MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #39): February sees the Filthy Noonas warmed by the smouldering embers of Jin’s leather trousers

[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 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 Forbidden Marriage (Viki)
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 (Netflix)🌟
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)
Sell Your Haunted House (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)
Meet Yourself (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 Makanai (Netflix, 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

#2Alchemy 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!

[FedUpWithBriiiiick]

Delicious new thread. Thanks Boaty!

[Andante57]

Thanks for the new thread Boaty.

[Cobol]

Thanks for the new thread Boaty. I'll just leave this here to mark my place 😉

[TheLoupGarou]

Thanks for the new thread boaty🙂

I've had the worst hangover today and have been mostly lying in a heap questioning my life choices, but I've caught up with Strangers Again and Kokdu. I am really enjoying SA still, but the plot of Kokdu is getting on my nerves a bit now - I probably will persevere though.

My plan for this evening is to park myself on the sofa and watch the rest of Love to Hate You (2ML also gets 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥top scoville rating from me - and entirely age appropriate too!).

[MigsandTiggs]

Thanks for the new thread Boaty.
My first post is to complain that nobody has provided a time stamp for the steamy scene in Money Heist!!!! How mean! 😫 Afraid to watch the final episode that bettys thought might have it, as I'm now binge watching the whole show from start as I'd forgotten what was going on.
On the upside, I now have something to look forward to. 🥳
We are well and truly filthy noonas here! I love it! 💕
Watching all the insta posts with JK gym training and now Big Boy by Sza is living rent free in my brain. 😭

[TheGirlWithTheArabStrap]

Ooh nice new thread, thanks once again boaty 💜

[TheGirlWithTheArabStrap]

I've left the house to be a filthy noona with some work friends. We went to see Magic Mike's Last Dance at the cinema 😆

[FedUpWithBriiiiick]

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap

I've left the house to be a filthy noona with some work friends. We went to see Magic Mike's Last Dance at the cinema 😆

Doirty girl.

[Saram13]

Thanks for the new thread Boaty!

In keeping with the tone so far - and the title - here's a photo from this weekend's ATEEZ concert 😁

[Saram13]

This was one of a number of dazzling costume changes. There was alot of screaming 😁 An awful lot of pleather sported by audience members, too 🤔 (female). It was an extremely entertaining concert! 🤩

The first two epidodes of CCiR are out here now. Really enjoyed the first one. Am continuing with IoL too, and want to start Love to Hate You this week. Am also watching Hellbound as missed it at the time and hadn't twigged that Yoo Ah-in was in it so thanks for that klaxon previous posters 👍🏻

No Melo on Netflix here (yet...?), sadly.

[Bea]

Cheers Boaty!! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I've just discovered HiTV app! Loads of dramas on there including

Link:Love Eat Kill.. "A crime mystery thriller fantasy about a man and woman sharing same emotions. Gye Hoon is a chef whose twin sister went missing. Now he finds his random emotions connected with a girl named Da Hyun."

it's gooood so far!
Excellent MoonGaYoung (true beauty) and Yeo Jin Go (crowded clown)... Looks very promising!.. 😁😁👍🏼

[boatyardblues]

I told DH about the soju bomb set up in ep 2 of LTHY and offered to show him. He liked it so much we rolled it back and watched it again. Our observation is that the party-goers (cast) looked thrilled. We surmise that it took several takes to get the shot. 😆

[bettys]

I've just clocked that the ex-gf of ML in Love to Hate You is the woman from The Steamy Scene with 2ML in Money Heist

[AmVa]

Joining the new thread and putting this here. Do I want a Bebe Vibe shirt from CCiR????

Speaking of..this week's eps were good! Aside from ML's very strange double denim suit.

[JinBhoot]

I had a really bad hair cut last year (looked like 2ML LtHY), still trying to fix it.
Grown enough to fix the uneven layers & they are still short. Now they look like JK’s.
My question is how come they both look great where as mine look untidy & unglamorous 😭
Is it a male thing? Or they have stylists who are making messy look flawless.
Rant over, this morning I struggled extra to tame my locks … I was trying to look presentable for a formal meeting but the bushes on my head are not playing the ball.

On drama front, I am enjoying Jdrama I will be your Bloom

CCiR: I want boys to get along, it will be fun to watch the friendship of young ones.
FL: someone else might have looked better but I guess the whole point is that he fell for her personality & inner beauty.
She wore some fugly/funky knitware but I am sure I will rock the look (once hair are fixed).

[FedUpWithBriiiiick]

Watched another episode of LtHY at the gym at lunchtime there. Made my 5k walk go in nice and quick 😁

[bettys]

Thoroughly thoroughly enjoying LtHY 😍

[MigsandTiggs]

Bettys is off the hook. It's ep 6 50mins in. It's either an extreme case of Stockholm Syndrome 😳 .... or how to find a boyfriend, kdrama style 😆

[boatyardblues]

I stayed up far too late watching LtHY and then finished ep 10 in bed this morning meaning I was also later than planned starting my working week. I have not done my best work today, but I got some stuff sorted. 😂

[Cobol]

I'm all caught up with Crash Course in Romance and I'm really getting into it now, it's great fun - even the grisly murders, in an Agatha Christie whodunnit kind of way. Hard to discuss without !!spoilers!! but I'm really hoping Sunjae's brother is a cat lover rather than a cat hater.

[MigsandTiggs]

I don't think it's him as that's too obvious 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Cobol]

Absolutely Migs. I'm hoping he's on a desperate mission to avenge the poor tortured alley cats. Meanwhile there's been more than a few hints as to the real killer. I can't wait for the next episode.

[AmVa]

Yeah - unless we are totally being led on, think they've dropped enough hints about the real killer.
Yes FL lead's knitwear / fashion is sometimes totally off the wall - giving some serious Granny vibes sometimes despite the fact that she should be like ...35??? I think we discussed the weird age stuff going on with her already. Weird to make it a noona romance when you can easily do the maths and see that she shouldn't be that old!

[polkettle]

She has been badly styled (although there are some cracking t shirts on that show). In Lost where she has steam with beautiful Ryu wotsit she is smokin'. But she's having so much fun and is good I don't give a fig. And I think it may be deliberate so she can be transformed from mum role by love. LtHY so exactly what my week needed. It's such a nice balanced and sexy relationship that feels grounded in something real. His lovely bedroom grin is a very hawt thing.

[MigsandTiggs]

Jin you've worried me as I'm planning to get a haircut somewhere between 2ml in LtHY and Suga's. But I don't want a bush!!

Re fl in CCiR, I agree about the styling, We could see a Cinderella makeover, but I can't unsee her granny jeans. When I was a teenager, we called that flood length - they don't get wet when you're walking thru a flood. 😬
I'll have to check out Lost now as I can't imagine her as sexy. I'm finding that my enjoyment of these dramas is partly watching good looking people. Yep, colour me shallow