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!

Looks like (unsurprisingly) no new drama episodes will be aired this week.

I'm going to watch 20C girl, Netflix and some non-K stuff instead.

Hi, lovely to find this corner of Mumsnet I did wonder if it existed 😁 hope you don't mind me jumping in. I'm delving into Kdramas having delved into following the music last year & renewing my interest in the culture as a whole after visiting the exhibition at the V&A a month ago

Hello Fairy36, welcome to SK "fan club"!

Welcome Fairy!

Hi @Fairy36 <waves>

Stayed up way too late to finish A Korean Odyssey last night and I have SO MANY feelings!
Might watch Train to Busan/Peninsula tonight with DH, seeing as it is Halloween....

Hi 🖐🏼 I keep seeing Train to Busan, is it easily available? I've started at least 3 series on Netflix but I'm so exhausted come the evening i struggle to concentrate on the subtitles 🙈

I think Train to Busan is on Amazon prime (and prob sky movies) - it's very good (but zombies/gore and high tension so your mileage may vary!)

Hi Fairy! Train to Busan is currently available in Film4, but it's the last day today! So perfect night to watch it, it's brilliant 🧟

Oh thank you might give it a go, although one of the small humans had me up since 4am so don't like my chances of lasting much past their bedtime 🤣

Welcome to rabbit hole @TheLoupGarou & @Fairy36 😊

@MigsandTiggs i also wait for both episodes but this week, I am reluctant to watch it where are tissues
Queen is GOAT … love the character & her face expressions are spot on.
Saw some BTS clips of her & princes & they are very cute. She is the mother figure on the set.

Hello @Fairy36 and @TheLoupGarou 🙂👋

For any chingus who may be London-bound anytime soon - Hallyu! at the V&A was really wonderful. I went with a friend who always stays in exhibitions longer than me, but I outdid her this time 😁spent more than 2.5 hours geeking away to my heart's content. I would have welcomed some mention of the darker side of celebrity (pressure on idols, saesang fans etc.), it was all very hyper-positive. But that's not surprising really seeing as the exhibition is supported by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Either way, I learned lots of new things, and was reminded of others. And it was just brilliant to see props/costumes etc. from favourite videos and series.

Other London recommendations include Ogam (very high-end cocktail bar with expensive but excellent drinks, including a range with home-made Korean ingredients). They also serve food, also excellent, and do their own makgeolli 😳3 litres of that left the bar with me 😂2 of which came home on the Eurostar 😁I was terrified it was going to explode in the x-ray machine (it is a bit volatile, what with the fermentation). I am obsessed with makgeolli and this didn't disappoint.

I also dragged my friend out to the large H-Mart in New Malden. That was awesome. Much bigger and better than the Oseyo in central London. Very random household section (BTS 'Idol'-themed sandals, anyone? 😁)

We passed Bunsik, which I know a number of you have tried and liked. But it was always the wrong time/crazy queues. So didn't get to go there. We did eat at Le Petite Corée in West Hampstead, which someone on here recommended (apologies, I forget who). Thought that was also really good. Most korean places here are very street-food oriented, this was considerably more refined.

I'm excited to visit now Saram! It sounds wonderful 🤩

I've been watching Hotel del Luna on this dark, rainy Halloween afternoon, which has been the perfect thing to watch 🎃

Happy Halloween chingus 🦇👻

Ooh, it was me that went to La Petite Corée 🙋‍♀️ did you try a Soju cocktail?

@Rowdythree cheers for the recommendation chingu ! A soju cocktail was indeed tried 🙌😁

I'm also Hotel del Luna-ing at the moment. And Little Women, which I'm loving. Once those two are done, will move on to The Sound of Magic and Alchemy of Souls.

Hi, I went a few weeks ago & absolutely loved it. I got swayed by wanting to see someone's performance outfit but I stayed three hours reading everything. It was really well done & I am up on the digital wall doing the dance!

Wahey Saram! Did you get the rhubarb flavour??
May not want to watch the whole thing but I urge everyone to watch the first few mins of episode 13 of The Law Café for best consent discussion ever 😂

Flying to London tomorrow for mini break including the Hallyu! exhibition. Very excited!!!

Ooo thanks for the recommendation saram I'm flying into Gatwick in a couple of weeks and was going to avoid central London, but I may just have to squash in a trip to the v&a, Hallyu! sounds awesome!

We are doing the Hallyu exhibition this weekend. I need some back up options in Chinatown as Olle don’t take weekend bookings and Kimchee in Kings Cross. We’ll risk Olle as we’re likely to hit it between peaks but need some decent Chinatown back-ups in case of disaster. Can anyone help?

oops. Kimchee in Kings X is fully booked.

I certainly did Pol 😃 2 x rhubarb and 1 x chestnut. Both delicious! Less sweet than factory-made makgeolli, very subtle flavour. They keep for 4 weeks but need to be drunk within 3 days once opened.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick have a wonderful trip! 🤩

hello @Fairy36 @TheLoupGarou newbies!!!!....

I have not done any watching this weekend.. got far tooo merry at a family party and am suffering with lack of sleep ...

hope everyone enjoying whatever is on at the moment... though i really am lacking something brillint and must see to watch....i'm in a kdrama slump.....
😖

Arang in Golden Square Boaty (not quite Chinatown but not too far)