MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #38): Where we’re still reeling from the 2022 top 5 scoring Jdrama First Love v Alchemy of Souls kerfuffle. What can I say? Takeru Satoh broke our scoring rubric.

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the K-curious. Most of our shows are on 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)
Little Women (Netflix)
My Name (Netflix)
My Secret Terrius (Netflix)🌟
Signal (Netflix)🌟
Somebody (Netflix, content warning: sexual & violence)
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)

‘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 ‘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)
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)

Top Scoring 2022 Dramas
Courtesy of much-missed Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by thread regulars. Marks out of 10.

#1 My Liberation Notes 9.45

#2 Alchemy of Souls 9.10

#3 First Love 8.88 (Jdrama)

#4 Our Blues 8.83

#5 Gaus Electronics 8.75

Top Scoring 2021 Dramas
#1 The Red Sleeve - 10
#2 Happiness - 9
#3 Devil Judge - 8.75
#4 Squid Game - 8.6
#5 Navillera - 8.57

Top Scoring 2020 dramas
#1 Mr Queen - 9.4
#2 Parasite (film) - 9.05
#3 It's Okay To Not Be Okay - 8.88
#4 The Uncanny Counter - 8.50
#5 Once Again - 8.42

Top Scoring 2019 dramas
#1 Her Private Life - 9.40
#2 Melo is My Nature - 9.00
#3 tied: Crash Landing On You, The Crowned Clown, The Lies Within, and The Tale of Nokdu - 8.75
#4 Hotel del Luna - 8.50
#5 tied: Romance is a Bonus Book, and Search: WWW - 8.17

We are fans of all things Korean, so equally happy to talk about Korean cookery, language, current affairs, film and music when the mood takes us. A few of us are learning Korean, Japanese and/or Mandarin (some more diligently than others), so we swap tips and links to language resources. Basically, anything topical goes.

We often resort to acronyms and/or abbreviations of show titles or 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!

Migs I saw a clip of that guy briefly on Instagram. And it was probably about the same time you were discussing the ex-whatever bit of rough joining the show. So I think it's more down to that than any amazing sleuth work 😁

Pol I saw that terrifying mullet today too on social media. I have no idea what he looks like without it. But, presumably, better.

Started The Fabulous. Quite fun, but has yet to really hook me.

I'm now booked to see Yet To Come with three different groups of friends 😁🙈 I'm not trying to keep them apart or anything, in K-drama-plot-worthy shenanigans. Just they're all people I haven't seen for a while who haven't yet met, and can all make different days. Two are Bangtan curious, the other group have been into them much longer than me (and have seen them live!!!) And this gives me the perfect excuse to go multiple times 😁 I really regretted not going to PTD more than once (although, in my case, it might have been Permission to Get Covid as I got sick just after going). Now I know there will be 'touching moments' (as promised by Jin in the official announcement, sounding like the dear old Queen Mum 😂) I'm even keener.

I'm not sure I can cope with Yoongi in high definition close up on a massive cinema screen though 😳 might have some interesting dreams after that

Rofl at the vloger re Jin-y who said she would never date a guy who had been in the military no matter how good he looked. Because talks constantly about guns and probably has ptsd!

Cooking chingus, today I made pakchoi and bramley apple kimchi. I just threw stuff in and went with taste after I read that you can make it with anything! In my birth country we make what I now recognise as fresh kimchi, with fruit, and just eat it as a snack.

Pol, I'm waiting for your words on SI2 finale. Saw on YouTube that Seul-ki's family own a 20 floor building in a wealthy area worth $72+million and she lives in a $7million apartment. No way is she with JinY irl! No wonder he now has that awful mullet...it's a disguise 🥸

Migs your kimchi looks tasty! It's making me want to try making my own. Korean cookery book I got for Christmas is yet to be opened, sadly...

What's everyone watching? Now AoS has finished, my current dramas are - The Forbidden Marriage (Viki) and Island (prime) I've also been dipping into The Fabulous and Tomorrow on netflix, but haven't been compelled to binge. Trying to catch up with Alice in Borderland but having to go at DH's pace so goodness knows when we will get to season 2.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I'll pm you about Yet To Come so as not to spam the thread!

I’m still meandering my way through Terrace House: Opening New Doors and very much enjoying the low stakes banter and dynamics. I’m up to ep 5 and I think the pro snowboarder, the oldest male at 31, and the twenty-something female ice hockey player would make a fantastic husband-wife team. They’re both really hardworking, sporty, driven but with a down to Earth vibe. Both also local, so staying in the area after filming. They’re my ones to watch. Worth skipping through ep 3 to enjoy the pro snowboarder and the house maknae (male) taking a brotherly dip in the house’s family-sized indoor hot tub/bath. The tub has a fatastic outdoor view too. Serious bath/house envy here.

