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!

and Whoever ML Is CBA To Look Up Now

😂

@AesopsMables , you've obviously never watched Park Chan-wook’s movie, The Handmaiden! I watched Twenty-five, Twenty-one with visions of the innocent Na Hee Do in the buff running through my head.🙄

I decided to dive in and give Somebody a go. Instead of the planned early night (which would have been more sensible but, yeah well). Was tempted by the shorter episode length and the dark mood. So far thumbs up from me. Only 2 episodes in though. Must say I've seen more extreme violence in more mainstream films (e.g. remake of Suspiria). But maybe I've not got to those bits yet.

I'm sitting here doing Korean homework listening to K-pop and checking Instagram and Visit Daegu went and posted this. I'm seeing them everywhere now!!! 😱 Surely this is a disappointing format though 🤔

Off topic, but does anyone have a Nespresso Vertuo machine and want some pods?

They are ones I bought, tried one and didn't like 😳

I'm sorry FedUp. I only drink hand roasted and hand ground slow dripped through a filter by an impossibly good looking man in a nice roll neck coffee.
Plodding on through Thank You Doctor which is clunkily didactic and full of totally unreasonable patients and relatives and really not that good. And yet here I am on episode 17 and buckled in for the 40 long haul. The leads are pretty. Quite interesting bit on Chinese attitude to 'do not resuscitate' which appears to not be an acceptable approach to end of life care for majority - let alone euthanasia (although drama clearly trying to show nuance of opening DNR up as possible choice)

I'm sorry FedUp. I only drink hand roasted and hand ground slow dripped through a filter by an impossibly good looking man in a nice roll neck coffee.

same - it's a hardship 😂

I watched W and now have to binge everything with the gorgeous Lee Jong-suk in. Send help (or actually don't send help, it's fine 😂)

@TheLoupGarou have you seen Romance Is A Bonus Book (RIABB)?

I am still in C land and enjoying Lighter & Princess. It might be mainly because of ML. There is lot of technical talk but ML is very easy on the eyes.

OMG Aesops I’ve only watched those 2 clips and I need a mind cleanse! The second one has stayed with me in a very unpleasant way, in spite of MLs mighty fine rear 🫣

On a side note I went back to V&A to see summat else but thought I’d get more Hallyu merch in the shop only to find out that a lot of it has sold out.

OMG Aesops I’ve only watched those 2 clips and I need a mind cleanse! The second one has stayed with me in a very unpleasant way, in spite of MLs mighty fine rear 🫣

HaHa! His physique did not go unnoticed Bettys

That'll keep you busy, he's been in a lot. I'm actually currently watching him in School 2013 with Kim Woo Bin which is proving more gripping than I expected. Jang Nara is particularly excellent as a teacher struggling to turn around a failing class. One of my favourite Lee Jong Suk dramas is Pinnochio, it's got a really good mystery backstory style plot, just don't be put off by his hair in the first few episodes, I promise it gets better!

I'm lining Pinocchio upon Viki as we speak 😂 will report back with an opinion about said hair....

That should have said "lining up Pinocchio on Viki" - typos in my haste to start watching 😂

Blooming world cup is mucking up the KDrama schedules apparently. Some dramas not screening this week.

Bloody football!

Well I might have to rinse my head with football as soon as I finish Somebody.

Bad news lads. DH wants to watch Somebody with me, so that will take about 2 frigging years.

After I watched the first episode of Game of Thrones 3 times and he fell asleep every time, I just kept going solo. I bowed out after 2 seasons. DH finally got around to watching it last year in one massive binge before the final season aired. We don't watch anything important together any more.

Reporting into say Pinocchio is very good so far - am not put off by bad-hair taxi driver oppa. In fact he reminds me a bit of my boyfriend in 6th form 😂

whispers I quite liked LSJ's hair in that. He doesn't do much for me but Pinocchio definitely his sexiest role.

Finished Somebody in the wee hours of this morning. It was worth the marathon even though at one point I was peeping through my fingers with my heart in my mouth. 9/10. It is that good. Well crafted story telling but also deeply, deeply disturbing.

thanks! @boatyardblues will avoid like th eplague!!!

I've just finsihed a rewatch of Vincenzo and it really is a fab dab drama with sooo many twists and turns and fabulous characters... on the back of that i restarted Gaus Electronics as I love love Kwak Dong-Yeon sooo muchj in Vincenzo and Love In The Moonlight (the man bun!!! 😍)... did anyone start and finsh this one... am finding all the characters in the office very mean and very very irritating so far (apart from poor put upon KDY!) 😁

awwww!!!! Pinnochio... where in the early days we christened LJS... Toasty LJS !!!! 😂... I loved him in Romance is A Bonus Book (though i wasn't really convinced with the FL) and i was reminscing Dr Stranger teh other day... watching odd clips here and there.... He's been in a LOT! ... I remember when he went off to the military @Bettys and I mourned!... and then quick as a flash he was back!!! Enjoy @TheLoupGarou 🥰

Lots of us loved it Bea. Give it another episode or two and you'll start to love them all. It's very 🐝