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!

JinBhoot Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better about things.
TheGirl Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Saram13 I once rather disparagingly described Song Kang as little more than a pretty face but since seeing him in Sweet Home I've changed my opinion a bit - he has a real screen presence in it and makes a much bigger impression as a suicidal, parentless teenager than he has in more recent romantic roles. I did like FLAW, though, I liked that rather than being the usual thing about couples getting together it was about what happened next (not to mention all the nerdy/preposterous weather stuff!).

How are you feeling @TheGirlWithTheArabStrap? Wishing you speedy recovery & sending you lots of love & best wishes 💐

@Saram13 I checked out Safety Zone/jone. I heard Blackpink rap Celine as Seleen, while wearing their clothes, and wondered if it was pronounced that way in Korea... you know, like how we say Clarins in the UK🤔
Was it your posts here that got me into BTS? If it was, thank you! I've branched out into Tablo and Justin Park and even some Chinese stuff now.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap Please look after your elbow, it must have hurt like hell when you fell. Kdramas are always the soothing solution 😂

Once again I've been a stone throw away from a REAL shirtless Korean man - went to the theatre to see Dolgalpu. Engaging and funny with great ensemble cast. Recommend to London chingus at a loose end this weekend.

Thanks everyone, im feeling a bit sore now. And discovered that it's super difficult to take a t shirt off even with help, when you can't bend your elbow 😬

I slipped on black ice and dislocated my elbow two years ago. The ambulance guy said "Are you fond of this coat"? Turned out that he had to cut me out of my new coat to remove it. I wore ponchos for a while 😂
Hope you have help with fastening a bra!

wut

www.instagram.com/p/CjHC_k7rIpN/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Looks mental, but as always we are here for it!

Oh no! I hadn't thought of this! 🤣 Going to get dressed now before everyone else leaves for the day

Sorry to hear about your injury TheGirl. I was just commenting to a colleague yesterday how the cyclists in London are brave to tackle the roads near our office as it's a battle just crossing the road.

I'm enjoying Little Women enormously!

@Cobol agreed, SK is excellent in Sweet Home 😃 I'm really looking forward to the second series, which is currently filming I believe.

@MigsandTiggs I recommended some hip-hop-oriented BTS and other numbers to you. (Which reminds me, I think I forgot to include Hip Hop Phile, one of their earliest numbers, which I really love.) I think other posters are probably responsible for the initial happy nudge in the direction of Bangtan 😊

@polkettle 😁

@FedUpWithBriiiiick yes and yes 😁

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap Yes, I suppose we usually see members of BTS with....other members of BTS. So when they're taken out of context they look even more small and neat and ridiculously photogenic than usual. Especially when it's next to guys like Steph Curry 😀

Interesting article: www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/09/113_336332.html

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap hope you are doing ok today! Take it easy and have a bra free week for comfort! 🍈🍈

Discovered as I became interested in Tablo’s music. It’s almost unbelievable. 😥
The persecution of Daniel Lee

PMY dating rumours clarified! www.instagram.com/p/CjFqtPLr44J/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Well that's as clear as mud!

www.soompi.com/article/1547345wpp/park-min-youngs-agency-reveals-she-has-broken-up-with-boyfriend-clarifies-rumors

I guess there's been quite a backlash

That article about Daniel Lee joins 2 dots. He (Tablo) was previously part of Epik High. 👍

Omo!

Kimchi crisis centres help Koreans out of a pickle

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6d05f962-40b6-11ed-a7af-c587dcb7526e?shareToken=d68478fe3196ad466dd8dbd22290186c

Interesting articles chingus. It's wild the power of Korean netizens!
I'm sadly in work now, wearing a bra and all my clothes and a sling. On reduced duties but not as good as a rainy afternoon on the couch watching dramas.

Well that completely sucks TheGirl. I hope you aren’t in pain.

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap I prescribe Soju... to numb the pain xxx

Ha ha good call! 🍶

I hope it's not too painful for you Thegirl x

Heading home for alcohol related pain relief now Bea ❤️

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrapso glad to hear you made it to work with both bra and clothes!😂

One of the advantages of coming late to all things Korean is the back catalogue of movies, dramas and music to explore. I was listening to someone's Best of Epik High playlist on YouTube and was taken aback by the sophistication of some of the music. I felt I could be sitting in the lounge of a fancy hotel in Seoul with live music plus rapping...if that sort of thing still exists.

Wanted to add that One dollar lawyer is probably what Law Cafe was aiming for and missed. It's very engaging and enjoyable.