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!

Pros: guests are running late, so everything is done and I had time to shower.

Con: xmas crackers (their contribution) were sold out in their supermarket and they are now en route. I am heading out for one last shop. 😭 I hope my nearest Tesco still has crackers.

I’m also keeping my fingers crossed the traffic is bad enough that I can watch all of today’s AOS before they arrive.

Omo boaty you've reminded me I forgot to get crackers. Oh well. Not hosting for the first time in TEN YEARS so it doesn't really matter I guess. At what time today can I legitimately start drinking? Might go and watch AoS first....

Suga is firmly in the friend-zone for me 🤣 tween dd loves him, but Jimin is her absolute fave (along with the chimmy BT21 persona)

Rowdy what a wonderful picture to finish off the Advent Oppas, thank you, it has been a delight seeing each and every one. Although I am not sure Mr Gu should be wearing his suit while lying on the bed, it could be most uncomfortable for him. Best for him to just slip it off. Slowly.

Looking forward to the Alternative Oppas, I think this is my first Christmas on this thread, so December has definitely been my favourite month so far.

I don't post a great deal, but I do read all the posts. I have had some great recommendations on here, and laugh a great deal with you filthy, filthy noonas. Merry Christmas to you all and I hope everyone who is ill feels better for tomorrow.

Aw, Metheven your post has given me the warm fuzzies. 🙂

This week’s AOS was lovely. It’s warming up nicely.

Guests still not arrived so I’m off to start assembling tonight’s lasagne from all the components I prepped yesterday. I’m in kitchen MacGuyver mode and like to mix things up, so I’ll be topping my lasagne with macaroni cheese rather than lasagne sheets. Our guests are happy to humour my experiments. DS2 will be peeling sprouts to keep me company.

Mac Cheese Lasagne??!! Sounds genius.

We have 48. Yep 40 bloody 8 crackers here. We are not even hosting tomorrow now 😆 Boaty and TheLoup if you want to swap for Dill and you're close by?! Cannot get Dill anywhere 🤷‍♀️

The Fabulous is easy and fun to watch, think Devil Wears Prada with a dash of Zoolanda, K drama on hold for tonight as it's Aesops Fam tradition to go to our local pub Xmas eve then back home for Seafood Supper and games. I'm feeling human but still not ready for alcohol (I must be bad!)
Merry Xmas Eve Chingus 💕

The calender has been brillant, thank you Rowdy. I loved Mr Gu! I hope everyone who has been ill is feeling better. Meet Christmas.

Kdrama is a tough sell with the family. We are watching Muppet Christmas Carol on Disney+.

I have not managed to watch AOS today. We are now watching Gremlins 😂
Happy Christmas Eve Chingus 🎄

Snap Thegirl, we watched Gremlins too 😁

Kids are off to bed now, and DH and I are going to watch It's a Wonderful Life 🥰

Last minute hosting would throw me for a spin Jhin, you are a braver person than me!

I've finally sat down after ending the day by weaving bacon.

Now going to see what isn't on normal TV before inevitably ending up in kdrama land

Two nights ago the tooth fairy forgot to collect DS's tooth. Slightly worried that Father Christmas will also suffer a memory lapse.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Just managing to fit in a bit of AOS while I arrange the presents under the tree as everyone else is now in bed 😊

I’m catching a bit of The Interest of Love as everyone else has turned in. Yoon Yeon-Seok is very wholesome again, at the 40 min mark. He’s done so many nice young man roles I still marvel at his performance as Dong-Mae in Mr Sunshine. TIOL is quite slow and gentle, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Fireworks seem unlikely.

I've been watching Trolley, but I see the next ep isn't on till Boxing Day. So back to AoS.

Merry Christmas filthy Noonas! 🎅🎄

Bonus Christmas day Oppa - would it be the advent calendar without a festive Hyun Bin

Phwooar! HB makes this mornings 6.30 wake-up worth it ❤️.
Morning Rowdy and Merry Christmas chingus!

Blimey Rowdy I've never seen his appeal before, but now, gulp, I'm beginning to see it.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Oooh Mr Bin! Thank you Rowdy! 😍

Xmas films of choice here are, of course, Gremlins and Home Alone. Today we will be watching both White Christmas and Black Christmas. One with and one without Junior Saram 🤔😁who was up at 4.45 😱Mr Saram let me go back to bed and stayed up. A top oppa in his own way 🙂

Merry Christmas all! 😘

Rowdy, your Advent Oppas were enough to turn anyone into a filthy noona if they hadn't been before and you saved the great HB for last.🙌
Top Oppa even makes facial hair look good.😻😻😻
Have a wonderful day, chingus! I'm off to open my pressies and a bottle of🍾

Merry Christmas filthy noonas!!! 🎄🤶🎄🤶🎄🤶🎁

I just got up to feed the cat and let him out. I wasn’t up at 4.45 with little uns but DH’s stinking cold means he’s snoring like a chainsaw at the mo. 😭🥱😴 I’m knackered. I might leave the sofa bed up in the study after our guests leave and decamp until he’s better.

Happy Christmas Noonas!

We've got family staying so Reborn Rich viewing is suspended for a couple of days.

Have a lovely day chingus.

Happy Christmas, you Filthy Noonas!

Up at 6 to put the frankly ludicrously large turkey on. Then back to bed for 2 hours until DS woke us up.

I've completed the set! V and Jimin have joined the Pop Vinyl BTS family 💜

Mr Christmas Bin 😍😍😍 Happy Christmas dear Kchingus. Hope you're all fit for booze and food now xxx

No kdrama happening here today. A suggestion to watch the Inbetweeners movie tonight means we’re now half way through the first season on All4 “for context”. All of us - DS1 & DS2 included - now laughing our heads off. It’s so un-PC I doubt it would be made now.

Hope you're all having a lovely Christmas day chingus!
I got a BT21 water bottle and blanket from DH 🤩