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!

Vincenzo just landed in QoT !!💖

QoT has descended into slapstick and I'm loving it. 😂

I’m playing catch up, still watching ep 7 of QOT. How many of you would stay living with your in laws in these circumstances? I would be couch surfing with friends!

I'm loving QoT with all its silliness.

Also watching Little Women and it's great - so tense though. And all the twists!! So, will need something super fluffy and sweet to watch when it's over.

I’m enjoying QOT so much more now it’s leaning hard into the makjang aspects. If we can get KSH to stop blubbing for 5 mins it may yet come good. 🤞

New thread ready to go when we’ve filled this one: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5040378-mslattes-daebak-cybercafe-kdrama-addicts-46-still-no-sign-of-lee-min-ho-leaving-us-with-plenty-of-time-to-debate-whether-queen-of-tears-can-be-genre-defined-and-whats-going-on-with-kim-soo-hyuns-neck

boatyardblues · Yesterday 23:04
I’m enjoying QOT so much more now it’s leaning hard into the makjang aspects. If we can get KSH to stop blubbing for 5 mins it may yet come good.

Yes, there is excess blubbing.
I enjoyed episode 8 the most so far. I do feel a bit sorry for Hong Soo Cheol - he may be stupid but he seems a nice person.

Yes, a Korean Tim Nice But Dim. Even his sleeper wife seemed to be having misgivings. I think there’s a possibility she may come through for him yet.

Hong Soo Cheol's earnest little face makes me smile every time. I first noticed the actor in Vincenzo and will check out his other dramas.

Am I the only one starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with how long my "to watch list" is growing? I still haven't watched My Dearest and currently watching about six shows. The house work is falling behind and it's time to start on the garden!

Is anyone watching the Impossible Heir on Disney? I keep getting clips on instagram.

@mrsfeatherbottom , I am. It's a thriller on Disney+. Polling at 7.1 on imdb, which is about what I would rate atm, and not as entertaining as QoT.

Migs my to-watch list gives me nightmares 😱 I've got so many 'classics' to catch up with (featuring Ahn Jae-hong, Park Seo-joon and Yoo Yeon-seok), plus Ahn Bo-hyun material, I've decided to focus on that rather than new things. Unless they feature any of of those guys or perennial Saram favourite, Choi Moo-sung 😍🫶😁

Talking of which, LOVED Chicken Nugget.

I'm back from Seoul. Happy to see the fam, and looking forward to catching up with Korean friends here and getting back into class, but man do I miss it 🥹

@Saram13 If you've never watched In the Soop don't start. It is the thief of time! After learning about the Wooga Squad from loup, I made the mistake of watching the Friendcation eps. The boys are adorable, and their friendship and happiness at being together is what you hope your own children will have in their friendship groups. (I also now think PeakBoy is cute).

Korean women weren’t playing when they said we’re not having anymore kids till your misogynistic ways stop
link

Its been a while since I have been on thread - not sure if this is shared in earlier posts.

Peakboy for the win migs 🤣 - he's like Jackson in GOT7 - not really the hottest, just the best 😁

I’m all caught up with the Midnight Studio and Wedding Impossible.

With MS I’ve inferred you need to die on a quiet day to get the full Midnight Studio work up. Die in a bus crash or the middle of a pandemic and it’s the express, no frills service - which seems a shame for the undeparted with unfinished business. Also, the ML needs a good seeing to so he can go with no regrets. 😉

Is WI only 12 episodes? Today’s felt like it could all be wrapped up tomorrow.

Yes. 12 eps. Barely even bothering to keep track of plot and motivations in last couple of eps but don't care because leads have been so enjoyable.

Same here.

MigsandTiggs - reading your post about In The Soop made me all nostalgic and I have been wandering around singing 'Bon Vogayai, bon voyagai, bon voyagai'. I LOVED the Bon Voyage series from BTS. Helped my get through lockdown. Not watched much of Freindcation, need to rectify that.

Dragonrock you are evil! I am now searching for the BTS Bon Voyage series. 😁

Okay threads and motivations finally pulling together much better in QoT. Could be a classic yet.

@Saram13 you do know that Choi Moo Sung is in Mr Sunshine don't you??? The splendid Corporal Jang 😍AND Yoo Yeon Seok AND it's a classic so it ticks lots of boxes

migs the Bon Voyage series are my favourite! So fun - I love the New Zealand one, but they are all good 👍

@bettys whaaaat CMS nobody told me!!!!! 😱😁 I'd reluctantly decided Mr Sunshine was a bridge too far at 20 (!) episodes of nearly 90 minutes. But this changes EVERYTHING 😍

People, less than a week ago I was sitting mere metres from Yoo Yeon-seok 😳Resplendent on stage as Hedwig, in the latest Korean production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I've never actually seen him a drama (I'm not counting The Interest of Love or whatever it was called - snorefest). He was fantastic as Hedwig, enormous stage presence and a surprisingly (to me) good voice. Very funny, charismatic, flirty, and now I have even more dramas to catch up with. One of the highlights of a fabulous trip.

Saram - you have to watch Mr Sunshine. It is epic. There are so many great actors in it, no bum performances. The cinematography is exquisite, the costumes and set design top notch. YYS is so brooding and sexy as Dong Mae. Everything about it is <chef’s kiss>!