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!

Is Wedding Impossible on Viki?

I think it's viki and/ or Prime depending on region?

I haven't started it yet but really liked the webtoon so planning to watch!

I started watching Shogun on Disney+ this morning. It’s not really in keeping with this thread because it’s an outside look in, rather than an inward look out and no doubt a western take on feudal Japan. However, I am loving the set design, the wonderful silk robes, traditional buildings and artwork in the buildings. Grubby pirates and soldiers aside, the aesthetic is 👌. I have a sneaking suspicion much of the coastal location footage is the Pacific northwest/British Columbia, so I’m not getting excited about the scenery.

DS started watching with me but fled when the courtesan flashed her boobs. It’s 18+, in case anyone else is thinking of watching with teens. So far it has cut away before getting too fruity or violent, but the cringe factor for teens is ever present.

I should add, there are casual beheadings and one of the European sailors is slowly boiled to death in a big pot cannibal style. Def not one for younger teens.

DH was just saying yesterday that he wanted to watch Shogun. It's got good reviews.

Yes me and DH watched the first couple of episodes and thought it was good. I found main guys accent annoyingly posh - he's like bloody Alec Guinness in star wars 😁 boaty I agree it's definitely an outside-looking-in perspective. The cinematography, set design and costumes are all beautiful though and it's a good story (read it years ago).

Thanks for the reminder about Shogun. I started My Name is Loh Kiwan but not really in the mood for sad/heavy(which is where I think this story will go) today.

Queen Dowager giving Ultimate KD Mother in today's CtK.

I take it all back. Shogun has been well-received in Japan and praised for its historical accuracy. The article also touches on the success of Squid Game and Parasite.

Disney’s Shogun puts stereotypes to the sword, say Japanese

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/46bfd088-64aa-4959-b751-25e697d99220?shareToken=16adec830c09eaf6912e85b478314336

I forgot it was Bob Plays Baduk night. 🎉

I'm doing deferred gratification - didn't watch ep 14 last week and waiting till 16 drops tomorrow to watch all 3 eps.

The lead actress in Shogun (Anna Sawai) looked familiar so I looked her up. She was in Giri/Haji and Pachinko.

I thought she looked familiar!

I had an Audible credit backlog so I’ve downloaded Max Hastings’ The Korean War, all 19+ hours of it. 😬 I listened to the first 45 mins or so doing my ironing. It’s like the old testament where it’s a succession of names and linear narrative, so I’m not sure how much will stick when I can’t scribble in the margins. I’m already getting a sense of how badly the allies underestimated what they were getting into. War broke put in June 1950, so the US forces are arriving in the peak rainy season. The opening chapters are talking about how the constant rain is rendering US equipment and armaments useless and the conditions making the soldiers ill. The mosquitoes and starvation too. I am having flashbacks to coverage of that doomed scout jamboree a couple of years ago. This is my first dip into military history and it is dry, but I’ve already learned a few things.

Never underestimate the power of mossies to demoralise an army. 😈

I have no idea whether Hastings’ account will be faithful or balanced, so I’m prepared to read more widely afterwards. In The Origins of the Tragedy chapter Hastings touches on an agreement between the Japanese and British before Japan occupied Korea in 1910. Basically the Brits agreed not to intervene in Korea if the Japanese left British interests in India alone (paraphrasing). No one comes out of this well. 🙁

We really want to watch Shogun too, so I'm glad to see people are enjoying it. We need to go finish off another (American 😱) series first though.

I started A Shop for Killers yesterday, which is brilliant! It's pretty intense and has got me gripped after only 2 episodes.

DH is dropping DD back at uni this evening so I'm hoping I can fit in this weekend's episodes of Dr Slump before he gets home. PHS is so good as the romantic lead 🥰

I’m finding Dr Slump frustrating. It is from the ‘throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks’ school of plotting. The new tangent with their medical school sunbae hinted at yesterday left me thinking “huh?” It’s a bit of a mess, but PHS and PSH are just about holding it together.

Rowdy, I loved ASfK. A bit disappointed that Shogun is airing rather than been dropped in full and glad that I went to Japan last year. Amazing that most of it was shot in BC, Canada. My BIL lives in BC and I've been promising to visit...

I also need to vent about the unemployed, hideously entitled younger brother in Dr Slump. He’s awful. How they haven’t murdered him and put him under a patio, I don’t know. Also, if he can’t get a job, now would be a great time to get his military service out of the way.

CtK couldn't quite sustain its full plot theatrics to the end I feel, but wrapped up satisfactorily with no tissues required. Recommend to anyone in twisty sageuk mood. And my lovely ham oppa JJS was excellent 😁

I’m only surmising BC because it gives huge tax breaks for film productions, has good infrastructure and all the coastal and forest scenes so far in Shogun look like the Twilight/50 Shades of Grey films and most US/Canadian TV sci-fi shot in the last 15-20 years.

I definitely agree with you here! He's the most annoying character, there's nothing likable about him at all, he's just a shouty brat.

I have to agree with you on CtK pol. I want to know what happened on the queen vacancy front. Tame, tame ending after the stomach churning thrills of a twisty plot. Couldn't the budget have extended to some sightseeing in Beijing? Awful slo-mo fish kissing too.🙄I wanted to light a fire under the FL!

Re Dr Slump, not even PHS can get me to return it. Sorry not sorry rowdy!😁