order the Hallyu Wave Exhibition catalogue today. 😢

Jin, if you were nearby we could drown our sorrows together, so instead I'm sending you virtual bottles of whisky, gin and bubbles.😈

Strictly back on tonight. There's a nice big Korean lad on it 😁

Tell a lie he's Chinese

Little women is not at all what I was expecting. It's very good so far I'm on episode 2.
Off to V&A this afternoon and then we are going into ChinaTown to try the Korean hotdogs 😋

DH had a lovely snooze watching In Front of My Face in a cinema with me and approximately 5 other Korean women in it last night. It was a very very arthouse experience. It's showing at Curzons on some sort of semi-general release. I can't exactly say I would recommend you rush to see it, as it is so muted and pared back in all respects that it is strictly for those who Like that Sort of Thing. I enjoyed it - although had to watch with the jeopardy of wondering when DH's snores would reach a pitch where I had to intervene for the sake of the other audience members and got quite giggly. The central performance in it is fantastic.

I have a cinema napper too Pol. It’s embarrassing. Though I will confess to having a nap in Mathilda (the Tim Minchin musical), which is probably worse.

I'd say that's an expensive nap Boaty except that a good nap is priceless.

Have a brilliant time!

I'm counting down the days until November 😁

Musicals really aren’t my thing. It was a family outing. Matinee performance, several nights’ insomnia, carb heavy lunch, dim lighting, warm theatre - what can I say? The conditions were optimal. Even the noisy stage moppets couldn’t fight those odds. 😂

👍 for Love In Contract.

👎 for the Kopiko candy PPL. It’s like bloody COVID. It keeps popping up everywhere. Just when you think the wave has peaked and it tails off, you get a new one.

I’m spellbound by the spaghetti pancake concept in ep 2 of Love in Contract. I know it’s supposed to be a joke about using leftovers, but I think it would work and I’m thinking about options. Do we think a carbonara pancake would work?

Little Women goes from strength to strength. Today’s closing scene was 👌. I’m still on the fence about whether the genius money launderer will come good. It is brilliant television.

Ahhh the Great Dane got married ❤️❤️❤️

https://instagram.com/stories/leekiwoo/2934505403450797870?utmmsource=igstoryyitem_share&igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

😍 woof woof!

Ooh yes please to Love in Contract and would totally eat the hell out of a spaghetti pancake.

The Hallyu exhibition was very good. I took lots of pics but don't want to spoil it for those of you who are planning to go. There is a real treat at the end if you like K Pop dancing! All that practising in lockdown paid off. Let's just say I had a very embarrassed DD 😉🤣
V&A also has a Korean section in the main building which was very interesting too.

Thanks for the report Aesops!! And as much as I would love to see pics, I don't want those spoilers - good woman 👍

twitter.com/bassempire/status/1572939014449119236?t=KEYyx1T12FKCR6rYqVjeSg&s=19

This thread on Strong Girl Bong Soon makes my heart happy 💓🥰

Ahh....Bong Bong and Min Min 😍 - the dictionary definition of 'hypercute' Still my favourites.

Hurray! Managed to buy the V&A Hallyu exhibition book after trying it on my phone! Still no idea why it didn't work on a laptop.

Blind, with Taecyeon in ML, is a thriller with an interesting premise that perceptions blind us to reality. I'm watching on Olga's atm and it's off to an impressive start, so expect lots of twists, turns and red herrings.

Re my previous post about the person with the Sultan of Brunei....turns out it's his son, whose insta is full of photos where he's impecably turned out at polo, Italian speed boating, functions, army etc. So don't understand the too tight suit???
Will now stop the non-K related posts!😂

Fedup, love that the GD's dog attended the wedding! Any idea of the bride's identity, from your sleuthing?

She's a non-celeb. Seems to be the sporty type like him.

I don't have the foggiest clue what is happening in Little Women, but I love it.

I live it too but I still wouldn’t be confident to place bets on who makes it out alive. The FL’s only saving grace is that she doesn’t think like the bad guys and operates differently, so her way of going about things may yet wrong foot them and see her fly free against the odds. 🤞