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!

AmVa- I got ya, here is a brightened up version someone put on twitter 😆 ROWOON

boaty I'm* *chuckling at the ripped abs arms-race, but I'm not complaining at the same time 😁
**

Omg amazing / hilarious 😍😍

🚨PSA🚨

Rowoon AND Cha Eun Woo might just be too much age inappropriate eye candy for one day, but first two episodes of A Good Day to be a Dog have landed on viki.

Someone on reddit was wondering just how much Tiffany had to.pay to have their bracelet worn by shirtless Rowoon in a sex scene 😆 imagine the contract negotiations "well, for that amount the camera better zoom in on diamonds against bare skin!"

Just watched the 1st ep of A Good Day to be a Dog I'm not sure I can stand it if the levels of cringe stay at this intensity 😬

I watched the first episode too. DH watched a bit with me, thought the premise was bonkers and laughed in places. We found the uncle’s predicament poignant. I’m not sure it’s for me either, but it may settle into its groove.

Completely random comment now: I was listening to a podcast with a US clinical psychologist on an unrelated topic. He mentioned that people from different cultures present with different delusions in a hospital setting when they are very unwell. He gave the example of Koreans and ghosts, saying culturally there was a high level of belief amongst Korean adults that ghosts exist.

boaty YES that's true and very interesting. I have done some MH training as an undergrad and when I worked in ED. In NI for example since the troubles there are a disproportionate amount of delusions related to paramilitaries and the armed forces. It would actually be really interesting to find out if that is still the case now with younger patients or if more general things are emerging.

That's interesting about the belief in ghosts (although korean ghosts in dramas are so generally so scary that I wouldn't want to offend them by NOT believing in them 😁)

TheGirl have you read the webtoon? If I remember, the cringy situations dial back once the initial* *setup is done and the leads become friends.

I quite liked it, thought it was fairly light and cute. I think it is going to be a one episode a week drop though so it might be hard to keep up the momentum... I felt bad for the uncle too, he and the childhood friend/vet aren't in the webtoon but I quite liked the addition.

No I havnt read the webtoon I'll give it a few more episodes 🐕

I'm in a hotel in Japan, awake at 01.25 hrs and swooning at Kim Ji Hoon in Ballerina (Netflix). No1 movie in Netflix Japan and also watching Softbank ads on Youtube, with Otusan. Avoided the horse meat sushi yesterday. 😢Here's a non trauma inducing sushi photo 😁

Hubba hubba. https://www.instagram.com/p/CyVsZ0aLeE3/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Not dying about that sleeveless number but over all a very nice display 👍

Have a great time in Japan Migs - looking forward to hearing all about it.

We are sitting at Frankfurt airport waiting to board a delayed flight - we just want to get home now!
However all worth it as we had such a wonderful time in Seoul and beautiful Cheongsong. We stayed in a Hanok house and slept on a thin futon which was a bit hard on the bones but the ondol underfloor heating was so cosy.
We also went to Pohang and saw some locations from Hometown Cha Cha Cha.
Delicious food wherever we went.
We hope to return next year as there is still so much to see and so many places to explore. Dh wants to rent a little house by the sea - maybe YangYang beach as in Lovestruck in the City.
It’s such a fabulous country.

Junho-ssi! 😍 my favourite is the one in the cream shirt at the end 🫰

Andante sounds like you had an amazing time! Hope the journey home is soon back underway, safe travels!

I keep forgetting to watch Ballerina. Think I've pushed dh to the limit tonight with BTS content so he's not in favour! Maybe tomorrow 😁

Hello Chingus,

I'm extremely envious of everyone's lovely travels, but I do love seeing the photos and hearing about them all. Safe travels home Andante

Well we moved house a week ago, and we won't have Internet or TV for another week 😭 I do have some Netflix downloaded onto my phone, but I've felt guilty watching it when the kids are coping so admirably without any tech. DH is out tonight though and the kids are in bed so I can finally catch up on Habaek 🙌🏻

Finally home! Here’s our little bedroom in the Hanok house - the green rug is the futon so not much padding. Also a paddy field - the rice harvest was underway - and a not very tempting version of soju with soaked hornets.

Hornet soju 🐝🍸you say? 🤔 Nope. I’ll stick my plum soju, thanks.

House = adorable
Hornet soju = stuff of nightmares

We are starting to plan our trip to SK, hopefully next year. DH is taking a bit of persuading about cost so I’m going to have to keep this one shortish - 8-10 days tops - and keep the itinerary manageable. I was thinking Seoul/Andong (hanok stay)/Gyeonju (silla burial sites/temples)/Seoul. My friend just came back from Japan, which she booked through Booking.com. She says we should book direct to save money, rather than using an agent. Has anyone done their own itinerary like this & bookings? How was it organising your own public transport etc?

Edited to add the questions.

What’s the angle with the hornets? I’m assuming it’s a Chinese medicine thing where it gives you strength or somesuch. If it’s angry hornet energy, I don’t need it. I have a plentiful supply of angry ahjumma energy (meno), sadly the one kind of energy I do have in abundance at the mo. 😄

She says we should book direct to save money, rather than using an agent.

Boaty I think one would definitely save money booking direct rather than through an agent but the only issue I can envisage is that English isn’t widely spoken so if there’s a problem then there could be a breakdown in communication.
Public transport in Seoul - and I guess all the cities - is excellent but I’m not sure about the rest of the country.
Andong and Gyeonju are fabulous and we loved the Hanok stay in Cheongsong but next time I think we’d opt for a Hanok house with a slightly more padded mattress such as the one we stayed in in Hahoe village last year.

The hornet soju was next to a bottle containing a ginseng root which looked more appealing. As you say, I guess it’s a Chinese medicine thing - I should’ve asked.

I feel like hornet energy would make me even more grumpy! Ginseng for me please 😁 the Hanok house is very cute.

Glad you are home in one piece Andante x

Thanks TheLoup - we’ve collected the pets and now we’re going to have an easy day.