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!

Haha yes that bit was fab 😍

Dd2 had her GCSE results yesterday and they were brilliant, 13 A stars ! So I want to get her a treat, can anyone recommend a good site for Korean merch, anything from skincare to dramas to pop ?

Wow SirVix absolutely amazing results!

'Pure Seoul' has a good selection of different kbeauty products online (and a physical shop in London too). Merch wise I've bought from Cokodive and Sokollab and everything has arrived safely.... If she's interested in BT21 or Hello Kitty/Pusheen stuff ArtBox has an ok selection of plushies/keyrings/stationary as well.

Great, I will have a look at those thanks. I think maybe I did get something from Sokollab before.

13 A stars?! I think nothing less than tea at the Ritz with Hyun Bin (or idol of 16 year old's choice) will do.

13 A* grades is fab. What an impressive haul! ⭐️

Hats off to new Bato manhwa A Rain-kissed Secret for the most bonkers plot device I’ve seen in a while. I think its got legs though. Only 3 episodes so far but I plan to continue.

The plot development in today’s An Hour of Romance was chef’s kiss. It badly needs a screen adaptation. It’s got EVERYTHING. 🙏

I think she would v happily agree with you.

I’ve started Interview with the Crazy Rich on Bato, a very enjoyable baguette-free romcom. It has an unusual meet cute between an impoverished manhwa writer and a chaebol heir in the first episode. It has a great FL with a quirky sense of humour. It’s playing with manhwa and kdrama tropes. It’s so meta that when the manhwa characters are watching the TV adaptation of the FL’s manhwa (keep up!) there’s PPL for one of those mahoosive massage chairs. 🤣👏 Like I said, there’s a lot to enjoy for the seasoned kdrama viewer and/or manhwa reader. I’m only up to ep 10 and there are loads. I’m praying it keeps it up because its making me laugh.

LOL 😂🤣😂🤣😂

Snigger! Thanks for the tipoff boaty I have added those two to my list.

I and LOVING Moving it is so well crafted. Took me ages to place Lighning Man but after looking him up it's the ML from Matrimonial Chaos

Sorry I’m being really thick but I don’t get the cartoon of the boy saying ‘I told you that it wouldn’t even last two months.’

It’s the mountain of Subway sandwiches - totally OTT product placement. See how well I’ve been made brand aware by all those chaebols stopping off for a meatball sub! 😄

Dds want to watch the amusingly titled Our Blooming Youth ( that reads rather differently to Brits haha) isn’t showing on my Amazon Prime, has anyone watched it, is it on Viki ? We don’t have Viki but I think we must get it…

I’ve just checked Viki & it’s available in our (UK) region SirVix. Is this a Park Hyun Sik thing by any chance?

It's on Viki SirVix 👍
It's Park Hyun Sik - it's a pretty good one if you like sageuk dramas, PHS isn't my favourite crown prince though and there is some very implausible cross-dressing throughout

Yes , it the PHS costume drama, we are pining for another Hwarang…

I just watched the first 2 eps of Destined with You. Rowoon looks to have gad a ton of plastic surgery, but to good effect. He is beautiful. The sex-pest construction company boss in ep 1 did not have a good surgeon, on the other hand.

I wish I was still living in ignorance of lip lifts. I see them everywhere now.

Ok so I am trying to add Viki to my Roku. No joy, seems unavailable? How do you all watch Viki ? I can get it on my iPad but that is a bit rubbish.

I stream it through our Apple TV box or watch on the Viki app on my phone.

Ah I'm afraid Roku doesn't carry the app. I use an Amazon Firestick.

I have the Viki app on my phone/tablet and just watch on there or else cast to the TV, although casting can be a bit glitchy sometimes 👍

I've started the cheesily named "you are desire" c-drama this weekend, am enjoying. It is set in high school so not in any way as spicy as the name might suggest 🤣

Agree Rowoon doesn't look real (but very handsome) I'm off to Google lip lift before and after pics 🫣

We had to get a firestick to watch Vicki, SirVix, but we've found enough shows that we can't watch elsewhere for it to be worth it.

I haven't started Destined With You yet. I'm not sure I like the sound of an airbrushed Rowoon. I'll have to have a little look later on if I have time to see what he's done.

Cobol - he’s pretty much the same as always but growing into his face if you know what I mean. I want whatever make-up they’re using on him. He’s flawless. 😄 I loved the nod to Goblin in the shaman’s hut scene.

Managed to watch ep 1 and part of 2 on dds laptop. We are loving it. Gripping so far …we crept up to bed at half past one. Seems as though it is free on Viki, we all want to watch What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim and I think we need paid sub for that ? Agree it will be worth it though.

It’s the price of a fancy latte each month. Well worth it.