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!

TheLoup if I could get away with a dedicated BTS room filled with lifesize cardboard cutouts etc. a la superfan Jed (Alan Partridge 😁) I would. Sadly I have a shared home office and a husband who is distinctly not into K-pop. He loves music, but not anything highly produced or polished, so 😬 Although he does wander in sometimes and say 'What's this? I like it' and it will be early hip-hop-oriented BTS, so...

Gottabe I'm seeing ATEEZ in Europe, but they are playing the O2 on this tour I believe.

😍 excellent LMK advent picture!!! I have not seen that one before!!!

I would never have recognised LMK! 😍 He's already stretching that jumper and he's going to be pulling it over his knees next 🙄

I think he's having house renovations and is casually leaning on the scaffold pole whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, after just getting out of bed

Oh my . This is the start of a whole new fanfic area (it's prob already been done, hasn't it?) Or a drama. LMK moves in next door as a runaway chaebol & starts doing up his rooftop flat, cue much noise & FL having to bang on door/lend ramen/help tile

Now that is a drama I would happily watch bettys 😁

😂 I'm here for this content!

My bleary morning eyes didn't recognise it as a scaffolding pole - even hotter. I'd be worried about him starting renovations without appropriate leg protection though....

saram I'm going to confess I've spent the last few days online trying to find myself some bt21 Tata slippers that will fit my big feet

Oh my - I checked this thread tomorrow morning (Oppa of the day)
and since thread has moved 3 pages & a newbie
woahhh 👏

I am planning to start S1 of AOS first and then hopefully start S2 next week.
hahaha - l am hilarious, in reality I have no self control.

Definitely probably I will not do any house chores as I’ll be eagerly waiting for 3pm.
Most likely scenario:
I’ll watch both episodes & during the week to fill the gap, I’ll be watching S1.

Under Queen’s Umbrella Prince Uiseong definitely doesn’t look 22. But I was more taken by Prince Bogum & his mum, they look siblings.
Penny just dropped (while typing this) …. Prince Bogum is the brother from True Beauty. I kept thinking during the whole show that he looks familiar.

Welcome to all the newcomers, there seem to have been quite a few lately so I'm struggling to keep up.
Like polkettle I would never have recognised LMK from that photo. I like him as an actor but he's not really a pin up for me. I do rather like his hair in that shot, though. It might have something to do with all the jdrama I've been watching lately but I'm getting into the tousled bedhair look (I still prefer longhaired assassins, though).

BTS pop-up shop in London

Aw, why can we never get cool stuff like that in NI?!

I've just spotted that Would you like a cup of coffee is coming to Netflix on Thursday. For those that don't have Viki, I'd definitely recommend it. It's a lovely slow relaxing show ☕

Fascinating to watch Under the Queen's Umbrella, where there is talk of a bleeding disorder in one of the main characters (don't want to give any spoilers) but I have the same bleeding disorder in my family, it's quite rare to see anything about it...

Hello, please can I join? I have enjoyed reading through the thread and it is lovely to see people loving the same things. Currently watching reborn rich, looking forward to AOS and listening to Indigo.

Absolutely @Wildflower13 ! We love kdrama. If you love kdrama too you are in exactly the right place. Welcome aboard. 🙂

Welcome @Wildflower13 I'm a fellow newbie from the last thread 🙂

Are you enjoying reborn rich? I haven't started it yet as I think it's one that DH might like - he's watching Uncanny Counter with me at the moment and will only do one series at once.

I keep falling asleep in UTQU, mainly because I’m fitting around DS2’s Breaking Bad binge, but I’m really enjoying it when I’m awake. I can’t help feeling for the queen when I see her with the four delinquent younger sons. Two boys keeps my hands full. Five makes my head hurt.

I couldn’t work out what it would be in western medicine due to my own ignorance of specific blood disorders. At first I thought leukaemia or a clotting disorder. I’m not very far in yet but have veered away from leukaemia to a longer term condition like sickle cell.

It's haemophilia Boaty, a royal disease in Korea in this series, as well as our own country 😁

Doh! Of course. Thanks Rowdy.

So many new posters 👋 Welcome! There's an 18th birthday party happening round ours tonight so I'm hiding upstairs with my full Advent Hospital Playlist rewatch underway on my phone #YOLO

Hello @Wildflower13 👋👋👋
I'm loving Indigo too! 💜

Thank you for the welcome🙂
@TheLoupGarou yes, I am enjoying it. It’s a bit of a slow build and very much a business drama.
@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap it’s so good!!

Hi all, been lurking but big time korean drama fan. But lately lured into j drama territory. Loving First Love and waiting for Alice in Borderland 2, the latter with the kids.

Hi Coco i really enjoyed the first Alice in Borderland series. I watch a lot of JCinema and anime as well.

Hi @TheLoupGarou I haven’t got into anime left but never say never😂