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!

Agree with all the King the Land chat - this is exactly what I am feeling like at the moment so cannot wait!!

FedUp The series 2 storyline with the mums of the kids needing heart transplants is my top 😭🥺 Oh god and the Children's Day thing in series 1 😭😭😭
Me and dh did ep 1 of Bloodhounds and will continue in that way as I can only do a bit of horribleness at a time. But it's great.
Wanted this shirt from F4

Hi Larry!!

If anyone wants to preorder the new BTS book that's out in a few weeks, Waterstones have it at half price! www.waterstones.com/book/beyond-the-story/bts/myeongseok-kang/9781035031542

Re Kids and requesting BTS songs, DS has used it as a way to distract me from making him go to bed 😁

Haha TheGirl - oh yes, the old "Mum, can we watch some BTS clips on YouTube" is a standard just before bed time in our house 🤣

DH has got my BTS book on preorder for my birthday 🙂 I won't tell him it's now reduced.....

It was Children's Day that got me 😭😭😭

I tried to watch more HP last night but it got vetoed by dh so I'll have to wait til I am on my own... I cried in the first episode, am I going to need to stock up on tissues?

It's definitely on the more 'real' side - I think it also captures the camaraderie of working in a hospital really well.

It is quite full of feels TheLoup but - like Prison Playbook and Replies- it's more about little moments and human relationships than high stakes drama. Sentimental in the way I'm a sucker for. And thankfully those doctors (and nurses) are VERY skillful 😁

Here to say again how good the reality show, Sirens (Netflix) was - finished it yesterday. Better than Physical 100 because it showed more of the characters' ways of thinking and motivations. It showcased female leadership, strategy and teamwork in a heartwarming way that makes you want friends like these. Some tense moments when the team you're supporting end up in a dicey situation, but overall it's a love story to female prowess, and mental and physical strength. (I think I might be a bit of a feminist) 😜

I will stock up on tissues, and brace myself for the children's day episode 😎

I might give Hospital Playlist a go but I'll have to finish Dr Romantic 3 first as I can only manage one set of doctors at a time.

I'm also still watching Nine Tailed 1938 with DH ( one episode at a time obviously 😁) and Love in Contract while I'm waiting for more DR3. I'd been putting off watching it as I wasn't sure if I could cope with Kim Jae-young losing out to Go Kyung-pyo, but I'm actually starting to get into it. Seeing Go Kyung-pyo out ice-maiden the ice-maiden is strangely satisfying (and Kim Jae-young is ridiculously hot in pretty much every scene he's in 🥰)

I highly recommend F4 Thailand if anyone fancies a palate refreshing trip to Bangkok. It's preposterous but zips along and has real warmth and charm too.

Ha - Cobol I didn't really like LiC BUT agree Kim Jae-Young was gorgeous in it - GKP would not have got a look-in with me 🤣

Hello everyone 👋👋👋. I've been fairly absent on MN for ages but my commitment to Kdrama has remained constant. Just finished The Glory which I absolutely raced through, despite being v skeptical of Song Hye Kyo. Loved it though,,also LOVED Dr Cha. Currently kind of trying to get through Suspicious Partner which I've seen recs for but feeling kind of me about to be honest. But ploughing through anyway. What's everyone into right now?

I'm about to watch ep 6 of Bloodhounds I've got a cushion ready to hide behind

Brace yourself TheGirl! i was watching from between my fingers!

Larry my current watches are Race on Disney+ , Hospital Playlist and Dr Cha (I love it but am watching it at the gym so it's taking me a while to get through). I'm also dipping into The Real Has Come but I'm ff'd through the less interesting bits. Watched Bloodhounds and loved it as well....

That was 😰

I’ve just fired up Sirens. I hope the stunt women do well, mainly because everyone’s written them off as insubstantial at the outset. What a terrific bunch of women! They’re admirably badass. 🙌

Ahhh TheGirl there were a couple of bits when I did a proper out loud gasp "noooo" with my hands over my mouth.

I must check out Sirens as well.

Also, am really looking forward to King the Land - trailer looks v funny.

Hi @LarryUnderwood good to see you!

Bloodhounds was my most recent binge watch, but I’m currently enjoying ‘My Perfect Stranger and Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 and DR3^

Enjoyed Kim Min Jae’s cameo in Bloodhounds, he and Woo Do Hwan acted together in Tempted which is based loosely on Les Liaisons Dangereuses if anyone hasn’t seen that yet

Hi Larry, I'm watching DR3, The Uncanny Encounter while I wait for the new drops on Netflix. Also intending to check out pol's F4 Thailand recommendation.

Yep and I think it was even more gory than I had imagined, I watched the rest of it too so got to see a workout scene and satisfying ending to make up for it! 😅

Larry I'm watching Dr Cha (episodes still being released here) and Bloodhounds. And slowly continuing with Guardian, Be Melodramatic, The Cursed and Why Didn't I Tell You a Million Times? And catching up on Festa/Agust D lives as and when.

The last week or so I've been focusing on reading more than dramas. Finally finished I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki - bit underwhelmed, though very popular with younger friends - and The Old Woman With the Knife. Loved that. Just starting Flawless - Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital by Elise Hu, which is really interesting so far.

I've also been enjoying new music from Paul Kim (he's appeared on quite a few OSTs, including Hotel Del Luna and TGBM). Very ballad-y, which is not usually my thing, but I really like 'Hangang' (plus it features an appearance from BIG Naughty 😁 which gave me an opportunity to snigger). And new girl group CSR. Cloyingly cute, but 'Loveticon' is a real earworm.