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!

DDOS as an abbreviation gives me the cyber security work cold sweats though. 😰

I am way behind on currently airing dramas as have been in full on Alchemy of Souls binge mode. Just finished it - very satisfying ending, cried some tears. Wanted a few things - more time with memories returned for example, but mostly it was great. The journey the crown prince went on was so well done.

sakura06 I finished The Worst of Evil, pausing every now and again to try and get a better look at WHJ's teeth 😁 Really enjoyed it, though (whispers) I did find JCW a bit hammy in places (but I really liked that 😁)

FedUp I have the same response to DDOS 😂Have started it, enjoying it so far.

AmVa Both series are still on my wishlist. I don't think I've yet watched a full series of something that wasn't set in the regular 'modern-day' world (yet to finish Mr Queen, The Uncanny Counter and Moving, but enjoying them all).

Really looking forward to the double-glut of Song Kang vehicles coming later this month - My Demon and Sweet Home 2. One of my top-happy moments when in Seoul was eating at the Pizza Alvolo branch (in Gangnam) that featured in Forecasting Love and Weather 😁🙌

@Saram13 did you have that crazy pizza that had a different topping in each slice? It's in Hotel Del Luna and It's Okay Not to be okay as well!

I am really looking forward to My Demon as well - looks right up my street.

I didn't think Alchemy of Souls would be my thing from the description which is why I didn't watch it when it was airing (and missed all the hype!) Really enjoyed it - the plot, the villains, the grey in between characters - was all really well done. Great romance (although that's not really your jam is it??) And because its a fantasy setting it is quite different to your typical sageuk.

AmVa You had to order from those online terminal things and there was no English version, and only a limited printed English menu. So we went for the only obvious vegetarian option, but decided to see what a 'golden' upgrade meant - it was the stuffed sweet potato crust, which I can recommend! The pizza dough was some sort of wholemeal/sourdough, not what I was expecting. But actively good. We ordered a side dish with sweet potato, too (which turned out to be just a mini pizza with sweet potato on 🤔so was a bit much ). Also actively good, and they gave me a nice little takeaway box for it on request, so thanks to the hotel fridge that was my lunch the next day 😁🙌

No, not a great romance fan in general. Although I do have my moments 😁(loved HCCC for example, and SYIMNL, although I guess that had more threads to it than just romance).

@Saram13 well I would say the non-romance plots in AoS would be enough to sustain interest.

Those pizzas sound delicious!!

K-pop band STAYC make surprise visit to Ibrox after Rangers shirt mix-up.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b0d03c34-7cce-11ee-913f-d6ccb3352dd1?shareToken=259761b0a6c14a627b7a4bdff8e5b44a

Lol. The BTL comments are mostly bemused or frothing about the Times being above puff pieces like this. There is one comment from a chap (I’m assuming from the name):

Ever since I went to live and work in Korea in the 90s I have loved K-pop. It is not new despite the Americans only recently discovering it.
My favourites are the Rose Motel and Turbo. They are just brilliant.

😄

Haha! boaty that whole thing was pretty funny. DH follows scottish football (although not a Rangers fan) and saw it online last month before I did 🤣 they seem to have taken it all in good part anyway 🙂

Have just started the Matchmakers - very happy to see Jo Han Chul as the King - he is always good value!!

Flights finally booked this morning after much juggling with dc on when we go, trying to ignore how much it cost as even our wedding wasn’t close to this much. Now have to find accommodation.
I am a massive worrier so I have absolute paranoia now that I will come down with Covid the day before leaving or the day we arrive. I am also worried about DVT risks, never having taken a long haul flight, late fifties, not skinny. Plus I get killer headaches on flights, so fourteen hours of that is making me wonder if it will be worth it. I have had a very stressful few years and so I am finding it hard to stop worrying and be excited.
Will be there for Christmas if nothing scuppers it, which dd2 is most unhappy about hence all the dithering about when we go, but couldn’t do any other time due to dd1’s schedule at uni.
Help me get excited lovely people !

fewmin' at the Unreasonable Group Think crowd in ep 11 of DDOS 😠

SirVix you're going to have a BALL. Don't worry about the flight- flight socks, plenty of water, a top notch neck pillow and you'll be grand. DD2 will never forget this Christmas. I don't know where you're going or what your plans are but I would highly recommend you spend some time in Busan which is just a really fun and charming city and also, if you can, consider booking a private tour of Seoul for the first day of your trip because it will get you up and going and orientate you to make the most of your time.

