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!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick ooooh exciting! Is it an online lesson or in person? Also total respect from me for tackling Japanese 👌

@bettys and @Bea more ooooohs, that sounds like a wonderful day out!😍I was also peeved that the Foyles concert was sold out, but will swing by to check out the shop anyway when I'm in London. Bought my university course books there many many moons ago 🤔

@polkettle and others. The Kopiko thing intrigues me. You can buy them in all supermarkets, corner stores etc. here so to me it's like Polo mints or something. Totally unexotic. I was flabbergasted the first time I saw them in K-dramas. Does anyone know why/how come they're so popular there?

This weekend just gone I met up with course chingus to try out one of the best Korean restaurants our way. The only one I've come across so far that does vegetarian fried chicken. In five different flavours 😳 It was excellent. And the portion was HUGE. Mr 'side-eyes' Saram (suspicious of all things Korean) broke character and snacked on the doggy bag I brought home. Cover blown, mate 😂

Thanks to junior Saram having a playdate, I've just watched episode one of Little Women. Nuts and fascinating. I think this will be the first K-drama I've ever watched as it dropped. GO ME.

Kopiko turn out to be Indonesian/Dutch but clearly planning world domination through medium of Kdrama. Tasty but make no mention of containing any caffeine so unsure of their miraculous reviving properties...

Absolutely fabulous day out @bettys and @bea!!

@Saram13 it's online. Run through Queens Uni Belfast. 17 on the call! I really like the teacher, she's got a good sense of humour 👍

I have major FOMO reading about Betty & Bea’s grand day out. I am now super excited about the Hallyu exhibition. Pray for me as I’ll be going with DH, my teens and my SIL, none of whom share my obsession. They will probably grumble but the Korean meal after should win them round. @bettys Have you eaten at both Olle and Kimchee in Kings Cross? If so, which is best?

And that question is addressed to @Bea too.

I see baked beans in one of the jjigae at Kimchi - browsing the menu. That seems to be all kinds of wrong. However, kimchi fried rice with chorizo and bacon gets the big fusion thumbs up from me. 👍

Yes! We've eaten at both and I prefer Kimchee... I suspect @bettys would agree! The food is really good and yummy but also the surroundings were really comfy and general good vibe! 😅... Would recommend if you're going to eat after 5pm... Definitely book!! When we left... Around 7 ish... there was a queue to get in! 😱

The pa jeon and kimchi stew at Olle were top notch. I will reiterate for the unwary that their kimchi jjigae is fierce on the chilli seasoning.

Thanks Bea!

@bettys and @Bea sounds like you had a fabulous day out! Lovely photos, thanks for sharing

@boatyardblues I agree with @Bea , we’ve eaten at both & Olle has a more traditional vibe, and is good for bbq & cucumber kimchee & of course is where PSJ & Son hung out plus members of BTS.
Kimchee is more stylish maybe it was recommended to us by a Korean guide at the KCC and I prefer the menu . I suspect the stew on the menu with beans is Army Stew (not BTS Army but the spam stew one)
kimchee.uk.com

I've never eaten Korean food out out. I'm looking forward to trying some snacks and banchan!!

Looks like you had a fab day Bettys and Bea!!

Army stew definitely has beans in it (along with everything else known to man) it was 'invented' by US and Korean military who shoved both their countries military rations into a pot to eat together during exercises.

You're in for a treat Briiiiick

We just had a chopstick using competition in my Korean class, I transfered 17 peanuts into a bowl in 1 minute 😅

I'm really impressed by all that lovely food Bettys & Bea although I did happen to have some really nice Korean dumplings for lunch today so I'm not too jealous - but still quite jealous 😀

Impressed by quick change riding habit availability in today's Love in Contract

Damn. I forgot it was Love in Contract night. I’ve wasting my time on manhwa and I should turn in soon as I have an early start tomorrow.

I'm so proud of your fine motor skills @Rowdythree!! Representing the Filthy Noonas admirably 👏

I’m watching Love in Contract, sort of. Keeping nodding off & will need to rewatch last 15 mins. Gripe: why is hulking great 2ML on the tiny pony and PMY on the stonking great grey horse? Poor pony. 😞 I can only conclude it’s because PMY’s red riding jacket looks better against the grey, but I am not impressed. 😠

Gong Hyo-jin's married! He's 10 years younger than her.

www.instagram.com/p/CjoXfEppPkk/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Her husbands hand is so young and girly, I thought she was marrying a woman! 😁

The watches... Gotta get that PPL in! Anthea Turner and flakegate all over again 🤣

Can't remember if this has already been posted but just in case, coming in November, Song Joong Ki's latest drama.
Reborn rich

Awww, one of my favourite actresses. Those watches though 🙈

Bea & Bettys - the outing sounds great. Gosh, just reading about those Korean dishes makes my mouth water.
I’m having a kimchi lesson from my Korean teacher in a couple of weeks which I’m looking forward to.
Gong Hyo-Jin has a whippet so she must be a thoroughly good egg. I think the last thing I saw her in was The Producers, which I thought, considering its stellar cast and writer, was a bit disappointing.