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 can’t remember which of you lovely chingus recommended the vet series, Once Upon a Small Town, but dh and I are absolutely loving it and are dreading it ending.
Thank you - we’d never have discovered it without your recommendation.
We fell in love with the beautiful Korean countryside while we were there, and this is a nice reminder. Unfortunately I can’t find out exactly where it was filmed as I’d love to go there when we return to Korea next May.
Maybe the film makers deliberately kept the locations secret to stop hoards of sightseers (like dh and me) descending on the village.

I was shocked to learn Go Kyung-Po is in Park Chan-Wook’s new film Decision to Leave. I had him pegged as a Korean Keanu: fun to watch but not a serious arthouse type, but he must be able to ‘bring it’ to have been cast.

I'm struggling Pol
It's a little too silly, I'm missing the translation a lot as the pace is so fast and the credits are stopping mid teaser section on my streaming so I don't get the back story 😐
Saying that, I've only watched 1.5 episodes so will persevere as the characters are quite refreshing.

It probably is quite a "Marmite" show Aesops but give it a bit longer as I think the first episode most extreme and packed with over-your-head Korean puns. It is making me laugh out loud a lot but also has charm with its character development. It is very Korean so I guess I'm only getting about 70% of the jokes/references but that's still enough. Hope the credit problem can be resolved because the final epilogues are very sweet.

Did you watch Racket Boys and I'll go to you when the weather is nice Andante? They're both set in rural locations. Although the absolute top for that is the film Little Forest.

@boatyardblues Go Kyung-pyo was the highlight of Decision to Leave for me. (OK, Tang Wei was mesmerising and there were some great cinematographic moments, but as a whole I found it a bit underwhelming.) He has sublime comic timing and is an emotionally intelligent actor. A skill probably being underused in Love in Contract 🤔

Watched the entire Busan concert yesterday evening. I had been a bit concerned it was going to be little more than a contractual obligation, but I thought it was astoundingly good. Class act guys! 💜And the first live performance of Run BTS, right Bangtan chingus?

Polkettle - I loved Little Forest and thank you for the other recommendations. I think the adorable soldier in Crash Landing is in Racket Boys.

Am I the only one liking Ko Kyung-po in LiC? I think he's a really good actor. He's got these subtle little looks and mannerisms that suit the character. His voice is verr shexsy too.

PMY is really not great though. I don't know whether it's her facial surgeries or her acting, but she doesn't look very engaged.

He's all yours FedUp ! I don't find him remotely attractive, much prefer the brooding 2ML. His comedic timing is good though as someone said upthread.

Agree with your comments on PMY - the newly arrived 2FL is one of my favourites she was so fab in Be Melo and always makes the most of her secondary roles, a very engaging actress.

I’m not caught up on LIC yet. Sounds like it might be about to kick up a notch.

I’m enjoying ep 1 of Love is for Suckers. Choi Siwon rocks the joggers and crocs look so well. 😄 Plus the penisfish scene made me laugh.

@Saram13 - yes first performance of Run BTS 💜

@Jinbhoot I love that video!! More proof!!! 🤣🤣🤣

PMY is really not great though. I don't know whether it's her facial surgeries or her acting, but she doesn't look very engaged.

I'm also not enjoying PMY in this, I'm finding her performance to be insincere and like she's going through the motions. I also want to give her hair a good cut ✂️ loving both the ML though.

I'm really behind on all my dramas at the moment, not helped by the lack of TV 😒Hopefully all singing, all dancing new one will be delivered tomorrow 🙌🏻

I am watching Little Women just finished
episode 10 and OMG - no clue where is it going?
I find the sisters annoying at some points.

Anyone started Under the Queen’s Umbrella?

Jin, I'm waiting for ep2 to drop today before I start it.
In other news, Namkoong Min is slaying it in One Dollar Lawyer, as what started as a possible rom-com turns into something heavier and poignant. The symbolism of the ring on his little finger!!!😢

My kdrama viewing is a bit all over the place at the moment. I was watching Happiness with DH but he's had a run of early starts which means it's on hold for the moment as it's not really an early evening kind of show so he's been making me watch Love between Fairy and Devil instead. I've struggled with cdramas in the past but I have to admit this one's really growing on me, I'm teetering on becoming a cdrama convert, which is a bit of a surprise.

Meanwhile I've been watching My Shy Boss. I didn't realise Yoon Park was in it. Does he always play the same role? The flawed, unlikable character you start out hating but eventually grows on you? He's rather good at it but it would be nice to see him do something a bit different for a change.

I think this flew completely over our heads Little Women controversy

People are raving about Love between the Fairy and the Devil all over my Twitter feed Cobol so interested to hear whether you enjoy. I like an occasional Cdrama but not normally a fantasy person.

polkettle If you're not normally a fantasy person I'm not sure how you'd get on with it because it's about as fantasy as you can get. It's completely set in a fantasy world of gods and fairies and everything looks beautiful and stunning in a way only the Chinese do, with flowing hair and perfect skin. I think what's different about it, though, is the humour. There are moments between the two leads which are really very funny - lots of misunderstandings and deliberate deceptions. Think Midsummer's Night Dream rather than Lord of the Rings. It's a long run, like most cdramas, but the episodes are around 45mins and seem to fly by. We're 18 episodes in and getting really hooked.

I love a cdrama but not as keen on fantasy. I did give LbFaD a chance (for Dylan Wang's sake) but the FL was diabolical 😁

Meanwhile I've been watching My Shy Boss. I didn't realise Yoon Park was in it. Does he always play the same role? The flawed, unlikable character you start out hating but eventually grows on you? He's rather good at it but it would be nice to see him do something a bit different for a change.

I'm always delighted to see Yoon Park, he is so pleasing somehow though he always does seem to get the flawed roles eg FLAW is a perfect example. He has just popped up in ep 1 of Gaus and although he probably only had a guest slot he made the most of it.

I have nearly started cdrama Love Between Devil & Fairy a few times but haven't as not been in the mood for fantasy...might well do after I have caught up with Gausas I am already enjoying it

Yoon Park is more likeable as Crazy Kang in Radio Romance, but I agree he’s often typecast.

Fedup I found the FL in LbFaD pretty cringey too initially and couldn't understand why DH was watching it other than the obvious - the FL is pretty cute - but he normally needs more than that to watch a show and after a while of him having it on while I was in the vicinity I started to get sucked in. The plot evolves quite slowly but keeps getting more interesting and, yes, Dylan Wang is very watchable 😁

That's interesting Cobol! I'll give it another chance 👍

Little Women satisfactory ending.

I didn’t like the in RIABB but in this one totally fan girling.

Totally off topic, but if anyone is also into Bollywood, one of my fave movies is on Prime: Dum Laga Ke Haisha. It's super quirky and heartwarming.