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!

I know what you mean about UC Loup as it definitely dipped for a couple of episodes. It's the eternal problem of the 16 episode format, now they're battling the same villains throughout, rather than having different storylines for each episode.
I'm a sucker for a ML with better makeup than mine, so will keep an eye out for feedback on DWY to see if I bring it in from the cold!!!

I've watched the first two episodes of DWY and I hate to say it but Rowoon is leaving me a bit cold .. will give it a couple more episodes at least.
Someone on here compared it to Doom at Your Service in terms of vibes and now I just want the ML to be Seo In-Guk - he was so magnetic and charismatic in DAYS.

Agree with FL being a bit insipid - and her colleagues are a bit over the top awful.

I'm going to have to diverge from PP above. I'm LOVING Uncanny Counter 2. It's got the same bonkers vibe and high energy as the first series and the philosophical debate of what's good and what's evil and what's worth fighting for is working for me. And I'm still getting endless joy from the spirit-triggered uncontrollable curly hair.

I tend to think Rowoon's acting tange begins and ends with "tall man".

Hahaha Pol - a knife to the heart! Poor Rowoon! It's true, he has about two expressions, but we can at least cast him as "tall and handsome man" 😂

🤣

Speaking of comparisons to DAYS... I'm maybe 75% sure Rowoon's country villa in episode 3 is the outside of Doom's magical house.

Japan paves the way for joint custody after divorce.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/e95ce224-472b-11ee-9359-63e432ab6148?shareToken=63a8e1eeffb7a5ea418e52a1dc5a476f

Sharing for the wider cultural insights.

There’s also an article today about the discharge of waste water from Fukushima nuclear power plant which is causing regional tensions with SK and China, if you’re interested.

We are away with only unsecured hotel guest wifi (big ole nope from me) so I’m making do with 5G and limited data. No kdrama for me. 😞

It’s all go in the Times today. Another article for historical and current info.

Japan denies massacre of Koreans after 1923 earthquake.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d030fd98-47ef-11ee-9359-63e432ab6148?shareToken=ceefff0023463b48d2c6521759b0e0e0

Dabbling in a glossy business CDrama with a contract relationship to come. Haven't done one of them in a while. Far too much setting up business happenings in first couple of episodes but I have high hopes because the sexual tension between ML and FL is already sizzlin' even though they've barely had any screen time together yet. Fake it to Make it on viki

I thank you

ELVIRA AND ELVIS

I read the Times article and am struck by how many countries these days have groups/governments starting to revise history. Many Hungarians are now claiming that they didn't collude with the Nazis, so the stance of the current Japanese gov't comes as no surprise.

Elvis. nods. Both in the real and in the drama because where can you go from Elvis?

Elvis turns out to be yet another one to add to the capsule collection of Hot Men with Surprising Ears.

polkettle - oh good recommendation, thank you. If you like the whole contract premise 'She and her Perfect Husband' is another C drama. Not watched it all as just get the snippets pushed at me. Love your new capsule collection, who knew?

Dd and I have been up until two for the last three nights, unable to stop watching Our Blooming Youth. In the small hours of this morning we finally caved and went to bed with the last 45 minutes still to go….nail biting stuff.
We are seriously thinking of a trip to Seoul just after Christmas. We wanted to go last Autumn /Winter and for various reasons it didn’t happen.
I have a few worries, I am coeliac , so I am worried about food. I get hideous headaches on flights and the flight is so long, which is also giving me DVT paranoia (I’m on HRT). Is there a good way of breaking the journey up slightly ? I am also wondering how to find somewhere to stay, as due to coeliac, renting an apartment would probably be easier than a hotel. I have never been anywhere so far away so it is exciting but also daunting. It would be me, DH, and our dds age 16 and 18, eldest might have turned 19 by the time we go.
I love travel but I am a worrier, so I am already mentally running through all the things that could go wrong, eg we all catch Covid on the outward flight and we are then ill for the whole time, in a foreign country etc etc.

I've been watching this too and enjoying so far although I nearly gave up after the excessive business happenings in first episodes. Have watched up to ep 4. Drunk bit with the rings was very cute. ML is v handsome and they have great chemistry.

Irn-bru is junk food/ hangover cure, the deep fried Mars bar tastes like squid then caramel, and the haggis bap from Oink is like tuna. Add in secret whisky drinking on the street and it can only be Im Si Wan and Jung Hse- In on their bucket list trip to Scotland! I'm enjoying it a lot! I've even been to that Oink!!!- Actors on a Journey 2023 is great fun!

I was wavering, but episode 4 of Destined With You has pulled me back in - some great comedy moments.

Also - I was feeling a bit ick about the whole love potion thing, so am glad we are not in a situation of someone being unknowingly enchanted.... Trying to be vague and as non spoilery as possible 😅

@SirVixofVixHall the trip would be so exciting an I hope you can work through some of your worries!!! (And logistical things to figure out as well - no denying this sort of trip is a lot of work to pull together).

I am also prone to worrying about things - we recently did a trip back to the UK and I was absolutely convinced one of us would get COVID on the flight over and ruin the trip - which thankfully didn't happen!! I have started trying to change my what if thinking - instead of 'what if everything is a disaster' try and think 'what if it's amazing and I can eat gluten free ttoekbokki in Seoul'. Good luck with your decision making!!

I'm completely wrapped up in it TheLoup. Even (to some extent) the Business Happenings now. I like all the different mirroring and ways it's unpicking the title. Nothing to do with elfin eared Elvis nothing at all

Yay AmVa - I thought it was only going to be me that liked DWY! I thought there were some great comedy bits in ep 4, I enjoyed ML constantly contradicting his own statements and that he was smart enough to figure out what had happened. I also liked the new female boss - she has toned down the ott awfulness of the FL's work colleagues. I'm eagerly awaiting emergence of 2ML's back-story as well < rubs hands together >

Pol i think the production quality of c-dramas has gone up so much lately. This one feels very slick and grown up. I'm enjoying the more complex, realistic characters (and Elvis of course)

Seems that despite being told off by the Chinese government, the drama industry is still going for the Korean "look" for their actors. Yer doll Elvira is a double for Im Soo-jung!