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!

Great minds and all that 👍

Nice noraebang there 😁👌

Migs I really enjoyed The Good Bad Mother too and was also fawning over those gorgeous babies. Episode 2 is out already? 😨I thought it was one a week (just assumed, as Netflix didn't state when the next one was expected). Interestingly, unless I'm mistaken the title in Korean would directly translate as 'Bad Mom'. Maybe they thought it sounded too much like 'Bad Santa' 🤔😁

Interesting article AmVa, thanks!

Saram, TGBM airs on Wed and Thurs at 16:00hr UK time. Ep2 will surprise you.

The Love You Give Me cdrama on Viki is very watchable….I seem to be on ep 4 already …

Migs ah ok, thanks 🙂

All the clips of Suga's tour on twitter look amazing!
twitter.com/jkjminiee/status/1651774751394738176?t=N5UzPX8LifGJVz_e472dIg&s=19

Han Suk Kyu caused a bit of a commotion at a Dr Romantic 3 press conference a couple of days ago when he accidentally let slip about Kim Min-jae's upcoming military enlistment. Poor KMJ's face when he realises what he's saying 😯

https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/will-k-drama-actor-kim-min-jae-enlist-in-the-military-soon-agency-responds-to-rumours-of-his-enlistment-date-1.1682607183458

Did any Kpop fans manage to get tickets to see Twice today? DD luckily got some, but I think it was touch and go. I can't believe the price of the tickets either 😱

Oops re: Han Suk Kyu letting that slip 🙈 Doh!

Dare I ask how much the Twice tickets cost Rowdy ? I'm sure it is a terrifying amount - great that your dd managed to bag some. I may start saving now for the next BTS tour!

DS is not well & off school today - we've watched 4 back to back run BTS episodes so I have high hopes for my dreams tonight - subconscious, don't let me down! < Manifesting>

I've also got a compulsion to buy Mogu Mogu 🤣

Cobol I'm glad you don't remember the film as being a total turkey. Will save it up for the Halloween season, thanks.

Rowdy loving the mood of The Cursed so far! 😍 And....KDW.... 😏

TheGirl Yes all the clips of the tour are 😵amazing. I do however think that all the screaming/barking/howling (yes 😕) would piss me off a bit. I get the excitement, I really do. I mean my eyes kept leaking at Yet to Come and my cheeks actually hurt from smiling so much afterwards 😂and perhaps I let loose the odd comedic 'Yoongi-ah!' 😁 But the level of hysteria 😬 The first and only concert my Dad ever went to was The Beatles Xmas show in 1964 (with his Mum 😁) and he said you literally couldn't hear a note of music for the screaming. I don't think this was quite that bad, but.... Lovely to hear everyone singing along 😻

The hype got to me in its own way though, as I've ordered myself a set of D-Day glasses to join the Dalmajung pixie cups 😁🙌

Migs I watched episode 2 of TGBS this morning. It's really gripping! Love the countryside scenes too. Seems to be one for the slice-of-life fans among us.

TheLoup I've never even seen the episodes with Mogu Mogu PPP. But you guys mentioning it on here was enough to give me FOMO (the flesh is weak) so I have some in my Korean drinks collection downstairs 😂BANGTAX

Saram I've just ordered some MM off Amazon - DS's birthday approaching and, as you say, the flesh is weak 🤣 ..... I've also been seduced by the super-cute new design of 'Mang' (Hobi's BT21 character) and at the moment am barely stopping myself from trying to preorder some overpriced pyjamas and slippers and a plushy key-ring 🙈 < sits on hands >

@TheLoupGarou I think she paid £92, and they're going to be sat right at the back! And now she needs the light stick which is apparently called a Candy Bong 🤨😂 which is about £60😱

Hehehe at 'Candy Bong' - £60 though?! Yeesh.

£92 for a ticket at the back seems steep, but gig tickets seem to be crazy expensive these days (feel v old saying that....)

FUMING at lack of Dr Romantic 3 on Disney+. Don't buy the rights if you're not going to show it!
Will have to watch small on phone HiTV and that's no way to appreciate a spurting blood medical drama.

Pol it's already subbed on Dramacool

But I can't play that on my TV and I have to deal with all the stupid pop ups and I PAY FOR FRIGGING DISNEY ALREADY

Pol, I watch Olga's on my macbook which you can mirror to a smart tv. No popups as I use a free adblocker, Norton's for anti-virus plus a vpn. (triple bagging!!!)If you have a suitable iphone, you can mirror to tv using airplay.

I’m back on the kdrama horse. Doctor Cha has hooked me in. FL’s ML is awful, her husband is worse. In Kim Mi Kyung we trust: whenever she shows up as FL’s mother good things happen.

Ooo is Dr Cha good? I wasn't sure I fancied it from the description.... Might wait for more eps to be out.

MrLoup is watching 'Through the Darkness' with me on Netflix (serial killer profiling with Kim Nam Gil) it's pretty good actually and he has managed to stay awake so far 👍. I do like a good police procedural

Ooo is Dr Cha good? I wasn't sure I fancied it from the description.... Might wait for more eps to be out.

There's something about a drama centring woman who hits middle age and decides she has no fucks left to give which is quite appealing to this middle aged woman. 😉

It's more the medical setting that puts me off I think, I tend to find hospital dramas either too much of a busman's holiday or spend all my time spotting things people would get struck off for - being a nurse really ruined ER and Grey's Anatomy for me 🤣

I do identify closely with the middle aged woman deciding to give zero fucks though!

Thanks Migs but I don't have a MacBook, more than smart-ish TV, ad blocker, VPN or iPhone 😂 🤣 (and while obviously I can't pretend I don't watch/read things on dodgy sites - on balance given what I and bloke do, I believe in paying for creative content!) I do however have a Disney plus sub and what I object to is them buying series and then not making them available worldwide. This is a series from a production company which would once have been straight on Viki.
Enough grumbling and moral high ground from me though and I'll go and watch it for free on presumably equally dodgy HiTV!

Does that mean... <looks around tentatively for Pol> you don't like Hospital Playlist?

Oh Pol, the joys of being a Kdrama fan! I have Disney+ sub too ( so in my mind I've already paid for it ) and they are streaming more K content, so perhaps waiting for the entire series to drop??

Stop trolling me FedUp when you can see I'm already cranky 😘 We all know my Hospital Playlist thang is not rational and Loup is free to not watch/hate it. I'll just never speak to her again.
But I want it NOW Migs stamps tiny foot 😂
In the meantime episode 13 of Dinner Mate on my phone where, as is traditional, no-one is behaving either in accordance to their characters as seen over the last 12 episodes or indeed, like any human being has ever behaved before. But it must be endured to about halfway through episode 15 presumably.