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!

Ah boaty I feel ya! I feel like I've aged about 10 years since covid (actually, NHS winter pressures this year is probably responsible for most of it!) And am now almost permanently ratty and tired. Plus I've never been dainty - even when I was slim, pre kids, I was still 5ft 8 with size 7 feet and what my gran called childbearing hips 🤣

TheLoup you and me both 😁 I don't frighten kids or anything 😁 but I suspect I will probably feel a bit Shrek-like when in Korea 😂 While I don't consciously mimic Korean style, I do have some BTS-inspired outfits 🤘(including VERY bright trainers and a brilliant hoodie that screams J-Hope and makes me smile every time I wear it). But otherwise - I'm not dainty in appearance or behaviour and never have been. Could definitely conjure up some CCiR-style noona-worthy denim and knitwear combos, though 🙌

Saram your outfits sound fab and I'm sure that a) you will look great and in no way resemble Shrek (!!) And b) be having such an awesome time that such things will not even cross your mind!

I was pricing flights to Japan and Korea today - DH and I decided we will save up to go as a family but realistically it will take us a couple of years to do it (which is ok, as perhaps we could sneakily coordinate it with a BTS comeback tour in 2025/26.... I didn't disclose that part to DH yet 🤣)

And yes Boaty, amen to ?age-related curmudgeonliness/ranting. We both feel tired and grumpy alot of the time, and I hear exactly the same from pretty much everyone I know. Our age and younger. So maybe it's general malaise. Live music perks us both up (though we rarely go together). We also try to break the monotony by taking a day off of work together every so often to see an exhibition get pissed at lunchtime, go for a long walk etc.

But, yeah, I guess we all feel like that sometimes. Hope this week is going better for you Boaty 🌻

Funnily enough we went to a gig over the weekend. The support act was super-chill and I could feel the grrrrrr melting away.

Loup, flights to Japan/SK are expensive atm because of a demand/supply imbalance. People are travelling again but airlines have fewer flights after covid so they're charging ££££. I think as things stabilise, flight prices will get competitive again .... unless we land in WW3.

And what is it with the humble brag from tall people today? I'm looking at you Loup, Saram and Boaty! I dream of being 6 foot tall with a bee hive hairdo and 4 inch heels. Honesty if I were 5' 7/8", I'd still wear platform trainers and high heels. Every. Day.
Even though I went high street shopping on Saturday wearing 3.5" heels and almost did myself an injury😂

Migs nah I'm not tall. I cross-posted with TheLoup. Just definitely not dainty 😁And I can't wear heels for the life of me. Did wear chunky retro platforms back in my 90s clubbing days, but always had trainers in my bag for the way home ✌

Sorry I mis-heighted you Saram! 😔 I'm really envious of tall people 😜

I hope so migs - it's been so long since I bought long haul flights ( 15 years at least!) I had no idea of the going rate at all - everything is pricey for us as a family of 5 anyway but I did wince at sky scanner today!

Haha - no humble brag intended re height 🤣 I did wear heels in my younger days but never really now - flats all the way!

Speaking of flights...

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0hmWNvDDnnC2dDEfXejJTYuJySer32QZ99NRtFEMJJATvie57dfsPEApDKvPoCGKcl&id=142618929107586

I used to wear heels but they’re just another thing that make me grumpy at the mo. COVID was footwear mat leave redux for me - trainers all the way. I rarely wear platform anything as I am prone to wrenching my hypermobile ankles. Bah humbug. Being taller’s not all that. I’ve spent most of my life hoiking up tights that aren’t long enough (if long enough they’re too big on the waist, scuppered either way). I tried on some cargo trousers at the weekend (yep, I really am giving in to comfort). They were so roomy I tried the size down - perfect fit around my hips/bum but mysteriously 2” shorter in the leg and looked ridiculous. 🤷‍♀️ Suddenly it’s no mystery why I’m grumpy. It’s the daily accumulation of exactly these kind of annoyances. 😂

Boaty those cargo trousers would have had you perfectly on trend in CCiR 😂😂
#missedopportunity

Oh man - we have just booked a visit back to the UK from Aus for three of us and it was sickeningly expensive. Could have saved quite a bit of money if we'd had a 19 hour stopover in Seoul (!!!) But as much as I would have jumped at the chance to do that alone, I didn't want to tackle that with a 3 year old 😅 already not looking forward to the flight with minimal Singapore stopover

GONG YOO'S IN HAMPSTEAD.

activate stalker mode

Ooh I wonder what for, how exciting! Go find out Pol, our resident super sleuth! 🕵️‍♀️

From the comments it looks like he shopped in Oseyo in Soho yesterday. Hoping that means he's around for a while and I can hunt him down and capture him like a BEAST lend appropriate support to his London mini break from afar.

🤣🤣 Go get him Pol! Sigh, if only our K stars would venture further north... I want a go at being a stalker 🧐

Gong Yoo speaks good English so you’ll be able to fangirl fluently in your mother tongue. If you do bump into him, please do tell him he’s been on our top oppa fantasy pub evening list since the thread got started.

😁

boaty accumulation of minor annoyances is exactly it. Spot on.

Pol I was wondering exactly where Gong Yoo was. Thought those houses looked rather North London 😀 you can stalk him on my behalf too. How many of us do you think it would take to overpower him persuade him to join us for ramen and soju? 🤔

I saw that on his insta!!! Have you tried hanging around your local Subway??? 😅😅

Re: flights to Japan/SK. Mine were actually cheaper than I'd feared (but still expensive of course). A girl from my course got extremely cheap tickets to Seoul (like, 400 euros) by booking nearly a year in advance and having a long stopover in Dubai. But I couldn't face that, and yes Amva, that's trickier if kids are involved.

Surely Pol just needs to stake out Olle fir a couple of weeks. If I was nearer I’d volunteer for some stakeout shifts. 🤤

GO GET HIM, GIRL!!

Pol! capture him no! tell him I love him no.
I'm imagining you in sunglasses and a trenchcoat. Fighting!

Also 🚨JK on weverse live earlier 🚨 the notification woke me but I sensibly went back to sleep - sober pre-work karaoke this time, looking hot as per.