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!

I've just finished that too Migs
Not really keen on it overall, it has too many mixed and problematic messages that aren't executed that well. It's still better than Curtain Call which is dragging on.

Thanks again for all your Oppa suggestions. I wanted to be really organised and get it all sorted way before December 1st, but in true Rowdy style I'm leaving it to the last minute 😆 hopefully everybody will be happy 🎅

Rowdy, if he's not on already, may I have Song Joong-ki please.

With that final nomination the list is now closed 🙅‍♀️ 🎄🎉

Oh shit, that means I'll have to start thinking about the 12 Days of Alternative Oppas 😰

The comments under today’s Which Alpha Would You Like to Do? (gluten-rich manhwa) were on point and more entertaining than the actual manhwa. Rude, but highly amusing.

I’m looking forward to the advent calendar already. I thought I’d “be good” and buy a traditional one with pictures this year. It’s going to be way duller than the thread one. I can take a leaf out of Pol’s endeavour last year, without the video reveals obvs. I’m not that disciplined. 😄

^ “And post daily updates” missing from my post above.

I forgot about Pol's advent calendars! Can we expect the same again this year?

I never have an advent calendar of my own, and the children only get the chocolates I put in a fabric one, so this advent calendar is very exciting for me, even though I'm the one doing it 😄

I think I need to check out that manhwa Boaty!

Can’t wait for the advent calendar 😊

In the last month I have watched 3 Cdramas, despite reasonable story & good looking cast, I have ditched them around ep20 mark.
By that point story gets so dragged that I lose interest. Anyone else in the same boat? It feels like a joke with delayed punch line. Dramas with random subplots or just unnecessary scenes.
Excellent story telling of Kdramas have raised the bar really high.

At one point I wanted to read Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. They are famous for complex plot and 100+ subplots. But after watching Cdramas I am not sure.
Maybe it’s an unfair comparison.

Jin - I got as far as downloading Journey To The West (Chinese classic) onto my Kindle but quickly got bogged down. I need to have another push. Perhaps it could be my 2023 challenge. 😀

Have you seen Hero JinBhoot? The Chinese clearly know how to tell a story and to tell it well in just a couple of hours so why the need for epic 50+ episode cdramas is beyond me. It's at least 2 seasons of a US drama and about 5 of a British one! I think they're starting to get this, though. Love Between Fairy and Devil is a relatively modest 36 episodes and although we're not racing through it, we're more than halfway through and it's not dragging at all. I still find the way Koreans tell stories much more relatable and accessible than the Chinese, though. Is it the American influence maybe?

Or does Korean literature just have a universal appeal, like Shakespeare. In the school drama I've been watching one of the teachers quotes a Korean poet and it's just an amazing piece of poetry and it's very powerfully used in the drama. It really made me want to find out more about Korean literature.

As I have very low plot demands I find the soothing sameness of some CDramas a nice brain reset. Now I'm up to date with Thank you Doctor I'm enjoying my small daily dose of its brand of earnest slow burn and feeling my plough through the first 18 hours or so is getting to some sort of reward. But I wouldn't recommend to anyone else!

DELIGHTED to hear you're also in Advent Calendar Guessing trainingBoaty. We'll make it an Olympic sport yet. The first of December approaches and I can only say hwaiting to us both. I have a new calendar and I will be victorious this year.
(Anyone who wants the Insta account link just DM me)

@polkettle please send me the link. Somehow I can’t search your user name for DM.
Clicking from your post is taking me to main page.

UTQU day today can’t wait for crown Prince to clear the air regarding his wedding.

I looked up a word in another thread and this is what I got. Somewhere along the line Apple has decided I need stuff in Korean. The warranty for my new iPhone was emailed to my icloud email in Korean only. 🤷‍♀️

@polkettle Plse send me link too. I thought I was already following you on insta, but apparently not!

Was it you or @FedUpWithBriiiiick with the now retired fs cutout of Hyun Bin? I may have found a home for it and willing to pay postage ...

Mr Binn was my cardboard oppa but then went on tour and is currently in a well loved state round FedUp's. She can advise if he's in any state for further touring (gaffer tape rather than porridge or an IV required and he definitely shouldn't get his hair wet) Do send me pics if he ends up elsewhere.

Mr Binn is currently in my spare room, preparing for the arrival of cardboard baby from cardboard wife.

Although fragile, he is still transportable.

Happy to send him on. DM me Miggs 👍

Mr Binn's Insta account for any new and baffled (not that you'll be any less baffled for looking at it) is @binoftheday

Cancel that! It's Binof_theday (it's been too long Oppa!)

Topical abandoned place on Insta. Interesting building. Interesting, not beautiful. 😄

www.instagram.com/p/ClWz_RKrwEN/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Hello lovely chingus! I've not managed to keep up with you this week, I had to do lots of scrolling to find where I'd missed from 😂
I'm very much looking forward to the advent calendars! 🥰

Social commitments are seriously impeding my kdrama viewing at the mo. That and my gluten-rich diet of manhwa. I am noting recommendations.

Watching Reborn Rich is leading to unintended consequences.

I've just read an IMF paper on SK and the Asian Financial Crisis. Further reading on their labour market duality helps put the context of "non-regular" workers, that are in so many kdramas, into better perspective.

I also found this article interesting reading.

I've been out at a Korean film and cultural festival the last few days.

Absolutely LOVED Fanatic, the documentary looking at the fallout from the Burning Sun scandal and how different fans reacted. It was very very funny in places, insightful, mature (the documentary maker is only in her early 20s). Highly recommended.

I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK was also very funny, distinctly quirky and entertaining. And having heard about Rain for the first time recently on this thread 😁it was nice to see him in action.

The theme of the festival is 'hwa', or 'rage'. There was a performance art thing yesterday with the artist flinging what looked like rice porridge against the walls in a courtyard. As someone I showed a video to said drily, 'I know how she feels' 🤔😂

Another installation was about cliches in K-dramas. Look who (topically) popped up: 😁