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 jeez nobody tell me where to read those novels because I feel they could become dangerously addictive fast.

Lovely Saturday night binge through BL Sing My Crush. Very charming. Hitv or Olgas.

I’ve started Moving on Disney+ this evening. Anyone remember the Viz Profanosaurus? It’s a bit like that. So much swearing! Old Walt will be turning in his grave. 😂 Mostly ground-setting so far, so I’m not ready to give a steer on yay or nay.

Me and DH have just watched Zom100 (j movie) which is very good fun, based on a graphic novel. It's a comedy and thus daft, particularly in the last 1/3 but enjoyable to the end.

I liked first ep of Moving , agree lots of setting the scene. Also swearing - lots didn't make it into the subtitles but I have a well trained ear 🤣

Speaking of the subtitles in Moving, I saw this thread on twitter about how terrible the Disney+ subtitles are:
https://twitter.com/gongjicheoIs/status/1692912691617071614?t=JrPRRj8LKvXfhPVlFfV2DA&s=19

So weird!! I haven't watched any yet but I am hearing good things!

I've only seen rave reviews of Moving but also heard it has a lot of toxic bullying which is a turn off for me so look forward to your assessment.

Oh I hadn't heard of that aspect of it... Maybe not for me either!

I fell asleep a few minutes before the end of ep 1 but haven’t seen any toxic bullying yet, though it doesn’t hold back on other violence. There are a few kdramas I’ve backed away from because it was flight from brutalised women and murders (Scandinoir/American crime drama) that sent me down the kdrama rabbit hole damn it! I want fluffy rom coms and psychic bum-touching vets, not wall-to-wall death, destruction and misery. I can get that watching iplayer.

I'm currently watching Zombieverse 😁(at DH's request😳well the algorhythms have got him because older Korean series are only available on his profile, so Netflix now thinks he likes jombies and Korean historical things 🙈) Very very silly but entertaining. I like the humour, there are some classic on-screen comments 😁. Appropriately enough 🤔 some of the cast corpse occasionally. Which makes it even funnier. Will watch episode 4 of Behind Your Touch later (enthusiastic thumbs up) and I've just started episode two of Mask Girl. Really like it so far! Great cast too (Ahn Jae Hong, Yeom Hye Ran, and Jang Won Young in a very different role to TGBM).

DH and I just watched the first episode of Zombieverse. Loved it. We laughed and squealed through the whole thing. DH amazed by production values, I was unsurprised 💅🏻

I love Moving. It works because the two main characters are such sweet kids - loners who have made friends. I don’t like their class president at all,, budding psycho. 😠

Gone into sugar sweet CDrama territory for Sunday soothing - When I fly towards you

Aaaand there you have it. Ep 5 of Moving. 😱😱😱

What? WHAT?!

Toxic school bullying. 😮

Oh no.... Is it really bad? I avoided The Glory and Weak Hero Class for this reason, I find bullying really upsetting to watch. I can prob ff if it's just 1 episode tho....

oh no I hate it too!

The FL’s fight scene in ep 5 was tough viewing. She was piled on by a group of kids in her previous school. The lead girl bully had a Stanley knife, for example. It was brutal. You could ffwd that bit. There are other scenes which are shorter, provide necessary context but are still v close to the bone. The hit man in a separate strand doesn’t hold back. There is a lot of violence but overall I would still recommend. I’m only part way through but the ML/FL’s friendship/‘some’ is so warm and gentle.

I'm on Ep 1 of Mask Girl on Netflix and it's a hard watch. I might try ep 2 but I need a happy watch to accompany it as even the cutest raccoons and otters on IG aren't enough. OMG it is dark!

Had a lovely morning catching up with Heart Signal S4 yesterday, I am soooo over invested in it! Have also just started Doom at your Service, oh my, so lovely 😍. Not sure why the mole, is quite so fascinating to me.

We enjoyed this one too. It's like a Japanese Shaun of the Dead

The descriptions of Moving and Mask Girl aren't really appealing to me, strangely.
DH and I are currently watching Delivery Man. The plotline's a little predictable but it's still enjoyable.
For some reason the above mention of Doom at Your Service led to me googling Seo In-guk and looking at his filmography and I discovered he was in an historical drama called The King's Face about Gwanghae, the 15th Joseon king. So that's another one that's ended up on my list....

Not Asian TV but Strange Planet on AppleTV is joyous.

I've just started My Lovely Liar on the recommendations of @polkettle and someone else here and enjoying so far! It's not total fluff (Romance with some dark past thrown in) but so far not dark like the other stuff on at the moment! Only 2 episodes in so far.

Loving the DAYS / Seo In-guk resurgence on the thread 🔥🔥

I love Seo In-guk I really liked him as 2ML in Master's Sun and Shopaholic King Louis as well as DAYS.

For some inexplicable reason I have embarked on the 49 episodes of the highly problematic yet enjoyable toxic relationship mess that is Meteor Garden . Dylan Wang's hair is a character in itself. Why do I like it so much? No one knows 🤣

Cobol I think you might like My Dearest if you can get past the first couple of episodes and into the Qing invasion part ..... It's giving me sad ending vibes though...