MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #44): In which a surprise feast of corking contract marriage dramas 🙌 is undercut by an imminent BTS content famine as Jung Kook, RM, V and Jimin enlist 😭

[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 & Chinese drama as & when.

The previous thread is www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4894818-mslattes-daebak-cybercafe-kdrama-addicts-42-where-we-marvel-over-the-singularity-of-taecyeons-ears-while-waiting-for-lee-min-ho-to-show-up-in-his-space-scrubs?page=1here.
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, its important to note 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)🌟
The Worst of Evil (Disney+)
Tunnel (Netflix)🌟
Vigilante (Disney+)

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)🌟

Makjang
Perfect Marriage Revenge (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 The Eighth Sense [BL] (Viki)
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)
Semantic Error [BL] (Viki)
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)🌟
Daily Dose of Sunshine (Netflix)
Descendants of the Sun (Viki/Netflix)
Doctors (Netflix)
Doom At Your Service (Netflix/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)/When the Weather is Nice (Netflix)
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 (Netflix)🌟
My Strange Hero (Viki)
One Spring Night (Netflix)
Red Carpet - film (Netflix, very adult content)
Romantic Dr Kim - seasons 1&2 (Viki), season 3 (Disney+)
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)
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/Netflix)🌟

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)
Twinkling Watermelon (Viki)
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)
Moon in the Day (Viki)
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)

Decent Japanese, Taiwanese, Thai and Chinese dramas
The Chinese & Taiwanese stuff especially is more variable quality-wise, so we’ve noted anything decent or worth a look 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)
My Personal Weatherman [BL] (Jdrama, Viki)
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.

When we 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.

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!

Prime bedroom eyed oppa today. Thank you rowdy!

KWB!!! 😍🔥 very happy to find him behind door 23 - he could captain my fishing boat any day of the week !

I can't express how much I want him to play a hot, angsty assassin in a sageuk drama. Manifesting.

He looks a bit menacing here. I prefer smiling floppy-haired Our Blues-style KWB.

Edit: This is not a criticism of Rowdy’s picture editor choices. This is an atmospheric choice which shows KWB in a good light. It’s more my ambivalence about KWB.

I’m really enjoying the Korea Deconstructed podcast that I linked to upthread. I’ve been listening to the episode where he speaks to his students about Koryo Saram, the Korean diaspora to eg Russia and Ukraine. Two of the students grew up in Russia. It’s a fascinating exploration of identity and your sense of place.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?i=1000638830234

@boatyardblues thanks for the podcast recommendation - have just started an episode while in the traditional Australian Christmas Eve queue around the block for the fishmonger at 6am 🫠🫠 could have just some extra sleep but then it would be a queue around 2 blocks

Dare I ask if you are getting some shrimp to put on the barbie?

Look I hate to be a stereotype but.... Yes 🤣🤣 🦐🦐

No judgement here!! Sounds amazing!!!

I want to hear about your summery Christmas AmVa. There are gales across northern England, Scotland and NI at the mo. We’re fairly far south of the weather warning area and we still have wind howling down our chimney and heavy rain. Some antipodean sunshine would be wonderful just now.

We've got prawns! We've got oysters! We've got scallops, and a big ham that I've cooked today which we'll serve cold tomorrow. Our main nod to the British half of our heritage is a proper Christmas pudding.

We've also got a Christmas Eve thunderstorm which will hopefully go away by tomorrow.

Our apartment will be cosy for 10 people tomorrow so my aim is to not have the oven on at all tomorrow to add to the heat and busyness in the flat.

Merry Christmas 🎄🎄 to all chingus here - so happy to have discovered this little community this year!!

Oppa Advent day 24

It's Christmas Eve, it's our final door. This door is a huge door, and behind it is... it's our lovely eyes Junho!

Merry Christmas chingus 🎄🎅🏻

Ah Merry Christmas chingu!

What a treat behind door 24. Brava!

👏👏👏👏

Oh Rowdy, you are spoiling us on day 24! For The Red Sleeve bathing scene still alone a thousand thank yous! 🙏😘

Do you still have the link to the bathroom scene image? I had coffee with my local kdrama friend yesterday. She loved Rain or Shine and King the Land but still hasn’t watched The Red Sleeve because she only has Viki on her laptop and prefers watching on her TV. I think this would convince her. 😄

Of course it's Junho! And a smorgasbord of lovely eyes! Thank you for your service this December Rowdy. We have fed well.

Absolutely!

Perfect Christmas Eve Oppa!!! Ktl is I think #2 on my best tv kisses ever - it left quite the impression and led me down a whole Junho rabbit hole.

Perfect choice for Xmas eve Rowdy. Although I found it a bit glacial in pace for my tastes KtL was definitely one of the main shows of the year and Junho was lovely in it, as always.

Junho! A perfect Christmas eve treat! Agree the Red Sleeve bath scene is a life altering moment 😍

Happy Christmas AmVa! My Sister lives in Australia and my brother is out there visiting. They are near Perth and it looks v v hot from the photos they've sent!

Thank you Rowdy for our advent oppas!! You have worked very hard 👏👏👏

I was going to comment something similar about that batbing scene but couldn't quite formulate the words 😎🔥 lovely Junho!

rowdy I salute you! Thanks for your dedication and sacrifice and finding all our advent oppas.

Happy Christmas chingus!

rowdy thank you for all the cracking advent Oppas but Junho - chef's kiss.

This thread has changed my life and led me down many a fantastic kdrama rabbit hole but as Edith put it so well, Je ne regrette rien. Thank you all.

Loved My Dearest best this year. But (bear in mind I am years behind you) also loved SO much

Something in the rain
Romance is bonus book
My liberation notes
The Beauty Inside
Lovestruck on the city
Crashcourse in romance
Oh my venus
Mr Queen
Something
The Red Sleeve
Wok of love
The Crowned Clown
The Matchmakers

All recommended by you lot, so many thanks.

Happy Christmas chingus.

That's so kind @DoloresDelEriba! We love when people enjoy the thread and get lots of joy from dramas ❤️

And the festive fun doesn't stop with @Rowdythree's wonderful Age Appropriate Oppa Advent Calendar, because starting Boxing Day, we have the 12 Days of Alt-Oppas 😁

My love for Junho took a downturn with the awful KtL, which I couldn't even finish ( apologies to those who liked it 😘) but today's Red Sleeve reminder brings back 👀 memories of that 🔥🔥🔥bathing scene. Thank you Rowdy, your dedication to the Adventure Calendar is matchless!!