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!

Late to response to your Lovestruck post AmVa but wanted to say I do think Wookie's snog at the point where what happened to the rings is revealed, is one of KD's all time hottest snogs. In fact I may have to rewatch it right now to verify.

Just read through the thread & I agree.

yesterday I saw just couple OP posts & few replies. It has taken a very different turn now.

Yes to LITC being JCW's hottest snog! He's definitely one of the better kissers, along with Yoo Yeon-seok.

Also thanks to AmVa for mentioning Sh**ting Stars as I was looking for something to watch on my own while DH is on earlies. I think it will be perfect for a post kitchen refit de-stress 👍

Jin, the OP interacts suspiciously like the M&S troll and troll hunting is not allowed on MN.🤔

I've caught up with the latest episodes of Love Village 😁 Total viewing joy in all sort of ways. Also really enjoying Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times? For me, the incidential music falls in the so-bad-it's-good category. It reminds me of made-for-TV films my mum used to have on in the afternoon when I was little. The whole slightly unhinged/exaggerated vibe is much more like I imagined K-dramas would be before I started watching them, if you see what I mean. I can't work out if I'm diversifying to all things Japanese in general (Yakuza Lover I'm looking at you), or Takeru Satoh specifically 🤔

The obvious next step is to watch more Takeru Satoh and Japanese content to find out. Any obvious places to start? Apart from the two Rurouni Kenshin films on Netflix?

May have to wait a while with doing this though, as the next level Korean exam is looming HELP ME HELP ME 😨😭💀🙀😂

First Love is Takeru Satoh's classy Netflix drama that was a fave of us all last year Saram (did you watch?)
But also a soft spot for him in unreconstructed tsundere doctor drama An Incurable case of love on Viki but that may be too pappy for your tastes.
FedUp and I would highly recommend the first season of The Future Diary for another hit of high concept slips down Japanese reality telly.
And did you do The Full time Wife Escapist?

Pol thanks for those! Yes, I watched and enjoyed First Love, it was my springboard for trying Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times? 😃As I (still) don't have Viki I'll try the others first. The Future Diary sounds most promising (will need something when Love Village ends😭)

I think I was put off of The Full Time Wife Escapist by the association in my head with Fishbowl Wives (lasted about three minutes with that, it somehow managed to give me school disco vibes like YL🤔 but wasn't as funny 😁). I really don't enjoy the sound of Japanese as much as Korean, so if it doesn't hook me immediately...meh.

MrSaram caught me watching Love Village this morning. I showed him a still of that bit where they do like a little flow chart of who likes who (talking of school discos 😂) and said 'how can you not like this!' and he drily replied 'me, because it's Korean'. He just snorted in disgust when I said it wasn't actually 😁

Saram I definitely have a bit of a Takeru Satoh bias when it comes to Jdrama and films but I do occasionally like stuff he isn't in as well, of which Alice in Borderland is particularly excellent if you like sci-fi / manga. I'm not as keen on jdrama as kdrama on the whole, though. The Korean's just seem to be better storytellers, somehow. I do want to watch Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times, though, so was quite annoyed when DH put it on his "to watch" list as now I'll have to wait until we can watch it together which will probably take forever <sigh>.

It is nothing like Fishbowl Wives. I actually think you'd really like it. It's a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of women's labour hidden in fluff.

Pol it's now on the list! 🙌 cheers.

Cobol Alice in Borderland is on the list too, thanks! 🙌 MrSaram has only successfully stayed awake for and actively enjoyed one (!) K-drama in 2+ years of me watching them - Kingdom. The Silent Sea he..... tolerated. Vincenzo ❌ Squid Game ❌Mr Sunshine❌ All of Us Are Dead ❌ Reply 1988 ❌. I could go on. I've tried my best to find something he likes (so, to be fair, has he). He did really really like Parasite, so much so that he went to see it twice if I remember correctly. So maybe there's still hope 🙂

Saram I don't know if it was someone here or somewhere else but I've seen kdrama said to be aimed at women while Korean films are aimed at men. Which, when you think of films like Oldboy, The Host, Train to Busan, Night in Paradise, Parasite etc a lot of them do seem to have a slightly darker, grittier feel to them, like Kingdom, so maybe there's something in that. On the other hand my DH loves kdramas as well as films and will happily watch pretty much anything, even romance occasionally, so we can find a lot of things to watch together, which isn't always a plus, as per above 😂😂😂

Yesssssss when they are between the cars. So hot.

