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!

@TheLoupGarou

Yes!! 😂
I watched it recently, thought it was ridiculous but hilarious 😂😂
Someone needs to move me on from this GY phase though, I'm running out of available material!

Bin lid is a well known insult in NI, so it works quite well 🤣🤣🤣

I'm watching Call it Love on Disney+ and Divorce Attorney Shin on Netflix. Will download much anime and Kill Boksoon for the plane.

Like @boatyardblues, manga/manwha is a time destroyer.

🤣🤣🤣 it's a fair cop!

I'm really looking forward to Kill Boksoon!
@FedUpWithBriiiiick how many days now? I bet you are buzzin ' with excitement!

Whaaaaa if only Viki did downloads. That sounds like perfect long distance brain fart travel watching!!

Did I mention I'm going to Japan? I never talk about it...

4 days chum. Am anxious re: connecting flight, exacerbated by my FlightRadar24 addiction.

No new shows here atm. Currently watching Tale of the Nine Tailed with DH, Poong the Joseon Psychiatrist and a rewatch of Suspicious Partner because everyone kept talking about it 🙂

Can anyone who is a regular to connecting flights reassure me that 2 hours is enough time to transfer within same terminal building? I am so scared of delays.

I don’t know where you’re transferring but we had a 1 hour connection at Amsterdam Schipol for European flights last year (result of cancellation chaos). We were fretting beforehand but it was surprisingly easy. Our bags kept up with us too. Just pack undies, a clean tshirt and essentials in your hand luggage in case your bags miss your transfer

I’m vicariously excited about following your travels over the Easter break.

I think 2 hours will be grand - fingers crossed for a stress free journey. I'm really looking forward to seeing pics - am green with envy!

Boaty thanks for the new thread!

Migs thanks for Singaporean otters 😍I have a list of settings/activities in my head that automatically make an already attractive man WAY more attractive: 1) going to see foreign films in the cinema 2) enjoying museums, preferably niche/out-there stuff 3) enthusiastic about food (and sharing it) 4) LOVED BY OTTERS

FedUp I too look forward to vicariously enjoying your Japan trip. I don't have experience of transferring, but two hours sounds pretty generous. I agree with the hand luggage tips.

Just finished The Sound of Magic. Resounding thumbs up. Bella! Aw she was gorgeous 😍 I will definitely check out more of JCW's back catalogue. Due to things being cancelled last minute I unepectedly have a free day all to myself. This happens once in a blue moon. So am now going to watch the last two episodes of CCiR. Divorce Attorney Shin arrives here in the second week of April, so that's the next current drama on the list (together with Kill Boksoon). I haven't yet seen Goblin, so think it's time.... And will watch the Jimin episode of Suchwita.

Thanks chingus. I've never done a transfer before so I'm stressing a little. It's CDG so quite a big, busy airport.

I mean the worst that can happen is that we take the next available flight the next morning and we lose a day. C'est la vie!

With Schipol, we were able to download a PDF of the terminal. There was also an app for the airport which loaded up the gates c. 24h before the flight, so we’d already figured out how much of a schlep it would be. DH was also checking as we taxied into the terminal whether our gates had changed. CDG may have a similar set-up. (Yes, I am a planner to the core.)

DAS - aargh the nephews stepmother is so awful.

Saram13 so glad you enjoyed The Sound of Magic, what did you think of the ending? I thought it was very clever, with the curtain calls and I just love the soundtrack. Enjoy your free day, sounds wonderful, Goblin is definitely worth watching, I may need a rewatch soon.

Hi, I'm new here so hope no one minds. Just finished The Fabulous on Netflix and was soo happy with it. The chemistry between the cast was great so the friendships were great to watch etc. Has anyone seen it yet?

My kind of people 👍

Welcome SophiePie!

Was that your first foray into Kdramas or are you a seasoned traveller?

Resounding thumbs up. Bella! Aw she was gorgeous 😍

Yes, Bella was beautiful. We’ve also got a Bella though a different breed. This is how she occupied herself in the cookery book shelf:

Welcome SophiePie

Oooooo!!!! PSJ & IU!!!!!! 😍

Ooo Bea I saw that trailer the other day and it looks good 👍

Welcome SophiePie ! I couldn't get into The Fabulous but I might give it another go.... Have you watched Business Proposal or Love To Hate You (both also on Netflix 🙂).

Er, Jungkook's CK pics are out (may I be forgiven). My brain has no thoughts to think - I might need a second look.

Metheven I loved the ending! It was perfect! It's definitely up there in my top ten. All the dramas I like the most have very distinctive settings, like this one did (other examples being Reply 1988, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, Hotel Del Luna, Somebody). I think that's the common theme in my favourites, rather than genre, lead actors etc. Enjoyed CCiR, all wrapped up nicely. I'll miss looking forward to it each week. Didn't manage to start Goblin yet, but JuniorSaram has a party this weekend, so will have another go then. Will Suchwita later today 😁

SophiePie 🙂👋

Andante 😱 The little terror!!! Our neighbour across the way has an African grey, which will apparently bite his ear if it feels it's not getting enough attention. He said he retaliates by turning the light off in its room. Sounds like a trying relationship 😂

Bea YES I'm up for IU!

TheLoup I forced myself to take a look at the Calvin Klein photos 😁I think JK suits the brand really well. Obviously he has a beautiful body, but he falls under the 'yes dear very nice' category for me. I'm sure he will be bringing joy to millions with this campaign though 😁

Saram I think JK just makes my 25-year-old self manifest really strongly 🤣 he ticks all her boxes and it takes me a while to get a grip and remember I'm in fact over 40 ... 🔥 🔥Those abs tho: what a time to be alive!