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!

Welcome to TheNyx and deltablue. I just came on to echo what polkettle said above about not making snap judgements, many kdramas only start to take shape towards the end of ep 3. Not having a clue what's going on for the first couple of episodes is just part of the charm. For example, I had absolutely no clue what was going on in the first episode of Missing:the other side AT ALL, but it turned out to be a really fun supernatural mystery once it got going. My top tip for any newbies would probably be 100 Days My Prince because it has pretty much everything - romance, comedy, political intrigue, some great sword fighting and stunning scenery (plus amnesia, face blindness and a really hot assassin(imo!!) ). For TheNyx, though, for shared viewing with DH maybe a romantic thriller like Suspicious Partner might work?

Haha he would love that as I don't think anyone in his friendship group except his sister watch them haha

He's back from visiting relatives in Korea in a few weeks so I'm going to make a note of those that could work to watch together and in the meantime I'll be starting kingdom tonight once baby is in bed

Seriously Nyx, you are living the dream. With a couple of notable exceptions most of us has have husbands/partners who swerve Kdrama and are especially scornful about romances.

Hello @deltablue & @TheNyx 😊

I was about to recommend Little Woman.

I will also add Black Dog & Hot Stove League < both without any romance more like Misaeng.

Uncanny Encounter & Alchemy Of Souls (current favourite here on the group) are more action/supernatural type. AOS does have romance in it.

@deltablue what type of dramas do you like?

I just got to Mr Red Flags in Physical 100 and knew straight away he was the one you all meant. It was the the MMA fighter who knelt on the woman’s chest so she couldn’t breathe properly and gestured at the women on the balcony to zip it. Bastard. I hope one of the other blokes flattens him in the next round.

Haha my poor partner would probably say the same about me but I am trying!

Tbf I also dislike a lot of the English language films and TV he likes too (gossip girl I'm looking at you!)

I do love Korean food (he's a great cook!) and I find the culture and history really fascinating, I've also found some Korean music I like (though not really kpop)

I think I'm trying more to understand Korean culture now we have a daughter as it automatically makes things more entwined than just dating someone

Welcome @deltablue and @TheNyx .
@TheNyx , if you like historical there is a wealth of choice. It sounds like Battleship Island ( film) might be good.

If I go to Korea and Dispatch are not at the airport photographing some celebrity leaving or arriving I shall feel quite cheated.
I know exactly who you mean Rowdy. You'll find the women both inspiring and their treatment infuriating in future episodes too. But I believe that there has been a lot of SM commentary to the same effect and there's going to be some women only fitness survival show now.
With regards to your in laws Nyx - my sister-in-law has a Korean d-in-law and can't communicate with her parents. They got on very well when they met through grinning and joking in separate languages, dancing and cooking. But d-in-law says they'd get on considerably less well if they actually understood each other as their politics are in complete opposition. Sometimes a language divide is a recipe for harmony!

I've just started the movie Illang: the Wolf Brigade on Netflix and it looks very promising 😊

My thoughts exactly Boaty, I had to turn it off, I couldn't watch, it was very uncomfortable viewing! Can't wait for him to get defeated 🤬

That might very well be true as I actually get on ok with his dad despite our conversation being limited to a few words and a form of awkward mime

Pol, thanks for the heads up about future episodes. I'm a bit late to the party watching it, so I haven't noticed any comment. I just felt so sad for the woman at the end when she said, maybe I didn't train enough, I'm not strong enough 😔

It would be good to see a women only fitness show

The outcome of the first head to head on the sand task in Physical 100 was so gratifying. 👏

DS and I watched Shin Godzilla and we very much enjoyed it. I was particularly happy with the way red tape and bureaucracy were depicted. Monster also cool.

Yes! boaty me and the kids were all full on cheering when the winner was announced - it was a proper "in your face, dickheads!" moment.

Re the 🚩 zip it, contestant on Physical 100 - on Reddit a Korean explained why they might not feel the same as non Koreans, about his actions. Apparently there is so much pressure to hide one's feelings behind the veneer of being polite and humble that younger people are pushing back and wanting to be more honest and open in showing what they feel. While they don't condone what he did, some are also more understanding of his actions. Once again we are witnessing the dichotomy in some areas of K-society as the country battles with historical culture clashing with more modern ideas.

Also sexyamma, the MMA legend, exudes such calm and confident leadership, he's obviously top oppa. I believe he has a YouTube channel and adores his little daughter. I'm going to check it out.

I want to watch the next episode of CCiR! <stamps foot>

Am ashamed to say I'm only on episode 7 of CCiR 😬

Thank you chingus for recommending Crash Course in Romance. We are loving it and it’s a great improvement on baffling Kokdu (though I often can’t understand film and drama plots so it might be me).

I felt the same about the big challenge #3. The cocky bastards were so limited in the way they tried to solve the challenge, I was reminded of the pretty plastic surgeon with no game in Singles Inferno. Boneheads. I loved the way the plucky underdogs tackled it. They were so impressive. The cocky wankers should really hang their heads in shame if they ever watch the underdogs’ attempt.

That was so satisfying to watch! Go underdogs, even though 🚩man is in that team! The game reminded me of something from the Crystal Maze, it must have been the sand.

Yes.
www.soompi.com/article/1567386wpp/gong-yoo-and-seo-hyun-jin-in-talks-for-romance-drama

Great news!

In good news of the day...

https://twitter.com/womenreadwomen/status/1627592396488986626?s=46&t=SkSmm_Nfe8abqTKeMPHgrg