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!

Pol love that cover! 😍

All is right with the world here. Kids are happy. Cat smells of sunshine and is full of the joys of spring. DH has been vibing in his man crib (box room) all afternoon. I just finished a job application which took all my precís skills to stay within the word limit. DH was kind enough to give it the once over & said shedding the last 11 words was very difficult because not a word was wasted. 💪 Phew! I am off to watch Dr Cha now before heading to a friend’s to sit in the garden and sink some beers later. I think this might be my favourite time of year except for the sodding pollen.

TheLoup congrats to ds - it’s such a relief when the school they want gets the nod.

Yes, congrats Loup family! Great news about your DS’ school place.

I can't help feeling that one of the great mysteries of KDrama which to the best of my memory has never come up on this thread, is why nobody EVER spreads jam on a whole piece of toast before starting to eat it.
And don't even get me started on the missing butter.

I'll add to that pol - getting in bed to sleep and leaving all the lights on?! Why? Who does that??!

And going to bed fully clothed - alone or with company

AND going to bed with company, presumably getting it on and then waking up miraculously FULLY CLOTHED. This grated on me particularly in Healer - let me tell you, if I had the opportunity to get JCW naked I would be most put out if he secretly clothed himself in the middle of the night.

Haha - too much?

Saram one day we can meet up for (soju) cocktails and I promise I will sing Otsukare with you, and maybe even do the dance 🤣

Good luck with the studying! Fighting!

let me tell you, if I had the opportunity to get JCW naked I would be most put out if he secretly clothed himself in the middle of the night.

😂😂😂😂

boaty hwaiting for your application! 🙌

TheLoup DEAL you're Larry, I'm Lionel. Are you ordering the glittery jackets or am I? 🤔

My biggest concern/cause of envy/puzzlement in K-dramas is why/how people's hair doesn't move. My hair ONLY moves. And this is not a stealth boast, believe me 😬 One of my secret wishes for when I go to Korea is to get a full-blown K-makeover just to see what they'd do with me 😂 Though having said that, I booked in for a style update last year with a leading make-up brand recommended by a friend, asking for a natural/easy-to-recreate look, and ended up looking like an amateur drag queen 😳 I started smelling a rat when he began putting foundation on my ears 😂

Fully dressed to bed and coats on indoors. Either Koreans haven't discovered central heating or their film studios are very, very cold in winter. I'm leaning towards the latter. There's that BL drama (the one with the boiled eggs) where the ML is practising in a dance studio and I swear you could actually see his breath.

Breath very much in evidence in wedding photo scenes in this week's Bora Deborah. I felt for the bride.
Snorting at ear foundation Saram.
Just here to say how much overblown nonsense fun DR3 is. I do not understand the business model of attaching a Trauma Center to an ER but I'm loving it.

Ooh I'm so annoyed DR3 isn't showing properly here. It better show up eventually.
I also have wild, untameable hair, Saram. I'm just going to think of it as part of my eccentric British charm a la Helena Bonham Carter and leave the pursuit of perfection to the younger generation.
(I really need to get my hands on one of those magic sticks that make your skin all dewey though.....)

Cobol Ah. My hair isn't so much untameable as just....there 😂 Refuses to stay either up or in any discernable style. And it's totally inconsistent from one day to the next. Cheers for that, genes 🙄 This is why I try to liven up the face, but then they go and paint my ears 😁

What's the verdict on the sticks, guys? I'm curious, but not curious enough to hand over my euros/won without scientific backing 🤔

Definitely not!!! I do think that sleeping in his huge abandoned warehouse set up would have been pretty freezing though so maybe it was a matter of survival 😅

Lol AmVa EXACTLY - cuddling together for WARMTH = essential.

Saram I say glittery purple jackets is essential🤣

I secretly want to go to one of those Korean plastic surgery places where they look at your face through UV light and tell you what work you need done 🤣 a full overhaul for one please!

Chingus, just had such a nice katsu curry!

I love katsu curry. That’s what we are having for dinner tomorrow. Top tip: 2 x Sainsburys katsu stir fry sauce pouches with a can of light coconut milk come out just like the Wagamama sauce, enough for 4. It’s even better with 1 large sweet potato and a couple of obliquely sliced carrots in it, obvs boiled long enough to soften them.

I started smelling a rat when he began putting foundation on my ears

Omo! 😱 That’s all kinds of wrong. You’re not an extra in a film, for God’s sake.

I’m back from (too many) garden drinks and watching XO Kitty on Netflix. Basically an American in Seoul. It’s only partially subtitled so I can MN too & I want to see Seoul through tourist eyes.

I've been 'out' tonight and must go to sleep, but just wanted to express horror at the ear-foundation scenario: as if cleansing didn't take long enough!!

Yum at katsu curry recipe boaty 👍 will try it!

Come for the drama chat, stay for the recipes. Thanks Boaty!

boaty cheers for the recipe! Will store up for when I next have access to Sainsburys 😃

I started XO Kitty the other day but couldn't get into it. I'll quite happily watch kids/teen series if they're good, so may go back to it.

TheLoup yes I've also considered going the whole hog and have a Korean surgeon tell me what they'd do, but that would probably be quite depressing so actually, maybe not 😂 I'll just work on flaunting the English eccentric card like Cobol 🙌😁

I’m sure a Korean plastic surgeon would love me - a proper fixer-upper project. However, I don’t ever intend to go under the knife. I wouldn’t be me any more.

I fell asleep watching XO Kitty. It is a bit naff plotwise and some of the acting’s wooden but I’m sticking with it it. The Korean dialogue sounds decidedly odd. I’m not sure if it’s non-native speakers who’ve been trained to parrot a few lines in Korean, Korean Americans speaking a US version or the native speakers have massively slowed down to help learners follow it. Whatever, it’s hurting my ears. It’s interesting seeing some kdrama regulars speaking flawless English - and some less flawless. 😄