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!

Seo Kang-joon should have left the military recently so hopefully we will see him back on our screens soon!!

I'm putting Watcher on my watchlist!

Two more episodes of Race dropped on Disney+ today. I kept falling asleep on the sofa so I’ll have to catch up over the next few (v busy) days.

And thanks for the mention of Watcher. I just had a happy flashback to SKJ in his Police motorcyclist uniform in episode 1. 🔥 He has such wonderful long legs. If I recall, it was discussion of that scene that spawned the thread’s racehorse legs descriptor. 😁

I've just stayed up way too late watching Race - I'm enjoying it loads BUT ( I have to say this) I cannot get behind the FL's work wardrobe of beige, pink and brown cropped boxy suit jackets: Just No.

Gosh, PR is a cut-throat world 🤣. ML is definitely having regrets boaty, I don't think he's quite aware of it yet though......

Yes! The OG racehorse!

I’ve decided to lean into my meno early waking. I’m squeezing an hour of Race in before showering, breakfast with kdrama.

I give the FL a ⭐️ for good communication with ML2. She really is a gem.

I have started Race given all the hype here... Not fully hooked yet but I trust the process 😁

This isn't quite scratching the itch I have for a peppy romcom but King the Land arriving next week looks like exactly what I feel like.

@TheLoupGarou agreed on the FL's fashion - what is going on ???

Yes! When I was watching Race last night I was thinking I really like how the main characters are shown communicating with honesty and sincerity - they actually talk about difficult things and clear up misunderstandings.

I love that the FL in this is a competent professional, as well as being brave and emotionally open. She is great (just needs to lose the cropped suit jackets 🤣)

Did you get to the flashback scene yet boaty ? It's cute

Morning all. The kdrama journey through time continues...

2) Empress Ki

A 51-episode epic historical soap opera loosely based on the fascinating story of the real life Empress Ki.

Set in the 14th century* *when the Kingdom of Goryeo (which had unified the earlier Three Kingdoms in 918 and lasted until 1392) was a vassal state of the declining Yuan Empire Empress Ki follows the life of a Goryeo born woman who rises to prominence within the Yuan court and eventually marries the last of the Yuan emperors, Toghon Temur, to become Empress Ki.

Although much of the drama is highly fictionalized, the overarching storyline is based on historical fact covering the final years of the Yuan Empire, which was established by Kublai Khan in 1271 and lasted until 1368, when Emperor Huizong (Toghon Temur) was forced to retreat north to Mongolia after being defeated by the forces of the Ming dynasty, which subsequently ruled over China until 1644. Other real life figures include Chunghye (Wang Jeong) the 28th king of Goryeo and Danashri, Toghon Temu's first Empress. The most interesting fact, however, is that it seems that the real life Toghon Temur really did fall madly in love with the Korean concubine Ki and eventually made her his Empress despite much opposition within the Yuan court.

Watch for : The extended bath scenes, the melodrama and a strong female lead.

I agree about all the putty shade boxy jackets but I really liked the navy one with the cream palazzo trousers and pink shirt when she went to hand her incident report to the CCO.

Did you get to the flashback scene yet boaty ? It's cute

Damn. No. I rewound to the bit I remembered watching last night & now I’m all caught up. I missed the flashback. It must be in the first 25 mins of ep 9, or do you mean the middle school one with the bullies in the alley? If so, yes I have seen that one.

@Cobol Very much enjoying your chronological historic kdrama!

Thanks bettys. As I've been doing this I've realised how much real history is lurking in kdrama and it's fascinating. Soft power in action!

AmVa I quite like the high waisted pants and shirts, it's just the browny-beige jackets 🤮. Who wears that stuff on the weekend???!!!

💜 Lots of exciting Festa announcements today, especially for Korean Army - it would be a great time to be going to Seoul 😭 I think some stuff is being live streamed though (fireworks narrated by JK!)

Me too Cobol!

boaty yes the middle school one - I feel like I've seen those kids in different dramas too

Thanks TheLoup. I'm really enjoying doing it. I'm learning new things all the time.

"Watch for - the extended bath scenes" I'm in for your history lesson too Cobol 😁

Cracking snog on last night's TGBM. I do love Ahn Eun-jin and this is the perfect role for her.

See you in my 19th Life also arriving next week and should be a treat based on the Webtoon.

twitter.com/womenreadwomen/status/1666514278185324544?s=46&t=VOq5vP7NkcwfyVGLEBNjEQ

😬

Pol I have to admit that Ji Chang-wook in the bath probably is the best bit about Empress Ki 😁 although there are other things worth watching it for, particularly the relationships between the women at the court and JCW's performance in general as a young emperor at the mercy of competing factions. (The real Emperor Huizong was made emperor and married off when he was just 13 years old).

Cobol - oh you star. Confession time, not watched Hwarang, on the list. I need a lottery win, so I can stop working and catch up on all these lovely dramas. Finished ep3 of Heart Signal last night...a handsome new entry to the house 😍

@Dragonrock Hwarang is on my to be watched list too - need some annual leave on a day when the husband and toddler are out of the house 😅 how else can I get through all the dramas I want

Thanks for the article Rowdy. My question is why are parents not held jointly accountable when the bully is a minor? There has been no mention of involving/educating parents. As always, money and power trumps everything else. 😤😡