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!

DH and I tried watching Walking Dead when it first aired. We both had Friday night nightmares for the first 3 weeks and then we gave up. DS2 just powered through all 11? 12? seasons on a roll. He’a immune to zombie scares. I was only able to watch the first season of Kingdom in 10-15 min segments and by taking breaks. I am getting braver, little by little. Of all pop culture zombies, Korean chombies are my favourite but they still scare me.

I just realised I prefer Korean zombie stuff because Koreans don’t have the same gun culture as the US so they a) have to be more inventive and work as a team to survive and b) things don't seem to melt down so completely socially. It’s still not great for women but it’s also not quite so catastrophically bad.

Watching the really strong women get decimated in Physical 100 by men who don't even look like they're trying is really pissing me off! Particularly the guy in ep 3, who has red flags all over him 🚩

Oooh, interesting thread! So far only seen Parasite and Squid Games- I had no idea there was sooo much moooore!

Me and DH have been rewatching Kingdom over the last couple of weeks - still stands up so well. We are on the last episode now. I really liked 'All of us are dead" also aw - proper nail biting stuff! Zombies are my least favourite horror genre usually, but k-zombies are an exception 🤣

Jooiiinn us deltablue - it's like taking the red pill in the matrix - see how deep this rabbit hole really goes.....🤣

Hiya, not posted on here before but wanted to reach out to ask for some recommendations for Korean TV

My partner is 2cd gen Korean, grew up in a big korean community in the uk (as well as some childhood in korea) and is bilingual so ends up watching more Korean stuff than English.

He's tried recommending some things he loves but they're just not my type of thing at all

I would however like to find some Korean TV that I actually like so I can show him I'm not writing it all off completely! It's not that I think all Korean TV is horrible - just his taste in it etc.

Who knows, there might even be a rare find we could watch together ><

For context he likes comedy things, romance things, drama-y things, history things (so long as they also include elements of the above). I like dark, creepy, horror, murdery, action things

Things he has tried to get me watching include something with a man who's actually an alien, something with comedians doing seemingly endless tasks and overreacting to them and a thing where someone was pretending to be someone's sister for some reason but then ended up causing a love triangle.

They were all a firm no.

Is there anything that I , or potentially we, would actually like?

Hello TheNyx and welcome.

There are so many fantastic dramas that it’s hard to know where to start.
Crash Landing on You and Mr Queen are two of my favourites. Was the one with the alien that you didn’t like called My Love from the Star?
Can you speak Korean?

Welcome TheNyx and Delta Blue! There is so much good stuff, whichever genre you're into, the will be a Kdrama for you!

TheNyx, if you like darker shoes, you might enjoy The Glory or Somebody, both on Netflix, and Kingdom is brilliant if you like zombies! Have a look at the opening post by Boaty, there are loads of recommendations on there

Hi thanks for replying

And yes thats the one (I couldn't remember the exact name, just that the lead actor was hot but the plot was not my thing at all)

Unfortunately I can't speak Korean past a few words (though I really should learn especially as we have a daughter together and I can't speak to her grandparents :/)

Also further question: does anyone know of any good Korean TV shows for toddler aged children? Daughter understands a bit of Korean but not as much as her English and DP will be away for work for an extended period soon so I don't want her to loose her familiarity with the language

TheNyx and deltablue 🖐🙂

TheNyx The Glory, Somebody and Kingdom would definitely be good places to start for you. Out of those, from what you say about you and your partner's tastes I reckon Kingdom would be the best bet to try together. All of Us Are Dead is also excellent, but unlikely to appeal to him. Move to Heaven and Hotel Del Luna might be other good ones to try together (mix of darker themes with some humour/human interest storylines).

Netflix usually has short trailers for series, so that may help narrow it down.

Pretty poor at keeping up at the moment. Haven’t yet watched Jhope, or all the Lives( Hangs head in shame!). Am up to date on on CCiR and I agree, it is very well written. Nearly finished LtHY, and throughly enjoying it. And really looking forward to The Glory and Jimin’s album.
I would always suggest Crash Landing on You, if you haven’t watched it. However, my favourite is My Mister it just takes a while to get into it.

TheNyx re: children's programmes. I can't recommend anything in particular, but I have noticed that Disney+ has alot of mainstream kids' content both dubbed into and subtitled with Korean. So the dubbed versions of Disney classics for example might be handy for you.

Hmmm TheNyx have you seen Flower of Evil? Or Vagabond (action) or Mouse (sort of psychological thriller). For horror - Kingdom, Sweet Home, All of Us Are Dead, The Guest

Loving these suggestions, just checked out the trailer for kingdom and it definitely looks like something I'd enjoy

Not seen any of those but will check them out ^^

www.instagram.com/p/Co0cxpbPnnk/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Love Murrz.

That's a good shout. I asked my DP to find some Korean kids TV for her before but the only stuff he remembers from when he was a kid is all a bit old for her. Not any other toddlers or babies in his family at the moment either.

TheNyx PinkFong (of baby shark fame) is south Korean and they have a ton of online kids content - my kids always watched the dubbed versions but it must be available in Korean as well...

Haha so true

Welcome Nyx and deltablue! 👋

Nyx - comedy-wise Be Melodramatic recently arrived on Netflix. It’s wry humour (though belly laugh funny in places), sharply observed and written with a big heart and offbeat romances. Might suit your husband. There’s a lot of love for it on this thread.

I like the cut of Murrz’s jib. Have followed. Thanks for the recommendation.

Someone posted a very funny cartoon strip on FWR once with a ‘sexy bathing’ (the porn-imagined kind) vs reality scenario, ie women giving their armpits and nethers a good scrub. Murrz’s cartoons remind me of that strip.

Welcome @deltablue and @TheNyx!👋
Nyx, I think you and DH might be able to watch Vincenzo together as the chemistry between M&FL is very good, plus it's funny in parts. It's a successful mash up of comedy and crime.
I agree with the horror recommendations given for you - it looks like we might have similar dark tastes so I think you might enjoy Juvenile Justice.

Welcome Nyx! I'll come and keep your husband company on the romcoms while you get stuck into the dark stuff. You've got some great suggestions but I might add Little Women as a possible joint watch as it's a proper bonkers pacy thriller. And Misaeng is neither dark nor romantic but it is unlike anything else on TV and completely gripping so I recommend it to everybody. Generally I would say whatever you choose give it 3 episodes because it does take that long to get past unfamiliar conventions and a handle on characters. First episodes can feel very hard to absorb