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!

Today's alt oppa is actually training to be a monk. Note the furrowed brow and downcast eyes as he ponders deep philosophical mysteries...or maybe that woolen knitwear is a bit scratchy!

Hello. I've not written on this thread for absolutely ages but wanted to see if anyone had read the book "Welcome to the Hyunam-dong bookshop"? I got it in my stocking and have just read it in a day. It was like a warm blanket and comforting cup of tea - and not the kind of thing I usually read so I was pleasantly surprised.

@BrambleyHedge It's on my reading pile and I'll be making a start on it as soon as I finish Dallergut Dream Department Store, by Miye Lee, which I am so far enjoying immensely. I'm finding it a comforting read too, but probably in a different way to Hyunam-dong.

I’m trying to watch Gyeongseong Creature but noticed my hands were balled into tight fists with the suspense. I’m going to head out for a stroll to bring my blood pressure back down. 😄 I’m back to 10 min bursts like Kingdom.

Singles Inferno is maddening. How can all these sensible women still be courting the jerk who has been openly playing at least three of them off against each other?

I'm really enjoying Gyeongsong boaty , but when i was watching last night there were bits where even I was wincing and hiding my face! We have watched the first two episodes - dh is also enjoying it, so that means I can only watch an episode a night 🙄🤣.

I'm up to date now with Samdal-ri - I have decided I am rooting for youngest sister and dolphin man and also divorced oldest sister, although I'm not sure if I'm shipping her with her ex or with his assistant...... I'm sending a disapproving frown at Yong-pil's dad though, what weirdly cruel behaviour.

Cliffhanger end of episode re Mrs Ko aswell .....

So much to catch-up on. My mother and sister being here put a block on any K-drama stuff for me the last few days. Honestly, some of the total rubbish I have had to watch, when they could have just sat back and watched something classy like CLOY! In other news, husband excelled himself, not only new trainers for forthcoming 10k but also both Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS and PROOF, with photocards. Mother and sister looked perplexed at my excitement. Finally, such a shame about Lee Sun-kyun. To have seen that as the only way forward must have been so very very hard.

I am also up to date on Samdal-ri and now that JCW and SHS are getting some good fluttery moments together I am enjoying it a lot more. Last two episodes also had me laughing a lot more. Sad for super car whose presence on the Seoul trip barely warranted a mention.

Has anyone watched the Devil's Plan? Kind of competition reality show that isn't usually my thing but my husband hooked me with the fact that it's Korean 😅😅 12 pseudo celebrities (or 11 + Seungkwan from 17 who seems a lot more famous that the others) living in a house and competing in puzzles. We watched people play a board game for 30 minutes and it was totally riveting. Was there chat on here about it that I didn't pay attention to properly?

AmVa I feel a bit sorry for supercar as well - he is so blatantly in the friendzone. I hope he can find love as well and isn't destined to pine alone forever for FL. I love JCW (as in I'm wearing JCW celebrity socks today 🤣) but dont you think the character of Yong pil is a bit TOO perfect? I need more of a bad-boy, like in The Worst of Evil 🤭

What platform is Devil's Plan on AmVa? it sounds like the sort of thing mu kids would like (especially if Seungkwan is in it - I bet he's doing well, as he is always sneaky in Seventeen's variety content mafia games 😁)

Day 3 of Alt-Oppas and this one is a youngster!! *
*
He's had a great year in some really stand out dramas, so it's only right to praise him like good ahjummas should - well done and head pats to Yoo In-soo!

But In-soo ssi, where is your tummy warmer? You're going to get a scolding!

Oh I might look at that one too @Saram13 😀

< channelling my Gran > : Yoo In Soo! Get back inside! You will catch a cold in your back!!!

I like the leopard print though 👍 plus he is a brilliant, versatile actor - I like how he picks such a variety of roles and isn't afraid to play horrible baddies.

Edited for spelling

This is me with regrets having ignored the dry clean only instructions too.

I’m going to big up the Korea Deconstructed podcast one last time. DH listened to Christmas Eve’s ‘Finding Meaning through Ideas’ episode on a long car journey and asked me to send him the link to the podcast so he could subscribe! I reckon I’d would enjoy a chat over beers with the host. I also love his warmth and curiosity with his students and guests.

I am flicking between house clearing chores pre-tip run, Gyeongseong Creature and Singles Island. This year’s SI contestants are so canny and Machiavellian, I’m half expecting a mutiny with some of them refusing to return to the island after their lobster dinners at Paradise. 😄

Oh and 👍👍👍 for today’s alt oppa. I’ll hug him to keep his midriff warm.

FedUp today's and yesterday's Alt-Oppas are 👌 Yoo In-soo is just fantastic in Death's Game. I know it was a big favourite last year, but I didn't click with AoS. Will give it another go at some point, purely on the strength of him being in it.

Oh I love Yoo In-soo ❤️ He's been in so many great shows.

Re the top, it wouldn't even get a second glance at our local sixth form centre, no one under the age of 25 seems to be able to find a top that comes all the way down to their waist these days 🤣

It's on Netflix! It's a Netflix production so should be the same worldwide.

I agree Young Pil is too perfect - whenever they have a moment that together there is literally no reason why FL shouldn't just lean in and kiss him. Also seems like breakup in the past was just mainly due to circumstances/ sad dad so just makeout already guys.

We started My Demon last night. It's a mix of full on horror and comedy. I'm not sure how to describe it. Sort of Kingdom crossed with Business Proposal vibes wise, but more like Bride of Habaek story wise. We're liking it so far.

Day 4 Alt-Oppa. We are used to seeing him as an arse licking baddie in Vincenzo and the self obsessed barman in Hometown Cha-cha-cha.

But look at his cheery little face here, so loveable... It's Jo Han-chul!

I wouldn't say he gets me hot under the collar, but I always love to see Jo Han-chul turn up in dramas because he is always so good!!!

Same sentiments from me! A high quality alt-Oppa 👌

He's looking very dapper in that pic, busily on his way for brunch perhaps?

He's looking more sweet and kind in this photo than his usual characters I think! Like a loving Oppa who hold your hair back when you've had too many soju...