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!

One of our previous regulars set up a googledoc spreadsheet so we could score the year’s dramas. It helps other posters see what’s been well scored when they’re looking at what to watch next. It flushes out the love/hate/meh dramas too, as they show up with scattered scores. Over time you get a sense of other posters who share your tastes so their scores can be helpful. The top scorers of the year are in the OP. I’ll DM you the link.

I’ve PMd you link too @OppaDoppaDoo

We’re nearly out of thread. I’ll take the provisional scores for the new thread this evening.

Thanks @boatyardblues

I'm on my 6th series (I abandoned one after 2 episodes cause I hated it so strictly speaking 7th).

Currently watching Welcome to Samdal-Ri. Love it.

With one episode to go I'm still not sure how I'm going to score My Demon. I've enjoyed it more than others here but it's been missing something.....it's a bit like a poor man's Goblin/Tale of the Nine Tailed so I think what it's probably missing is Lee Dong Wook! 😁

Yes I think you are right. I commented after the first couple of episodes that Song Kang was missing some of the gravitas needed for an ancient all powerful being that we saw in TOTNT and Goblin.

My scores are up to date - haven't done Samdal-ri or Demon yet as who knows what could happen in the last episode. They could pull a heartbeat in one of them which would drastically reduce my score.

I've quite enjoyed it too Cobol - I think it had a really good start but suffered from a saggy middle part and the characters are all a bit one dimensional somehow? I think i said in an earlier post that I've enjoyed My Man Is Cupid more, and its a v similar formula. Can't put my finger on why.

OH MY GOD! If anything else pulls a Heartbeat I'm halving my score on principle. I was SO MAD (still not over it 🤣)

I can take a non-HEA/ambiguous ending ONLY if it makes sense for the story and doesn't make you feel like you totally wasted your time watching it.

I could accept the Heartbeat ending IF it had been set up better and all the other loose ends tied up. Aargh! I need to stop thinking about it.

I don't mind a non-HEA if I haven't been sold the show as a bloody romcom!!!

I've really only found the last couple of episodes of My Demon a big draggy - and decided to wait for it all to be out this weekend and finish together as the week to week watching wasn't helping. Feel like when they lost the comedy the last little while it suffered.

@Cobol there's a new LDW show on Disney+ think it's called A Killer's Shopping List ....

Hello, newbie poking my head tentatively in. I've lurked and read for a while and am now feeling brave.

My husband and I discovered Kdramas during lockdown having first watched the Chinese epic The Rise of Phoenixes. Korean Odyssey was our gateway drug, followed by Crash Landing on You and we've been hooked ever since. I've learnt to cook some of the food I've seen but I've not branched into the music yet.

We've just finished Death's Game (loved it) and will wrap up My Demon (OK) tonight.

Welcome @PunksVersusBrats ! Don't be shy - we are a friendly bunch, if also a bit bananas 😁 I apologise in advance for any k-pop spam/thirst posts...

Korean Odyssey was one of my first dramas as well and I LOVED Death's Game. Have you done Gyeongsong Creature yet?

I've just picked up A Good Day To Be A Dog again after being unable to cope with the 1 ep a week schedule. It's actually so cute. Don't reckon I'll finish it in time to score for the end of the thread though. I don't know if Cha Eun Woo can ever top his forbidden fruit hotness in Island for me 😏

Thank you for the lovely welcome !

I've still got Gyeongsong Creature on my Netflix list so might go that way next. I liked Kingdom but failed at the first episode of Sweet Home so my zombie/monster tastes are fickle 😁

Interesting to see Coffee Prince mentioned. Apart from Sweet Home, it's one of the very few that I couldn't stick with. Maybe I need to persevere if the hotness is worth it 🤣

AmVa I agree My Demon lacks gravitas and thinking back it most reminded me of Bride of Habaek when I started it so maybe it'll finish that way too (hopefully).

TheLoup We just got rid of Disney+☹️

Welcome to PunksVersusBrats (and any other newbies I've missed)

Of course Habaek was an actual god, Lee Yeon a gumiho and Gong Yoo's Goblin was nearly a 1000 years old whereas poor Gu-won is just a 200 year old crossroads demon, so maybe we're expecting a bit much from him 😂

Haha! Very true.
(This is totally giving me a hankering to revisit Bride of Haebak if only for all the bathing scenes 🤣)

Any new raunchy J dramas to recommend? DH out for the night and I fancy a bit of ME TIME.

Which dramas are
TOTNT and TMTYLM

Tale of The Nine Tailed
Tell Me That You Love Me

If you are up for BL - My Personal Weatherman and The End Of The World With You (both on viki) I reckon you might like the second one as its set during the apocalypse, sort of and has some really spicy bits. One of the ML's is a total bag of dicks to start with, but stay with it....

Maybe not new enough though? They were just new to me as I watched them recently 🤣

Based on this I was wondering why I never watched bride of haebek. Looked it up and remembered why - somewhat irrationally I cannot abide Nam Joo-Hyuk. Think all my annoyance at Start Up has settled on him.

Welcome! I also started Coffee Prince a while ago and dropped it - mainly due to poor (read old) film quality and bad fashion 😅. Glad I have come back to it now - partly because now I've watched so many more dramas so there's a lot more I get now, and also partly because of the GY factor. How could I call myself a gong Yoo stan if I hadn't seen one of his seminal works?!!!

Comparing it to contemporary dramas is super interesting too