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!

Started Meet Yourself and can tell I'm going to thoroughly enjoy. Thanks for the tip off Jin. Granny's hat game is very strong.

Baby news is lovely. He is one of my favs, but we all saw that announcement coming!

Twitter says ( sorry I can’t do links reliably) that Jin has won an army talent show. Can you imagine being in a contest with him? 🤣

Our Seokjinnie doing well wherever he goes 🥰

Granny is lovely … wait for the episode when she beat the younger grandson …. Lead-up to it is hilarious.
I am on ep32 & it’s only 40 episodes 😭

Maybe my brain is not engaging, I can’t see where baby is announced in the letter. New life? Is that baby? I thought new life is married life.

Started Meet Yourself too. Not your average C-drama thankfully!

The village and the decor is so pretty in Meet Yourself.
^
ML ain't too bad to look at either...^

Ahhh it's Go Go Squid! man!! Yummy 🥰

I've added it to my watchlist 👍

For reasons unknown, last night I embarked on the marathon of Suspicious Partner (send help).

Had a proud moment yesterday - DD (nearly 7) is off school with a sore throat, I received an exasperated message from DH saying she had perked up a bit and was demanding wall to wall BTS music videos cast to the TV: My work here is done.

Oooh Mr Lixian! <adds to list> - quality 👌

Ahem. There's currently a thread going elsewhere on MN where a 30-something poster is getting a bit piled on for fancying a celeb aged 24 who looks a tad younger. All I can say is thank goodness you lot are less judgemental 😂😂😂. God knows what they would have made of our Once Upon A Small Town age inappropriate oppa 🤣🤣🤣 - though I have to say he is waay hotter than the above mentioned z lister!

I've watched as much IoL as I can so far (up to the end of episode two) - can see why you're all enjoying it so much. Me too!😃

TheLoup JuniorSaram actually said 'too much BTS' in response to seeing my 2021 Seasons Greetings calendar on my office desk the other day. It's either that or 'Bruh BTS'. Clearing being coached by MrSaram 😂

Cobol 😁

Which reminds me 😁anyone else off to Yet To Come tomorrow? I got in the mood today by finally finishing watching the last disc of the Memories of 2020 box set. I will never as long as I live get bored of watching Yoongi and Namjoon perform Respect in matching disco outfits, complete with retro sunnies and built-up shoes. Gummy smiles galore 😻

Me and @TheLoupGarou are going 😁

I'm going as well!!! The reminder just popped up on my phone.

Saram surely no such thing as 'too much' BTS 🤣

I'm super excited for tomorrow - have confirmed with FedUp that it's not too embarrassing to wear my 'ddaeng!' t-shirt and (in the face of mockery) emphasised to my colleagues that I have to leave work on time! 🤞🤞

cobol I would never judge: an ajumma can look surely?! 🤣 I'm always very conscious that I'm old enough to be Jungkook's mum - most of the time he looks like a young boy to me, but - holy good god, have you ever got a glimpse of his abs? It's like appreciating a work of art! < Time for an 18 again style slap in the face >

TheLoup A little while back someone mentioned a hot 54 year old Japanese actor in the Rerouni Kenshin films and I had a momentary flutter where I thought "Ooh, I could actually date him! ....if I wasn't married .... if he wasn't married .... if I was much prettier .... if I could speak Japanese" - by which point I'd thrown in so many "ifs" I figured I might as well throw in an "if I was 15 years younger" as well and go on an imaginary date with Kim Jae-young instead 😁

< fist bump >

See, I really think on this thread I have found my people, because my brain has also worked through many a similar algorithm 🤣 right now I'm thinking: If I could only choose one oppa, who would I choose for my imaginary date? Coffee shop or theme park?

This is probably why I can't retain important information....

Option 3 - soju bar (how could I miss that one!)

Coffee shop for me. Although I'd probably make myself unpopular by insisting on actually drinking my coffee rather than wandering off after five minutes of dialogue, leaving it completely untouched on the table 😂

🤣 I think I'd go for soju and side dishes with PSJ - he could give me a piggy back home if I got too drunk, his back looks nice and strong.

I'm throughly enjoying all this filthy Noona chat, keep going Noonas! 👊 cobol I'm interested to know who the celeb was that the other thread was about!

Everyone going to see BTS, have a great time, DD is going at the weekend, I'm surplus to requirements so not going 😆 I don't mind though. I'd rather be catching up on Crash Course in Romance, which is brilliant, a proper crazy K drama romance! Just like they used to be...

A pop singer called HRVY, Rowdy.Looks like he took his inspiration from Jedward, judging by his hair 😕. I could get why posters thought she was bats for fancying him, but I still think they were a bit harsh.

I’m in.

I started Three Body on Viki earlier but DH turned it off for me because I fell asleep on the sofa. It’s a Chinese adaptation of Lui Ci Xin’s globally successful sci-fi novel The Three Body Problem if there are any other sci-fi fans about. I saw about 30 mins before I nodded off and it was v good. It was choc full of leathery character actors, rather than the likes of Mr Lixian. I’ll be interested to see how the flashbacks to the cultural revolution are handled because they seemed critical of the govt to me when I read it.

Which reminds me 😁anyone else off to Yet To Come tomorrow?

Me! I’m going with my friend who I turned to kdrama. She said she wasn’t into kpop, but she’d keep me company. Not yet…

I've just finished Awaken on Netflix (very enjoyable) and it renewed my hankering for one of those kdrama interior walls, covered ceiling to floor with plants. I've even worked out that I'll need to tile the wall, put in watering and drainage systems and hooks, and special lights, and ways to deal with the inevitable insects....Well it takes my mind off that all filthy noona stuff!😁