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!

Basically ANY of them fully clothed but wet in a bath Rowdy.

Trevor Noah on BTS joining army 😂

😂😁😁😁😁 yes

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap 🙌

@Rowdythree taking one for the team

@Rowdythree can we have Lee Seung Gi for the advent calendar too? I spend at least 2/3 of the time he's on screen thinking about how handsome he is 😂 (basically age appropriate if it's a more recent picture fans self

@TheLoupGarou Definitely age appropriate and on the list 👍

Culinary queen Nigella Lawson has another Korean inspired recipe.
I bought gochujang paste tub to make her mince meat last year. I am glad she is coming up with more recipes to fully utilise the paste.
I know I should be trying authentic Korean recipes but hers are easy and stuff my picky family will actually eat.

BTW: what do you guys do with paste? Once opened you have to utilise paste within few days. I don’t go by these dates. If it smells & look alright then use it.
I was unable to finish it so after 8-9 months threw unused paste.
Is it best to freeze the paste & just defrost required quantity?

I have very low standards of culinary hygiene and a family with cast iron constitutions Jin but I reckon it's fine for years months after opening. A generous dollop along with sesame oil and maybe some miso is great as a marinade if you're roasting chicken pieces or hearty veg.

I’m not the right person to ask. We had a jar of katsu curry paste that was best before July 2021 for dinner earlier this week. It opened with a resounding pop and smelt fine so I used it. We’re all well. I did bin the can of rice pudding with a 2012 EBD that I found at the back of the same cupboard. I’m not a complete philistine. 😉

On the gochugang paste, I don’t buy very big tubs - 250g tops. I keep it in the fridge once open and we get through it in 2-3 months. We’ve had no problems with it.

I use gochugan in chilli con carne as well, but only if I’m out of cayenne pepper.

Same as Pol, I use it to marinate chicken breasts, thighs or drummers. Sesame oil and honey to sweeten.

It will

Hit the wrong button. Paste will dry out if left too long, so freeze if you're not going to use it up in 6/8 months. I learned this the hard way when I bought the large tub. I added a bit of hot water to the drying up paste and it was fine, but I wouldn't recommend going that far😝. I agree with buying it in the smaller tub.

I chuck gochuchang in anything which needs a little kick! It's lovely! Bolognese... Pasta tomato sauce... Char siu bbq marinade works a treat..marinades... Stews for a little depth . It lasts for aaages in the fridge! 👍🏼👍🏼

Thank you for all the suggestions.

I am so glad to be among you guys … my kinda ppl. IRL, when I mention using things past expiry dates, ppl think I am mad.

I've just finished the first episode of Curtain Call on VIKI. It has a dramatic start which is then followed by a dated feel to the modern day scenes. Seems quite predictable, saying that I shall persevere ..

First Love
What with this new trend of starting story from 90s and moving to current time with sad endings.

Just back from Korean Film Festival opener Alienoid which I thought was brilliant bonkers fun. Stellar cast delivering non stop action. Definitely recommend for either Olga's or the big screen if you can find it.
Had QandA with director too and was delighted to hear him talk about how LOVELY ouri Kim Woo Bin is irl and how kind to child co star. That's our oppa. Advent calendar status assured.
Also v happy with swishy haired beautiful Ryu wotsit in this and could definitely get behind that look behind a door Rowdy.

Keep goingAesops. You know you mustn't judge on first episode 😉

So many new Oppas are going to be appearing in this year's calendar! I was a bit worried it was going to be the same as last years, but some of the old favourites might not even get a look in 😁 thanks for all the excellent suggestions 🎄

My heart can't take any more!!

Excellent news! I'm happy to hear that the lovely and very brave KWB is delightful IRL.

I’m looking forward to this and the alternative Oppa calendar a bit too much
I may have to print it off <googles calendar templates>

Today it’s kimchi toastie … reminded me my chingus as that’s the first time I heard about kimichi toastie

Oh that looks scrummy Jin !

That looks delicious Jin, I'm going to make one for lunch 😋

We play best-before-date roulette too 😂well no, that makes it sound worse than it is. Rule of thumb here is to have a good look and smell before using anything a bit sus. I was more cautious when junior Saram was very small, but now it's pretty much anything goes 🙌

Now I feel extra guilty at dissing KWB in the oppa advent calendar nominations 🙈. Handsome AND a lovely person! I'm sorry KWB! 😱Small K-film festival coming up here later this month, so will look out for Alienoid.

@bettys yeah, definitely over-invested here too 😏