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!

Mine too! I quite fancy a trip to China after my Japanese drama viewing. I'm absolutely loving Full Time Wife Escapist though, I spent most of mother's day watching it in bed surrounded by chocolate wrappers... Perfect 👌🏻

DH and I are still working through The Glory, I can't wait to see how it ends.

Saram your meet up sounds great, quite amusing that they have chosen more old fashioned names as their English name. I wonder where their inspiration came from?

i just got to the body-swap bIt in Secret Garden. Hahahaha! Wtf? This. Is. Amazing 😍
Also: young Hyun Bin is so hot (unsurprising, but still true!)

Haha Loup! It's properly bonkers! 😅 enjoy!

<Waves from the manhwa rabbit hole>

Evening all! I have got used to the overly hench oppas of manhwa that I barely notice, but this ML has such curvy pecs he looks to be in need of a good bra fitter. Good luck finding something in a 46” band lovely duke! (Evony on bato)

Haha boaty - the Duke is posing coquettishly to emphasise his assets, the saucy so-and-so!

Total minx that Duke.

Another one needing a bra irl

Gross.

Haha that pic is tagged #chest day - definitely some serious tensing and flexing going on (obv I clicked for a closer look for purposes of accuracy when commenting 😂 )

Helllllooo Chingus,
I am back from my travels.
Downloaded so many shows but only managed to watch Twenty five, Twenty one and half The Makanai

Oh my, I have enjoyed 25/21, it’s a well written show. Captured the youth & dreams & expectations.
How friends drift apart when life happens & all gatherings are on funerals & weddings (occasionally). Ending was satisfactory but sad. The acting made me sad & feel for the characters. We still don’t know who Hee do married? Right?

Our Beloved Summer, The Crown (latest season) and The Exchange (Kuwaiti) were untouched. This list was for first leg, plan was to re-watch AOS on my return journey. I am disappointed on my binging abilities. I had all the time in the world.

I'm not gripped by anything at the moment... am watching blooming youth... it's goood but just taking ages to get anywhere... so i've started to watch Downton Abbey!... it's quite kdrama - y in a delicious way!... and maggie smith has all thebest lines!!!!....😂🤣
I need an honest to goodness Fluffy nonsense Kdrama!

We’ve just finished Love to Hate You which was enjoyable and gives an interesting insight into the extreme fan behaviour in Korea.
Are British or other western celebrities put under the same pressures? Or elsewhere in the world?
I don’t know.

JinBhoot good to see you back! I never get to watch all of what I download on the rare occasions I travel alone. There's never the time you think there's going to be. And I can't seem to binge-watch more than say 4 episodes in one go. I will guaranteed fall asleep with my mouth open. However much I'm enjoying it. Nice image there for you all.

Welcome back Jin. I spent far too long on fan theories when watching 25/21 (lesson learned) and would have enjoyed the ending more if I'd binged with advance knowledge of the bittersweet ending. I still think they inserted an annoying hint of misdirecting mystery about the dad which was unhelpful. No, we don't know who she married/divorced. I thought the first 12 episodes generally better than the last 4. The 9/11 effect didn't make sense to me.

Came here to giggle about Busan launching itself as a global city for 2023 with the brilliantly Ronseal slogan - 'Busan is Good'.

Andante I think the extreme fan behaviour is particular to Korea (and perhaps other Asian countries with idol systems... I would guess....?) The whole 'fan service' concept is designed to foster a close and co-dependent relationship between fans and their favourite idols/actors. (Korean actors seem to do these fan events alot too, not just idols, but as far as I've noticed it's only in Korea and other Asian countries). I guess it sets people up to believe their idol exists purely for fans' benefit and should be available at all times.

We just don't have that culture in the UK/Europe/US. Not in the same way (you'll always get the real die-hards, but even then most respect their favourite artist's privacy). I cringe at some of the comments going up during live concerts and Weverse lives. Some fans seem to be very possessive and demanding. All the 'I've missed you my husband, where have you been?' Dude, he's not your husband, he never will be. 'Show your teeth'. He's not a guard dog. Then I remind myself that alot of these will be teenagers (I guess...? ) and English may well not be their first language. Trying to be kind.

Pol Busan is Good 🙈😂 guess it's better than Busan is Bad 🤔

Migs to return to your geeky language question (please zone out if geeky language stuff is not your thing):
Jeong = 정 . I always think of the vowel sound as being pronounced like the 'a' in 'yacht'. Kind of like a short 'o' sound.
Jong = 종. More like the 'ou' in 'dough'. A longer 'o' sound.
Jung = 중. More like 'oo' in 'moon'. So, a distinct 'u' rather than 'o'.

You also have 'Jeung' = 증. Which is more of an 'eu' sound. Like the 'oo' in 'brook'.

Of course this all depends on your own native accent [ducks below parapet]. Mine is standard southern British.

The 'j' or ㅈ is prononced like 'j' in 'juice'. Compare 'ㅊ' (in handwriting usually written with like a little horizontal stripe at the top instead of the 'stalk') , which is pronounced like the 'ch' in 'chair'. More aspirated.

Hope this is a bit clear. Maybe someone can link to a website etc. where this is explained probably much better? And I feel I should point out I don't actually put into practice myself half the time 😂

I like the geeky language stuff! Thanks Saram 🙂

I think the sense of ownership over Idols from some fans is pretty crazy - and the comments section in live-streams is varying degrees of insanity depending on the idol.

The comments that annoy me the most on lives are the "stop ignoring me" ones - I mean, seriously?!!

Thanks for the detailed answer Saram. I did some linguistics at uni, hence the question after I noticed that actors seemed to be pronouncing the different names the same. Your comment on accents also reminded me of NE Scots pronouncing pearl as peril!😁

AmVa, I left no comment on the Zara "skirt" as I wasn't sure if it was a new hybrid short shorts/midi combination! If I saw that irl, I would be snorting in ridicule 🙄I have also concluded that a backless blazer is just another term for a bib with sleeves.😅

Pol, I'm enjoying cdrama Road Home. I like how gently you are miring me in cdrama. Wasn't it you who introduced us to jdrama First Love, too?

Saram yes what you say about fans makes sense. I wonder if some of them think ‘is it really worth it?’.
welcome back Jin

Migs Yes sometimes it's hard to hear the difference in pronunciation. Welcome to my world 🙈😨

Segueing nicely with the crazy fan stuff 😂 look what just arrived 😁

I have also concluded that a backless blazer is just another term for a bib with sleeves 😂😂😂😂😂😂
@MigsandTiggs I will never be able to look at the backless blazers the same way.

Migs Welcome inside my gingerbread cottage, help yourself to whatever you want. evil cackle

(and actually I think ? Boaty was the early First Love adopter 🤔)

Saram is that a photo folio I spy?! Is it good?

Welcome back from your travels Jin!

I've just seen there is a new sageuk on Viki 'The secret romantic guesthouse' if that sort of thing floats anyone else's boat (you'd think I'd be at max capacity after The Forbidden Marriage' and 'Our Blooming Youth' but no, I will prepare to dive back in 😂)