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!

TheLoup Don't worry, Min Yoongi speaks loud and clear to 25-year-old me, current age me and every age in between 😂

🤣 fist-bump
Did you watch Suchwita yet?

Welcome SophiePie! I had given The Fabulous a miss but might reassess.

Saram, I'm with you all the way on Yoongi. He just seems so kind, modest, easy going, and funny, esp after that Suchwita ep with Jimin. Perfect really!!💜

Fedup, two hours is plenty time for making a travel connection. Before you land, you can ask cabin crew to find out the gate for your connecting flight, if this will ease your mind. During my recent travels, I made the Schipol transfer, but my luggage didn't. My flight was very late getting in leaving me just 30mins instead of 75mins so I had to run for the gate. One valuable lesson I learned is to pack your charging cables in your hand luggage!!!!

AmVa, forgot to include Call it Love, in my current watching list. This Friday is Kill Boksoon; can't wait for it.

@FedUpWithBriiiiick being an Australian who lived in London for nearly a decade I have much experience of transferring and would say 2 hours is ample. In fact if we booked a flight with more than a 2 hour transfer time we would find it annoying to have that delay 😅. I would say especially since it is same terminal you should be fine. Also plane staff usually have a list of what flights people are transferring too and if there is any time pressure they will either get you off the plane first, or maybe even have a little golf cart to whiz you through to new gate. But two hours should be time enough to have a stretch and a walk ☺️ Hope all goes smoothly for you!!

This is so reassuring!! Thank you ❤️

Welcome Sophie! 👋

TheLoup no, haven't watched the latest Suchwita yet. I'm going to save it for an evening when I can sit down undisturbed and enjoy it with a glass of whisky, Korean tea in a Dalmajung pixie cup and snacks of my choice 😁

Have made a start on Goblin though. Can see already why it's such a classic. First time I've seen Lee Dong-wook in anything. He makes a great Grim Reaper! It's like a who's who of K-dramas. Brilliant!

I see Cokodive are flogging a line of JK x Calvin Klein merch. Only 90 euros (plus import duties) for a t-shirt. And jeans a bargain at 300 euros. BANGTAX. I will of course be throwing all principles out of the window when Yoongi's album is released, and pressing the order button quicker than the speed of light. I also bought Indigo as I loved the whole concept and the cyanotype theme.

Holy bank balance Batman! That's the epitome of Bangtax right there, DH was feeling particularly long-suffering yesterday so I will tell him and he can have a good rant about merchandising and exploitation 🤣

I started watching The K2 yesterday (continuing my JCW marathon) - the story is a bit (ok a lot) daft but I'm certainly enjoying his characters' extreme competence in all situations whilst wearing a series of vests 👍

I am a few episodes into Healer and enjoying so far. Except.... How did no-one mention the absolutely hilarious use of a yoyo in one of the big street fighting scenes 🤣🤣🤣 I was dying with laughter which I don't think is the effect they were going for.

@TheLoupGarou K2 ? i found it flipping awful and not even lovely macho action Grrr JCW could save it for me... the fight scene in the shower!!!! 🤣😂...but the worst cuplrit is the awful awful storyline with the most insipid FL Character (not actress! who i actually like!)... soooo insipid... makes FL in Do You Like Brahms feisty and assertive.... it just made me irrationally angry at how silly it was... i gave up!!!!! 😫🥱

Haha Bea I just got to the shower fight scene 🤣🤣 wtf is going on?! It's pretty bad in all honesty, but Grrr JCW is at peak hotness so I've got it on on the background for the visuals while I do a bit of admin....

AmVa yoyo guy is a bit of an unconvincing menacing henchman - I always think no wonder Healer nearly has enough cash to buy his own island if those guys are his main competition, like the big guy in ep1 that gets so easily distracted by photos of girls in bikinis - isn't that sort of thing covered in their basic training?!! Amateur hour!

Finally caught up in this thread, I've given up on the last one! Hello to @SophiePie and @FetlocksBlowing 👋🏻

TheLoup I'm another one that gave up on The K2, well done for persevering for the visuals 😄

Sophie I enjoyed The Fabulous too, I loved the friendship aspect rather than anything else in the show. I'm pretty sure Choi Min Ho played himself though, I saw a post of his on Instagram the other day where he was at a fashion show and then doing a DJ set, it was literally a scene from the show 🤣

Briiiiick I'm so excited to see your holiday snaps, I'm also green with envy!

I'm currently watch DAS and Taxi Driver series 1. I love the 3 friends in DAS, especially Kim Sung Kyun, he's excellent.
I'm looking forward to Kill Boksoon and I also want to watch Pol's C drama.

