MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #41): A poorly anticipated placeholder thread to contain the Filthy Noonas’ ongoing musings on all things Korean, with Japanese and Chinese sprinkles

[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’
Regulars 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
Courtesy 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 - 9.40
#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!

Loup, I'm like you, would need flights, hotel and tickets and as The Rose is supporting Blackpink, it's fair to say that there's going to be an almighty crush to watch that stage. I hope it's on tv/youtube or something. They will also be playing in France and Spain.

Happy days! I’ve set up my own ‘Ajumma’ profile on our Disney+ and watched a couple of kdramas. Now it’s actively suggesting stuff. I’m powering through ‘Link’ which bang on brand tonal chaos: historic child abduction, telepathy, a murder (maybe?), a missing body, an actual body, gossipy neighbours, suspense, romance, a stalker, delicious food, yahhing, cop shop bantz. I could go on, and I’m only on ep 4. 🤣

Ooo that sounds good boaty - I enjoy a good police - based drama so will check it out.

I've watched the first couple of episodes of American Born Chinese (also Disney+) with the kids - it's not bad, bit of a slow start and my boys were cringing at some of the American high-school awkwardness, but it's good when the fantasy elements are introduced. One for pre-teens/teens rather than kids probably, DD (7) was bored and took herself to bed.

Holy moley! That was all in the first 3 episodes. 😱

Happy holidays Thegirl!

Boaty sounds good, I always forget about Prime for K dramas. I totally I forgot I started one called Anna a while ago WITH Bae Suzy in... Need to finish that as it was quite good.

Apologies for shouting With, I can't get rid of it 😆

TheGirl really glad you got there! Hope you are having a brilliant time. Fingers crossed for the trip back.

TheLoup/Pol I really can't justify getting Prime (even if it's possible in the EU? Suppose it is). So will be looking up vampires on HiTV in due course 😁

Re: Blackpink in Hyde Park. I am absolutely the wrong person to listen to on this, as I've always loved music but loathed big open-air festivals, even back in my Leeds era when I was the target audience. (I went twice, saw Pulp who were brilliant, but from a very very long distance 🤔 and spent the day queuing for truly awful toilets and avoiding sweaty pissed lads with too-short haircuts 🤔 maybe I frequented the wrong festivals 😂). But just in case anyone's interested 😁I can't imagine it would be an experience that justifies either the cost or the effort of getting there, certainly if it involves a flight/accommodation, given the probable rewards. Nah.

Up to date with Doctor Cha (but only up to episode 4 here 😭), last Thursday's TGBM still to go (tomorrow evening, hopefully). Still over-invested in Love Village, poised for the latest (the last?) episodes tomorrow.

Link has grabbed me hard. No one else has had a look in with the big telly since this afternoon, for which I make no apology. DS1 and DS2 have been powering through their own boxsets which have cramped my style. 😄

It has been decreed that Yoo In-na will henceforth be known as Korean Katherine Ryan. That is all.

Ooh, yeah, I can see that FedUp. Bit random, though. Are you watching her in something at the moment?

Enjoy your hols Thegirl. It's wall to wall sunshine all week where I am 🌞🕶️

FedUp I need a side by side pic for comparison 😂 Or is it more of a similar energy thing?

Is anyone else watching Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938? I watched up to ep 5 last night and chingus, I really love it now. I think they hit exactly the right tongue-in-cheek tone with this series and it's such good fun.

Where are you watching on TheLoup? I really want to watch it

We're watching Nine Tailed 1938 TheLoup. We're up to ep 3 and yep, it's good fun (despite the historical setting which was rather a bleak time in Korean history, I think). It's on Amazon Prime Rowdy.

Yes - Amazon Prime, sorry I got caught up at work there trying to leave the building 😂. The first couple of episodes I enjoyed, but thought "is this a bit too silly?!" But now I'm all in and loving it 😂

Also - PSA - 365 BTS Days calendar is available again on cokodive for preorder..... I've just bought it - thanks to Saram (my enabler) for sending me the link when it's payday. 😂

I’m up to episode 9 of Link and genuinely uncertain how they’re going to stretch it to 16 episodes. There's been so much plot action already it feels like they smashed 4 separate shows together. It’s astonishing.

boaty Link sounds good, added to the list!

I literally only just twigged that the 2ML in TGBM played Gwi-nam in All Of Us Are Dead. The difference a haircut makes 😁

WHAT???!!!

Google tells me this is true, however my brain doesn't want to accept it. Gwi-nam's hair was bad enough to distract me from his face though (personality issues aside, ha!)

Wait what?
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 Army ! 🚨 we are getting a new BTS song for Festa🚨
OT7!

Same face shape and cosmetic surgery style I think.

I've sort of thought it for a while. They've got the same face shape. Just watching Bora Deborah! or whatever it's called on Prime.

Oh that photo is all pixely! Oops

Haha! I do see what you mean - they have a similar vibe as well 😂