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!

It will provoke nothing but the best sort of crying TheLoup and I mark our Kim WooBin safe from trauma.
Offsetting my start to the day on Bato filth-with-feels A Friendship so Impure by reading gruelling but beautiful graphic novel Grass.

Safe travels FedUp and family! 🧳✈️🌏

Sending aaaaaaall the positive vibes for your CDG connection.

Thank you 🙏

Also sending speedy and uncomplicated connection vibes FedUp! Have an amazing trip 🙂

Pol I haven't read The Disaster Tourist yet but am bumping it up the list 🙌

TheLoup I really loved Our Blues. Lots of familiar faces, beautiful setting and wonderful writing. Didn't find it a misery fest at all.

FedUp good connection vibes from me too. Manifesting!!!

Rowdy, just read the Guardian article. I know that I'm in the throes of a SK love affair but every time I read about what is culturally expected of females or the continued large, gendered wage gap I want to shout "FFS!" The election of far right governments around the world is alarming too.

I'm on FTWE ep 2 and struggling, as it seems so slow and the ML isn't eye candy. 😉Might park it for now.

Re, The Blues - I initially parked it after Ep1 as I thought it would be sad. When I went back to it, I loved it!

Thanks Pol.

Fedup and family, safe travels and enjoy your holiday in Japan. I'll be following your adventures eagerly!

Briiiiick you've got so many good vibes going with you, you can't possibly have any delays! Happy and safe travels lovely chingu ✈️💜

Pol thanks for reporting back on the talk, I'm looking forward to reading the sequal and hoping that they turn it into a film! 🙏

TheLoup Our Blues is fab, it scored pretty highly on the spreadsheet if I recall

Bon voyage and have a wonderful trip @FedUpWithBriiiiick

Have a fab trip FedUp - can’t wait to hear about it.

This dog is living to the fullest
link

It's all looking on schedule at the moment, chingus. Keep up the vibes!!!

Ooh eonnis, if anyone fancies a sort of sci-fi All of Us are Dead mixed with Starship Troopers, Duty After School on Viki has got you covered! Enjoyed ep 1&2 🙂

It’s got promise but I felt it took ages to get going in ep 1. Does it pick up the pace in ep 2?

I’m watching Kill Boksoon now. It’s great but I’m starting to nod off. I will finish tomorrow. Jeon Do Yeon is so versatile. She is fantastic in this.

boaty it picks up the pace about half to 2/3 of the way through ep2 when more spheres start falling - I did find myself wanting to yell at the teenagers in frustration in a few places, I suppose that means their behaviour is depicted realistically 😂

I had a nice meet-up with my student exchange match yesterday. We were joined by another student of Korean. As well as planning the local cultural things we want to introduce her to (there will be fried snacks and museums involved 😁), we chatted lots about her background and the things she wants to do and see while she's in Europe.

One thing we discussed at length was the Korea collective culture/mentality. Which we've discussed on here before. I didn't know (or had perhaps forgotten) that there is a name for it - 정 ('jeong'). I do wonder if it was coverered in the Hallyu! exhibition and I'd skimmed over it. Anyhow, she described it as an 'invisible connection'. Kind of a responsibility people feel for coming together to achieve a goal, and looking out for others. When I asked if that is part of the reason so many Koreans volunteer for the school I'm at, she agreed enthusiastically. She is very proud that Korea has it, but does think it's starting to change.

The other student of Korean (who also got into it via K-pop) said that this was actually a big part of his continuing interest. That he recognises in Korean society a kind of community thinking that we used to have here (even in our childhoods), and is now more or less lost as everything becomes increasingly individualistic. I do think 'jeong' is what makes many K-dramas so enjoyable (it's even there in The Glory, when Hyun-nam gives Dong-eun the boiled eggs 🙂). And, as I sat thinking about it on the way home, I think it probably informs the positive side of K-pop fandom, and in fact the whole fan-idol interaction concept. Stronger together, and looking out for each other.

Of course Korean society is more complicated than that and we all know there are plenty of things amiss in it. But it was an interesting discussion!

She is very proud that Korea has it, but does think it's starting to change.

Saram that’s interesting - in what way is it starting to change?

It's so interesting to get these little snippets of information about Korean culture Saram, thanks for sharing

Saram that sounds like a really interesting discussion, I'm really glad you get along with your exchange student and are getting to do lots of fun cultural exchange stuff 🙂 . I'm just about to pick my mum up from the airport, DD and I have a fun kpop playlist to subject her to on the way home 😂

I agree. It helps to join up some of the dots with other reading etc. Please keep these insights coming.

Saram, did you manage to discuss why jeong in SK and the similar collective social responsibility felt in Finland, for example, has yielded such different results in terms of also accepting individuality in society? I appreciate that jeong is more nuanced because of the influence of centuries of homogeneous history (sorry I can't express it better)and Confucian traditions but just curious as to whether SKoreans are able to see that it is possible to have less of a blame culture even with the pressure to conform.
Would they see even a gentle questioning/info seeking as hostile or rude?
Gosh, I wish I could do a Q and A session with some Koreans of different age groups. A friend has been trying to contact SK members of her Church for me, but the family keeps to itself and disappears as soon as the service ends!

A shout out for gluten-free For The Third Time (manhwa) on bato. Only 3 episodes up so far but I like the premise: a woman who has an intermittent ‘Groundhog Day’ glitch which enables her to reoeat days and smooth thing over/change the direction of her life. It is a romance but it’s very well executed so far. I’m sending up a boat signal ⛵️⛵️⛵️

And thumbs up for Epik High’s Down Bad Freestyle.

Omo!! Apple Music just segued from Epik High to BANG BANG BANG by Bigbang. Any earwax I might have had has just atomised.

Gotta love a bit of BANGBANGBANG! I'm getting really into Epik High these days as well..... I'm trying to resist the bato siren call but it's getting harder and harder < sits on hands >