MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #43): Where we marvel over the singularity of Taecyeon’s ears while waiting for Lee Min Ho to show up in his space scrubs

[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, Thai & Chinese drama as & when.

The previous thread is www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4842000-mslattes-daebak-cybercafe-kdrama-addicts-42-where-we-weigh-up-two-smokin-hawt-chaebol-hotelliers-one-tortured-by-loss-and-the-other-crippled-by-abandonment-issues?page=1here
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, 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)🌟
King The Land (Netflix)
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)h
Misaeng (Netflix)🌟
My Liberation Notes🌟
Move to Heaven (Netflix)
My Mister (Viki/Netflix)🌟
My Unfamiliar Family (Viki)🌟
Navillera (Netflix)🌟
Not Others (Viki)
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
A Time Called You (Netflix)
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)🌟
My Lovely Liar (Viki)
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
Behind Your Touch (Netflix)
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)
Fake it Till You Make it (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!

@MigsandTiggs hope you have a fabulous trip!!!

Same!

So jealous of the travelling and of the watching AoS for the first time! migs takelots of photos and have a great time xxx

Ep 13 of Destined With You around 40 min mark: what’s with the beige tailored shorts + black knee-high heeled boots? I am experiencing fashion cognitive dissonance. These seasonal items should not be paired. 🤯

Oh I have not kept up with Destined for You, as did not need the tension. From snippets I am seeing reported it has got quite tense now. Wondering if I should dip back in or wait and see if we get a happy ending. I have just started on the Nine-Tailed Fox, and enjoying immensely. Also have Oh My Baby on the go, which is nice and silly but with some lovely lingering looks from the reluctant ML. Also in the interesting ears category can I nominate Lee Joon-gi.
@MigsandTiggs and @AmVa, safe travels to you both.

Safe travels Migs! We'll wave across the Eastern sea at you next week 👋

Thank you all, chingus. I'm a bit nervous as it's my first touring holiday as a single traveller, so 🙏that people will chat to me 😁 I'm travelling with enough stuff to supply Médecin sans Frontières, you know, just in case!
AmVa, enjoy your trip, and to all the SK bound next week, wrap up warmly now that the cold days have arrived. I'm sure that you will all have a fab time 💜

I noted that outfit too @boatyardblues ! She has rocked quite a lot of v short things with long boots and from what I understand about the freezing SK winters ... not very practical. Maybe could get away with it on a Sydney winters day but surely she had very chilled legs😅
Have just woken up in Sydney, v excited to try and squeeze in episode 14 sometime today!!

Late to the 3D party …. I agree with all comments.
JK & V’s solo music isn’t working for me. (I am aware that I am not their intended audience)

@AmVa I am so jealous of your first time watch of AOS … I really enjoyed it.
I watched it too (2nd time) on a same long haul flight.

@MigsandTiggshave a wonderful time, are you sharing the adventures on Insta?

I have a confession - I never really saw the appeal of Ahn Bo Hyun. He didn't do it for me in SYIMNL and I was 'meh' about him in general BUT I started watching Military Prosecutor Doberman and I was like "Oh.....OH" I get it now chingus. 😁

Jin I did like Seven but actively dislike the Jack Harlow part of 3D - its grim. The JK only version has grown on me but I fully acknowledge its pretty generic pop. The rap line solos are still by far my favourite.

I flip flop on Ahn Bo Hyun. Some roles he rocks, others meh. He would not be top of my list as desert island oppa. (I’m sure he’d feel short-changed to be stuck on a desert island with me too. 😄)

I really like him as Do Bae Man (MPD) I think it's a combo of the military uniform, tough-yet-vulnerable vibe & also competence porn, as he's very good at being a Prosecutor. I've just watched a scene where he single-handedly fights off a bunch of thugs in a bar without even getting a stain on his beige 3 piece suit - hes a resourceful guy😁

Hmm regarding desert island oppa I'd want someone smart and resourceful as well as handsome.... its a difficult choice.... I mean my heart said Kim Woo Bin - but if it came down to it could he help build a shelter and hunter-gather?????

Yeah I have listened to the Jungkook only version a few times and it's just okay. Dislike the Jack Harlow bits more and more as time goes on. I think Seven is a bop and fun to dance to which is all I ask of a pop song.

I seem to be the outlier here talking about Layover - it's obviously super different to all the other solo stuff but I'm listening to it a lot while working, and it's good dinner music too.

Destined with You watchers... the preview of next week's episode featuring Rowoon's bed head...good lord!!!

😁 I still have to catch up this week, but this sounds like something to look forward to! Tousled hair Rowoon is the best 👌

Dragonrock - interesting ears noted [serious look]

AmVa - I'm really enjoying Layover too, in precisely the situations you describe. Listen to Indigo alot while cooking, have Jack in the Box and Face on while cleaning, and D-Day or D-2 gets a spin most days in any situation. At the moment, I'm definitely listening to more solo stuff than BTS back catalogue, unless I'm reading the biography, in which case it's a constant stream of 'oooooh!'s as I remind myself just how good alot of it is.

TheLoup - 'competence porn' YES thank you 😂 you've identified my weakness. As long as someone's competent without being arrogant/smug about it. Then it's meh again. It's complicated 😁

KWB looks like a resourceful sort of chap, so I think you'd be well in there in terms of desert island oppa. OBVIOUSLY I'd have to choose Yoongi. I think he'd be quite good in a crisis. Would grumble in Daegu, let loose a few 'ssibals' and then crack on with it I think. Though he may well prioritise fashioning a Genius Lab out of leaves, twigs and rocks before thinking of shelter and food 🤔

Currently watching and loving, for every reason imaginable 😁 The Worst of Evil. Bit gutted it's only two episodes a week from now on, whaaaaat?!

Bleurghh same here.

Glad it was not just me giving 3D the side eye. I know he wants to be seen as a grown-up and on-trend but it gave me the ick and that other young man looks like he needs a good wash! TheLoup- good reminder on MPD, looks like I might be able to get it on Viki!

Saram it would be acoustic genius lab, with coconuts and bamboo and strings fashioned from wild grasses 😁 we know from insta that KWB has a good supply of waterproof outerwear, so we would be dry at least....

@Dragonrock yes it's on viki (MPD) 👍

Layover update : I just listened to it while I was making dinner and I do think it's a grower 😊

For those on the fence about ABH and feeling they may need more material to form a judgement...
https://www.instagram.com/p/CyFv-uqr8E0/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Thank you for a morning ABH amuse bouche, Pol. My ABH on the fence-ness is not a physique thing. He is a hot bod, no question about it. I just get the sense he’s a man’s man and that we wouldn’t get on if we were forced to sit next to each other at a posh dinner. I’m not feeling it, if you know what I mean. It might be a stage of life thing, but he’s always pictured on insta with his Dad and other blokes. I reckon he doesn’t have any close female friends, but that’s entirely supposition on my part.

ABH has a great body - I bet he talks a lot about macros and workout schedules. I feel like (at boaty's dinnerparty) I might mention wanting to get into shape and he'd then talk at me for 2 hours about it whilst eating protein only 😆. I think he's one of those guys that looks better casual - or, even better, a bit dirty/messed up - than in a suit. Is he still dating Jisoo?
I'm gonna ask the Internet....