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!

Fingers crossed for you jin, get better soon.
I've just come off some strong steroids for inflamed lungs after the preXmas lurgy, so moonface ✔weight gain ✔I have a family wedding coming up and ds just told me to wear a 2 person⛺!!!!

Don't stone me chingus, but I decided that Japan was more culturally important than SK when I had to choose between the two. I've managed to snag the very last booking on an InsideJapan tour in October after waiting for a friend to make up her mind whether she was joining me or not. That poor agent probably felt I was stalking her in the last 48hrs. 😆

Brilliant Miggs!! I'm really pleased for you!

Lots of us taking the long flights this year!

Migs sounds fantastic! 😍

Migs! Awesome - I definitely have some travel envy going on right now.

In non kdrama news, DH and are just watching episode 1 of "The Last if Us" which has kicked off strongly, in a tense zombie apocalypse sort of way...

Ahhh, I'm super excited to be able to finally cross Japan off my bucket list but a bit apprehensive about my first solo long haul holiday. Dare I try puffer fish????

Loup TLoU is on my to do list as I like a good fungus apocalypse/horror. Trolley is still holding my interest but the delivery is so painfully slow that I've resorted to watching it at x1.25 speed, plus it's still dropping so I have to wait on weekly episodes.

I fell asleep on the sofa (warm up kip). I was having an excellent chaebol-inspired dream with household staff and bratty relatives, a little chaotic in terms of continuity and reason. The last bit was PSJ playing footy on the beach right by my towel and I decided, based on his legs, he was a bit too skinny to be attractive even though his legs were beautifully toned. Of course, as soon as I woke up I knew that was bollocks and I was cross about the missed opportunity to fangirl. 😂

I have Japan/SK trip envy. 😭

Oh Migs that sounds excellent! (The trip not the cheeky comment from DS)

The good thing about comment from DS is that it entirely justifies you spending all his inheritance Migs 😉 Well booked - can't wait for the pics.

Boaty quality dream! 😁

Yoongi featured very briefly last night. I was watching him bring asked a question, he was pausing to think before replying. Probably deciding whether he would deign to continue enlivening my dreams after I dissed Valentino 😂

DS is actually a very good boy who keeps encouraging me to spend his inheritance on myself. My Japan shopping list might be huge as it's the cheapest place in the world to buy an iPhone and I like Japanese art.... I've already started monitoring ¥ rates!

Why can't I have PSJ/Yoongi dreams too?? I even like Valentino!!!

Wow! So much going on. What fanastic trips, I would love to see some photos and hear about it. Sounds absolutely amazing.
Congratulations on your result, Saram. I love the sound of your classes.
jin, I have had the same tablets a few times, they work so well but make me feel awful too. Hoping you have a speedy recovery.

Has any body watched The Glory? I didn’t think I would like it, but tried it anyway and liked it. Bit of a warning though, it is a dark one.

Just had my first consultation with the Inside Asia people (we are keeping them in business!) and she was brilliant at finding the thread in my wishlist of chaos and 🤞 will be putting together an itinerary where we can go nerd out EVERYWHERE (except Jeju). She says they are indeed inundated.

Our Seokjinnie in his army gear

If BTS pop up in my dreams it's always slightly anxiety related and usually the maknae line that I feel sort of motherly towards 😂 how unfair!

Hi - I watched a lot of kdramas up until the middle of last year when it seemed I just couldn't get into anything, then went off on a massive Star Trek binge. Think the last thing I watched might have been All of us are dead. Anyway, just started on Extraordinary Attorney Woo and enjoying it so far - episode 3 - but don't see it on the list in the first post. Is there a reason for this - does it all go horribly wrong or something? Hopefully not as I'm really getting back into it. Thanks!

Hawthorn,** EAW is brilliant! Just wait till you get to the kiss- so sensitively handled.

We also loved EAW and would recommend. Good to see Jin looking happy and looking very handsome,

World Wide Handsome 😉

The second half isn't quite as good as the first half I reckon hawthorn but we all liked it fine. It should be on the list.
After humming and haaing over The Interest of Love because it's so chewy and basically an anti-romance romance (and leaving long gaps and entire frothy CDramas between watching episodes as a result) I now find myself utterly absorbed. It's very skillfully written in its nuances and calculations. Unconvinced that it will have a 🐝 ending but for once I'm in it for the journey. And quite in hope of YYS going full bad boy 🔥 snogeroo when the sexual tension dam finally bursts.

That's 3 of us using them! They should pay the Filthy Noona Co. commission 😁

Thanks - glad to hear it, will crack on with EAW

@TheLoupGarou how did I write handsome, and miss off the World Wide!?🤣💜

Haha! 💜💜💜

EAW is an oversight so easily fixed on the next thread. Romance or slice of life, though? It’s hard to categorise.

I need to get watching again. Life outside and Survival Marriage have eaten my last two evenings. Survival Marriage is great stuff - properly plotted and with a few twists and turns. A cut above yer average manhwa and the main couple are pretty full on, even without ghostly baguette action.