MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #42): Where we weigh up two smokin’ hawt chaebol hotelliers, one tortured by loss and the other crippled by abandonment issues

[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
Bloodhounds (Netflix)
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)
Race (Disney+)
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)
The Good Bad Mother (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)
F4 Thailand (Viki)
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!

Oh dear - today there is no escape from this. I have spent whole day today working on three cases of violence towards teachers. Two were suspensions & one is going towards permanent exclusion. But I deal with SEN children where aggressive behaviour is quite often due to unmet needs.

There are no specific stats but some numbers can be pulled from exclusions stats published by gov.uk.
I once worked on a case where 6 year old stabbed (pencil) pregnant teacher in the belly (becz voices were telling him to do so).

Anyways I need something cheerful to pick me up & recharge me for tomorrow. Weekend is nearly there.

@MigsandTiggs We have Apple TV just for Ted Laso
If football is your thing, you will love it.

I'm just catching up on Heartbeat after my hols. This episode with the cinema date (ep 5) is hilarious. Plus Taecyeon looks hot in his modern clothes 🔥(not so much his cleaning uniform tho

And ooo, the plot thickens regarding the girl that looks like his old love... I'm really enjoying this show.

It feels like if the was a Filthy Noonas and Kdrama widower joint meet, the Kdrama widowers would have some common interests. 😄

Jin, I don't know what to say after reading the comments to the Herald kr post. One teacher said that she had been berated by a parent who objected to the colour of blue ink she used! The bullying of teachers problem in SK is being linked to the high levels of power in schools that parents have, and in turn, children copying their parents' attitude and behaviour.

I used to work in schools, not as a member of staff, but I had my own interview room. One teacher used to tell me of weekly verbal abuse from pupils and I allowed her to use my room when it was unoccupied. I agree that SEN children can get frustrated and lash out when their needs aren't met, however I once encountered a boy whose behaviour was so chilling - think possible serial killer in the making - that I had to flag it up to Guidance staff. He had been excluded from his previous school.

I like the cleaning uniform! When he was in the cinema I was thinking his ears look really well moisturised 🤣 imagine that's part of your job to moisturise Tacyeon's (very generous) ears!!

I like the cleaning uniform! When he was in the cinema I was thinking his ears look really well moisturised 🤣 imagine that's part of your job to moisturise Tacyeon's (very generous) ears!!

I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE

🤣🤣🤣🤣 would it be a big pot of E45 or something fancy with snail mucus or seaweed extract?

Only the best for Taecyeon's ears I say.

Post cinema trip, why did he revert back to his 1920's wardrobe??? Get all those clothes and moth eaten furniture onto vinted and buy some new fits!

New drama alert
Behind Your Touch

Argh. I need to go to bed. Just posting to say I think Dojin and Chajoo in An Hour of Romance (bato) might be my all time favourite manhwa couple. I don’t know if it’s the bodyswapping thing, but they have such good communication and friend-counselling skills. Happy sigh. If I ever end up in an isekai manhwa, it’s Dojin I want to wake up beside. Him or Jihoo from A Friendship So Impure. Keepers, both of ‘em.

What boaty predicted has happened chingus. I now have a perilla glut. Had three sets of friends over to try the leaves with bbq pork, but yesterday had to make perilla kimchi to use them up. It has so much soy sauce it's known as the rice sucker!

Ahhh Jihoo ❤️❤️❤️

Dr. Do with long hair?

Ding dong indeed!!

www.instagram.com/p/Cu_a0OnLmNc/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

A 2023 alt list contender.

Deffo fancy snail mucus

Ding dong indeed! I'm a sucker for a long haired Oppa! 😍

I've had a slump this week, not watched any K drama or anything much at all really. I'm going camping next week so will download SYIMNL incase it's raining the whole time.

Definitely an alt list contender for 2023, I like the long hair too 🙂

Watched the Rurouni Kenshin origin film last night with DH and BIL. I annoyingly fell asleep 15 mins before the end so will have to rewatch that bit. I actually found it a bit slow, interspersed with great fight choreo and lots of blood splatter ...

I've broken through my slump and started Heartbeat, I'm really enjoying it, love the fantastical musical soundtrack too 🧛

I really want to catch up on Heartbeat!
Tonight, though, we are watching Dungeons and Dragons: Honor amongst thieves with the kids and then later DH and BIL have informed me they want to watch Cocaine Bear later. Send help 🤣

Right, you lovely noonas. A friend has asked for recommendations about places to visit/things to do in SK. She is going this autumn, flights were a gift. Where’s good? What would those of you who have visited recommend. She says Seoul and Busan are already on the cards, but it sounds like they can flex the itinerary because they’ll be visiting her travelling companion’s family.

We thought Hahoe village near Andong was incredibly romantic. We also liked the Juknokwon bamboo forest where they have Hanok houses to rent. Naganeupseong village was also lovely.
I recommend they research what they’d like to do in Seoul as there’s so much to see but some are pre booked ticket only (or it was when we went last year) and we were unable to get a ticket for the Furniture Museum which I’d love to have seen.

Today's episode of SYIMNL. The photography of the scene on the bridge with fireworks going off around them! Earlier today, I was looking at the work of a photographer who used lights/after images (?) on land/sky scapes at night and it reminds me of it. The photos were almost magical. This show is so pleasing; it never plateaus.🏆

I'm still behind with SYIMNL and KtL but tonight (after 'Cocaine Bear', which we shall never speak of) I got Mr Loup and BiL to watch ep 8 of Revenant with me - is anyone else watching it yet? OMG it is really so good, and genuinely creepy. Kim Tae-ri is brilliant in it. I googled her and was shocked to discover she is 33! Bloody hell - she looks about 20. Would pay good money for an introduction to her dermatologist.

If anyone spotted the little courgette fritters that were being cooked at the end of KTL episode 11, I have made them many times and they are so easy and tasty. Good way of adding a bunch of veg to a meal of frozen dumplings or similar.

https://christieathome.com/blog/korean-zucchini-fritters/

Those fritters look delicious.

We are enjoying KtL but some of the scenes drag a bit. A friend thinks the director has got a crush on Junho as there are so many long, lingering shots of him.
The kiss was quite steamy!

Those fritters do look delicious 😋 Andante i'm inclined to agree about the director's Junho crush - there are definitely a lot of long, lingering shots! On one hand I think "well, who can blame them?" But on the other it's a bit like "guys! remember the plot?!"