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!

Is anyone else getting a weird error with Law Cafe? Mine just says Ep 0 and available in -1day and won't play...but no actual error message :(

Also not liking the vet show - boring

I had to watch ep 2 of Little Women on my phone. It wouldn’t load on my smart TV. Oh my word, though - it is gripping. Top notch stuff.

Also here because the trailer of Narco-Saints had me bouncing on the sofa with excitement. I don’t think he’s a main character but Yoo Yeon-Seok looks to be playing a bad guy. Trailer is promising. I’m really hoping for some of that brooding Dong-Mae energy. 🙏

Narco-Saints starts Friday. Perhaps Aesop’s plea for quality has been answered.

Giving the vet drama a swerve. Thanks for being the QC, chingus!

Very much looking forward to Narco Saints.

Also loving Little Women.

Hopefully autumn brings some more watchable shows, there's been a minor drought in late summer.

Has anyone watched Seoul Vibe? I didn't realise it was a film until the other day, is it any cop?

I watched just over half of Seoul Vibe but had to park it to go to bed (it is fairly long). It is fun and well done. I loved all the 80s fashion and gadgets from a purely nostalgic POV, albeit with a Korean twist. It has a good cast. I plan to finish it.

Doesn't the new Hyun Bin drama start any day now?

Looking for recommendations for travel companies with tours to S Korea and Japan. It's a special trip for me, so wanting to get it right.

For my Japan trip I'm going with InsideJapan Tours. They have been excellent so far. Build a self guided package for you that gives you freedom to spend your days as you want, without the stress of trying to sort accommodation/tickets before hand. You get your own personal consultant and they respond super quick to queries etc.

They have a sister company InsideAsia too. I bet they can build a multi centre trip no problem.

www.insidejapantours.com
www.insideasiatours.com

We used Inside Asia and they were excellent except for the major error at the start of the trip when they failed to inform us that we needed a visa (I wrote about it on here). Dh thought we needed one but the agent assured us we didn’t so long story short, we ended up spending a night in a hotel at Heathrow and going the next day.
They were extremely apologetic and once we got there everything was fantastic including the best guide we’ve ever had.
I think all the covid stuff is easier now but maybe double check about any paperwork you may need.

No new Hyun Bin drama - just a film (Confidential Assignment 2) and unlikely to screen here I'm afraid.

Thank you Fedup and Andante. I've only just started looking even though I want to go next year!!

Pol, my vpn has to do so much heavy lifting since I became a kdrama fan.😁I just found the first film on Olga's, so at least have that to watch now.

it's fab!!! I watched it the other evening... i had the house to myself for two whole days!!!... I watched whilst eating a single M&S Chicken Pie!!!! How happy was i!!!??? 😍

I know we should all be quite solemn right now, but... 🔥🔥🔥

www.instagram.com/p/CiPztRxvsd7/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Bea that is SO Living Best Life living. Bravo.
One day I shall get my head round what a VPN is Miggs. Possibly.

BTS Permission to Dance LA is up on Disney+ for all you kpop fans.

There’s a Blackpink concert too. That’s my weekend sorted. 😁

Army! Army! 😎
How on earth does Jimin get his hips to move like a belly dancer's? I'm enjoying researching that one!
Adamas is continuing to deliver the intrigue.
And meanwhile on planet earth, we have a new King and the world moves on.
^^

😍😍😍 I'm not as bothered about the queen as I am about Kim Taehyung's naked back

😍😍😍 I'm not as bothered about the queen as I am about Kim Taehyung's naked back

I like to think that's what Her Maj would have wanted TheGirl.

I started Misaeng last night. Very good so far although the workplace bullying is making my blood boil 😡

... I've watched the Vet Drama... and... I actually quite like it!... It's cute!!!!...😍😂

You've never watched it Aesops?? Oh you are in for the BEST ride. The shoes! The spreadsheets! The socks! KHN in The sauna! It's slice of life perfection.

whispers I like it too Bea. A nice pair of forearms is really all I need in a drama. It's enough.
The drama is fine if not essential (a bit treacly and abrupt story edits) but Wookie is really good in somethingWishsomething btw and his chemistry with 1000 Roses is great. He remains born to play warm hearted hot snogging damaged men imo.

@polkettle 😂😬 it just seems like a not too taxing drama... i know exactly where it's going to go... i thought it was going to be awful judging by the passes on here!!! 😂 just goes to show horses for courses... 😬😂

.... completely off topic... but just on the off chance... anyone here have any knowledge of Munich rentals? DD off to do her Masters there and is having a awful time trying to find somehere to live... she just needs safe clean decent price student shared accomodation!... she's stressing about it and thus stressing me out about it!!!.... just on the off chance someone here has an auntie who lives there and runs rentals!!!! 🙏😂... unlikely i know!!!!