MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #36): The one where gluten-free and baguettes stopped being about baked goods. Best leave it at that.

[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 a star 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!

Re: Love is for Suckers. Why do supposedly professional producers in their thirties dress like teenagers going to their first disco?

This book was written by the wife of dil's work colleague. The recipes are authentic and I can't wait to try them out. Available on Amazon.

Post some pictures when you do Migs !

Ahaha … almost snorted my tea….. poor guy

Haha JinBhoot - i feel his pain, thats me with every newly qualified nurse at work <cries into wrinkles>

Haha!!! Poor Rain... he still looks great though. Very age appropriate Oppa 😁

That clip clearly resounded with a number of us Jin 😁 Made me think of Yoongi's latest birthday V-live (if I remember correctly) in which someone asked in the comments how he felt about a 17-year age gap and if she could call him oppa. He paused, reflected in a gnomic Yoongi-like way and then said (with very sweet favourite uncle vibes): I'd rather you focus on school and call me ajeossi instead. Avoiding (or feigning ignorance of, perhaps) the horrific possibility it might have been a filthy noona behind the keyboard 🤔😂🙈

Did I clean anything at all today or did I not move from sofa and binge Chinese nerd poppets? Tough to answer eh?

Absolute pickle.

We went to the V&A’s Hallyu today. My pressganged family enjoyed it too, despite going under sufferance. I had the most fun watching people rehearse and record their kpop choreography for the digital wall. I didn’t attempt it myself, a kindness to humankind. It was interesting and varied.

The exhibition merch was sub par IMO. What a missed opportunity!

I agree about the merch - very disappointing.

Also agree about the mercy, although I did buy the pens in every colour combination they had.

Awwwwww I really enjoyed the last episode of Gaus ! Quite uplifting somehow. Aziz is absolutely my favourite character.

Also watching the nerd poppet drama. Apparently it is the second series which gives closure to the first series which was set in a past life and was tragic.

Merch not mercy 🙄

Aha- yes half gathered that from Significant Flashyback Dream bits Betty's but relieved not to have bothered thinking I should watch it.
I can't decide whether playing mardy faced spurned ex gfs is a dream specialisation for a Chinese actress in terms of money for old rope or a slow soul burn out as the wind changes and they stay that way.

I was on wrong side of merch apparently. All I got was a £15 tote bag. Apparently there were badges and dingle dongles! I missed those... 😞

Aw, I'm heading to Hallyu! Next Friday - sad to hear the merch is below par. Hoping for a keyring at least (although what my heart - and dd's- wants is a Son Yook Gong plush monkey from Hwayugi 😂) < wistful >

bettys will defo post K cooking attempts.

I just finished binge watching Our Blues, so late to the love-in for it. I don't know why I thought it was going to be sad when dropped it after the first episode. It was brilliant!! I want to be a haenyeo in my next life or maybe a trip to Loch Fyne to collect oysters will sort me out.😁

Kim Woo Bin for calendar

@Saram13 hahaha - Yoongi story is funny. As per appropriate oppa formula he is appropriate for me (and my favourite too)

I have watched Rain’s clip dozens of time & it just keeps getting better.
I have seen him in Ghost doctor which was good but I really liked him in The hungry & the hairy. He is ageing very well.
Rain: Oppa nomination for the calendar.

Under Queen’s Umbrella is getting interesting.

Yesterday I have watched a movie Yaksha: ruthless operations I kept on thinking ML from My Libration Notes looks very different but he was actually the guy from Prison Playbook. I must admit That I often mix both of them.

@JinBhoot Yoongi and Jin are both officially age-appropriate oppas for me too 🥳 After that BTS tail off dramatically in appropriateness 😂 to the extent that Jungkook was born the month I met the future Mr Saram 😱

@AesopsMables loving the Sung Dong-il love ❤

I agree with everyone about the Hallyu! merch being a bit crap and a massive missed opportunity. I wanted to like the badges, but the ones I get from Houseofpins are so much better design and quality so, yeah [shrugs]

Saram, totally age inappropriate, but my fav BTS are the thoughtful Suga and cheeky Jung-kook.

Talk of pens made me realise I hadn’t gone in the main V&A shop. 😭 We went in the shop by the loos in the Sackler (spit) extension. 😕 Fail! On the upside, we did get a BBQ table in Olle as a walk-in. 🤷‍♀️

DD2 nipped home yesterday whilst I was out, she left gifts from Oseyo (she lives near one).
2 bottles Soju, 2 bottles Makgeolli, corn soup Turtle Chips and a pair of BTS socks 😆

Just finished Gaus which was funny to the end. Hopefully another series is on the cards.

FedUp - did you fly home clinking with a haul of soju? I’ve just remembered your local sourcing woes.

DH and I enjoyed a bottle of strawberry in the evening, but I didn't bring any home (no room or checked in bag).

The hunt continues!