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!

I first watched the first episode of HP quite early in my KD career and didn't go back to it for months because I felt at sea with who everyone was and all the relationships. Plus there's a lot of Easter egg cameos with all the Reply actors as priests and nuns in ep 1 which went over my head and the whole Shin PD schtick of setting up that it's going to be makjang and then puncturing expectation into warmth.
And then I gave it another go a few months down the line with a much better knowledge base (and a better appreciation of what I personally enjoyed most in KD) and never looked back.

Looking forward to this soooo much! I need fluffy watches at the moment... just the right amount of sillliness and romance and Lovely Eyes Junho making a very welcome return! Plus Crazy Mr Queen FL.... it looks so much fun!!!!
😂😍

Feel like i need to catch up and watch Bloodhounds... a so not fluffy watch... @Bettys how's the ending.... you know i won't watch unless the endings is satisfactory and tied up neatly! 🙈

Teaser for Physical 100 series 2 just "dropped", as the kids say.

I never got round to watching it 😳

Just leaving this here......

Hopefully this will inflict less emotional damage than Uncontrollably Fond....

I have to say, I would buy and rub ALL the antique lamps if I thought KWB would pop out 🤣

Nice to see KWB's missus posting an Ig story in support of his film. Hoping for another Kwedding to cluck over soon.

Ahhhh, the beautiful people ❤️

I've realised this comment makes no sense without me explaining that he plays a genie in that new drama 🤣

@Bea HUGELY looking forward to the return of Lovely Eyes Junho in a romcom as Red Sleeve was brilliant but sad. Must just point out though that the FL is the annoying FL from The K2 and the daft girl with a crush on Hyun Bin in Confidential Assignment (can't blame her for that though)

Fab Crazy FL from Mr Queen is coming soon in See You In My 19th Life which is such a good webtoon. However they've cast Ahn Bo Hyun as ML who just doesn't seem right....

Can report back after staying up far too late that Bloodhounds does have a satisfactory ending, if a little rushed. But episode 6 is a really hard watch. Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi are 🔥 Also like the late introduction of Mr Oh's kickarse granddaughter.

bettys I liked Mr Oh's grandaughter as well 👍

I've been very restrained with the bangtan spam over Festa week 🤣 but look! Hobi did a Louis Vuitton shoot and I love it Fashion - love the first pic especially

I'm probably the only one who watched Queen of Masks which just ended and I have to say that the finale featured the most blatant PPL I have ever seen!

@bettys oh! No! most irritating FL in K2!!!??? But she's a lovely person (yoona?) in the netflix jeju island B&B reality series which i can't remmeber the name of at the moment!....Owners were rock star husband and Idol wife... very nice warm-comforting-makes-you-want-to-go-to-jeju-island watch!

Good news about Bloodhounds... sounds like i need to watch it when i'm angry!!!!!

Ohh Bea, that had me grinning so much, looking forward to it. I now have to work out how to download Netflix onto my ipad, so I can watch it on a forthcoming flight. Loup, IU have bene a bit busy so not doing too much Festa content, waiting for the weekend, but my that LV photo of Hobi....gorgeous.

Hello chingus! I've been lurking and not posting for months but wanted to come out of hiding to SQUEEEEEE! at Song Joong Ki's baby news ❤️. So lovely 😍

Hi Larry!! So good to see you!

DH and I are going to start Bloodhounds when we finish series 2 of Alice in Borderland.

DH does not binge <chomps at bit>

You’re a better woman than me. I’d just binge behind DH’s back and pretend I hadn’t already seen it. 😂

I'm going to start it after we've finished TGBM, same here DH is strictly a one episode a night man, except if copious amounts of booze have been drunk or its Love Village that seems to finish mid sentence so you have to watch the next one immediately.

Hello again Larry good to see you! I just saw about Song Joong Ki's baby news. I wonder what they will name him 😍

Larry 🙂🖐

Song Joong Ki baby 😍HAIR AND CHEEKS that's all I'm saying.

Loving Bloodhounds. Lee Sang-yi And His Wardrobe have definitely won me over. Having politely smiled and nodded at his performances in HCCC and Youth of May and then promptly forgotten about him, he is now firmly on the Saram radar 😁

I'm slowly catching up with all the latest Suchwita, Weverse lives etc. and Festa content. Also loving the J-Hope photoshoot. Got to be honest, struggling a little with going back to cute, neat, pastel-clad Yoongi after all the recent Agust D content 🤔😁and feeling even more justified at having harvested all the versions of D-Day including PICTURES while I could BUT wonderful to see the guys together again. Even if they're not actually at the moment 😕

Minor success with JuniorSaram, who today actually asked me to put BTS on 😵This was because the music I was listening to was apparently even worse 😂 (Cod Liver Oil & the Orange Juice by The Mary Wallopers, which is a cracking song but to be fair I'd probably have loathed it at that age too).

@polkettle

<sobs>

It's.. it's just the way they treat the babies in HP.

SUCH CARE 😭😭😭

Hi Larry 👋☺️ good to see you! How has that baby arrived already? Where does time go??!

Saram I am laughing at the thought of JuniorSaram requesting BTS in desperation - my eldest DS sometimes does similar if I am listening to a more general Kpop playlist 🤭

IKWYM regarding the grandad style pastel outfits- it's not my favourite look (and I can't imagine it's theirs either!) I do like 'Take Two' though - it has grown on me with every listen and it was great to see the live clip of them all singing together, even though pre-recorded.

I've also gone from indifference to being On Board for Lee Sang-yi after Bloodhounds - he (and wardrobe) were great in it!

DH also Does Not Binge. Two episodes a night is his absolute max (and if over an hour long only one) it takes FOREVER to watch things!

I need to get going on Bloodhounds after my weekend of fun distraction.

I’ve just caught up on this week’s episodes of Race. I’m in full agreement with Jaemin: Yoonjo really is perfect. She’s such a likeable, relatable FL. I love her strong moral compass and directness. Today’s episodes were quite the ride. The scene saw her fleeing for the taxi was 😯. The funeral made my eyes leak. I’m also absolutely loving BFFs Moon So Ri and Baek Ji Won, two eonnis I’d gladly go out drinking with.

I am in a funny situation with my almost 3yo who is already a BTS fan - he's been sick this week and Bluey has been abandoned for various BTS music videos (Idol is a particular favourite 🤷🤷)

Oh my God, that looks like so much fun! Roll on Friday. Yep, we are due Lovely Eye Junho top-up.