Can’t you just watch it anyway and feign ignorance? Takeru Satoh. Surely his presence alone means two viewings is totes OK.

TheLoup I've watched both D-Day and Jack-in-the-Box three times already 🤘 maxing out that Disney+ subscription 😁

Cobol Interesting theory, it does sound familiar 🙂 I'll give most things a try I guess. If you asked me I'd say I'm not keen on ultra-violent content (but loved Squid Game and Oldboy). Or romance (but loved Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha). Pffff. MrSaram's preferred genre seems to be 'not Korean' 🤔😁

Latest episode of TGBM - continuing to be excellent. I want tomorrow to come so I can watch episode 8!

KLAXON Doctor Cha has landed in Europe! 🙌Two episodes a week, so I'll let you know in July if I enjoyed it 🙄

Sorry I meant boaty not TheLoup 🙂

Oh jeez, next weeks TGBM is going to be a sobfest.

Lol Saram I'm laughing that you are associating me with excess bangtan 😂 just in solidarity, I have also watched Jack in the Box 3 times, D-Day only once but I'm not going to admit how many times I've watched PTD Live in LA, because even I think it's a bit excessive 👀(but I'm not sorry)

MrLoup can tolerate k-drama, but not a rom-com - he liked some of those mentioned above, but also Uncanny Counter ....

I'm vigorously nodding in agreement 🔥

Here, ultimate kpop power-couple (if true) : Kim Tae-hyung dating Jennie from Black Pink!

Good on them!

My hubby will watch the more gritty content, Alice in Wonderland, Squid Game and he loved Parasite, it's just I have a very lower scary/suspense threshold and so default to the rom coms, which is not his thing. As to V and Jennie, I hope that if true they get left alone to work out if they genuinly like each other. Not going to be much chance for them to date casually and get to see if it might go somewhere with the level of drama that could come from the more immature members of the fandoms and Knet citizens can be harsh.

@Dragonrock the internet tells me there have apparently been rumours about them dating for about a year - i only really go on Reddit and twitter for translations and avoid shipping content like the plague so was unaware 😂. Good luck to them though. I wonder if we will get a Sh**ting Stars style announcement....

Boaty I'm not very good at subterfuge. Too much guilt. And I do like watching things together, so I'll wait it out.

I'm surprised others hadn't heard the V/Jennie rumours, they've been all over my Google news feed for a while now (you only have to read one BTS story and you end up deluged with them, along with stories about Llandudno - I was just there for a week! - and Gardener's World because I read something by Alan Titchmarsh once 😁)

Cobol I initially skim read that as 'V and Jennie have a week in Llandudno' 😂 and why not?! My grandparents had their honeymoon there so it could be a romantic hotspot!

Cobol, I recall some stuff from a car journey a year or so ago? I try and stay out of the shipping lane and avoid content that seems to dig into private lives.

TheLoup I'm loving the idea of V and Jennie spending a romantic weekend in Llandudno 🤣🤣🤣

Dragonrock There was something about them being photographed at a hotel together last year. I don't really read them, the stories just come up now and again as headlines amongst the "20 top romantic kdramas" etc (which I do occasionally click on!). My favourite gossip story which I did read, though, was when Park Seo-Joon posted a picture of himself playing golf on Instagram and Park Hyung-sik liked it. That was literally it - actor likes actor friend's post - like that doesn't happen all the time🙄😂