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!

Fingers crossed TheGirl!

Everything crossed for you!!

Black Knight! 😂... hunger games x squid games... sooo many plot holes but fun enough! 😬

i've read so many bad reviews of XO Kitty... not even a cameo from Taecyon and Telepathy on the OST can draw me in.........🤔😫

Fingers crossed TheGirl. Have a great trip.

TheGirl manifesting for ash-free skies for you! 😊

Like a junkie I started bingeing today's new episodes of Love Village within about 40 seconds of them going up 😂still enormously enjoying it! Pol and FedUp, am definitely following your recommendations for Japanese reality shows when it.... ends.....🙀

My Korean conversation teacher told me today that the voice messages I send her (I'm not stalking her 😁it's the homework) are 'cute'. I'm not entirely sure how to take this 🤔 but I think she means it nicely 😁

Encouraging news about Etna TheGirl. I’ll be keeping everything crossed for your holiday. 🤞

Just catching up on all the news chingus...

Well done Loup's ds on getting the desired school place!
Sending up prayers for TheGirl's holiday to go ahead and if that fails, in true SK style, I might know an obeah man (type of shaman) or two, to cast a suitable spell 😎

Black Knight was a disappointing watch for me. Looking at screen time given, I wondered if there was a mistake as to who exactly was supposed to be the ML! The storyline was nothing new and Dune had better sand. Underwhelming.

But Waaaah! Love Village is sooo good.

Queen of Masks, is ramping up the tension to the point where I'm putting off watching the latest episode because - dah dun, dah dun- bad things are about to happen.

Woman in a Veil (50 eps but I missed out about 15 in the middle) is finished. I do fancy a bit of Dylan Wang cdrama nonsense now and am also prepared to tackle OX Kitty because I'm a glutton for punishment😁

boaty, Kookaburra EP by eundohee is on Amazon music too. Listening to it now, so laid back, perfect for a sundowner. Thanks for the tip!

Hello Chingus!

Long time no speak and extremely late to this new thread - thanks Boaty

Inbetween keeping my house clean for selling, sorting out student finance and accommodation and getting a very stressed DD through her first A Level exam I have had zero time for any drama viewing so I have absolutely nothing to contribute to the thread 😆 hoping that will change soon though and life will settle down, I feel like I'm missing out on loads of good stuff!

Hope everyone is well and fingers crossed for your holiday Thegirl

Lovely to have you back Rowdy. I hear your pain on student finance and A levels.

l’m old enough to have taken out a student loan by filling out a paper form in the pre-digital era. The student finance website recognises my NI number so wouldn’t let me open a new account to complete the parent declaration. I don’t have an existing log in (see dinosaur credentials). I was directed to their helpline, where they were unable find me on the system to “reset my account log-in”. 🙄 DS has just left with my neatly filled out paper parent support form to send it in via registered post. Very retro. 🕺🏻 I was starting to feel like Tom Hanks in that film where he’s stateless and stuck in the airport. 😭

Also, gentle back pats on the exam angsty teens. I have two. Cat is happy though - he has a lap on tap 24/7.

I had exactly the same problem Boaty! I had to download the paper form and then upload it onto dds account. I wonder if I should post off the paper form too 🤔 probably should to be on the safe side!

We uploaded a scanned PDF to his account but he was twitchy because it hadn’t updated his ‘incomplete’ status. We’ve posted it more for his peace of mind. Also, DH and DS were driving me up the wall fussing about it. It’s a small price to pay to be off the hook IMO. 😂

Commiserations with the student finance woes!

Mega busy work week for me this week, plus ds2's birthday on Saturday - I'm taking 12 ten year olds to laserquest! Pray for me 🤣

I'm enjoying Black Knight - like watching a webtoon, nothing too deep. Plus KWB of course 🤣

Finished watching Tomorrow which although I liked over all, it's taken me ages to finish it and I was slightly dissatisfied with the end - I can't really put my finger on it, but I would have liked a bit more "what happened next" I think? . ..

Aaannndddd - my Hobi on weverse/insta today! Basic training over already Hobi

I read some speculation on line that he might do a solo tour after he's discharged from his military service - completely unsubstantiated - but OMG, imagine 💜.

I really would pull out all the stops to try to get tickets for somewhere, second only to an OT7 your 😍

Your not your!

Boatyard & Rowdy - oh student finance, not nice. I must be older then you both though as both as me and the other half were lucky enough to be the recipients of free tuition fees and full grants... £500 a term as I recall. Loup - lovely picture of Hobi, where di you hear the whispers of the tour? He has enough music for a full concert, which the vocal line would struggle more with.

boaty thanks for the music recommendation! 🙌

Rowdy sounds like you have your hands full at the moment 😳 the dramas will wait for you 😊

Student finance - gah I'm not looking forward to all that. We have secondary school entrance to get through first. But that works totally differently here to the UK. There are a range of levels, which school advises on on the basis of the equivalent of the 11+. And then you choose a school which offers that level of education (some offer a mix of levels - so easier to move up or down without changing schools, if needed after a year or two). But that's not the end of it - popular schools are massively oversubscribed in our city, and they don't work with catchment areas, but by municipality. Plus it's a lottery system. You have to put up to 12 preferences, and it's quite possible you'll end up with number 12, 20km from home 😬 NIGHTMARE SCENARIO 💀

TheLoup great update from J-Hope 😍 Like Jin, he looks remarkably well. Quite possibly eating and resting more than in the day job.

Rumours of a tour - it's like the Agust D sale all over again. I'm very allergic to the whole bunfight ticket hysteria and loathe dynamic pricing/massively inflated resales. And travelling to another continent for one concert is just not realistic - cost, childcare, work. IF it was somewhere accessible in Europe, and IF someone else went through all the stress for me 😁 I'd be up for it. As it is, I'm enormously looking forward to the cinema showing of D-Day as a decent second. (Hope all who wanted tickets got them - the cinema I'm going to is sold out, though there are a few tickets still available elsewhere in the country).

BTS played a venue within walking distance of my house on their last European tour, and a colleague's friend saw them in a supermarket I myself frequent. But I'd never heard of them then 😭😭😭 oh god oh god so near but so far 😂

@Dragonrock pure internet whisperings and totally unsubstantiated - prob twitter/Reddit army?

@Saram13 I HATE ticket-bastard/dynamic pricing and ticket bunfights - I think I would try for Hobi though - definitely for a European show 🤞

We're also a double whammy exam household... Good times 👍👍
PSA that the first two episodes of Dr Romantic 3 are apparently now on Disney plus.
I recommend.

Good luck Polkettle DSs!

I'll have to buckle down and watch Drs. Romantic 1 & 2 first 😬

Finished work and I see I have a JK karaoke live to catch up on, yay.

Last shift in a 4-day run tomorrow, thank the gods, am exhausted!

How have they passed you by FedUp?? They're cracking nonsense spurty blood schemey corridor steamy pash good times.

Haha pol now I'm getting FOMO