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!

I have a charger in my car, it only works sporadically though for reasons known only unto itself!

I'd also like to put in an application for the 'abs makeup' job - or, failing that (as my impulse control isn't the best either) one of the people that films all the behind the scenes vlogs

Dragon, CtK just pulls you in and then the tension wallops you, so you will need a happy show to watch in tandem, to give your muscles time to relax and recover. I will probably have abs of steel by the time the show ends!😁

I can now see (thanks writer pol) how the scriptwriter could pull a happy ending out of all the scheming. I like the idea that the characters are playing a real life baduk game.

The King has a very artistic and attractive beard but I want the job oiling the abs please.

boaty, I have two charging cables and a full power bank in my car, so you are not alone.

Rolling back in to wish all filthy noonas a belated happy lunar new year!

Spent the holiday weekend at my mum's, where there was Netflix! But Hospital Playlist got vetoed because of some trumped up 'no telly surgery while making mandu' house rule 🙄, and everyone had already seen CLOY and clearly I'm never going to get to catch up on anything am I? <tantrums> (We ended up watching the quality family entertainment that is Traitors Aus season 2 😅)

MMH is still not back in my good books. Ep. 13 had so much bloody SCREAMING. @boatyardblues perhaps volume is meant to substitute for (lack of) facial movement. Though I was glad to see the return of genuinelyscary!Min-Hwan, it just further emphasised how unnecessary all these new/old villains are.

In MMH, BoA's top lip can barely move when she talks. Why is this considered a good look?

hooting at "no telly surgery while making mandu" Think that would apply to telly sex too.

We have a 'Punks must turn the sound right down (ideally off) when she is watching zombies at the breakfast table' rule 😂

It's the only meal where we allow phones, but DH finds the squelchy noises off-putting 🙄

Sorry Punks but I think I'd have to be with your husband re zombies at breakfast. If anthing I prefer a gentle school or college based drama to ease me into the day.

In other news, I do have have a charger in my car but it's not compatible with my current phone 😂

Up to date with MMH here and it's redeemed itself, although the twists and turns are reminding me somewhat uncomfortably of Behind Your Touch (though it's thankfully not that extreme). I do however agree that screechiness and lack of facial movement is an uncanny combo.

Rounded off Itaewon Class, and while I enjoyed it I agree with friends' comment that some of the main characters are irritating. Talking of unrealistic bits in dramas, I wouldn't have wanted a romantic reunion with the person of my dreams having spent a night without a toothbrush and easy toilet access like they did 🤔

Now moving on to Her Private Life and Fight For My Way. Started on A Killer Paradox, not into it yet but will try episode 2 tomorrow. Think I need to track down LTNS at Olga's 👀

Since last year's trip to Korea I now always carry a power bank 🙌😁

New Korean course started this weekend just gone (my fifth, where has the time gone). Our new teacher believes learning Korean grammar like Koreans is the way to go. It's fiendishly difficult, but even after one lesson this more analytical approach does seem to be helping things fall into place. He's also reducing the time spent working from our rather old-fashioned book, and upping free conversation time. Curious how it will pan out. Meanwhile mega geek here has written up about 700 flash cards with Korean words I should have learned over the past two years and haven't 💀 hwaiting! 😂

Well done Saram! You have way more staying power than me, though I’m also planning to get back to it this year.

I was struck by how even PMY - poised, young(ish) and dainty - can’t walk in those awful red stilettos. They seem to be designed for posing only.

I’m now rooting most for Manager Yang and the taciturn lawyer, with the chef/rich poppet combo in 2nd place. PMY’s pulled a decent performance out of her acting bag this time but there’s something about her that now leaves me cold. Her performances feel inauthentic, for want of a better word. Glacial is the other word that comes to mind.

@Saram13 you get my vote for most dedicated, nerd student. 🙇

@boatyardblues I'm with you on shipping the other romantic pairings in MMH.
The M/FLs lack chemistry.

PMY leaves me cold as well - she (probably unfairly) gives me bitch vibes, which is probably down to all the botox/expressionless face. Her office high heels are ridiculous, would anyone really wear heels like that for work? Unthinkable 🤣 I concede that I am coming from a nurse perspective however and that other people walk less than me..
I think ML/FL have ok chemistry (and I do really like Na In-woo in this) but I am SO rooting for the other couples, especially Ms Yang - she was one of my favourite characters in the webtoon as well.

