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!

Haha! Kudos to that lady. She got her photo 😂

Oh that's brilliant Pol. PSJ does seem very personable irl. And I'm sure she meant a young Harrison Ford, although I still can't really see it myself.

Haha yeah I definitely don't see Harrison Ford 😂

That comparison is baffling and I can only think her longer internal version went "When you take your shirt off in Fight For My Way you have the same effect on my insides as Harrison did 30+ years ago when I saw him raise a barn in Witness or when he made that lunch box for Melanie Griffith in Working Girl and just be grateful we're in a public place with people around cougar type roar" Not that she's me. Nope.

Good wee manwha Daytime Star on WEBTOON (maybe Bato too?) to check out Boaty!

Pol, that insta post is a keeper!

Obsessed with the shifting clothing colour palettes of First Love. It's so very pretty but what does it all mean? It's definitely a Thing for JDrama.

Oh my I am really enjoying First Love with the colours, cinematography & music! Although ML doesn't remind me so much of HH KJW he is indeed very wasy on the eye. May have to follow with the hot assassin films. Also Daytime Star on Webtoon (plus the baguette-rich one that shall not be named on bato) Two (3) top tips from boaty and FedUp

Still really enjoying Reborn Rich - with it's 3 episodes a weekend it makes for a great Sunday binge. I like Song Joong Ki very much in this, his baby face s really playing well.

I’m glad others are enjoying First Love. I think it’s beautifully done. I’m finding not-KJW compelling, but also the FL. She was stunning in trophy wife mode and so different as the downtrodden factory worker/taxi driver - such a nuanced performance. I’m away from home tonight but downloaded the last 2 episodes to watch in my hotel room later. No spoilers peeps. 🙏

I've just watched the first two episodes of First Love too. It's lovely! It must be so cold there though ❄️❄️❄️

Damn it! I am about 15 mins into the final episode and desperate to watch to the end, but I have an early start. It is holding up quality-wise and with the feels. This could be one of my favourites this year if it holds its course. 🤞 But now sleep!

Can't believe that my only takeaway from the very enjoyable First Love was to wonder how the adult ML could go through 8 eps with bedhead hair, only to have it tamed in Iceland, where the static electricity would have made it twice as bad.😂#ghd
Chingus, if you've never been to Iceland, do put it on your bucket list. The wind, ice and snow are even more fierce than in the Sapporo of this drama.❄❄

I’ve now finished it (menopausal early waking thank you!). Completely agree about your Iceland/hair observation @MigsandTiggs - on the second day of our trip I bought hair clips to pin everything down. The wind there is fierce. Loved First Love. It was consistently fantastic all the way through. Perfect 10 from me!

How delightfully clever is Vincenzo?! It is one of the most funniest shows I have seen and packed with lots of plot twists. DH is totally hooked also which is good. The fact that he wants to watch it with me means I have to temper my screen time to his which results in me itching to sneak an episode in here and there and then re-watch when he is ready. We are on Ep 11 (I have watched most eps twice though)

I'm saving Vincenzo to watch with DH as well - I have to carefully curate his kdrama exposure 😂

Only a couple of days until our oppa calendar! Can't wait

@AesopsMables ...ep 11!...you're half way through and there is soooo much skullduggery and jolly japes to come! It is good! I really enjoyed my recent ReWatch as loads of things are more delightful and fun once you know what's coming!!

I'm on ep 4 of reborn rich... It's very very good! Really threw me to spot jinyiung (Mr shin) cameo in ep 1...and love the seo taji references! I love it when I get a cultural references! Makes me feel like I'm in the gang and in on the joke! 🤣😁😊... It's one of the few new dramas in recent months that's making me excited for the next ep!! 🥳

I really want to watch reborn rich - waiting for more episodes to come out...

I've never watched a J-drama but am very tempted to give First Love a go after all the glowing reviews 🙂

I currently have the vets, Vincenzo, Hotel Del Luna, Sky Castle and Boys Before Flowers on the go. Itaewon Class, Full House, 25/21, Business Proposal, Alchemy of Souls and Sound of Magic all still on the pending list. All Of Us Are Dead and Hospital Playlist started, liked, but suspended (to be returned to). As Mr Saram would drily observe, I'd have more time for watching them if I wasn't learning Korean and going off doing Korean things all the time 🤔😁

Thought something was strangely familiar in this picture Namjoon posted today 🤔 and then realised he's wearing the Balming Tiger tour t-shirt Mr Saram has 🤩

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Just finished First Love and agree Boaty - gorgeous. Probably my straight 'romance' of the year.

I'm going to try a J Drama purely based on everyone's feedback.

Its much classier in its production values than the average JDrama Aesops (fond though I am of those too) 😁 Very Netflix.

So excited! Just been in touch with an extended family member I've never met, who has been living in Japan for the past 6 years. It's given me a kick up the arse to get a move on with planning what I want to do when I'm there. The poor man was answering my msgs when it's 03:25hrs over there!!!

... I'm willing to accept that some of the excitement could have been left over from watching the hot, brooding assassin in Rurouni Kenshin: the beginning

Crikey. That filthy manhwa with the golf pro went out with quite a bang, in more ways than one. The artist must have got exasperated with drawing non-stop ghostly baguette.

I stumbled on this post on Tapas below one of the webtoons which has a much ruder version on Bato. It explains a lot, including the mystery of the missing nipples (c/o Bettys) a few months ago.