MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #45): Where we are *still* waiting on Lee Min Ho’s astronaut OBGYN to arrive and ponder whether 2024 will be kdrama’s breakout year

[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/4956077-mslattes-daebak-cybercafe-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?page=1 here. Our list is cumulative so includes previous threads’ recommendations. 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)
Maestra (Disney+)
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)
Tell Me That You Love Me (Disney+)
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)

Not Korean ‘You May Also Like’
Regulars also branch out into Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese drama. The Chinese & Taiwanese stuff is much more variable quality-wise, so we’ve noted anything decent 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)
Orange Days (Japan, Netflix)
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 💩
Melting Me Softly
The Birth of a Beauty
Well-Intentioned Love season 1 (S2 is fine & stands alone)

Top Scoring 2023 Dramas
#1 Bloodhounds 8.9
#2 = The Good Bad Mother 8.8
#2 = Deaths Game 8.8
#2 = Moving 8.8
#2 = The Glory 8.8
(#2 rankings by number of votes)

Top Scoring 2022 Dramas
#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.

We often 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 or have descended into acronym soup.

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!

Let’s Talk About CHU was fantastic. I wish there were more episodes. I’m sensing a breakthrough Taiwanese series when we get to our 2024 scoring.

I don’t know why I stopped watching Taiwanese series. I’d forgotten how much fun they are. It’s stirred memories of Jasper Liu in Before We Get Married - a blast from the past with Betty and Bea, back when all of this was fields. Happy days!

I'm sitting in the warm glow left by latest Knight Flower ep. ML, Lee Jong-Won is now sitting on my nomination list for the 2024 Advent calendar. He is vulnerable and adorable playing romantic lead opposite the grieving masked, night time vigilante widow, and his eyes are even more expressive than Jun-ho's.

Captivating the King has a more serious vibe but is equally enjoyable. Methinks 2024 will be the year when my arse becomes permanently square shaped from sitting on the sofa indulging in T/J/C/K dramas. My watch list is getting out of control and we're only in February!

@AmVa I know the one you mean, and there is definitely more 'pinning' than would be accetable now. I find the liberalism you mentioned interesting, it does seem quite laid back. I was getting Blackadder 2 'Bob' vibes though, especially the 'so you've started fancying boys now, have you?' style doctor 🙈

I watched the first episode of Knight Flower. That’s proper noona casting - FL is 41, ML is 30. 👏

Zooming through Legend of the Blue Sea - not used to evil Sung Dong-Il !!

Really enjoying it, way more than my love from the Star.

I agree with Boaty, Let's Talk About CHU really was rather excellent. I haven't binged a show like that in a long time, I couldn't put it down.

I only stopped because I got bored of once-a-week episodes so would wait for there to be more to binge and then forget about them! I really enjoyed Before We Get Married , Lost Romance and Be Loved In House: I do
Maybe this will be the year a Taiwan drama wins though it's only February and will have stiff competition from MMH - unless it goes into a slice-of-life category

I await my showering in praise

Praise me! Praise me!

You are the bestest norty drama finder evah and we’d all be stuck in a pit of hand-holding nerd poppet cosiness without you to show us the way! 🙌🙌🙌

Happy now FedUp? 😄

.

Wow, the trailer alone for Let's Talk About CHU nails its colours firmly to the mast, nothing coy there! 😲

I'm rather stuffed after scoffing a massive bowl of kimchi fried rice (with a fried egg on top 😋) so best that I stick to more sedate viewing for now. Good to know that there are noonas out there taking one for the team, thanks 😂🙏

I’m firmly anchored to the sofa by steak and ale pie and jacket spud, winter ballast.

😆

Send help chingus! I've started watching cdrama Xiuxia epic The Untamed on Netflix - started it, got a bit confused, went to bato, read the source material 😍, came back to Netflix and now I AM IN DEEP. There is like a billion episodes and it's not enough! More more! more!

Do you really want a lifeline Loup, or do you wants us to throw some Pringles and pop down to you?

I’m still laughing about Su-Min’s wedding dress in MMH. It was horrific. A distant cousin got hitched in a more restrained version of that dress in 1986. 🤣😂🤣

Slight grumble: I found the fever scene in the lounge mawkish rather than endearing. I think it was the syruppy music over the top. Also, all those candles left burning unattended overnight% with that skittish cheese tabby on the loose? 😱🔥🧯🚒

% Let’s set aside the fact that only church candles have that kind of staying power.

Just throw me some supplies - I'm in too deep to get out now, save yourselves!

Ooo I even forgot it was MMH day! I might wait till tomorrow and do a double bill binge....

Migs - thanks for the Knight Flower tip off. The replacement tiger painting made me smile. It’s better than her orchids, that’s for sure.

@TheLoupGarou I have heard The Untamed is an all consuming experience.. I might go in at some point in time but I don't feel like I have it in me at the moment!

OMG AmVa it has me in a total choke-hold!

Anyone that likes epic chinese fantasy drama (like Love Between Fairy and Devil) and bl : this is your jam.

I put off watching it for a while as I knew they had to present it as a bromance due to Chinese authorities/censorship but it is SO well done that you are in no doubt at all that there is a love story going on amid all the battling demons. The yearning! The angst! It is delicious.

Omg I love yearning and angst!!!!

The wedding scene from MMH was 🤌 PMH looked so amazing.

@TheLoupGarou I can also recommend Word of Honor (sic) for Chinese bl bromance and fantasy. In fact I saw it before The Untamed and loved it , however I have tried twice to watch Untamed and can't get into it.

bettys I had to go and read the manhwa so that I knew what was going on - the show sort of jumps about between the present and flashbacks without explaining anything at first, and there are a lot of confusingly similar factions and everyone has 3 names.
I fell enough in love with Wei Ying at first sight to persevere though. I think around episode 4 or 5 was when I really got sucked in, when it flashes back to how our heroes meet in the Cloud Recess.

I will definitely check out Word of Honor as well. I'm pondering how I can somehow make drama viewing my full time job because I'm definitely putting in full time hours 😆

The contrast between the two was great. The wedding dress was hideous.

A couple of things annoyed me with last night's episode, though. He seemed to get over his reluctance very quickly with very little persuasion. And he was so ill that he was practically unconscious on the floor but went to bed (with a fever in a wooly jumper) and woke up perfectly fine the next morning. Something very similar happened with Rowoon in She Would Never Know and it annoyed me then too. Either they are complete light weights who weren't sick at all or the medicine you get in Korea is nothing sort of a miracle! Rant over