MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #37): The one where FedUp’s big birthday could tip her into ajumma territory. Thankfully filthy noona status is forever.

[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 an asterisk 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)
Little Women (Netflix)
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
Gaus Electronics (Viki)
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 Recommendations
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)
First Love (Netflix - Japanese)🌟
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.

So, current rankings @ 21.15ish today:

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

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!

It’s freezing tonight yet I have just enjoyed some ice cream. I couldn’t stop thinking about it since watching Sato Takeru‘s TVC.

PPL is invented for weaklings like me, who have no self control.

😂😂😂... I think it's best to leave it! As much as I would love to watch a sequel... It wouldn't be the same!.. 😍😂😳😢

No it wouldn’t be the same and would almost certainly be disappointing.
Dh and I loved a series called Deutschland 83 and looked forward enormously to Deutschland 86 which wasn’t a patch on the first series.
Nonetheless I’d enjoy some more of Seri and Sergeant Pyo’s run-ins, handsome Lieut.Park, Ju-Meok’s interpretation of South Korea through the medium of dramas, and adorable maknae Eun-dong. Gu Seong-Joon would have to be brought back to life.

I really enjoyed the Deutschland series but they definitely did get a bit more ridiculous as they went along.
The ending of the last one (89 I think?) was really good though

I love Korean cinema. Thanks for the thread. I have access to Prime and Netflix, can anyone recommend a dark, gritty drama series?

If you want dark, try Somebody on Netflix. I really liked it. Very tense.

.....meanwhile, I'm waiting eagerly for today's bit of prime oppa!
I'm staying in today as we have ice and snow warnings for my area.

Welcome @namechange1032 ! I would suggest starting with the Crime/Thriller category in the OP. Of that list, these are darker:

My Name (Netflix)
Stranger - 2 seasons (Netflix)
The Lies Within (Netflix)

There’s also newly dropped Somebody on Netflix, which other posters have watched and said is properly grim. It is also has explicit sex scenes, so not one to watch with younger family members.

Ah Miggs has faster fingers!

Hahaha boaty, definitely agree on Stranger 1 & 2. There's also Voice but not sure where I watched it.

Oppa advent day 7

Here to warm you up on this chilly morning, it's Lee Jae Wook

Sorry I made you wait this morning! 😂

Thanks for the new thread Boaty

Woo Hoo! LJW bringing sexy back!! Nice one.

Today was worth the wait rowdy! 😁

It's bringing out the vampire in me.😆

Knocking it out of the park with these oppas Rowdy!

LJW just in time to remind us AoS part 2 episodes dropping at the weekend - I still have the last 2 episodes of S1 to watch, saving them for Friday!

I can't wait for AoS part 2, I'm going to rewatch the final episode of part 1 as a reminder. It looks like part 2 might be quite a bit darker sexier than part 1

Same here, I'll be rewatching the last episode of pt 1 tonight ready for Saturday, so perfect timing for Lee Jae Wook to debut as an advent oppa (and a very good job he's made of it too 😉)

Ooh LJW is going to regret forgetting his shirt under his jacket on a day like this. Time for a filthy noona to whip theirs off and warm those icy nips.
You need to get into CLOY fanfic Andante 😁 That will have all the second series content for you. Let me see what I can find...

Here you go Andante. This is a nice one.
archiveofourown.org/works/23147896

Excellent, Pol - many thanks.

Instead of getting on with work, tidying kitchen, answering emails I’ve just rewatched that fabulous scene in CLOY when Hwang Woo-seul-hye as Do Hye-ji, wife of Seri’s eldest brother, hosts a prayer meeting asking the attendees to pray for her and then gets the call that Seri is missing.
It is SO enjoyable.
I thought Hwang Woo-seul-hye was brilliant in that part.

Haha polk this made me lol. Am happy to volunteer to warm up shivery LJW, as a public service. Other chilly oppas may line up also for a warming hug 🤗.

I haven't watched CLOY yet, it's on the list....

Oh TheLoup! It's ESSENTIAL. Mr Binn's finest moment.
Currently working on a proper thing for the proper job a KDrama version of the 12 Days of Christmas and the First day has to be 'Yoon Seri in a North Korean tree'.

@namechange1032 🙂👋

We also loved Deutschland 83 🙂 including the soundtrack.

CLOY definitely sets the bar high! 😍 I can't remember if it was that or Navillera I watched first. Cd have been both at the same time. I know for sure Navillera inspired my first attempt at Korean cooking (Korean porridge for invalids 😂). And that BTS V-live with Yoongi, Taehyung and Hoseok sent me down the Korean drinks rabbithole. Brilliant how one thing unfolds into another 😄 And yeah, JinBhoot, product placement 🙄 IMO Chilsung cider is crap, if anyone was wondering (unless you like flat Sprite with a weird chemical aftertaste 🤔 )