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!

Are you guys all at, or near, the end of S2 (or Part 2, as they call it) of AoS? I'm only about two-thirds through Part 1 at the mo. Will there be more, or is Part 2 definitely the end?

Most of us are near the end of S2 duc. I don’t know if there will be another series - depends how things shake down in next week’s finale.

Heads up that we’re running out of thread & will need a new one v soon. It would be good to include the 2022 top 5 scoring series if we can. I should add that the googledoc spreadsheet is not mine - a previous regular set it up and it’s (vaguely) housekept by us collectively. From DMs I’ve had, it sounds like some of the scores may have been jumbled so check back in to make sure yours are as they should be. I’ll keep an eye on thread capacity. If you’re all keen for more time, we can add the scores to the OP in thread after next.

Happy New year, Chingus! 🍾
It is lovely to have found you all for the chat and recommendations. I wouldn’t have tried First Love without the recommendations on here and really enjoyed it.
I think maybe it will be Suga’s album first this year?

Hi boaty & all, I've taken a quick look at the spreadsheet and these are the leaders. However I think we should only consider those that have 3 votes or more so we get a broader opinion base, so get on there & vote!

My Liberation Notes - 8 votes - 9.5

Somebody - 2 votes - 9.75

Alienoid - 2 votes - 9

First Love - 5 votes - 9

Our Blues - 5 votes - 9

Gaus Electronics - 6 votes - 8.75

Sweat and Soap - 1 vote - 8.5

Under The Queen's Umbrella - 2 votes - 8.5

Agreed Wildflower, I would never have tried First Love without this board 😃 I was reading from the shadows (wha ha ha 😁) long before I plucked up the courage to expose myself, as it were 🤔 and join up. In fact all my earliest K-drama forays were guide by the noonas 😊 gomawoyo chingus!

I think it's very likely there will be an album from Yoongi before the end of Feb (he alluded to it in the new year's message Cobol posted). And hopefully a photo folio with LOTS of pages [cough]. Before he disappears off into the army for 20 months. Can't remember if we discussed the speculation that he is likely to get some sort of administrative/civil servant role because of the shoulder injury/surgery. Imagine having your passport application processed by the genius behind Daechwita 😁

We haven't added to the spreadsheet for ages! I know my DH was causing chaos before though! Extraordinary Attorney and Business Proposal are probably my faves of the year (and AoS 2 if it doesn't end in tragedy!). 25/21 would have been my fave ever had it had a happy ending!

boaty I am not looking forward to the teenage years for my DD! Hurtling there fast though 🫣

Reborn Rich is worth watching imo, in spite of the divisive finale. I'm now reading the manhwa on which it is based. I believe the ending is different in the manhwa and I want to see which is a more acceptable storyline.

I KNOW Sweat and Soap was watched by more of us!! Come on, spreadsheeters!

passport application processed by the genius behind Daechwita
Oh @Saram13 …. all my jetlag will be vanished right there & then.

AOS - twitter was misleading (I am glad). Can’t wait for next week. The start of episode 🥹🔥

It seems my Kdrama average this year was very low compared to last year. I think I have watched all the good ones now so nothing gripping to binge watch.
I have discovered that I enjoy live dramas more then all in one go. I need enforced pace (2 eps per week). As I tend to start skipping after ep12 and miss out on the details.

I have watched 4 episodes of The Fabulous, unfortunately not feeling it. Photographer is just 31 but looks older (crows feet) as per Korean standards.

jin i have worked out I enjoy the pace of the live drama's as well - if binging I get impatient and start skipping bits even in dramas I really like, and end up missing details as you said.

Saram is it March that Yoongi starts his military service? 😥 DD and I have overloaded on BTS today, watched Permission to Dance concert on Disney plus and then loads of Run BTS best bits and clips, they really do make my heart happy 💜

Is The Fabulous on netflix? I'll maybe give it a go ..

@TheLoupGarou yes The Fabulous is on Netflix.

@TheLoupGarou Without checking the wording, I believe the statement on national conscription said that both Jin and Yoongi were withdrawing the request for extensions to the deadline for starting military service. That would mean the deadline for each reverting to their 30th (western) birthdays. So 9 March 2023 in Yoongi's case.

Rowdy I meant to say re: sister-in-law, great recruitment work 🤩 have a Services to Noonaship medal! So far I have four people up for joining me at the Yet To Come cinema showing. One fellow ARMY, one Korean teacher 😁 one highly interested noona recently introduced to the joys of Bangtan and one extreme sceptic who seems to be turning a corner 🤔

Alternative Oppas day 8. Park Ho-san.

Two words: Silver Fox.

Rawwwr 🦊

Oh I'm liking today's oppa so much . #attitude 😘

And I missed yesterday's alternative Oppa so went back and found the Great Dane in golf shoes ....and a suit!😂

Great choice today FedUp! 👏

Lovely silver 🦊 Briiiiick

On the spreadsheet, are we scoring Alchemy of Souls part 1 and 2 under the same heading, or giving them separate scores?

I’ve just updated the spreadsheet. This is how things currently look for 2022, limited to shows with 3+ votes:

#1 My Liberation Notes 9.55 (9 votes)
#2 First Love 9.17 (6 votes)
#3 Our Blues 8.92 (6 votes)
#4 Gaus Electronics 8.75 (6 votes)
#5 Alchemy of Souls (5 votes)

That looks reasonable to me based on our discussions over the last year. I’ll get the next thread header prepped & list those as our provisional top 5 for 2022.

Just seen your post Rowdy. I think they should be scored as one. Both have been released in the same year and AOS2 is an extension of the story in S1. To me it is the same story arc.

Okay, that's fine with me 👍 just added our scores on

Ah. The scores updated but not the number of votes. Can anyone tweak the google sheet to sum the total number of votes? I have to edit google docs on my phone & it’s fiddly.

I'm liking today's alternative oppa, quite a revelation as I've only previously seen him as a whispy beard in Flower Crew. Another revelation today is to discover I share a birthday with Min Yoongi - as he's off to the army I'll have to remember to raise an extra glass this year on his behalf to wish him luck.

Ignore my post above. I fixed it!