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!

I like the sound of Vigilante Migs I think DH would be interested in that.

All Oppa's above have been added onto the list ✅ they might not all make it, I need to count how many are on there.

This is a relief to hear. They were playing it far too straight. It was like watching American TV 😴💤

Nam Joo-Hyuk for the advent calendar pls if he’s not already been suggested. He really has manhwa legs that go on forever and he’s beautifully toned in Vigilante. I feel his merits need to be showcased.

Another day, another headline which makes me wonder if we’ve slipped into the timeline of a parallel universe…

Buckingham Palace goes Gangnam style with K-pop hits.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/eb7ad440-892e-11ee-b411-d7778fd6fa75?shareToken=f1febcee99d22ae8a85f65613a3b5528

I thought it was pretty rubbish too!

I'm liking all the advent oppa suggestions, Rowdy has a difficult task ahead choosing between them.

We only watched 2 eps of Strong Girl Nam Soon in the end, it wasn't doing it for us, so we've moved onto DDOS now, which is going better.

I've also finished Destined With You which I really, really loved. I'm not entirely sure why I loved it, though, as it wasn't especially remarkable. I think I just have a bit of a thing for Rowoon when he's being dorky, which may be a bit of a niche preference I suspect 😂.

Back to Good Day to be a Dog now and the slightly less dorky Cha Eun-woo, if I can remember where I am. Ep 4 or 5, I think.

Cobol I really liked DWY as well - I know exactly what you mean because it wasn't massively original or ground breaking but just somehow right up my street. Rowoon definitely helped 😁.

I'm waiting to binge A Good Day To Be A Dog - loved the first two episodes (and the webtoon) but I need more than one a week!

DH and I have just binged 3 episodes of Vigilante (rewatched ep 2 as dh had fallen asleep last time) so are up to the end of episode 4 now - omo! Its getting interesting. I'm quite enjoying Nam Joo-hyuk in this morally grey, action role. Quite different to how I'm used to seeing him 👍

Editing to ask where you are up to boaty? I found ep 2 quite slow but 3 & 4 better. I'm definitely intrigued now.

Still on ep 2 - keep nodding off. I will put in the hours over the weekend to catch up, especially now I know it gets twistier.

@Cobol @TheLoupGarou another DWY fan - was a bit unsure of Rowoon to start when he was all boring and uptight but as soon as he leaned into the clowning elements of the role I was totally hooked. Feel he has some similar vibes in The Matchmakers which I am slowly watching.

I have been watching all of Strong Girl Nam Soon but really not sure what is keeping me on... The main pair lack the chemistry of SGBS to the point of the kissing scenes being totally devoid of any hotness whatsoever. All the side plots are totally crazy and I'm not sure how things are going to be resolved in 2 more episodes.. oh well.

Loup, I've been questioning the morality of our vigilante too. The show addresses it in the different motivations of the two "vigilantes". Does the intention change how we should judge acts that are intrinsically unlawful? I'm interested in the direction the scriptwriter/s will take. I also note, in our media consumed age, the influence of the reporter in controlling the vigilante's victim choice and the narrative to the people.
I've read about the recent vigilante trend on TikTok to shame/out gossipers (with the article including a link to suicide support) so vigilante actions are on trend!!

I'm also watching SGNS and I'm a couple of eps behind but I'm not really hooked. The drug plot is boring. I quite like the flash backs to the 2MLs crazy Russian childhood. I'm rooting for him despite him being evil 😅

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap yes I think the most compelling character is the 2ML - shame he is the baddie!

AmVa I definitely like Rowoon more when he's being funny than when he's just doing the tall, dark and handsome thing. I wasn't sure about The Matchmakers, I prefer sageuk with lots of swordfighting and political intrigue normally, but I might give it a go.

@Cobol Rowoon's character in the matchmakers has very similar vibes to in DWY - i.e. super into the FL, kind of against his will, in a way that makes him act like a bit of an idiot. 🤌

I'm enjoying The Matchmakers as well - its actually pretty funny. I really like the FL character and am enjoying the exasperated King and the three 'spinster' sisters as well as our Rowoon. There are some political machinations if you like that sort of thing .... its a good ensemble cast I think.

Anyone watching Squid Game the Challenge? Started episode 1. A lot of American chatter so far. Quite OTT 🙄🤣

I'm scared! I just posted on a thread that wasn't this one 😮
It's about owning up to reading fanfic 🤣

Link pls. 😄

Fan fiction own up?! - www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4921165-fan-fiction-own-up

You've outed yourself as a Filthy Noona TO OUTSIDERS 😬

Eeep!

I’m lolling at the number of people saying they read AND WRITE norty fanfic “and no one in real life knows” on that thread. Brilliant. Brava ladies. I’m sensing filthy noonas is a cross-cultural/sub-culture phenomenon.

That might be a thread I should investigate... 😏
Started on Twinkling Watermelon and can already tell its Just Wot I Like so a happy weekend binge awaits.
Up to date on Matchmakers and PMR and really enjoying both. Rowoon is making me laugh a lot in the former and evverybody and everything is making me laugh in the latter. Longing to do AGDtbaD but will hold back until its complete due to annoying scheduling

Oooops!!!😀

That was for posting on the wrong thread. I just might head over to the "bizarre things your cat has done" one and spam them with my stories 😆