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!

Korean spa? Were you in the women’s section or the mixed bit? Did you see people scrubbing each other like in the dramas?

For those of you who have travelled to SK, if you were on a budget would you ditch a DMZ excursion to stay in slightly nicer hotels outside of Seoul?

@polkettle - my word...do tell!

Pol, dh mentioned to Alex about going to a Jjimjilbang but when Alex said we’d have to be naked dh backtracked fast……

Sakura my favourites this year have been Bloodhounds, DP2, Revenant and The Worst of Evil (currently airing). I also really liked Behind Your Touch and Destined With You. Although I know others aren't as keen. My Lovely Boxer was OK, as was MyLovely Liar, but I think both dropped off in the final third.

My Dearest (currently airing) is good as well but I can sense a Sad Ending brewing. I think A Good Day To Be A Dog is going to be fun but I'm pausing until more episodes are out as i think it will benefit from binging.

hmm I've watched a lot of dramas. Do i have a problem??? This is just the new ones of note 🤣

Today, I was procrastinating from starting my database project and watching some of the mediocre but fun My Secret Terrius. All dubious plot aside, I think I have rarely found a kdrama ML more appealing than Secret Agent So Ji Sub doing housework and childcare for the adorable twins - he even gets the shark hoover out at one point, does laundry and tidies all the toys away. Could he be the perfect man?

Forgot about Not Others thatone was great.

Boaty the DMZ is amazing! I'm a massive history geek though so there was no way I was missing it. It's fascinating. You're under very strict instructions to behave and make no gestures of any kind at the North Koreans as it can be taken as a provocation!

Thanks @TheLoupGarou! I do fancy 'A Good Day to be a Dog' although it looks bonkers 😂

Oh man. Now I’m conflicted. I do ‘t want to bin off DMZ but I’m not sure how excited I am about staying a hotel that looks lime the hotel in Ballerina, but drabber.

I’m annoyed that we are still waiting on ep 4. (I’m assuming it’s two per week.)

I think I read somewhere it's one a week boaty - too slow for me!

I think I'd have to try and see the dmz if I could work it in to my fantasy SK trip...

Thanks Loup. I’ll quit throwing shade at the subbing team in that case. 😄

Did anyone bookmark that video of Junho showing someone round his floordrobe dressing room? He was such an adorable dork in it that I want to watch it again. I’m much preferring his wise crown prince schtick in The Red Sleeve to annoying chaebol in KTL.

Boaty if you go onto YouTube and type in Junho dressing room it comes up.

Bless you Andante.

I should have just googled it. I thought it would be buried under a million other Junho clips. 🤦‍♀️

So currently the JSA area is closed in the DMZ because of that American soldier slightly limiting experience. I found it interesting and eery/sad but will depend on your interests as to whether it feels essential. There's a rather claustrophobic tunnel and you can peer at hazy NK through binoculars and try and spot tiny figures but there's also a certain amount of propaganda guff and waiting around and random oddness (eg funfair at entrance) Lots of US tourists.

(Excuse missing commas above)

Korean bathhouse was indeed the place of hot Koreans. Mixed sauna floor turned out to be closed (? since covid) so no Princess Leia towels and boiled eggs alas but totally terrifying/brilliant nonetheless. There was one floor for women and one for men- so strictly segregated. Shown a fierce sign which said "nakedness is mandatory" but after me and sis-in-law went in everyone was very kind in a smiley but eye rolly way about helping us navigate what we were supposed to do. A huge room of different temperature baths and scrubbing stations, just like in the dramas, and all different ages and sizes (including 90 year old grannies) steaming and scrubbing and chatting very convivially. I paid for a full body scrub and I am now smooth as a pebble after EVERY bit of me was attacked by fierce but kind woman in bra and pants with scouring pads.

In terms of budget, you can live very cheaply once here in terms of food and transport so holiday costs really are the up front ones.

@boaty I would echo what pol says. Invest the big bucks for the upfront costs because it really is cheap once here. I'm taking public transport absolutely everywhere in the big cities (Seoul and Daegu, guided by the Naver app which has an English version and is totally essential) and it works like a dream. I've had 45,000 won on my card - so about 28 pounds off the top of my head - and it's still going strong in week two. Taxis are also cheap. And you can eat well for little money.

Although public transport is quick and efficient, the distances in Seoul are huge. If you're after a kind of hanging-around-and -we-see-what-we-see kind of holiday, fine to compromise on location. If you have a full-on schedule and a really specific list (like me 😁) max your time by going for the best possible location.

Is it expensive getting into museums and historic sights?

Boaty
The Seoul Museum of Craft Art and The National Museum of Korea are both free - and they are both fantastic.
The Blue House is also free but you have to book in advance.
We went to the Palaces on our first visit and I can’t remember if there was a charge.

Oh man, guys - I have just finished episode 18 of Alchemy of Souls and I am way too hyped up to get to sleep. It was SUCH a great episode.

@boatyardblues if the JSA is closed at the DMZ as per pol's intelligence, it probably isn't quite as worth it sadly.

Completely agree @Andante57 about the National Museum of Korea! It's fantastic. My Cheongwadae mug is my favourite! My visit to Korea was in 2009 though so am very out of date!

@AmVa absolutely loved Alchemy of Souls! Perhaps controversially, I loved the second season even more!