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!

You just made my day fedup. It was one of my fav shows too!

I can't open that link Briiiiiick, but I assume it confirms a second series 😃

I really want to watch Shogun too TheGirl, but also it's Chicken Nugget Day!

It does indeed.

CHICKEN NUGGET DAY!!!

I watched Exhuma and it's not scary. The slightly doubtful Pol might want to book it after reading this spot on review.

It was very interesting to find out that some aspects of Korean superstitions were similar to Afro-Caribbean ones ie the use of rice to form a seal. Perhaps it's universal?

Thanks Migs, maybe I'll give it a go. But in the end I'm just much more girl-turns-into-a-chicken-nugget rather than lets-dig-up-another-grave sorta Kfan

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/mar/15/its-so-weird-the-tv-show-about-a-woman-who-turns-into-a-chicken-nugget?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Count down to episode 3 of Queen of Tears….
(Yes, I know I need to find a hobby or get out more).

Now I feel I need to learn Korean to follow relationship hierarchy😁
Link

@maldoandwae last 2 episodes of Doctor Slump this weekend! 😭

I had to stop Shogun about 40 minutes in. It was so tense and oppressive; then it was the scene where they discuss murdering the baby and then the guy was beheaded in the street and that was all just too much for me. To be honest, the baby sent me over the edge! I don't remember the 70s version being like this 🫣😂 DH has continued without me.

Chicken Nugget is definitely interesting!

Has anyone watched True to Love on Prime with Yoo In-Na? DH wants to watch that next .

I laughed in QOT when KSH said KJW’s bouclé jacket looked something his nan would wear. I agree. There is something weirdly conservative about a lot of high end ladies’ fashion.

DH and I are absolutely loving Chicken Nugget. I loved the reference to the film Interstellar in episode 3, and also CHA EUN WOO 🤣

boatyardblues · Today 18:44

I laughed in QOT when KSH said KJW’s bouclé jacket looked something his nan would wear. I agree.

Yes, I enjoyed that scene. The drama is hotting up a bit - I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s episode.

The first episode of Shogun was definitely the most brutal - the other episodes so far haven't been as bad.

We've just finished Death's Game and DH wanted to follow it up with something a bit lighter so we're now watching My Man is Cupid.

I'm also somehow on ep 14 of Word of Honour. There are way too many characters and sects and I've still no real clue what's going on half the time but I seem to be hooked regardless. I think it's the aesthetics, everything's so pretty to look at.

I might give Queen of Tears a go as well. If I watch it with everyone else I won't have to worry about the spoilers minefield I had with Marry My Husband when I had to skip half the thread because I was so far behind 😂

I am reluctantly pulling myself away from Chicken Nugget to go to Lidl (we fell foul of the Sainsburys meltdown yesterday & have nothing to eat). DH got accidentally sucked into it at the end of episode 2. His exact words were: “this is genius, I need more!” 😆 Some of the casting is hilarious if you’ve watched Melo - e.g. elderly woman with dementia and her son. 😉 DH thought the Interstellar homage was funny.

Finished Chicken Nugget. Loved it. It may not be what you expect so if you're wavering about the premise try an episode. Definitely not to be missed by fans of Be Melodramatic.

Slight tangent: it’s Japan week in Lidl and there are all sorts of interesting things in their specials section. I’m looking forward to the black sesame ice cream mochi balls later and bought some katsu sauce packs to try. I wavered about buying all three flavours of ice cream mochi because they all looked good (yuzu or raspberry & lychee). I wasn’t brave (or mad) enough to buy the wasabi ice cream.

That's good to hear @mrsfeatherbottom. I'm still not sure I will carry on!

I saw an advert for the Japan week boaty. Wasabi ice cream does sound intense!

I’ve just finished Chicken Nugget. It was nicely bonkers. Now I want to watch Melo again.

I haven't started Chicken Nugget yet but after the mention, maybe would try Melo again as I dropped it first time round.
Wonderful World, Flex x Cop, QOT and The Impossible Heir all heating up!

I have to say I’m a bit disappointed with Queen of Tears though I’ll go on watching it.
It seems to lack the originality and bite of CLOY and My Love from the Star.
Do you remember the scene in MLFTS when Cheon Song-Yi’s chaebol admirer confronts Do min Jun, telling him to leave her alone and recounts all the things they’ve done together?
Then the scene cuts to the lecture room and Do min Jun tells his students that jealousy is an emotion only felt by inadequate, weak minded people. Then his reaction to the chaebol…..
That was the most brilliant depiction of jealousy I’ve ever seen but jealousy in QofT is depicted unremarkably.

Maybe the jealousy is appropriate since they are in beginning, uncertain stages of a relationship again?

I am interested to see where QoT goes - feels like so many drama touch points have happened already, things are already established or in motion so where are we going to go from here? Feels like we are still in the set up phase for a bigger second act. Does anyone know what I am trying to say??

Love the bonkers aunt and her birthday crown.

Evil step - mother / step girlfriend of the grandfather is giving off the same vibe as LOTBS evil stepmother to the point where I am suspicious of that poisonous purple flower being in all the food she is giving the Chairman 🤨🤨🤨

AmVa Snap! Having just watched LOTBS my mind went in the exact same direction. My feeling is the direction of travel for the show in general is all about family and what being part of a family really means. I'm enjoying it so far. Best wild boar scene since boar-cam in My Girlfriend is a Gumiho.

I’m finding KSH’s mawkish adolescent fawning over FL in ep 4 of QOT tiresome. To quote the kids, it’s so cringe. The best way to handle this would be to head out to the golf course for the day. A man secure in his relationship doesn’t need to lurk anxiously nearby.

There are wild boars everywhere at the mo. It’s like the drowning in a room metaphor recently. Someone’s paid for the CGI or set up so they’re getting their money’s worth.