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!

Good old Olga. Marry My Husband eps 1-4 with subs are available. I finished the manhwa earlier this morning. 💪 Bring it on! It has makjang potential in the Perfect Marriage Revenge adaptation style. The plotting is certainly a gift to the screenwriters.

I've just finished the Marry my Husband manhwa, thank you for finding it on Bato Boaty 🙌🏻 I can't wait to watch the drama now, but I'm going to wait until I can binge it

Gah, I tried to watch MMH on Prime but there was some problem loading it which I had to report. Have started My Demon on Netflix instead I only have Netflix, Prime and Funimation (dd) so might have to wait if Prime can't get it working.

Very interesting re N Korea and English - I did wonder about that as a lot of the Asian dramas seem to be using more American English now. When I was younger (mid 40s) it used to be English English that was taught, so it's weird to me hearing American English from the youngsters!

I’m watching TMTYLM ep 13. The misunderstanding is making my eyes leaky. It’s all very emotional even though there are few words.

TMTYLM could have been 5 episodes shorter for want of a conversation after the fire. Why can’t anyone communicate properly in kdramaland?

I am now curious about how accurate the hearing actors’ sign language is TMTYLM, in a similar vein the GC Japanese chat upthread. I’ve worked out that in the tight shots where you only see the actor’s face & their hands are mostly out of shot they could be mirroring someone signing opposite them, but the wider angle shots leave the actors exposed.

The episode 14 cliffhanger is so frustrating. I don’t want to wait until next week.

I too wondered about the accuracy of the signing and meant to ask a friend, who is a sign language professional, for her opinion. Bearing in mind the fake signer at the Mandela memorial a few years ago, it could all be made up tosh!

I want to know if any if the cast are actually deaf (the teenagers maybe?) You absolutely couldn't make that drama here with hearing actors - the deaf acting community would be in uproar and it would be career suicide.

I was looking up the actors on Mydramalist and the deaf 25 year old teen boy in the art class has v little information in his bio and no filmography. I wondered if he was cast solely for this. (I just realised I didn’t check the girls’ bios. Oops.)

This sounds so fascinating! DH worked in South Korea for 6 months and when I visited him, his landlady took us out for a meal (which was beyond lovely). However, she did offend me greatly when she asked me (a Brit) why I didn't speak English 'properly' like DH who had a strong American accent at the time!

Lee Da-Hee says it all in 'Sines Inferno' 😂 At least Gwan-Hee was an interesting character though.

I think we might drop 'My Demon' 🫣

@sakura06 are you up to date? I am not watching episode 14 until the last two are out so I can zoom through the annoying thing that I have had spoiled that happens in e14.

I feel like it started out with a lot of humour which has totally gone.

I don't know what happened - I know they are very different shows but because I get episodes of both at the weekend I noticed when suddenly I was prioritising new Samdal-ri over my demon.

First thoughts on Knight Flower ep1 (Viki) with the delightful Lee Ha-nee as FL and the ubiquitous Kim Mi Kyung as her MIL. Looks to be an entertaining romp with lots of martial arts action.

I'm gonna watch that one later migs 👍

I've found myself ffwd'ing a good bit of My Demon so I'm going to wait till its all out before watching the rest so I can skip all the padding. I actually prefer My Man Is Cupid out of the two (v similar) dramas, as it has more humour < disclaimer I've only watched up to last week for that one >.

Have binged the manhwa of Marry My Husband and then caught up to ep 4 last night. Loving it. I might have been watching too much* BL lately though as there was a taekwondo/judo scene with the ML and his friend where my brain was totally expecting them to kiss 🤣

• no such thing as 'too much' 😎

Hi all. Am I the only one enjoying My Demon? I felt the reality check in the last episode was a nice piece of storytelling, he's still a demon, after all. But then I am more into the supernatural stuff than the romance, so may be coming at it from a different angle than everyone else.

I now feel entirely meh about My Demon and will likely drop. I think its the FL/ML casting for me. If they’re good I can persevere, but I’m not feeling it with these two.

Cobol I don't dislike it but I do feel a bit meh. I should say I'm not up to date with the episodes, as of this week so haven't seen the latest developments.... I agree with boaty that it might be the casting - the leads are both v beautiful but I don't really buy them as a couple for some reason?

I like them both as actors, I know Song Kang can be a bit polarising but I have no beef with him 😉

@AmVa we've fallen a bit behind. We're halfway through Episode 11. I think that fast forwarding might be a good idea TheLoup! I agree with boaty about the leads. I do feel very superficial it could be because I'm not that into Song Kang (despite his objective beauty).

There's definitely a bit of filler in My Demon I agree. It's no Tail of the Nine-Tailed that's for sure. Sweet Home 2, on the other hand, is cracking (though not quite as cracking as season 1 which I thoroughly enjoyed rewatching). Song Kang definitely works better in the darker role, I think, with support from a strong ensemble cast.

Here to say that Knight Flower ep2 has the most stupendous drawing of a white tiger, seen outside a kindergarten.😂 The Great Dane's in the show too!

I'm going in on Knight Flower now. ...

aw to Wookie's little cock blocked face today

Heheh that bit was pretty funny. I'm so annoyed with Yong-pils dad. Fgs why is he even blaming Mrs Ko? Also super-irritating Evil Photography Assistant. Love JCW though - still one of the best on screen kissers in Kdrama!

Episode 4 of Death's Game was so sad 😭 I bloody love Lee Do Hyun though 😍

Rowdy I cried actual tears in that episode😢 Lee Do Hyun was excellent in it. I love him too.