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!

I've been dying of a hangover today. Productivity zero. Couldn't even bear to watch TV 😂 the latest bangtan bomb and Jin's May video message was my limit.

Excellent, what a great Sunday you have had! Does it conclude, or is there more to come?

Hope the hangover is better tomorrow TheLoup

I've just fallen asleep in front of Taxi Driver 2 - DH says it was a good episode, I'll have to catch up tomorrow 🙄

More to come Rowdy. This is definitely my favourite way to consume Sageuk as the story rackets along. Although I SO wouldn't want all that 'fwop' and 'squelch' and 'drip' on my telly (if anyone else goes in be aware it starts full on and sorta rapey)

Yes, I should have put that warning when I recommend it. It calms down a lot after the first few episodes and the story gets going. You're way ahead of me though Pol.

Heads up for anyone wanting to book for the D-Day live cinema showing in June - tickets were supposedly going on sale at 10.00. I just went online to make an account ahead of time and go in the waiting area, and tickets were already on sale and, here at least, half sold out already. (Flashback to when V&A Hallyu! tickets went on sale and it looked like everything was sold out because of some bug in their system and instead of engaging brain I unwittingly caused a minor and entirely unnecessary panic 🙈🙄But this time they really do seem to be selling quickly.)

Saram - oh I was the same with the Hallyu at the V&A, got v upset. Am now booked for bank holiday Monday with my pretty much 17yr old. I even splashed out on the book! I got a bit bored of Eurovision...no key changes ;-). Watched while finished off Kill Me Heal Me on the ipad. Need to decide my next title

I still have a headache today chingus 😭 this getting older lark is the full way crap.

I'm laughing at the sound effects pol - 'squelch' 'fwop' and 'drip'?! Heheh

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/korean-american-migrants-south-korea-challenges-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Interesting article here about reverse immigration - the struggles that Korean Americans have when returning to South Korea

Good article Rowdy - interesting read

Rowdy thanks for that. Very interesting

Ahoy my hearties. This is my drive-by contribution before heading back out for a work dinner. 😭 I need to work on my planning skills. Everything will be put right in thread 42 and all new faves added:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4806772-mslattes-daebak-cybercafe-kdrama-addicts-41-a-poorly-anticipated-placeholder-thread-to-contain-the-filthy-noonas-ongoing-musings-on-all-things-korean-with-japanese-and-chinese-sprinkles

Thanks for the article Rowdy. The difficulty of straddling two cultures is well known in first generation immigrant communities but it must be particularly difficult when it involves immigration to the US, which does not allow dual citizenship. Which culture do you give up?

Finished LITC - really enjoyed it, sad it doesn't seem like there will be a second season as they were clearly setting it up for one. Agreed with whoever said JCW serves great kissing scenes. Always incredibly hot. Loved the whole gang of friends in it as well.

Have started Shooting Stars since a few of you mentioned it being good further up the thread. Enjoyed the first episode, although a bit bemused by the plotline about a company mandated colonoscopy (???).

Also watching Black Knight and original Tale of the Nine Tailed with my husband - so many shows on the go atm.

I think it was someone on here that recommended this to me originally, but I have had such fun listening to the Afternoona Delight podcast this morning - passed the time very nicely on the cross trainer and was laugh out loud funny in places. It was the ep when they are talking about Love Between Fairy and Devil and the age-inappropriate appeal of Dylan Wang and his eyebrows.

I have started playing the new Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is eating into my drama time, but will be watching some more Black Night later on ....

I've watched a bit more The Real Has Come - insane family shenanigans continue. I may have ff'd something important 😳 but wtf is Ms Jang's deal? Does she actually like ML or is she just trying to marry into the family/for money?

Have semi-dropped Secret Romantic Guesthouse - might wait til it's all out and watch last episode for closure!

@TheLoupGarou Ms jang is a pain in the arse! 😡😡... Coupled with grandma's insane eyebrows... It's an infuriating yet mesmerising watch!! 🙈🙈😱😩

AmVa I think that might have been me re: JCW and kissing - he looks like a true pro 🔥
Haha - no mandated colonoscopies for us in the NHS, I'm thanking my lucky stars....

Bea - yes, grandma's eyebrows are almost their own side character 😂 Ms Jang is so infuriating, I was actually getting properly angry and had to tell myself to chill!

It’s looking like I panicked by starting thread #41 last night, as you’ve all been more muted today. 😄 I’m wending my way home, working around train cancellations etc. Feeling worse for two nights’ excess and very much looking forward to flopping into my own bed tonight.

Also heading home from a 4 day/3 night conference Boaty. Very much looking forward to normality and bed.

I did manage to find the time to read Crying in H-Mart - my first read in MONTHS. It was great.

Enjoy being back in your own beds tonight travellers!

@AmVa I have watched Shooting Stars twice, it’s a nice comfort watch.
It encouraged me to finish work at my contracted end time but unfortunately it didn’t stuck beyond week 1.

@TheLoupGarou for now I have also dropped
Secret Romantic Guesthouse.

I feel like inviting this girl over but I am too shy ☺️
come & join unnies <<< how hard it is but it feel very odd.

link

JinBHoot,"Ooh lots of thinly veiled insults from the OP here!" This comment on the thread made me laugh and Pinkbonbon is either already one of us, or needs to be, given her viewing figures!!

Reading more of the OP's responses, I have my doubts about her sincerity!!!!

"I initially thought this thread was a quick ‘how to’ but your later posts are projecting something else."

Looks like I'm not alone in having doubts about the OP

Jin Its not that I don't like SRG, its just a case of too many episodes I think - I was getting a bit bored .....

Lol I dunno about that advice thread - it's like Mumsnet bingo over there 😂 has anyone mentioned thank you cards or wedding invite poems yet??