And we couldn't believe our trip would actually happen until we were literally there.

@SirVixofVixHall you are going to have a ball! I second what polkettle says about the guide, it really is worth it and we have a recommendation if you need one and are going solo without a travel agent. How long are you going for? Also recommend Busan, and maybe Jeonju or Andong depending on how much time you have and what you want to see/do

We only have eleven days, sadly, due to juggling the commitments of both dds. Busan visit sounds good. We will be based in Seoul, so yes a tour guide sounds sensible too, for the very beginning. Dd1 also has two friends who live in Seoul , who might be able to give us tips.
I think it is hard to believe we will really go, as we tried to go a year ago and couldn’t, and the cost is so eye-watering that I am really stressed about some possible calamity scuppering everything. Would have preferred Easter which seems a safer time Covid wise, but that wasn’t possible for one of the dds . I am coeliac so a bit worried about eating out, but happy to live on rice, tofu and vegetables.

SirVix you’ll have the time of your lives.
Tofu - for me, anyway, - is one of those things that tastes delicious in Korea and boring in UK. They have a knack of making it nice.
Can’t wait to hear all about the trip!

@SirVixofVixHall I also imagined all sorts of potential catastrophes happening from covid to root canal to traffic on the way to the airport and it wasn't until polkettle & I were at Heathrow having a glass of something sparkly that I really believed it. But it did happen & was all fab.
Food and travel very cheap there so may cost less than you envisage while you are there.

Yes that is how I feel - my mind is saying “what if there is a massive snowstorm and we miss the flight?” “What if I catch Covid on the way there and spend the whole holiday in bed ?” “What if ….” etc etc etc.
i hate flying as it scares me and I get killer headaches on planes, it all feels quite scary and yet I have never been to Asia and this is a much longed for visit.

If it helps, I caught Covid in my 2nd week in Japan. I had taken a "covid kit" with me - 20 masks, hand sanitiser, anti-viral disinfectant spray, paracetamol, decongestant tablets and nasal spray, and Vicks inhaler. I used them all and continued with tour activities (walking 17K+ steps a day). The latest variant in Japan is highly contagious but very mild, so SK might be similar. I just had a runny nose, some sneezing and some chills at night. After I returned to the UK I caught a cold. That was much worse than Covid. 😬

I guess that what I'm saying is that if you travel - bus, train, plane, then you must be prepared for the possibility of catching a virus. Be prepared, but don't sweat it. As my DH used to say "Why waste a good worry?" I've already started planning my 2024 trip to South Korea. 😁

Wow SirVixofVixHall how fantastic. What a treat, so pleased for you all. You'll have such a fantastic time.

SirVix Daebak! I started by booking the flights too (at the insistence of a Korean friend, who said 'just get that done, the rest will fall into place' and it did).

And I can echo what the others say, from the fear something was going to scupper this much-longed-for-trip to not believing I was going till I was actually there. And that you will have the time of your lives. It's a stunning country.

I’m part way through ep 7 of DDOS. 😢

After all the hoo-ha about not giving patients the means to hang themselves at PBY’s psych ward in ep 1 of DDOS, I was surprised to see the floor to ceiling yoga mat rack in the rec room of the other hospital. 🤔

We weren't getting on with Revenant so have switched to Strong Girl Nam Soon. We're also looking forward to Sweet Home 2. 2023 is starting to look like the year of the sequel - most of my favourite shows this year have been second, or even third, series. Which has been a little unexpected.

BTW, I can confirm that Rowoon was too much of a stretch for DH. He likes romances sometimes, but Destined With You was a no so I'll be enjoying (hopefully?!) that one on my own. I'm currently struggling through WWWSK - PSJ is struggling to cancel out PMY as effectively as JCW, SK and KJY - but I'm nearly there and I'll give DWY a whirl next.

And if you got all that code, you're truly a kdrama addict 😂

It’s deficient in the decor and decorative medics dept too.