I have also secured a partner in crime for Yet to Come, so no domestic arm-twisting required.

boaty I feel like I could get into Terrace House... I used to love The Real World when it was on MTV. The Seattle series is the one that sticks in my mind as well - I was in the US on a student exchange at that time and used to watch it with my roommate (we were too young to go out drinking!)

@TheLoupGarou I'm upto date with Hit The Spot and I'm up to ep 5 of The Fabulous (even though its total fashion nonsense fluff I was near tearful over the fashion designer and his tailor lost love in ep 4.
Also have just rewatched the first ep of Cheese in the Trap as had a sudden urge to see Seo Kang-joon's beautiful face. He's not really in the first ep so will have to watch more 😍

Listening to the hosts banter in this series it sounds like the earlier Hawaii-based series was a wild ride. They mention how awful the housemates were in that one, such that there notable drunken meltdowns. They seem fond of this group and the gentler vibe.

The wealth does not surprise me at all and I would think a lot of the contestants also in Korea's financial elite from their "accomplishments" and talk of international travel. I enjoyed the final and Seul-ki's choice but pretty sure she would have friend zoned immediately. If only she'd been in Love Island and able to have a quick shag with her exciting bit of rough and got him out of her system...
Thought Nadine was classy in her attitude and her dress very sexy. I got real long term relationship vibes and butterflies from Young-Jae and Seuma and I reckon they're still going out from their expressions on YouTube.
The Netizens all seem entirely focused on romance between tailor dude and actress which baffles me as she clearly wasn't into him romantically at all. Pleased that he helped her get over her obsession but sure the relationship stopped as soon as they were off camera.

Had to go to Olga's to finish Hi Venus because I couldn't wait for Viki. It really is cute and coherent by CDrama standards and gets stronger as it goes on. I do like a couple who actually communicate.

No-one else is watching The Interest of Love? It's actually a really interesting one because there is a sort of Singles Inferno economic calculation to all the relationships in it. All the characters are complex and (purposefully) unlikeable in some respects so it's hard to relax into and ship a particular romance. A chewy rather than an easy watch and I have no idea how it's going to end.

In my watchlist Pol, but I was hoping to see if anyone could give me a heads up on a 🐝 ending before I commit 😁

I'll let you know in a few weeks! I spend quite a lot of each episode marvelling at Korean bank branch over-staffing - It would have to be a romance between two ATMs if it were set here. Or a romance conducted on one morning a week only

I've finished From 5 to 9 jdrama , and agree the waterfall cooling off sessions were a treat 😁and just have Trolley, which is ongoing. I'm going to try Missing the other side S2, Glitch and Poong the Josean Psychiatrist . I might even restart Flower of Evil after dropping it because it was painful watching the ML who had gotten so skeletal after Moon Lovers.
I'm staying at home for the next wee while as on short term medication that also suppresses immunity and don't want to catch another lurgy!
Today I'm having a sourdough bread, cheese and kimchi apple toastie for lunch!😋or 🙅?

After finding out that Jong Woo's (yes, I'm still in sleuthing SI2 cast mode) family own the famous Super Sweet Corn Coffee shop (yet another wealthy cast member), I had to find a recipe as I couldn't imagine what corn coffee could possibly be. Turns out that it's dark roasted and ground corn kernels, so caffeine free, but then piled with sugar and whipped cream. I want to attempt making it but guessing that oven roasting popping corn might be a bit hit and miss?😂<must keep oven door closed>

I thought it sounded revolting Migs! Stay well and let that cardboard oppa look after you.

Migs sounds like the perfect opportunity to get some binge-watching in 😃 And for the record, I'd definitely eat that toastie 😁

I’m watching and agree about all the subtle and not-so-subtle reckoning and calculation going on. I can’t say I love it but I am finding it interesting.

This too!!!

Red Leicester, grated carrot and caramelised onion chutney for lunch here. If I had kimchi in the house just now it would have been kimcheese toastie.

Toastie!

Saram the apple kimchi toastie with Edam slices was so good I could start a food truck business and make £££.😋
🤔 I would need to site it next to the soju and beer truck of the NI noonas on this thread and we would have BTS bunting, fairy lights and bangtan music on a loop to keep thegirl and rowdy happy. Pol dancing will be banned (I have footage) 🤐

LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN! 💜