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 I'd love another series, perhaps a spin-off with the village ladies and the soldiers.

Do you know, CLOY isn't actually my favourite < ducks below parapet > although Captain Ri is, of course , smokin' 🔥 I maybe wasn't in the right frame of mind when I watched it or something....

I did like the ensemble cast a lot

It isn't? <speechless> what is your favourite?

Just caught up with Not Others - so good.

Slight spoilers

I was feeling sorry for the appa, he was getting a hard time and just wanted to fall asleep at a reasonable hour 🤣 do we think we might get a love triangle with Jin Hee, friend and 'police academy oppa'?..🤔

Heheh I know: Sacrilege.

In rom-coms I preferred Her Private Life, Fight My Way, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Book Joo....

I'm having a careful think about my life choices what my favourites are 🤣

I do like and will watch straight romance but I tend to prefer things with action or supernatural elements as well - Healer or While You Were Sleeping are prob top in that category for me (but I bet I'll think of more as soon as I post 🤣)

CLOY isn't especially a big favourite of mine, either, TheLoup, so you're not alone. Mind you, my pick for a flufftastic chaebol romance would be Strong Girl Bong Soon, so I might not be the best person to ask for romance tips. I do agree with Hometown Cha Cha Cha, though, or, for chaebol heir vibes, Business Proposal is good, lightweight fun.

Just realised Business Proposal was where we started and I'm supposed to be suggesting things like it 🤣

There’s a lovely, albeit slow-moving drama on Viki called Love Affairs in the Afternoon with Lee Sang Yeol & Park Ha Sun which I found very moving.

I still love Because This Is My First Life. There’s something about how Lee Min-Ki’s unbending, stoic character is stirred and ruffled by Jung So-Min’s quietly indomitable spirit. I like that they’re a couple that really shouldn’t work, but do. It’s all about how people collide and change each other in unexpected ways. I also like the other two couples and how obvious couples don’t work when they should, but odd couples can if they’re prepared to give a little.

The scene in the restaurant when the director and writer try to sweep (redacted spoilers) under the carpet is outstanding writing and Jung So-Min is magnificent.

I like Strong Girl Bong Soon as well Cobol and Because this is my First Life - that one has the most gorgeous cat as well as Lee Min-Ki

I've finally watched the Jung Kook episode of Suchwita. You know, the one where a tired Suga goes home and leaves him in the studio still noraebanging? No wonder JK's symbol is a duracell bunny. I think it's my fav ep.😂

Need to start DP2 next but got sidetracked by My Happy Marriage. And I still haven't seen Hellbound.

Love it. It's the only show other than Be Melo I've watched 3 times

TheGirl welcome back!

Leonardo 🙂👋

Cobol the unwanted awards 😁

My favourite dramas? I reckon I've seen about 50 so far. So many fewer than many of you. Of those I really loved Reply 1988, Somebody, The Sound of Magic, HCCC, Kingdom. SYIMNL is up there too (but still have to watch the final episode 🙄). But have only just started a number of 'classics' like Mr Queen, so who knows...

HYBE giveth, and HYBE taketh away ☹️ I will miss Yoongi of course 😿 but all the best to him for the coming months and THANK YOU for not touring Europe when I'm in Korea

I'm not enormously invested in V's solo album, but am definitely curious to see what he'll do 🙂

V solo album news

I'm not that invested either, but I LOVE that it is being released on Yeontan's birthday 🤣

migs re Suchwita - the bit that made me laugh was Suga's plaintive "just go to a noraebang!" as he was leaving, delivered from the sidelines in his comfy clothes 🤣

@LeonardoAcropolis try Bora Deborah it’s got a good mix of funny/romance

Ran away to see Joy Ride today. It's very very much filthy noona territory and I laughed like a drain throughout (despite the discombobulation of the somewhat American "China" scenes and actors - leading fantasy CDrama actor with -gasp- body hair for instance). Recommend if you don't mind puerile rudeness.

LeonardoAcropolis · Yesterday 18:30
Oh I'd love another series, perhaps a spin-off with the village ladies and the soldiers.

Yes that would be good, but I also liked lots of the S Korea characters such as Seri’s secretary and the insurance guy.
Also, although they were all greedy and two were greedy and evil, Seri’s brothers and sisters in law put in fine acting performances and I enjoyed their scenes.

I forgot to say last night because my brain failed me, but I also love Doom at your Service. When it appeared on Netflix recently and bobbed up in my suggestions I said I might watch it again. Dh asked why because I’d already watched it twice. I just like it. 🤷‍♀️ Park Bo Young is wonderful and Seo In-guk is a great ML. I like the wistfulness, her sparkiness in the face of catastrophe. It’s a cracking kdrama romance.

I'm excited about V's album! I'm loving the Yeontan theming 🐶
And also excited because after much deliberating because of the cost we have just booked flights to Japan for next Easter!!! 🇯🇵🌸 so definitely can buy all the different versions of the album 😅

Wow, thanks for your suggestions ☺️

I'll kick off with Hometown Cha-cha-cha, as it seems to have the most recommendations.

I love that Netflix uses "swoonworthy" as a description for Korean romances - that's what appealed to me about CLOY.

Squid Game started off my love for Korean TV as it prompted Netflix to recommend wonderful gems such as All Of Us Are Dead, Hellbound and Sweet Home, all enjoyed. I also really enjoyed Black, even though it was too long and the ending was rubbish, it was otherwise well made and slightly daft. I also enjoyed The Glory and earlier this year another drama which name escapes me but it had a serial killer, two female protagonists (one very young and another in a wheelchair) and was VERY saucy.

Wowwww! So exciting about Japan trip TheGirl 😯 I have major travel envy again!!

Aw, yes boaty I really like DAYS as well