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!

Did you think about what figures would like to be packed together and who (if anyone) should be separated from each other in case of box trouble Bea? I get very worried when I put the Christmas decs away that I may inadvertently wrap two who have beef with each other in the same piece of tissue paper.

Ahhh! I don't have any figures to cause a ruckus! Only min yoongi and he's in the "office" box!! All by himself with magnets, lanyards. Usb's, sentimental photos and a sharpie pen or two!! 😂

Lol I would bung mine in together as RM is there to keep the peace 🤣

Bea that photo is epic!!!!! Have a high five chingu! 😂And good luck with the move 🙂

Hope you don't mind if I use this as evidence that things can always be worse 😁(/better, depending on how you see it) should MrSaram question the arrival of yet another FedEx box from South Korea (D-Day glasses set and 365 BTS Days Korean Expressions Calendar on pre-order as we speak sorry not sorry).

I too would say I don't have much merch if questioned 🤔though if we're including the Etsy bits and pieces as well as official merch, Bluray box sets and albums, I could certainly fill one box if not two. And I only bought my first BTS album in Feb 2021, 4 months after I first disappeared down the rabbit hole 😬well and truly Bangtaxed. Mind you I've got 76 cracking dreams out of it, so 😁

Bora/Deborah/True to Love wrapped up very satisfactorily. A lovely binge when you want fluff.

Ooo Saram I want that Calendar! Has it sold out yet? What was the damage?

Enjoy your new house Bea!!! I'm not long behind you!!

Must pick this back up again. Real life getting in the way of my drama watching joy ATM ☹️

FedUp you too? You're all on the move! 😃it's all go for the FNs!

TheLoup the calendar is sold out on Cokodive. Was best part of 60 euros there. You can sign up for re-stocks. That price includes free postage, but no taxes. Some EU sites are still accepting pre-orders. E.g. iPurple.eu (have used them before) has it for 75 euros, including tax but postage is extra. Swings and roundabouts.

Apologies to anyone having their dinner and choking on these prices. I used to be a normal person who would have recoiled in horror at these excesses. Now I just shrug my shoulders and say 'Bangtax'. Ruined for life.

Good luck with the move Bea love your epic Bangtan packing! 💜 Hopefully I won't be far behind you and Briiick 🙏 filthy Noonas on the move, shame we're not all moving into a FN commune 😁

Oh Saram 😱! i was going to ask MrLoup to purchase it for my birthday, but I don't know if I can let him know how expensive it is - the very thought of the side-eye he would give me is so annoying 🤣

Good luck to all you brave house movers! Every time I think of moving I flash-back to the last house move 10 years ago with two kids under two and shudder!

I finished Black Knight and enjoyed it - did not think too hard about the plot and - OMO - Kim Woo Bin, I so would. 🔥

rowdy a FN commune is an excellent idea - is the world ready? I'm thinking along the lines of a yoga retreat but with Soju, noraebang and K-drama 101 🤣

That's exactly it TheLoup, we can all wear purple robes ( or flowery trousers) 😆

And big visors and go hiking.

Haha! I want to wear all of those at once. Especially the big visors.

It has to have a rooftop garden with one of those wooden seat/tables and fairy lights.

Oh my God! This sounds perfect. Where can I sign up? If we’ve not learned Korean by the time our eyesight goes, will one of our younger FNs do freestyle audio-description?

I am happy to peel the Jejudo tangerines.

TheLoup Funny you should say that, I will be saving the calendar up for my birthday and then gifting it to myself on behalf of MrSaram 🙌 everyone happy 😁

I am definitely liking the sound of this commune. No-one moaning about the aroma of kimchi as we have a dedicated kimchi fridge. Regular fridge permanently and conveniently stocked with a selection of soju, maekju, fragrant soft drinks and Nam Haeng-seon's banchan. Comfy ahjumma clothes (but with a resident K-hairdresser/make-up artist/stylist for special nights out). (Novelty) face masks on tap. Yes, has to be near a mountain for wholesome walks, and the beach for campfires. I can see it before me now.

How are we splitting along the hanok village v gleaming Gangnam apartment divide? There's always Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul if we want our urban comforts as well as charm. I’m Team Hanok, in case that wasn’t already abundantly clear. 😄

I like the picture of mountains and beaches that you paint Saram. 😍

Oh I'm team Hanok too!
We will need to be able to enlarge the typeface on all subtitles so we can peer at them through our bifocals 🤓

For all you Cokodivers... Use SEOK10 to get 10% off all purchasers! 👍🏼💜

Sounds like I'm not the only one on the move... We're moving into temporary abode mid July... but we've been moving in dribs and drabs and have the luxury of being able to store odds and sods at mother in laws (we're moving close by!) it's a HUGE move and it's getting closer... And our house won't be ready to at least Xmas I think! 🙈🙈🙈... Roughing it until then! 😖😖😖
I've been packing 20 years of crap for months! 😭... I've chucked out a fair bit too! 😁👍🏼

boaty I'm team Hanok 🙌. Would accept a shiny Gangnam appartment if gifted for free, though 🤔 can't be too picky.

Cheers for the code Bea!

Definitely team Hanok! 🙋‍♀️ Sounds a little bit like it might be a Ahjumma retirement village/commune 😆 Ioving the sound of all the activities andrefreshments, I can't wait! 😁

In my mind, it's somehow a bit like the village in Tale of Nokdu 🤣

...... But with more mod-cons