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!

Thank you Pol and thanks for the funny Instagram.
I’ve just rewatched a few scenes from Lovestruck in the City - I love the scene in the architects office when Ri Ni recognises the newly married man.

Thanks pol - I'll give it a go with them 👍 they are ok with subtitles as they watch a fair bit of anime - Dragonball/Naruto and then Studio Ghibli stuff etc.

Haha Boaty I'm like the witch beckoning them into the gingerbread house 🤣 in my defence, DS2 has been asking if there's any kdrama he can watch so it's not completely my fault....

If they aren't keen on the live action sport dramas (racket Boys is great though!) then Haikyuu! on Netflixxis a good wee sports anime they might enjoy 👍

Thanks FedUp - we'll check that one out too 😘

I have been caught in three torrential downpours today. A&E here I come for my iv...

< checks pols temperature with back of hand on forehead technique >

Omo! You even have a fever!!

If I had to go to A&E for a drip my kdrama doctor of choice would be Ahn Hyo Seop (Dr Romantic 2).

Ooo yes boaty - good choice! I had to think there for a minute - I haven't watched many medical-type dramas.

I'd be more spoiled for choice with hot lawyers, police detectives and supernatural beings 🤣

Strong choice Boaty. Obviously I'm off to Yulje where lovely long-suffering Dr Bong will be on duty because he is never not on duty. And he'll do very nicely as (more or less) AAO.

I’m enjoying Lady Evony (manhwa) so much a little bit of me wishes it wasn’t gluten-free because the payoff when the unresolved sexual tension between the two leads when it is finally resolved would be epic. 😄

It’s playing a long game, that’s all I’m saying.

Go for it, I have watched it ( when it was on air) with my DC & they have loved it. First time in their life they have to wait for weekly episodes 😆
since we have watched it at least two times.
⚠️ Their love of BTS started from there (car scene after losing match).

While typing (penny dropped) the guy from 25/21 was in Racket boys ahhhhhhhh

@TheLoupGarou don’t forget to put other hand on your forehead while checking Pol’s temperature.
Forgot to say in previous post my DS is similar age as your DS.

Like @polkettle, I’ll opt for Yulje

Oh that's good to know Jin ! They are quite keen so I will give it a go with them this weekend 👍 I think they will enjoy the BTS references 🤣

Watched the first two episodes of Racket Boys with my boys tonight and they are absolutely loving it! Haha: my work here is done.

DD watched ep1 and liked it as well - as there is the little sister (like her) with asthma (like her) who loves dogs (like her!) - when she went to bed she hugged the boys and said 'good night oppa' which was very cute

That’s so cute @TheLoupGarou 😊

It is a very sweet story. Mine picked up so many words & sentence. I am sure if they have watched as many Kdramas as my self, they would’ve been fluent in the language. These little young sponges.

TheLoup and JinBhoot Great you can share dramas with your kids! JuniorSaram is not phased by subtitles and showed fleeting interesting in Hometown Cha Cha Cha. But soon backed off when romance reared its ugly head 😂 Is however doing sterling work in exploring Japanese through translation apps. And has made me a potential new friend by identifying a child met at a kids' workshop as Korean (recognising the language when the girl spoke it with her Mum) and introducing us. We swopped numbers and are going on a picnic after school in a few weeks' time (weather permitting...) Definitely earned a gold star with that 😁

Speaking of gold stars, there was a special event/open day at my Korean School yesterday to mark a significant anniversary. There were some genius K-pop inspired acts 😁, lots of cute children doing cute performances, and a fascinating presentation on the school's history.

The founding principle explained that the Korean government actively stimulated export and investment in Korean businesses abroad in response to the intense poverty in the country following the Korean War. That drive was successful. So successful that Korean families ending up settling in Europe long-term, but were living in isolation. And at the same time they were losing touch with their own roots, as their children grew up learning the local language and/or English only at school. In response to this, Korean churches abroad starting organising rudimentary Korean-language teaching, bringing over qualified teachers from Korea to set schools up and find volunteer teachers through the church networks.

Now, many years later, it's developed into a professional institution with 45 volunteer teachers (!) and nearly 300 students. The vast majority of whom are first- or second-generation Koreans. I follow online classes, so had no idea of the scope of the place. There are classes for every age group of kids, from reception through to sixth-form equivalent. Plus adult classes for curious locals like me. And there are classes for Korean adults here wishing to learn the local language. I'm guessing the church is still a driving force behind it, as 4 of the 6 teachers I know are active churchgoers.

Integration and cultural exchange is also a big part of what they do. I have to say I found it genuinely moving sitting there in a hall with like 300 Koreans and maybe 50 non-Koreans, singing their national anthem and ours, and all there because of our interest in the language and culture. It's all part of that collective mentality I guess. And one thing's for sure: they're not afraid of hard work.

And my final rambings for today. I kept meaning to ask you all - has it struck anyone else how dry actors' (and actresses') lips often look in K-dramas?! Obviously it's part of the story sometimes (when someone is vulnerable/ill etc.) But not always. And then I saw the latest Instagram post by that account JinBhoot I think recommended, j k lovett. That Koreans rarely drink when eating and are chronically dehydrated by WHO's recommended standards. Now I think of it, I indeed rarely see the Koreans I know drinking (water, at any rate)🤔

Good work JuniorSaram - that is top tier! My kids would also run screaming from anything romance based 🤣

But all those PPL fridges full of identical PPL bottles of water Saram!
And a mostly entirely soup based cuisine!
I don't they can be more dehydrated than any child of the 70s. We hadn't heard of water then. You got a can of Fanta to last the day when the temperature hit heatstroke territory.
I think any dry lips may have more to do with ridiculous hours on set. And strict rationing of kissing 😏

Binged through available episodes of Call it Love with much enjoyment. Nice themes of revenge and forgiveness and loving all the slow burn - particularly pharmacist and older sister.

Ha! 16 mins into this week's installment of From Our Own Correspondent is a report about tourism effect on Switzerland of CLOY. Worth a listen.

True Pol. You definitely have a point re: hours on set. I drank shitloads of tea as a kid 😁 and any chemically processed drinks I could get my grubby little paws on (anyone else remember Panda Cola....?) But rarely water, indeed. The soups - often pretty salty from my experience. I don't usually like sweet drinks, but find myself reaching for them when eating Korean food to balance the intense flavours out.

It could be weather as well, dry & cold makes your skin dry.

Another thing I have noticed is hands. For some reason it feels that hands are not included in elaborate skin care regime.
It is very shallow & I shouldn’t be judging but sometimes it is very noticeable when you see amazing smooth face & hands are opposite.
I haven’t noticed this in C dramas.

And you can’t get surgeries either (unless I am not aware).
I was reading a book (yes I do occasionally read when not watching k dramas) and one of the character was a transgender and went through multiple surgeries & made a comment that his hands will always give away his previous identity & no amount of money & surgery can turn manly hands in to feminine delicate ones.