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!

Yakuza Lover is crap but the manga is better than the show for sure.

Are you on your way home Fed Up?

First episode of Doctor Cha was much more grim makjang than the lighthearted midlife reinvention comedy I thought I'd signed up for. Hmmm.
Still, chuckling as FL actress is more of less appropriate for her character age 53 and (OF COURSE) 59 year old Kim Mi Kyung is playing her mother.

I am! Flight to Dublin imminent x

Safe travels chingu. I'll miss your holiday.

Safe travels FedUp! I've enjoyed your holiday snaps so much. My kids now desperate to go to Osaka for Universal Studios Nintendo zone ...

pol age inappropriate casting really gets my goat - I'm sure they could have found a suitably gorgeous looking older actress without even trying too hard!

Haha now I'm going to have to check out YL - I read a description online that said it was "the most entertaining cringe-fest of 2022" < sticks hand in fire > 😂

Safe travels FedUp. I've enjoyed your photos which have made me long for Japan! DH grew up there but his parents left in 2009 and we've never been back (although BIL lives there!).

Aw FedUp - ‘tis bittersweet that you’re on your way home. No more holiday pics but you are back to your chingus’ collective bosom safely.

No kdrama insight from me. Still trapped in the manhwa/manga mine by a baguette-weighted pit collapse nearby. There are worse fates, though now I’ve finished my Easter egg stash and the Lindt bunnies I have to claw my way back out to daylight. 😂

Hope you had a wonderful trip FedUp. I bet it was amazing.
Our trip to Korea planned for next month has had to be postponed as dh needs an operation. We are both disappointed but better the problem was discovered now than him being taken ill in Korea.

Oh no Andante - poor DH. 😞 You must both be disappointed, but you’re right it’s better that it was picked up. I hope he’s OK. I have to say, with so much kdrama under my belt now, South Korea is one place I’d be confident of finding a hospital when I need one (there are loads) and an English-speaking doctor (so many of their textbooks are in English).

Oh no Andante! At least as you say, you know in advance and once he has fully recovered you will be able to rearrange everything. Sending vibes of good health for him x

Thank you Boaty and TheLoup.
We watch divorce Attorney Shin in sync on our iPads -he in hospital and me at home. He’s being well looked after by wonderful and kind medical staff and he’s made friends in the ward (to whom he’s recommended K drama).

Sending best wishes to your DH Andante, I hope he's back home soon and you can rearrange your trip. I love that you watched DAS in sync with each other 💜

Thanks Rowdy. We’ve nearly finished it so time to choose a new drama.

Oh I hope he doesn't have to stay in for too long and I'm glad he's on a nice ward and being well looked after 🙂 sounds like their hospital WiFi is a bit better than where I work 😂 glad you can synchronize drama watching.

FedUp glad your journey home went well. It's been a blast just following your travels from the photos, so goodness only knows how amazing it was to actually be there! 💜Hope the comedown is somewhat alleviated by copious souvenirs. Like your kids TheLoup JuniorSaram is now desperate to get on down to Universal Studios in Osaka 😁

Andante really really sorry to hear of your trip being postponed, but indeed good DH's health issue was caught before you flew out. Sounds like he is in the right place. All the best to him for a speedy recovery.

Thank you Saram

I'm intrigued by Call It Love now, so will be checking that out. Also secretly want to see YL as well, it sounds craptastic 😁

Had a brilliant mega-Korean day today 👌 A 3-hour-long lesson, followed by a visit from my Korean student chingu for a cooking session at ours, then out to see Return to Seoul together. The cooking was fascinating, and delicious. She is a really friendly and interesting person, even got on with the more Korea-sceptic members of my household 🤔😁 Highly recommend the film. Hadn't explored the cast list before, and was delighted to see the wonderful Kim Sun-young in a small-ish but important role.

Student chingu wants to watch the D-Day documentary together ✌😻 I mean this is actually like a mad dream come true it's so brilliant. However the day it's released we have guests coming to stay for the weekend 🙀and then a couple of busy weeks with other stuff. Real life getting in the way of Bangtan bingeing. Hmmmpf.

migs. YL. Oya-san's suits are definitely a fire hazard and we have enough red flags here for a communist party parade 😂 what's with the cherry blossoms/trees in the bedroom? Are they real.or imaginary? DH is mocking it relentlessly but I can tell he is enjoying it - make good choices Yuri! (Reader - she will not make good choices 😂)

MrLoup is doing air guitar to the soundtrack of YL's love scenes 😂😂

Oh Saram - cross posted, that sounds like a lovely day ❤️

Get well soon Mr Andante!

Sorry to hear your news Andante - best wishes for a speedy recovery to Mr Andante and love that you watch drama in sync even when apart!

Hope you are back safe & sound FedUp - it’s been great seeing the highlights of your trip!

Thank you Pol and Bettys.

Declaring Bora Deborah a proper fun 'un.

I'm sorry to hear about your trip postponement Andante. Best wishes to DH for a successful op and speedy recovery. Fighting! 💪