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!

@polkettle The poetry evening sounds fab! Especially when contrasted with baguettes 😁I totally agree with variety being the spice of life.

We did ask our teacher about bullying in schools in Korea and whether it is as physically violent as depicted in K-dramas, and she very matter-of-factly confirmed it was. She said she wasn't bullied herself (teacher was/is quite bad-ass, so I can totally believe it 😁) but people could get quite badly hurt.

@Andante57 Exciting plans, I must get my backside in gear and start planning for next autumn.

LIC sounds great, at this point primarily on the strength of it featuring Ko Gyung-Pyo. But Viki only for now, right? I too do not warm to PMY, although FLAW is the first drama I've seen her in. Arrrrghhhh I mean it's her and Song Kang, so everything screams no at me, but guess what it's one of my top dramas ever 🙈 It's the wonderfully geeky detail, the old director guy pulling concerned faces all the time 😂(not much range on show there mate), intensely dramatic soundtrack, totally random montages (like all the zoo animals at the start of episode ?11, wtf), but somehow I genuinely care about the characters despite myself and I don't want it to end.

STILL waiting for vets and Little Women here 🙄

I didn't like PMY or her character portrayals in either `FLAW or When The Weather Is Nice and am going off her in this too.

Also getting a bad case of 2MLS and am feeling awfully sorry for 2ML. Nothing to do at all with him getting his assassin's gear on, oh no absolutely not no way.

Also feeling sorry for her ex-husband and wanted to kick his taekwondo boss in the shins.

Agree about the stairwell light scene

Definite ✨ SHALALA ✨ Bettys! Liking this Reporter Lee and Scarlet pairing so far 😍
The penis fish though...

The penis fish though...

Yeah, a bit squirty......(again with the manhwa🙄)

Penis fish?

Squirty?

Too much time spent with baguettes, ladies...

✨SHALALA✨

Yeah, so Choi Siwon has to go on the AAO Christmas list @Rowdythree

✨SHALA f-ing LA✨

He's the only 2ML I've ever really had 2ML syndrome for (SWP)

I really recommend this book which has had me laughing and nodding in furious recognition with all afternoon btw to anyone wondering how they have been so sucked into a baguette filled or gluten free Krabbit hole and what it might mean.

I don't think I'll think of building mosquito tents in the same way again 😳 (Love is for Suckers ep2)

OMG Pol that woman has been inside my head 😂I've been through the thought process summarised there and come out the other side and I'm all the better for it 😊I shall be looking it out, thanks!

Oo norty jdrama alert on Viki! Perfect Crime with Dori Sakurada, it's not got that high a rating I can't imagine why 😂
I think I watched it a while back on dramabus but may have to refresh my memory

Me too!!! “A little obsession goes a long way” (paraphrasing) - chef’s kiss! So true. 👏

Really? Choi Siwon? Does he have some hidden charm I'm missing? I may need photo evidence to be convinced of this or I'm going to suspect you of making it up!

I have finished watching True Beauty & ML from AOS made a cameo.
not sure if he was famous at that point? If he wasn’t then how cool is that… he is ML & True Beuty ML is 2nd lead. Tables have turned.

Started Sh**ting Stars again - was in a mood to watch it (very random). Enjoying the chaos/stupidity of newbies & frustration of managers 😂😂

Now Gaus Electronics has the stairwell light gag!

Jin I have finished watching True Beauty & ML from AOS made a cameo.

It's been a while since I watched True Beauty but LJW's cameo was an in-joke as Extraordinary You which he was in playing the fiance of the girl next to him in the cinema had just finished airing. I don't think the 2ML from AoS was in True Beauty but I could be wrong 🤔

What’s caused the ripple of interest in Choi Siwon? I have a fluctuating Marmite relationship with Choi Siwon. He’s really good in some things but also really, really annoying at the same time - My Fellow Citizens, for example. I’m reaching for a Western equivalent. Jim Carrey maybe, but more conventionally attractive.

Shades of a young William Shatner perhaps. Hmmm.

🚨SOUND THE KLAXON🚨

I like a bit of Dori.

Some J bonker-ness 😂😂😂

Choi Siwon is in Love is For Suckers Boaty. Worth investigating to nail down your comparison. Please not William Shatner.

☝This is my actual life 😂😂😂

(Just replace cocoa with coffee)

(Or wine)

WRT Choi Siwon there are times when he seems v attractive as in the ✨Sha La La✨ moments in Love is for Suckers (shallow) and times when he seems a bit of a nob.
I keep noticing his smallish mouth & big chin - not William Shatner definitely I quite like James T. Kirk so cheesy.
Anyway his character in LIFS definitely has an all time unrequited lerv for Scarlett