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!

Bea is the merch expert Jin!

did i hear my name???? 😍😂💜
My first port of call...
Cokodive www.cokodive.com/

for hardcore merch... ships from SK but usually has free shipping ... use SEOK10 to get a 10% discount... very good... good alternative to WEVERSE... all goods official!... new merch you have to be very very very quick... though they usually re stock in a day or two!!!..

2nd Port of call... For really hardcore offical merch - weverseshop.io/en/shop/GL_USD/artists/2/categories/175 - they seem to have just recently opened the shop on the web... used to be only through their phone app!!! so no idea how the web version works!!!

....outrageous outrageous shipping fees (that's why i go through cokodive - though Coco do add it into price of goods! but the pull of free shipping is... ) - when i go through weverse i then use a shipping company... but that's another story!

For from the UK - i very rarely use but they have the goods!!!
BT21 - www.artbox.co.uk/bt21~ch28.html
Sokollab - sokollab.co.uk/collections/bts though pricey IMHO
so for easy uk goodies... BT21 / Sokollab
if you're bonkers - Coco and Weverse
Lots on ebay and also the odd unofficial stuff on amazon

You don't want to know how much i have spent!!!! 😭😭😭
Borahae! 💜

@Bea🤗 🤗 🤗
I love your detailed reply …. Perfect 👍🏼

Also.....Red Bubble and Etsy are good for fanmade merch.
I am very tempted by the Namjooning bag...

Etsy! Yes! Some lovely lovely stuff.. 😍💜

.. And then..
Some questionable..
🤔🤔😣😂😂

Two people have brought me that BTS wooden spoon now 😂 It doesn't stand up to going through the dishwasher very often, the faces are faded now !

Bea: I am loving your collection.
is your stuff on display or tucked away nicely in original packing?

Half and half!... I started off with one cd... And a few bits and bobs that I kept in a box... Which then migrated to a small shelf... And now several shelves in the front room... Which I made into my "office" thanks to Covid!... 😂... We're moving in the next year and in the new place I'll have a proper room to myself which dh admits that the "office" is really just my Bangtan room where I'll have ALL the stuff out!! When bts bought out their own designed artist collection I managed to get the lovely rm wind chime and Hope Pots... They're still in the boxes and I'll deffo get those out when I get settled! 😂💜.. The merch seems to get bigger and bigger! Not only am I running out of money! I'm running out of space! 😱😳😳😳

I’ve just watched 2 eps of The Law Cafe on Olga’s and it’s everything that the limp vet drama isn’t. Law cafe there’s also a dishy x-convict barista. It looks very promising with same female lead as Red Sleeve Cuff.

Sadly I agree about the vet drama, I think it’s the FL. It would have a totally different feel if it was the FL from Todays Webtoon, plus they have changed the story slightly. The toon is much better.

Good to hear about The Law Café it is now on Viki too! So will start that next.

I’ve been watching See You Again on Viki which has the charming fella with the mole on his nose in a time travel tale about a martial arts actor. Enjoying the filming bits but employing a massive amount of skipping & FL is annoying.

... oh no!!!! is the vet drama guffins????? i was looking forward to it!!!! 😭

As bettys said, it’s the fl. I feel like giving her a slap and sending her back to acting school!!

The general consensus seems to be that new vet drama = crap, so thanks for the heads-up 🙂

I agree with everything @Bea says about sources for BTS merch. I have what I used to call the Shelf of Shame (and, now I have no shame anymore, the Shelf of Happiness 😁🙌) in the main bookcase in the living room. Apart from albums and Blu ray box sets I rarely buy official merch. Was sorely tempted by the tea cups in the new Dalmajung collection, until I saw they were apparently designed for pixies 🤔

The three Etsy makers I have bought from more than once are houseofpinsshop (for enamel pins, bags, t-shirts, stickers), shiinapop (for cartoon-style lanyards, bomb straps, stationary) and SewFinePrints (for hanbok-themed hair accessories and lanyards). All US/Canada-based, so delivery takes a while.

I'm going to stick with the vet one which I think slips down fine as a mid-afternoon cup of tea watch. It's very much day drama territory. The ML has delightful forearms and too early to write off FL who doesnt have much to work with yet other than being a bit stand-offish. It does run heavy on tinkly bgm and poor goat/pig corralling skills.

I'm sticking with the vet show too Pol. It's perfect for that mid afternoon slump when you want to sit for half an hour with a cup of tea. I'm not keen on the ML or FL at the moment though. I'm mainly watching for the animals and the countryside folk 😁

Thanks for the heads up about The Law Cafe, I've started that this morning. It's my last day before term starts again so I'm going to make the most of it.

Does anyone else think the building they are using is Law Cafe is the same one as in Suspicious Partners?

watched first 10 mins of law cafe... it looks goooood!!!! and i love FL... I loved her in Crowned Clown and loved her in Red Sleeve.... it's fun to see her in a modern day setting!!!! 😍

She's also good in Doctor John Bea. With the lovely Ji Sung 😍

The Law Café also has the fabulous Kim Seul Gi - she's so coming on the Girls' Night Out (as opposed to the Oppa Pub Night) Her from Red Sleeve & Crowned Clown should come too.

I will keep watching the vet drama as it's not bad per se and has that All Creatures Great & Small thing going on, plus the fabulous 'bunnies' lady from Be Melo & EAW. It's just lacking chemistry at the mo between leads.

OK, maybe I'll have to try the vets after all 🤔 I have been known to watch Virgin River so standards are not that high.

The British museum has got some free Chuseok events on this Saturday 🇰🇷

www.britishmuseum.org/events/celebrating-chuseok-chuseogmaji-chugje

Looking forward to trying law cafe too.
I've finished YLAG what a waste of time that turned into, sooo much labouring of storylines and I skipped lots to get it over with. Ready for a good one now.

Thanks for recommending You’re Perfect for Me on Tapas. It’s great fun. FL’s family are minted, aren’t they? I bet she’s from a notable family too, although I can’t work out why she’s agreed to this ‘part-time job’ if she’s only working in the hotel for research purposes.

3rd episode of vet drama was a third strike. I even forwarded it as well. FL gets on my nerves & just like ML, I had enough by that point.
I can’t guarantee that I wouldn’t be watching it next week because there is nothing else to watch these days. So it will be ‘watch & whine’ series 😩