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 ooo that's a good episode. 👍
Sakura I* *Iiked season 2 of AoS as well

I liked season 2 of AOS more than I expected too, but I love Jung So Min’s performances so I missed her in season 2.

When I saw AmVa’s post at lunchtime I thought “crikey, that’s a lot of excitement”, then remembered she’s down under & her bedtime would have been imminent.

Haha yes it was 10pm.. I said to my husband that if it had been pre-toddler having days I definitely would have convinced myself that going to bed at 11.30 on a work night really wasn't that late and could definitely watch another one.

I have heard so many good things about part 2, so looking forward to it, but as you say here Boaty I am going to miss Jung So Min a lot - I love her!! @boatyardblues

When we were talking about what we were watching I forgot to mention Twinkling Watermelon (currently airing on Viki - 10 episodes are out so far).

It's the story of Ha Eun gyeol (Ryeoun), an 18 year old who is the only hearing child of a deaf family. He is a top student and his parents want him to go to medical school, however his dream is to be a musician and he secretly plays in a band. Events happen and via magical shenanigans he ends up going back in time to 1995 where he meets his dad Ha Yi Chan (played awesomely by Choi Hyun-wook) who not only has a massive crush on a different girl instead of his mum, but is not deaf. He realises he is changing the past just by being there, so his mission becomes to try to get his parents together whilst working out and attempting to prevent whatever accident caused his dad to become deaf.

It takes a couple of episodes to get going, but it is funny and heartwarming and the cast are very likeable and endearing (and believable as 18 year olds). It doesn't shy away from more serious issues but has given them a light touch, up to now at least.

I am enjoying it way more than I thought I would, so I recommend it to anyone that likes that sort of thing 🙂

Edited my spelling!

@boaty Palaces and museums are mostly free or charge very little. Gyeongbokgung for example is 3,000 won to enter, which is something silly like £1.80. Private museums can be dearer. Some require booking in advance.

I'm a bit late catching up with the thread but just had to say I 💯 agree with this!! I watched it straight after Oh My Venus! and was very much in a So Ji Sub spiral 😍

Haha TheGirl < fist-bump > It's a low bar sometimes in kdrama, but as I was watching I was thinking that he is handsome, capable and so non-toxic. Plus willing to address his emotional damage AND you could marry him safe in the knowledge he would pull his weight around the house 🤣.

Unlike the likes of Healer, who would be leaving computer cables and takeaway boxes all over the place and would probably take the kids out on 'courier' jobs....

Also, when recommending dramas, I forgot about A Time Called You! definitely one of my favourite dramas of the year. So good. In my top 10 of all time.

Ahhh, the finale of The worst of evil... This drama is the opposite of a rom-com and doesn't pull any punches in terms of violence. I enjoyed it. Complex emotions and morality were explored but the ending was entirely believable.
In keeping with the serious subject matter, actors wore minimal makeup and close ups showed everything open pore and skin blemish. (Well done Wookie!)
I wasn't aware of BIBI before, but she slayed her role. Top notch casting and acting all round but it's not one for lovers of fluff.

Fans of My Happy Marriage^^ manga/anime. The new film is on round at Olga's!

Oh I really want to watch that!

Haven't caught up yet, will watch tomorrow probably..... Totally agree with you though - it's been so good, morally complicated and great acting performances all round. Definitely not fluff - all the violence is not for the faint hearted!

MigsandTiggs&TheLoupGarou - have been waiting to hear more about the finale here. Two of my fav MLs are in it but the level of violence etc has made me delay watching it. It might well be one that I work out from the episode guides and some snippets/images rather then the full thing. Shame I am so shallow but I know my limits.

I'm lazing around today, desultorily watching Netflix, Zom 100: bucket list of the dead....then a ZOMBIE SHARK joins the fun!! 👀 This is a shark, the likes of which will NEVER ever be seen again. Promise 🤞🏼

migs haha! I liked that one - bonkers but great fun 😁

Quite the cast for this drama, out in December - Death's Game

Poster looks cool too Poster

Rather sweet Japanese manga on Bato about colleague shacking up together after he gets her knocked up with a drunken one night stand: https://batotoo.com/title/139603-gokainin The prenatal care bits are interesting. It’s no wonder Japanese women stay so slim - the pressure on FL not to gain baby weight is 😮

It's cute 🥰

Just dined at the Park Morgan table...

No Park Morgan though Pol? Meh. 😉

(Yes, I have sour grapes. Your trip looks amazing.)

I'm catching up on The Killing Vote (Amazon Prime) and it gets more thrilling with each episode 😀 but I think it's only dropping one episode a week and only ten out so far.

Wow, Pol, you’ve packed in so much. I bet it’s been the trip of a lifetime.

Where is Park Morgan these days? Has Jang Ki-yong been in the military? I was watching him in Go Back Couple not long ago and he gave me terrible 2ML syndrome ....

And a quick Google tells me he has indeed been in the military - soz, was being lazy