I also enjoyed The Fabulous - a lovely fluffy pillow of nonsense!

Currently enjoying pol's cdrama Road Home but WHERE'S THE PUPPY???? One brief appearance & then it's disappeared. I'm on ep 9 pls tell me it comes back.

Loving DAS & also Taxi Driver 2. Can't WAIT FOR KILL BOKSOON OOPS CAPs fail can't be arsed to correct

Hi! I’ve posted in this group before, but it was a while ago, so saying hello again!
I just wanted to boast that I (along with my teen DD) saw NCT Dream at Wembley on Tuesday, and they were amazing. I felt like a teenager again! The light sticks working all together with the music was simply ‘wow’. It is an experience I will never forget.
I particularly enjoyed mingling with other Kpop fans in the queues. The ones we spoke to were so lovely, and my DD felt a bond amongst her ‘people’

Yeah it's fair to say that Road Home doesn't go heavy on picking up the details of plot (or -you know - plot at all) Puppy/dog does make some brief reappearances but ML has a lot of strings to his bow and the demonstration of his professed dog rearing expertise gets a little left behind in his more important job of fixing FL with soft-love-glow-but-still-manly-with-a-hint-of-wistful-and-protective-yet-vulnerable eyes. And he's very good at that too. Last episode of Pol happy pap tomorrow sigh.

Speaking of plot or lack thereof did I miss where they explained why they broke up all those years ago?

@IheartBTS that sounds like alot of fun! I had the same feeling at ATEEZ 🙂

Aaaaand I can (happily) trash my own prediction that Yoongi would not be doing a J-Hope-style Disney+ documentary. Coming soon apparently! 😻 🙌

It flips back and forth with flashbacks Bettys so they do explain it later. But they make sure you never go more than 15 minutes without something sooky from either timeline from about episode 11 onwards

Ooo @IheartBTS that sounds brilliant! I really like NCT Dream ❤️ glad you and your dd enjoyed it, I'm jealous!

Saram I saw a weverse notification at work and I was scared to look in case it was Hobi enlistment related! Glad it was Yoongi-Doc instead.

I want to watch pol's cdrama as well - not enough hours in the day!

I think I've abandoned The K2 - even the visuals not worth it- Sorry Grrr JCW! 😂

I think I got to about ep5 of The Fabulous - I must finish it. I'm fond of Minho but agree he's probably playing himself, haha.

Also, I'm digging Yoongi's undercut in some of that teaser trailer Saram...

I've started Road Home, those SWAT captains sure are strong and manly! 💪 I love the snowy scenery too 😍 I didn't realise it was going to have quite so many episodes, I haven't been using my viki subscription lately so I'm glad to get some use out of it. Also I need to finish Lighter and Princess which I started ages ago.

I live for JK's drunken lives 😂

I'm going to see SKZ next week 🔥

Suchwita episode 7 watched and thoroughly enjoyed. They are so funny together, I love the dynamics and silliness. MrSaram has other plans and JuniorSaram had gone off to bed, so I sat here with my tteokbooki and soju (had to crack one open for the occasion 😁) and tried my best to keep up with them. Question: do all Koreans not get red when drinking? 🤔 Two drinks in and I'm like a shiny radish. I will have to press my contacts for insider info....

TheLoup yes I spotted the undercut too [zones out] think I will have to arrange some sort of viewing party when the documentary gets released 😁🙌

In other news, I went to that Sang Young Park (author of Love In the Big City) interview this week. Such a great event.

It was sold out. About 1/4 of the audience were Korean. The interview was conducted with his translator and a well-known journalist here who was born in Korea and adopted to Europe as a young child. In a previous post I'd said that - going by an interview I read online - he seemed to get on well with his family despite being a gay/queer man coming from a conservative Catholic family in Daegu. Well I don't know if it was lost in translation, or maybe his sarcasm went undetected, but he painted a very different picture in the interview I saw. Not in a self-pitying way at all, but it was clear he struggled in his home environment as a teenager and was desperate to escape to Seoul. Only it turned out that all that glittered was not gold in the big city, and, in his words, you're still stuck with yourself. The saddest thing was the disclosure that his parents hide the fact he is an author (he's had five books published in Korea; the second English translation is due out later this year). They tell their friends that he runs a supermarket in Seoul.

Other interesting takeaway were that there was absolutely no freedom as a teenager growing up (school started at 07.00, ended at 23.00 and then you went on to the hagwon till 01.00 (!) ) All in the interests of getting into the right university. I've heard similar from Korean friends.