Top student award for Saram 👩‍🎓 heading for first place in the class rankings!! 💪

I think A Killer Paradox really sucked me in around the third episode so stick with it for a bit...

Full attention to detail required for making mandu surely??? 😆

I now have a 'no watching Thai BL while the kids are wandering about' rule, because we aren't talking holding hands and longing glances - when I was watching Kinn Porsche I thought to myself - imagine if you were an employee of this household just trying to go about your day - you can't turn a corner without coming across the heir of the family banging his lover up against a giant window. Getting the smears off the glass would be a nightmare.

I digress

TheLoupGarou - now that description made me spit my tea on my screen! I used my time off for New Year wisely, lovely dim sum lunch with the teens (who even said thank you for a lovely day and love you as they went to bed last night😍...nearly 18 is a lot better with my girls than 14-17) and then lots of episodes of HP. So so good! Tears, laughter and that was just me. Need to now catch-up on MMH, as delayed the last few ep, as one of the teens was watching it with me but she also likes to watch The Apprentice with us as well, not sure how we are going to stay up to date.

@Dragonrock I love older teens, they can be fab 🤗 My eldest is a similar age and is really good company at the moment. The change from school (all adults were 'in charge' of him) to college (where he is expected to take more control himself) has really helped him too.

I enjoyed Gyeongsang Creature, many thanks to whoever recommended it. I was in the mood for something a bit silly, so have embarked on The Last Empress, all 26 episodes of it! 🙈

Deeply jealous that you get to enjoy HP for the first time Dragon.
If anyone needs a very very sooky Cdrama watch with literally NO conflict then Amidst a Snowstorm of Love is quite extraordinarily low stress syrup. 2 episodes dropping a day to watch at lunchtime and it's like being served a bucketful of Angel Delight (with a scattering of snooker themed sprinkles)

I have so much to catch up on! Have been on a work trip working 10 hour days followed by customer dinners at night so no time for even a sneaky little kdrama moment in my hotel room 😴😴 just home and today hope I can catch up on at least one MMH while I WFH / eat lunch. Seems from some comments here it has gone off the boil a bit which is a shame.

I'm so impressed with your Korean learning!
And jealous of you watching Her Private Life and Fight For My Way for the first time. FFMY was the drama that flipped me from long time lurker to regular poster on this thread 😄

Okay - had the WFH day from hell where I had a 5 hour meeting and midway through got the dreaded daycare call to get my son. As soon as I picked him up he was literally dancing around and not a sign of the tummy ache he'd been complaining about. Needless to say I didn't get a lunch break where I could watch kdrama but I have stayed up late tonight to watch two MMH and happy to say I am still really enjoying it!

Very glad Min-Hwan is back to being properly menacing, the show needs it. Does Na In Woo get more handsome every week??? Those are my main two thoughts.

I'm glad MMH is still going along OK. Hopefully we'll get back to it after a slight detour to watch Duty After School which DH got me hooked watching.

I've also found myself reading Business Proposal on Bato for some reason. Must be pining for a second season.

Yesterday I finished both Killer Paradox and A Shop for Killers (Disney+) and found them equally enjoyable. I loved the action scenes in SfK and was less distracted by Lee Dong Wook's tweakments as the show went on. There was even a throwback to Clint Eastwood's "I dare you to count the bullets" sequence.😁

House of Ninjas (Netflix Jdrama) drops today.

Does Na In Woo get more handsome every week???

Haha, yes 😍

I'm enjoying the behind the scenes stuff of him on Instagram- he's so goofy and adorable.

Me and DH finished A Killer Paradox last night, I thought it was actually excellent - a bit slow to get going at the start but very well done. SSK and CWS both put in brilliant performances but the whole cast was great.

I need to watch A Shop for Killers - couldn't interest dh in it but I'll work on him 😁

I'm on a Bato binge so no dramas for me these hast few days except a scoot through Ao Haru Ride on Viki and an anime catch up on Crunchyroll.

@Saram13 🙌for the language learning! What is this Korean way of studying grammar, please?

Agree MMH 14 was an improvement on recent eps though the dramatic cliffhanger depended on Ji-Won acting totally out of character 🙄I was giggling through that whole horror movie in the office sequence. Also v. childishly amused at BoA popping a gobstopper. Was this filmed before/after the internet furore over her lips/teeth/continued presence in this show?

Started Moving with DP and will line up Ao Haru Ride for solo watching. Thanks @FedUpWithBriiiiick for the heads up, I remember liking the manga way back when. What are you watching on CR?