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!

🤣 matching t-shirts guys! Plus visors and floral pants for mountain walks and chilling at the Hanok!

I went to see Joy Ride this evening (starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu). It was as crass, silly, funny, joyous and moving as (most of) the reviews suggest 😁 Could be a marmite one, the cinema wasn't that full and only me and my chingu and the couple next to us were laughing out loud. Personally, I loved it. It doesn't pack punches with sexual/drugs references, so perhaps not for the more refined among us. Check out the two trailers, they give a good impression of the tone of the film. Out in the UK next month I believe.

Also spotted a poster for The Quiet Migration, about a Danish boy adopted from South Korea, which looks to be a much more sedate affair, and Past Lives (Teo Yoo), coming in September 🙌

🚨Unnecessary Heroic Chinese Drama of the Month Alert 🚨

Fireworks of My Heart on Viki

@polkettle a special flare for you 🎆

OK is it just me? Or is some of the <ahem> facial enhancement that male Chinese actors are getting making them a little more Korean in look?

Happy to be corrected 😳

You wait not that long for a Brave Hero Firefighter CDrama and the two come along at once. Happy days. Is it a good un FedUp? Viki reviewers put me off a bit.

Only started the first episode last night so too early to tell Pol.

First real perilla harvest as the strongest plants are putting out shoots, so expecting even more leaves to come. I think a tiny moth might be partial to perilla too!

I binged DP to be ready for series 2 and now getting over the trauma with Cdrama The Longest Promise.

I've only seen one other cdrama but would imagine that narrowing the nose and shaving the jaw surgery would bring Chinese looks more in line with Korean beauty standards/facial enhancements?

Oooh Migs! Amazing!!!!! 😃

Another shout-out for this book - am more than half-way through now. Essential reading for anyone interested in Korean beauty and weight standards in general, and the ins and outs of surgery/beauty treatments. Puts it all in a wider context (including, in part, that sense of collective responsibility we've discussed previously, and deep-rooted Confucian ideals, and the growing backlash against that). I'm still horrified though to read about things like women having their ankles injected with Botox to weaken the muscle and therefore make them appear slimmer 😳

OK is it just me? Or is some of the <ahem> facial enhancement that male Chinese actors are getting making them a little more Korean in look?

FedUp that’s interesting because didn’t Xi issue a diktat saying that actors must be more masculine?
Broadcasters have been instructed to "resolutely put an end to sissy men and other abnormal aesthetics", whatever that means. During the announcement, the TV regulator used a derogatory slang term for effeminate men: 'niang pao', which literally translates as 'girly guns'.
The bizarre ban reflects official concerns that Chinese celebrities are emasculating young men across the country, having been influenced by the look and style of actors, singers and entertainers in product commercials and pop culture from neighbouring South Korea and Japan.

However they can’t force Chinese viewers not to like the K look.

I've ordered the book saram. Thanks for the recommendation as it's weird to me how an entire nation could be so incredibly positive towards what I would call extreme plastic surgery to change their facial features.

Ive sent dh a link for the Flawless book - birthday not far away!

migs! Omo! Amazing perilla harvest 👏👏

On the subject of books - my copy of Beyond the Scene is winging its way to me as we speak. I can't resist reading the first reports on its contents - nothing earth-shattering reported as yet (and if there was I wouldn't post here in case I spoiled the book for anyone). But Yoongi says one of his ambitions for the future is to retrain as a psychotherapist to help others like him. MIN YOONGI YOU ARE RUINING ME 🙀😱 💜

I found the TV sageuk filming location I was thinking of: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongin_Daejanggeum_Park

It’s where the Daechwita MV was shot.

The closest I'll get to cultivating perilla 🤣

FedUp 😁

boaty ooooh that park's closer to Seoul than I realised 👀 I have 6 full days in Seoul, but with a non-ARMY/-K-drama-watching friend. No specific plans yet, but have a wishlist as long as my arm of course. Not sure I can drag her out there. I fully realise this is a luxury problem.

Thanks for all the congrats on my perilla exploits chingus. I fear that it was only because we've had so much warmth and sunshine this year, so the success might never be repeated.
Now my experiment with the leaves showed that the one kept in slightly damp kitchen roll in a plastic bag, unrefrigerated, was unwilted and perfect when checked after 24hrs, which is 1st class Royal Mail UK delivery timescale! 🧐

Re: psychotherapist Yoongi: Kings Amongst Men saram 😍

could you tempt your friend* *to Yongin Daejanggeum Park with the 'historical interest' angle? 🤞

I'm very excited for all the thread chingus travels!!
And congratulations to Migs on the perilla growing 👏
My copy of Beyond The Scene should arrive with me tomorrow 🥳

LOL! Well, it’s green and it will taste of sesame. Job done!

I am in a very unlovely hotel for work. I should have hit up the London noonas for drinks tonight. Everything’s scheduled to hell for the rest of my trip. I’ve made the best of my evening by catching up with my fave floordrobe oppa Junho and sad/deaf Bo Hyun.

I’m so glad they explained the eggs in the sauna scene. Of course, now I need to try a baked egg to understand the appeal. Saram & Pol - will you be taking in the public sauna experience in SK?

Was the Arab prince the Indian migrant worker from Squid Game? The ‘close enough, he’ll do’ casting for any non-Koreans continues unabated, I see.

Yes the prince is indeed Anupam Tripathi

He also has a stint on Home Alone just like Lovely Eyes Jin-ho, albeit with a much more modest home...

Despite appearing on a global hit, he's been left behind in monetary terms.