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!

Her from Hospital Playlist I think you'll find you mean 😉😁

Weeeeellllll, if you must keep acquiring pony-sized dogs Rowdy whaddya expect?

Thanks for the alert Loup! <scampers to Prime>

I’m staying with Crazy Love because of KJW but it isn’t great. Score-wise its currently trending towards 5-6, even with KJW. I’m definitely now sticking with it because of sunk costs (ep 12) and into the final furlong.

boaty hwaiting! I'm wondering shall I just give it a miss and not start? ..... KJW tho ....

Re: Heartbeat - at the end of episode 2 I don't quite know what I think. I had to do a mental reset as it's definitely starting out heavier on the comedy than I expected and the backstory is pretty daft. I am getting slight Bride of Haebak vibes but - somehow - I'm in. Taecyeon is hot - of course, there is a couple of dorky sidekicks, a plucky FL going through a hard time, a magical cat-man deity, fish out of water time skip comedy, a vampires quest to become human, financial scamming and property fraud (yes property fraud), a missing parent .... I could go on.

It's kind of weird to see western style vampires in a K-drama. Some of the acting was a bit hammy and MrLoup was energetic in his eye rolling but I caught him laughing in several places and by episode 2 he was watching and making comments rather than looking at his phone.

I think my tentative verdict is that I like it but I'm not entirely sure why 😂 count me in Taecyeon, I'll tune in next week!

Sudden revelation that shaman character in SYIMNL (who had been confusing me) is replacement for blonde character in Webtoon. Aha.

Where have you been reading the webtoon Pol?

Taking one for the team yet again Boaty. 🫡

I watched Crazy Love and both enjoyed it fine and now can't remember a single thing about it. One of them. Crash Course in Romance then did the same plot (sorta) better.

You can read SYIMNL on Webtoons in daily doses Boaty. Then episodes ?31 -87 are on Bato. I'm now just finishing it off on Webtoons again so haven't quite reached the final denouement but think I know where we're going. I expect the whole thing might be found on some other dodgy site. It's sometimes called something like 'I'll take care of you in this life too'? The same author also did A Good Day to be a Dog which is also getting a series this year and is a great read and all on Bato.

After the debt issue in Heartbeat ep 1 and in anticipation of Squid Game 2
^^
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/the-real-story-of-debt-in-south-korea-b1936241.html

pol is A good day to be a dog the one being made with Cha Eun Woo? That crossed my radar a while ago... 👍

Good article migs

That's the one TheLoup. Should be a fun one.

Move over KTL, Taecyeon's Heartbeat is how you do RomCom. The comedy bits are pure gold (resusitating a flatlining vampire in a hospital!😂), the pacing is excellent and the imaginative twist on the Vampire genre (vampire bites gets bit) mean a 🙌 from me so far. Taecyeon is genius casting in it too. Those 2pm members definitely know how to expand a career.❤
Saram, this might be the romcom for you!

Heartbeat made me laugh so much that I wanted to give it 🙌🙌🙌
What a difference a day makes! 😂

Migs and TheLoup I definitely want to watch Heartbeat! Even more so after your positive reviews 😁 But don't have Prime 😭 I'm already having to vigorously defend Disney+ 😠 that will go over my dead body

Made a start on The Uncanny Counter 🙌 Fab so far!

I also want to watch Heartbeat but have no Prime. Let’s give Olga a couple of days. 🤞

It's on HiTV. Where I've also just finished the totally wholesome fluff of Love Tractor. Need to look up one of the super cute MLs who will go far in playing pure hearted beef cake I think.

ohhh MigsandTiggs, now that is a recommendation. I thought Taecyeon was v good at the unhinged comedy he inserted into Vincenzo, so will get onto this one.

Migs dh and I both laughed out loud several times - Taecyeon is great in it 👍

Loup, kudos to the writers and let's hope the standards don't slip. Just the idea of doctors pronouncing the time of death for a vampire makes me chuckle 😂So left field!

pol oooooooh HiTV you say.....? I will check it out, cheers! I too loved Taecyeon in nutter mode in Vincenzo 😁

Have also found Little Forest on what is presumably a category Olga site. Saving for a quiet moment 🙌

I'll be largely out of action tomorrow to Wed. Very welcome visitor will be here (best mate from the UK 😃 ) and we will be cooking Korean/I'll be playing some D-Day etc. IF we have time to try a drama, I might just give Heartbeat a go 😁 as she will be able to watch it without a subscription to anything should she like it.....

Have loads of fun with your visitor Saram! We are going camping this weekend - of course we have managed to arrange it for the weekend the weather has turned rainy 🤦‍♀️ I might download some dramas to watch in the tent!

We are going to be in the vicinity of London in mid July for a week or so, if any chingus can suggest some fun activities or places to visit for us? Doesn't have to be K-pop/drama/food related, but if it is all the better 😂 I've already promised dd a trip to ArtBox in covent garden to top up her BT21 merch and ds2 wants to try Korean barbecue.....

We have tickets for Chessington but were too late to book Harry Potter tour (organisational fail by me)

Saram - if you have an active link for Little Forest, please can you DM me? They’re really on it with the copyright and links are killed off quickly. I tried buying it on DVD for keeps but couldn’t an English subbed version. I set DH the challenge last Christmas & was impressed he found it. Turns out the subs were Korean or Italian only. I do not speak Italian so passed it on to my Italian friend.

LoupGarou - if you like Wes Anderson, there’s a gallery on the Strand with an exhibition of Asteroid City props and artwork at the mo. We’re planning to get down to London for a couple of days specifically to see it.

Ooo cool boaty I will check that out 🙂 thank you.