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!

It's interesting to see what Koreans make of XO Kitty. Wrong placement of soup in particular seems to have caused some amusement:

https://www.koreaboo.com/news/korean-netizens-react-unrealistic-portrayals-korea-in-netflixs-xo-kitty/

I've stumbled on a decent K-indie EP on Apple Music: Kookaburra EP by eundohee. It’s nicely laid back.

@TheLoupGarou congratulations to your DS. You must be so relieved. 11+ preps was the only time I came close (vaguely) to academic competitiveness like Korean parents.

@boatyardblues good luck, wishing you all the best.

In yesterday’s episode when Dr Cha’s dermatologist friend wondered what’s so special about Prof Seo that great women are falling for him. She spoke for all of us.

Actually I have slightly fallen for the actor - such great comic timing. Can we put him on AO list FedUp?

Thanks for all the good wishes for master Loup ☺️ yes, the 11+ process did bring out my inner tiger eomma a bit, although we weren't quite at hagwon level 🤣.

JinBhoot & TheLoupGarou -- I always referred to the whole 11+ debacle as like Fight Club. I got the side eye from one or two women when my two (twins) got through. Almost as if I because they were not in the coaching group they all attended, and so were 'off their radar', we'd stolen places from their little moppets. Not been watching for a few days as too busy and then at my Mums. But can't decide if I start TGBM or Dr Cha. Not got to the end of Love in the Moonlight yet, as the whole suspense / double-crossing gets me worried and then I can't sleep 🙄I am a complete wuss and so have to watch reruns of In the Soop or Run BTS before I drop off to try and be more calm!

I have gone into XO Kitty for Sunday night giggles and I have so many questions already. They're not wrong about the fashion being off. And why is a Korean mother talking to her Korean daughter in Korea in English?

I had similar questions Pol.

Baffling in so many ways and yet here I am on episode 5.

Hang on... They're celebrating chuseok but the azaleas and cherry blossom are out...

Yep, yep, yep. It’s like hearing my inner monologue last night.

Pol I'm one episode into Doctor Cha and enjoying it enormously. Well worth the wait! I had to look up where I'd seen the ML and FL before - All of Us Are Dead and Our Blues of course. They are both great so far. Interested to see that the ridiculously handsome guy playing the other surgeon was in the stage version of CLOY last year - playing Captain Ri, natch.

On the basis of the above convo I'm going to continue to swerve round XO Kitty, for now at least 🤔😁

Fell asleep watching Black Knight yesterday. I'm enjoying it but kind of glad it's only 6 episodes. I'm not sure it would stretch to more. Main takeaway for me so far is that KWB is much more attractive with long hair and covered in dust [zones out]

Dragonrock TGBM vs Dr Cha - if you're a wuss I think it's fair to say TGBM does have some challenging themes and is not always an easy watch. As well lots of heart-warming stuff, a gripping story and comedy. It's a real mash-up but it works, which is partly why it's so brilliant. And it has Lee Do-hyun and Choi Moo-sung [shallow].

Laughing a lot at the strategic bowling ball in today's unlocked Daily Jo-Jo

Thank you for the new thread boaty! I'm hoping to actually watch some TV this week!!
There is a chance I might have a week off work with nothing to do soon 😬 we are due to go to Sicily but Mt Etna has just erupted and closed the airport we were flying to 😭😭😭. Fingers crossed it calms down in the next few days else I'll have lots of time to catch up on dramas

Gah! Hope you get there TheGirl. That's the bit of Sicily we went last summer and it was beautiful. We did a really good tour of all of Etna's previous eruption sites. Have you watched The White Lotus (season 2)?

I havnt watched White Lotus yet, that tour sounds interesting Pol. Hopefully now Etna's erupted it will calm down again??? 🤞🤞🤞

Oh no TheGirl ! i have fingers and toes crossed for your holiday 🤞🤞

I have been watching Unchained Love on Viki (historical c-drama with Dylan Wang) - I think this might be one for the guilty pleasures list because it's the Chinese equivalent of makjang, but I'm so here for it! We've got palace schemes, mad emperor, evil stepmother, rapey eunuch, fake eunuch ML, plus all-over-the -place revenge plot soup !

Saram agree 100% 6 episodes seems right for Black Knight and long-haired dust covered KWB is exactly my jam - I caused MrLoup to do an extra eye-roll and long-suffering sigh with my appreciative comment whilst we were watching 🤣

Oh no! That’s the kind of appalling holiday luck that the Boaty household is famed for. I hope it all calms down quickly so you can fly.

Quoted the wrong post but I hope you got the gist, TheGirl.

Oh no TheGirl I really hope you get sorted.

TheGirl I too hope your holiday can go ahead as planned! 🤞🏻

There are some interesting talks coming up with the US Korea Society. Some are online as well as in person, so are in principle accessible I assume (unless they're for US-based audiences only, but I don't believe that's the case). Elise Hu's 'Flawless' sounds really interesting.

Korea Society

That does sound good but would be past my bedtime with the time difference

Thanks Saram, I think that might be one I watch throuhg my fingers, while hiding behind the sofa...al la Dr Who as a kid! TheGirl - what a n=bummer hopw it settles and you get your holiday. I have just started on Heart Signal 4 (reality house mates). It was a push onto my FB feed from Viki. Only 20mins in, but it is sooooo sweet so far, I have a silly grin on my face. I've never watched
Love Island, as just looked like a 'knocking shop' to me but I know many people like it.

I’m watching a bit more XO Kitty. It’s absolute mince but I can’t stop watching.

The airport has reopened! 🎉🎉🎉 Hopefully Etna can behave until Saturday afternoon 🤞