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!

T'Internet has just reminded me that Wedding Impossible is dropping this week - I know some of us have had our fingers burned by MMH (and the influence of Colin Robinson) but, ever the optimist, I'm hoping this webtoon based one can stick the landing ...... its either Prime or Viki, not sure which....

Is anyone else watching House of Ninjas on Netflix? It’s good, based on the first episode. It has a quirky family dysfunction Royal Tennenbaums’s vibe going on, stylish production, great music and cool fight scenes. I’m completely sold.

I've watched House of Ninjas, boaty as I like all things ninja. There must be a Series 2 in the works.

Yes me and dh watched it and enjoyed it a lot boaty 👍 Haru's attractiveness increased x10 every time he put his ninja gear on 😁

We've just started watching Brother's Sun - good so far!

In no-one asked, but I'm telling you anyway: my mum has finished MMH (I recommended it to her on Seollal in its halcyon pre-BoA honeymoon period) and my phone was flooded with "IT STILL HASN'T ENDED 왜?" approx every 3 minutes late last night with emoji summaries e.g. 👻💒🌸 and finally just a chain of💩and 🧀 😆She also pointed out the random redemption arc of one particular character which I forgot to be annoyed about among all the other annoyances. So freshly annoyed and here to share it 😘

The correct procedure is still prostrating self, beating breast and cries of OMA, yes?

In happier news, I have shelled out for Netflix and watched the first 2 eps of Dr. Slump! Addictive so far; is it holding up?

Whose random redemption arc annoyed you both??

I have just started Perfect Marriage Revenge for some melodrama to go with the more thoughtful Doctor Slump characters.

How did nobody mention that within like two months of each other we had two shows where the plots are downtrodden woman > unhappy marriage > untimely death > time travel back to change her fate > Dramatic group cooking class with mother in law!!!!

Great so far, no notes. Which, if it follows the same trajectory as MMH, it'll be great for the first 3/4 and then abruptly turn terrible.

MMH SPOILERS

@mrsfeatherbottom the office rancid misogynist petty tyrant! Making cutesy heart signs in the wedding photos while everyone cooed. 🙄

Ah, yes!

I wondered about him too - why tf did get get a wedding invite?? Wouldn't happen on my watch!

Ugh. Typo and I missed the edit window "why tf did he get" is of course what I meant to type...

AmVa I really liked PMR - it played out a lot more satisfyingly overall than MMH but it is way more makjang at the same time...

So much for you to watch on Netflix maldo 😍!

Still not done MMH but PMR is non stop no notes laugh out loud makjang joy AmVa. Maybe because it's 12 episodes...

First thing to watch on Netflix, Maldo...

Let's Talk About Chu

💯💯💯

Yey!!

Eye Love You coming to Netflix!

Looks great 👍

I am very much enjoying the macho action and dodgy forensic science glorious NONSENSE of First Responders

I'm be really looking forward to My name is Loh Kiwan coming to Netflix. It looks brilliant, despite me not being a Song Joong Ki fan. Also season 2 of Physical 100 💪🏻

I also keep looking it for Love Village 2, but no sign of it yet 👀

My journey through the Korea Deconstructed back catalogue continues (he’s not paying me to promote it, I promise). Dutch Bart was well worth the time. I’m now listening to the recent German Buddhist/Taekwondo guy’s (Anton) interview. The latest fun fact was that South Koreans weren’t allowed to travel abroad until 1989. I got the sense this was leisure/tourism rather than essential business travel, hence the Jeju honeymoon being such a big thing. If I recall this was discussed towards the end of Dutch Bart’s interview.

I've just watched the most recent Suchwita which had El Capitxn on it. It was lovely! Such genuine friends chatting. And then at the end Yoongi said it was the last one, and there was a compilation of all the guests and it totally brought a tear to my eye 🥲

Me too TheGirl there were a couple of bits when they were talking where I teared up as well (unlike me!) - they were both so open and honest and seemed so genuinely close. It was lovely, one of my favourites.

@TheLoupGarou yes the bits about them struggling with their mental health and el Capitxn not being able to sing any more 😭

It made my heart hurt, but in the best way. I just wanted to pick them up, put them in my pocket and protect them both.
It was funny at the start when they both got the giggles because they had never seen each other in full makeup before and the enthusiastic ppl for their favourite delivery place. Adorable.

@maldoandwae I can exactly picture your mother's increasingly frustrated '왜?'s 😁 I get the irritation with the end, though I thought it scraped it all together again well enough (albeit rather cheesily). Was just talking to my teacher about it and she said BoA got slated for her contribution (the unnecessary evil chaebol ex-fiancee storyline) 😬

You are going to have enormous fun with Netflix 🙌. I second the Let's Talk About Chu recommendation.

@Rowdy I keep searching forlornly for Love Village season two as well
😔

@TheGirlWithTheArabStrap and @TheLoupGarou I'm stilll some episodes behind on Suchwita. It's been a wonderful gift of a series that I've been savouring slowly like one of the ppl 55% proof drinks they've featured. A real joy to see Yoongi settling into and coming to enjoy his interviewer role. Nearly a year on I'm still listening to tracks from D-Day every day and appreciating its wisdom and life lessons (and cringing at the awful English in YOU KNOW WHICH TRACK, I've not forgotten Min Yoongi 🤔😂)

While waiting for new shows to drop I'm continuing to catch up with classics. On a Lego Hair Ahn Bo-hyun run at the moment. Partly in ongoing disgusted response to denial of FlexX Cop. I'm somewhere in between genuinely liking Ahn Bo-hyun, and enjoying his dramas but finding him more than slightly silly because of puffed up ego/silly pose-y selfies (hello Song Kang). While I wish SK well I'm afraid he's firmly off the pub list. I'd be willing to give ABH a go, but he'd need to limit protein-drink and sponsorship-deal talk. Bonus points if he brings a small dog along.

Want to line up the next ABH drama for once I've finished Her Private Life. Back in the days I was a lurker rather than a fully card-carrying FN many of you were watching Yumi's Cells. It was thumbs up, right?

Saram 13 - have you watched ABH in Military Prosecutor Doberman? It might appeal as it is has a redemptive storyline for his character, and sort of offsetting the posturing etc. I am still in the loving arms of Hospital Playlist 2, very close to the end. I will really miss it. Have to decide if I go back to MMH or start on Dr Slump or head back to Secret Royal Inspector & Joy. V busy IRL at the mo, with Uni offer days (twins aiming for different course at different Unis is leading to a LOT of driving/chatting) taking up most of spare time and think I will be lucky to get in a full series before Easter.

Saram13 Yumi's Cells is a thumbs up from me, there's rumours of a series 3 too 🤞. I liked ABH in it and also in Military Prosecutor Doberman - I think that is probably my favourite role of his dragon. I was kind of rooting for him in Her Private Life as well, although his character was a bit of a sad sack who obviously couldn't compete with his hotness KJW, that shower scene was a service to humanity 🫡.

I think my overall opinion of ABH hinges entirely on whether he takes himself seriously or not? Is he a Kim Ji Hoon/Jay Park (👎) or an Ok Taecyeon (👍)? It makes all the difference. I feel like if Taec came down to the pub he wouldn't bore us by talking about macros and crossfit whereas Jay Park would talk about himself for hours and KJH would be checking out his own reflection in the mirrors behind the bar.