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!

Loup we bring out the FN in you 😆

LSJ channeling his inner monk 😂

🤣🤣 @MigsandTiggs

Pol good job he had those old shoelaces hanging about to secure his lower-clothing!

This looks FUN

Si-mok! Dr Do! Jung-hwan's dad!

Love the cast.

LSJ just gives me the ick. He is King Feathery Stroker.

FedUp Divorce Attorney Shin looks really good! And have we all seen the trailer for The Glory part 2? Shit's gonna go down. I am way over-invested 😁

LSJ visually reminds me of a (non-Korean, male) friend of mine. Which is off-putting (no offence to my friend 😁).

Loving Melo. Thanks for the heads-up that it had come to Netflix!

Watched all the available Suchwita episodes last night. Struck by the intelligence, particularly emotional intelligence, of Yoongi and his interviewees. I just can't picture US or European stars doing something comparable, regardless of their intellectual capabiities. This engendered another Yoongi dream, in which were having dinner with a group of friends. He was just listening and eating soup (in his Valentino Paris Fashion Week outfit, risky) and interjecting the odd one-word comment. And then struggled with pronunciation of the name of a dictionary (?!) and I helpfully said, in Korean, 'It's French'.

🤔😁🤷‍♀️

I forgot to ask him about tour tickets. Damn.

Missed opportunity there re: tour tickets Saram... I wonder if Yoongi woke up today thinking "wow, weird dream about eating soup in France in my Valentino outfit" 🤣

Divorce Attorney Shin looks too - can't wait!

Meant to say "looks top" re: DAS - autocorrect strikes again

I have started watching Our Blooming Youth and I have a question about saeguk dramas.... I have only watched one other, but do they all involve a woman dressing up as a eunuch, serving in the crown princes's palace, and taking advantage of their position to flirtily dress the crown prince in the morning.... Because so far I'm at 2 for 2 😅

Accurate assessment AmVa 🤣 Nokdu is similar but with roles reversed.

FL in OBY in particular is so clearly a woman that you have to doubt the eyesight of literally everyone in the palace INCLUDING HER OWN FIANCÉ (I'm still here for it though!). It's like in Shakespeare's when someone disguises themself completely by putting on a hat or something...

I've decided that clothes must have just been such a huge part of gender back then that no-one is looking past the outfit.... Similarly for her friend in disguise with the coroner man.... She literally just looks like a woman in a drab coloured coat!!

In Kdrama land, even the strategic placement of a mole on the face is enough to fool everyone! 😂

🤣 I expect more from coroner man - presumably he has some sort of working knowledge of human anatomy - unless as a noble he just doesn't look closely enough at commoners to differentiate

Not always AmVa but it is a recurring trope. If we had a sageuk bingo card, it would be on it!

Infuriating last two episodes of Strangers Again which did the classic KD thing of throwing in a lot of unnecessary stuff and then not properly resolving anything. Fuming! All they needed to do was TALK properly and snog FFS

Aaarrrggghhh! Pol infuriating is exactly right - can none of these seemingly intelligent adults have a proper conversation???!!!! Bollocks to them all. I wonder if they are angling for a Season 2?

Nope. I think they thought they were being all clever and grown up. But this was not TIoL and shouldn't have got notions. Just give us the happy ever after for goodness sake 🙄

Re the women dressed as men thing in sageuk dramas, I didn't mind it too much in Love in the Moonlight as it was done with humour, her character was quite young so could pass more as a boy than a man and everyone seemed to work it out pretty quickly anyway. The more po-faced versions I tend to struggle with a bit, I must admit.

There's only a little bit in 100 Days my Prince and I don't think there was any in Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung. It does crop up quite a lot as a theme, though, probably as the only other way for a woman to be in the palace and meet a prince would be as a servant or as a concubine as in the (slightly!) more historically accurate Empress Ki.

What's this new trend about not showing the preview of the next episode! I don't approve... 😒

She makes it look so easy - 10 dishes
Is this channel teaching how to be a housewife?

LSJ - only in W, some parks were flying. Rest of the stuff is very like warm.

I am also watching Our Blooming Youth.
story is very slow & crown price is about to get on my nerves. Story is interesting but execution is not that great.

@AmVa That’s exactly what I asked when I started watching Sageuk.
Mr Queen is the only one I have seen, where they identified her instantly (atleast MLs).
Crowned Clown was the first sageuk where no female was dressing as male. I really enjoyed the show a

JinBhoot There's a bit in Because This is My First Life where the FL makes the ML one of those elaborate multi-course breakfasts and then the following morning you see her getting all the leftovers in tupperware boxes out the fridge and sitting down to the same breakfast again and I was just so happy. I was like "Yes!! I knew that must be how they do! No one cooks like that everyday in real life!" 😂

Jin its probably about 30 hours of kitchen prep and then my kids would still just pick out the sausages 🤣

Always in dramas when someone has prepped a big breakfast the main character then rushes out without eating/halfway through and I always think "nooooo all the food!". Thank god for Tupperware!!

Re LJS being attractive or not, I can see some people's point about him being a feathery stroker but there are some dramas I have 100% fancied him in. I think I Can Hear Your Voice was the first drama I watched with him in and I thought he was so gorgeous 😍 and the FL is older than me 😅