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!

Welcome Freesias!
11 episodes in and Tell Me That You Love Me is definitely my romance of the year. But still 5 episodes left to eff it up in 2024.

💯

Welcome @Freesias123 ! 👋 I’m glad you found your way over from Mig’s earlier thread.

I’m loving Tell Me That You Love Me and second the sentiment that it’s the year’s best romance. It’s so nuanced and thoughtful. There hasn’t been a bum note so far. I’m really enjoying the housemate’s journey of discovery with her trainer too.

Hi Chingus!
I’m a newbie here but have been a KDrama aficionado for over a year.
Only have Netflix available to me but have ploughed through around 120 dramas!
One of my biggest regrets was choosing to watch My ID is Gangnam Beauty before True Beauty, which then disappeared from Netflix 😫
However, True Beauty (and Cha Eun Woo) has made a return and was worth the wait! Here’s hoping for Goblin to come to Netflix UK soon, as I believe it is available in other countries.
Nice to meet you all!😊

@Freesias123 I LOVED Bloodhounds - one of my top 2023 dramas, although my heart was in my mouth for most of it!

@Dragonrock if I @ you, you get a notification from mumsnet to say you've been mentioned, sometimes we do that and sometimes we just say your name in bold, like this: Dragon, don't worry about it though, we are pretty chill 😎

Hi Ottoke and welcome! Not to be an enabler, but if you want to watch Goblin, it's definitely worth doing a trial of the Viki app - it's cheap plus you can also watch lovely Eun Woo in A Good Day To Be A Dog 🙂

I lie. I am a terrible enabler (DO IT! DOOOO ITTTT!!!!)

Hi TheLoupGarou!
Thank you for your reply! Irl I’m a bit of an enabler too!😀
I really wish I could get Viki, Hitv and the other streaming platforms but it’s beyond me at the moment.
Maybe one day!

Hi all the thread newbies!

Come to the dark side of multiple streaming services, dodgy websites and VPNs. Join us, JOIN UUUSSSS...

😁

Excellent handle Ottoke

Thank you, polkettle!

Welcome Ottoke! 👋

What a great start to the new year - two new kdrama addicts. 🎉 Just putting it out there for any shy lurkers: I promise we don’t bite and the relief you will feel having an outlet for kdrama chat will be immense. C’mon in. 🙂

🤗

I’m mystified by Gwan-Hee’s appeal on SI3. He negs the women and is so bloody fickle. I still can’t believe he came back from the “that one, that one and that one” comment. He’s not even the best looking out of the 6 blokes. What am I missing?

Welcome @Freesias123 and @Ottoke ! Highly recommend trying a Viki subscription for Goblin because it is an all time great.

Finally a bit of forward momentum in Samdal-ri this week, but 2ML is quickly going from pathetic to annoying...

Also ploughing through AGDTBAD - really fun, and a lot more mysterious than I was expecting with the other teacher / past life (or earlier in very long immortal life??) stuff. I am in episode 7 so still a bit to catch up on.

We binged through The Devil's Plan over the break which I mentioned - was so good.

Love the dark side. Thanks for invite. Last episode if bloodhounds tomorrow. Winder where i.ll go next? Too many amazing dramas around.

Glad you made it here @Freesias123, welcome to you and @Ottoke

I'm enjoying Tell Me that you love me - gentle and authentic feel in pacing, acting and story telling. The FL is very pretty and the tall ML isn't bad either.
Also Marry my Husband - despite the distraction of Park Min Young's unmoving forehead. I do love a good revenge drama.😎
And V's latest collab with UMI is 👏In spite of initially thinking V's album was mall music, I'm playing his the most of the BTS solo albums. 2nd is the cheeky, wayward Jung Kook.

Viki has a 7 day free trial (definitely long enough to binge Goblin - and more, if you put your back into it 😎) - just don't forget to cancel....

"I’m mystified by Gwan-Hee’s appeal on SI3."
Boaty, it stems from the misguided belief that they are the one female who will tame him. What I would give to know what host Dex really thinks of his antics. I so wanted none of the girls to choose him. I find observing the lab rats contestant's behaviour and thought processes, fascinating.

Thanks Chingus for the warm welcome!
Sorely tempted by the free Viki trial but returning to work soon so no time to binge just yet.
Am up to date with Samdal-Ri - agree that 2ML is getting annoying now- and My Demon.
Song Kang is lovely but his prominent collar bones are most disconcerting
Might start The Devil’s plan as I’ve only heard good things about it so far.
Happiness with the lovely Park Hyung-Sik is another option.
Decisions, Decisions!

Migs I like V's new collab as well. My son listens to V's stuff a lot, he says he likes it as it is "chill" .... I listen to JK a lot too, especially in the car, which I'm sure comes as a surprise to no one 🤣

Loup jr. has good taste!

Ottoke Happiness * *is a really good one!

I'm also really enjoying Marry My Husband - it's making me want to read the webtoon. I like PMY in it and ML is definitely worthy of the shalala 🎵 I can't wait for her revenge to properly start!

Seconded! This would be a worthy next watch. I am dipping in and out for my 3rd watch since it showed up on Netflix (prev Viki).