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!

Yep I've started that one. Good manga too 👍

boatyardblues · Today 10:40
Who is it on here that has vomiting phobia? Avoid the middle of episode around the 35-37 min mark. HARD AVOID. Seriously. 😫

It’s me, Boaty. Thank you for the warning, I’ll give the series a swerve.
Vomiting scenes seem to appear in most Western dramas but I really thought K dramas kept them to a minimum.
Why do they need to include them ffs? They don’t show people going to the loo!

There’s a storyline in Crazy Love which was big in ep 1 but is being completely ignored at the mo, barely mentioned. It is so major it’s massively annoying me that it’s being overlooked.

Yes please to a ride around Gapado on the back of Junho’s bike.

Well, 19th Life had me blubbing today. I like the pacing. There’s no fannying about, which makes me interested to see where we are heading. Possibly Ahn Bo Hyun’s rehabilitation proper after Itaewon Class.

I may have had something in my eyes too watching today's SYIMNL. Absolutely loving the show.

Ooo I watched King The Land first today, about to start 19th Life.

But my big question to Lovely Eyes is, whatcha gonna do with those macarons now, eh?

But my big question to Lovely Eyes is, whatcha gonna do with those macarons now, eh?

He can always smash them with his fists to let out sone of that bottled up angst, but it seems a waste. I’ll have ‘em. I’d give him a sincere smile in return.

Having reached a pivotal point in the plot I am less enraged by the incessantly perky FL. For reasons…

Ooo I'm waiting for tomorrow to watch KTL I have been shamelessly binging Hospital Playlist today - I have one earphone out in concession to MrLoup when nis making me watch guns n roses at Glastonbury - they are so old it's making me feel old!

Anyway - I am fully converted to HP - absolutely love it, plus I started my nursing career in neurosurgery several moons ago so can even understand some terminology 👍

I’m up to ep 8 of Crazy Love. The Quality Street palette for the formal wear is bright, bright, bright. 😎

Welcome TheLoup. Welcome...
My obsession has gained me entry to a sort of dark web of Hospital Playlist fandom where I am being sent behind the scenes content and embargoed photos by people in Malaysia from the exclusive directors cut 32 disc Blu-ray and photo book set which finally launched this week (a snip at £257.83).
It's a beautiful world.

Obsessed with the tulle skirt in episode 3 of KTL. Love how things are moving along at a good pace as well.

However, shocked by the weigh in scene 😧... Maybe not shocked I guess because of what I know about SK and weight but it was insane!! And the weights being talked about!! 😵‍💫😵‍💫

I'll be catching up on the latest episodes later today and during the week 👍🏻 Currently Doctor Cha and Bloodhounding 👌

Being spammed with footage and stills from D-Day Seoul by friends with fewer weekend commitments than me 😁 Manifesting for a boxset 🤞🏻

And I'll just leave this here:

Suga Vogue Japan

Huh! Using the hotel employee database for personal reasons? Data protection and confidentiality breach, Gu Won!

Being spammed with footage and stills from D-Day Seoul by friends with fewer weekend commitments than me 😁 Manifesting for a boxset 🤞🏻

Due to the kindness of my Bangtan Chingu I got to watch it on Saturday @Saram13 ! It was fan-bloody-tastic!! 💜

@bettys Aw brilliant! It just didn't work for me, the live shows (naturally) and the repeat viewings were at fixed times I couldn't make 😬 but at least I saw the Japan concert on the big screen. And hoping for a Disney+/Hybe release/other opportunity to re-watch. I can't imagine they WON'T milk it for all it's worth....

bettys you lucky thing! I'm hoping for a Disney+ release as well 🤞🤞 (also hoping we'll get the Yet To Come Busan concert on there too). Saram I think the bangtax opportunity is too great for HYBE not to make some sort of box set eventually 😂

Haha pol so the dark web of HP fandom awaits??

Off to watch KTL (hooray for rainy days!)

Now I've exhausted Hospital Playlist it's Prison Playbook time 💪

Pausing to say OMG that weighing scene! Last time I weighed under 50kg I was probably about 14 🙈. I did chuckle when she was taking off her watch and earrings to get weighed - reminds me of my last stint at slimming world 😂

I LOVE Prison Playbook , I might even prefer it to HP <runs and hides>

Christ Bettys, you better hope Pol didn't hear that 🤣

Sure, don't we all agree variety makes the world go round, and the Daebak Cafe stay open.

He should eat the macarons. They look really nice 🙂 that episode was great - plus those floral pants/slippers and fleece jackets are exactly the thing for our FN commune/retirement village.

Watching 19th Life. Director Ha needs to work on his softer skill/EQ. Disgraceful manners at the nursery. Also, why the full attire at the sleepover? Is knitwear the Korean choice du jour to ward off gay rumours?

Talking of cockblocking bedroom scene artifice, I’d defo crawl naked over a dried chilli covered blanket to get my hands on KJW. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ I felt like they should have tried harder on the deterrent front there.

Haha boaty I haven't seen that scene but that nearly sounds like part of the fun rather than any kind of deterrent 😂😂😂 🌶️🌶️🌶️