MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #40): The Filthy Noonas’ rapidly expanding flock gambol into spring with a giddiness only matched by Junkook’s drunken vlives

[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)
Our Blooming Youth (Viki)
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/Netflix)
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 Course in Romance (Netflix)
Crash Landing on You (Netflix)🌟Descendants of the Sun (Viki/Netflix)
Doctors (Netflix)
Doom At Your Service (Viki)
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix)
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 (other sites)🌟
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)🌟
Delivery Man (Viki)
Happiness (Viki/Netflix)🌟
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’
We 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
Coutrtesy of much-missed Hello’s kdrama spreadsheet, updated by thread regulars. Marks out of 10.
#1 My Liberation Notes 9.45
#2 Alchemy 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 - 9.42
#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!

Saram that podcast looks so interesting - I'm bookmarking it for when I have more time. The only thing I slightly miss about having a long commute is listening to podcasts on the journey.....

FedUp! I simultaneously love/am wildly jealous of your holiday pics. Looks amazing. The DC are now clamouring for a trip to Japan too ⛩️🎌🤞

boaty sorry the weather has turned - I think I'd possibly prefer a night-drive home to an early start as well. Hope it clears up a bit today for your sightseeing.

migs re KO I think if you watched the first 10 episodes and then the last 3 you wouldn't be missing much - there's a stretch in the middle that really go downhill, I bravely watched them for the team ...

pol I have imagined a whole backstory for the massage chair couple where he has blown all their savings to buy it, won't let her sit in it and she peevishly changes the settings when he is out 🤣

It's full on, got to grab the opportunities with both hands!!

It's amazing x

I've taken my eye off this thread for a few days and you've all talked about such interesting stuff!!!
I managed to watch the first two episodes of Joseon Attorney on Viki last night. First drama I've watched in weeks (the BTS fanfic is still luring me in, like boaty and the manhwa). I was excited to see Woo Do-hwan as lead. I think the premise is to think he's a bit of a cad but it turns out he's a sweetheart.

Anyone watching The secret romantic guesthouse
It’s interesting & way better than Our blooming youth. They have done dirty to the fiancée. Writers are creating excuses to make him bad guy for wanting to be with her. I am so mad on his behalf. I have actually ditched the show last week. I was only watching it because there wasn’t anything else.

I don't really agree with Korean Oddessey dipping in the middle. It does change pace a little and gets a bit darker but it builds quite nicely to the epic finale. The Hong sisters' later efforts - Hotel del Luna and Alchemy of Souls - are definitely better, though.

I forgot to ask FedUp for the Insta for their Japan pictures but I think I've tracked it down with a bit of detective work via MrBin (or else I'm now following a random stranger 😊. Someone's having an exciting holiday, anyway!)

Meanwhile I've finally got around to watching Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo. I'm about half way through and really, really enjoying it.

Cobol, I may have been too harsh, because I do love Korean Odyssey - although I am always afraid it's biased because I love LSG and will watch him in anything 🤣. Avoiding spoilers I found the back and forth with the love story frustrating and a bit repetitive in the middle portion, but the ensemble cast was so good and it was a story that really left me wanting to know what happened next to all the characters, not just the leads.

I think you and I must have similar taste - I notice we like a lot of the same shows 😊

I also love Weightlifting Fairy... Aw, I would like to re-watch!

We are on our way home. Superfast broadband here I come!!! We made the best of our day but I’m really looking forward to falling into my own bed tonight. The cottage had clammy jersey-style bedding and hellish hot or off heating, nothing in between. I sometimes think we go away so we can better appreciate our home.

boaty 🙌 good call! Broadband - makes me realise something pretty obvious. Even 10 years ago it would have been SO much harder to pursue an interest in K-dramas and K-pop and manwha. And to find others who share it!

Finished Beef. So so good. All the prizes going its way.

No idea if it's been mentioned here before but I've stumbled upon KoreanPizzaClub on Youtube.

Saram *just leaving this here for you Min Yoongi with his shoulder out👀

*And other Suga appreciators

Hahaha, I thought he had put his shoulder out in the gym or something, instead of posing provocatively!😂

Haha no, no injuries just those darned slippery shoulders - shirts just can't stay on!

Migs I've seen other videos by that guy as part of ? DKTV, also on YouTube. Always interesting!

TheLoup Cheers chingu! IG alerted me to this just as I was going into a sea lion show with JuniorSaram this afternoon 🤔 😂 This look is too clean-cut and posed to really move me. But it's Yoongi, right? So I was day-dreaming about whisky/decking pools/knitwear/genius lab while clapping marine mammals jumping through jets of water. Enjoy your moment in the sun Yoongi 😻

Heheh I should have guessed you would have already seen them 😉

TheLoup it's hard to avoid right now 😳 Quite the social media/marketing /Bangtax onslaught for each solo album.

My cosmic ordering skills seem to be doing quite well at the moment though as I dreamt last night that (long-haired) Yoongi was texting me about song lyrics 😁

So unfair - I think my cosmic ordering skills need a reboot 🤣

Definitely a lot of content at the moment - I 💬 no they are trying to fill Army to capacity and squeeze us for as much cash as possible before the enlistment drought truly begins.....

I've started watching The Real has Come (50 eps long and only at ep6!) and it's a diverting enough drama while I wait for the next outstanding drama to air. ML is Ahn Jae Hyun, who has a good line in withering looks when he finds out he has been lied to by his forced marriage bride-to-be. It's pure soap - pregnant unwed mother; contract marriage; chaebol family; poor family; sibling rivalry; cute, media savy primary school aged kid etc, etc

migs that sounds so entertaining, have added it to my watch list 👍 I have such a soft spot for a good old style makjang drama 😊

I had half an eye on that Migs. Look forward to hearing how it progresses.

BL fans - The 8th Sense is good so far and unusually classily shot too.

Hello all! I've been a bit slow on drama watching as we are away with friends for a week at the moment but managed to finally watch the last episode of Healer yesterday - it was such a good series!! I loved Park Min-young in it - think it could be my favourite role I have seen her in. And obviously Grrr JCW.
Also.... All the leather / shearling jackets 😍😍

On another note, did anyone else spot the 1 second of Park Seo Joon in the Marvels trailer??

migs i'm blaming you! I'm thoroughly sucked in now by The Real Has Come - on ep6 following last night's binge 🤣 isn't the ex-boyfriend awful? I'm actually quite sympathetic at the minute toward 2FL due to her horrendous mother, but I'm sure she will get worse 👍....

AmVa so glad you enjoyed Healer - I think it's in my top 5 favourite dramas and my favourite grrr JCW and PMY roles...

I saw the Marvels trailer with PSJ and his hair (which should probably get separate billing although not as bad as his Hwarang hair..)

TheLoup I loved PSJ's hair in Hwarang 😂 it was the first role I saw him in and I thought he was sexy af! 🔥

DH and I started watching The Cursed last night with lovely Sung Dong Il 😁 only one episode in, hopefully it will be good. DH seems quite happy to watch Kdrama with me every night lately as long as its a bit dark and gritty! 🙌🏻

We've just got the kids a Crunchy Roll subscription so my drama viewing time has decreased dramatically! Even DD1 has been tempted downstairs by it.

PSJ is hot in it - I wouldn't kick him out of bed, like... but for me it was in spite of the hair especially the bad wig at the start 🤣 Minho's hair is probably worse in it because it looks like they have plopped a top knot on top of his normal fringe...

I've had my eye on The Cursed, I might see if I can persuade DH....