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!

At least we can laugh at it!

Very educational Bea, thank you 😁
Pretty accurate too. I like funk rock and emo but can't stand RNB and they do a lot of RNB which is why I'm mostly not a fan (of the music - I really can't fault the dancing, whatever the genre).

@Bea oooh I really enjoyed those videos! Thanks! And the geeky diagram 😁 - it's pretty spot on if I look at the songs I listen to the most.

There's unreasonable people in this world and then there's angry-relatives-in-A&E-in-a-medical-CDrama #nextlevel

I’m now one of the filthy noona fallen. I’ve made it as far as the sofa and I’m catching up on When My Love Blooms. It continues to hold my interest with a bittersweet, wistful and restrained vibe. Plus all the beautiful people and tailoring. Chaebol dramas are top notch for tasteful fashion. I also have a soft spot for friend-zoned 2ML, who is 25 years into his one-sided love. I am anticipating imminent yahhhing and hair-pulling as chaebol wife has got wind of downtrodden FL. It has all the elements of a classic melo.

I'm still feeling ill but definitely improved from Tuesday. Today I have been watching HCCC again. Perfect fodder for recuperating.

Hope FedUp and Boaty get well soon( enjoy the guilt free midweek/middle of day viewing. I am!)

I am self-medicating with a family-sized bag of Minstrels. DS1 had a short school day today so has been bringing me tea top-ups if I text him. Cat is happy with immobilised warm human service.

When My Love Blooms is pretty slow but I’m down with that.

Oooh 2 new things coming to Netflix.
Bad & Crazy with foxy Lee Dong Wook
Somebody (film) with Kim Young Kang as a crazed killer

Still dawdling through Forever & Ever, might give She and Her Perfect Husband a go to try out the new cdrama bingo card

I just fired up Disney+ for Soundtrack #1. PHS is indeed on top form. Han So Hee is a good choice for FL. And added Kim Hoo Jeon as the older composer - he should be on our advent list, the AAO version.

Right, that’s Soundtrack #1 done - an amuse-bouche of 4 x 45 min episodes. Adorable and deftly done. 👨‍🍳Chef’s kiss!

The iPlayer thing about Korean cinema also banked. 👍 Now I want to see Alienoid.

You're on 🔥🔥🔥, Boaty! Racking up those watches.

I'm coughing and medicating my way through life ATM. So nothing challenging for me at the moment. I'm surviving on anime.

Well Love is for suckers ep12 suddenly got hot 😳

After looking at Twitter grumbles Muggs I decided not to bother with any of it this week except the last 10 minutes of episode 12. Couldn't be arsed with any more fannying about and the droopy second FL. That worked well 😉

Apologies Miggs (fat thumb)

Even THAT'S wrong I now realise Migs 😂

Saw one of those black Mercedes jeep Chinese Nerd Poppet cars IRL today. Couldn't get a pic because was driving but I did say a little <Bingo!> out loud.

First time in ages - I am cooking today to stock freezer (handy fir mid week meals).
House is clean, laundry basket empty and no ironing pile.
I don’t remember when was the last time all this happened but then realised, I have managed to do all this because …. There is nothing grabbing my attention. I am only watching Under Queen’s Umbrella
I knew because of my unhealthy binge watching, house chores were on the back burner but this is the first time I have realised the extent.
Will it stay like this … NAHHHHH plenty of new stuff coming in December so I’ll be back in binge business.

I did watch Little Forest yesterday. Among all recipes, egg sandwiches are the o ky ones I know how to make 😂
I would love to have a permission drying rack. I wonder how does dried variety tastes.

That made me laugh pol. Can you recommend a good translator app? I'm trying out Microsoft translator and getting some "interesting " translations while watching Revenge of others

Actually I feel like a wet mog at the moment, it's been high winds and heavy rain for 3 days, non stop. I have a leak in my roof and a line of water running slowly down the side of the chimney wall. Even my cat who loves rain is indoors, sleeping.

We’ve had lots of rain here too. I put a small hand towel in the downstairs loo specifically for drying the cat off when he comes in yowling about being wet. The kids were using the human hand towel which grossed me out. Cat likes to be rubbed down like a wet dog would, little weirdo.

I am feeling much improved today after sleeping in late. I hope I’m over this properly by tomorrow so our weekend isn’t wiped out. 🤞I’m just about to hunker down on the sofa with said cat and the remote for the afternoon. Sounds like I need to catch up on Love is for Suckers first.

We've got a cold but sunny day here (in NI) I've been out for a walk along the beach with my friend - was feeling quite virtuous but ruined it with cappuccino and a cinnamon bun.

I persevered with mystic pop-up bar and have ended up really enjoying it. Have a bit of a crush on Choi Won Young as the bar manager, I perhaps need to get out more 😂

Can anyone remind me why the guy with the knife has a beef with the TV company in Love is for Suckers? PM me if it’s a spoiler.

Ignore my question. He’s doing the whole Basil Exposition explanation of how he’s been wronged in ep 12. 🤣