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 don’t know if this was mentioned before … the decor of chairman’s home office in Mary my husband THERE IS A BIG STONE IN OFFICE. Was it too heavy to move so they did the construction around it?

Are we going to ship sister with the cute chef?

Aaaahh, Captivating the King (Netflix S,S) is .... well, captivating. I would rate it, so far, on par with The Red Sleeve cuff. Given the quality of the show four episodes in, I hope it is maintained.

warm glow at her niche taste oppa's show meeting Migs approval
I must get on to episode 2...

I was wondering that too! Very random.

And 100% food-loving sister with cute chef! They'd be very sweet together.

@polkettle - you are a certified genius! My PC screen now has a coffee stain as that Toppa Oppa was LOL. I love it all from the intro to the oppa descriptions. I wonder if I might get one of my girls to play, as she has a 'thing' for Song Kang after Sweet Home 1&2 and has even started on My Demon. BUT my showing intertest might be just too too much! Loving all the comments on MMH, Dr Slump etc. Am looking forward to the LNY/Spring Festival/Seollal holidays, when work will quiet down and I might be able treat myself to a full day of K-drama loveliness. Mind you not looking forward to the deep cleaning that I'll need to do in advance! Anyone who wants to clog up an artery, Krispy Kreme are at it again for the New Year - https://www.krispykreme.co.uk/lunar-new-year-dozen-and-favourites-dozen.html

OMG dragon! I want those donuts 🍩 😋 My ds was a year of the dragon baby so maybe that's an excuse to buy them?? < grasps at straws >

I was working all weekend so today I want to catch up ep 2 of Dr Slump and its MMH day too! Yay!

Krispy Kreme won't deliver to NI. I am crushed (but my arteries are thankful)

Glad they gave pleasure Dragon! My DS and his gf played them happily last night but as they have no KD interest they were not distracted by any perceived injustices in the scoring system.

@TheLoupGarou - try these maybe? Have friends who have had them other years and say they are lovely (not tired myself as do not like speculoos and was not going to spend that much on something I won't eat) + they use Royal Mail, so OK for you. https://biscuitboutique.co/products/yd1-year-of-the-dragon-speculoos-biscuits-with-red-envelope-6pcs

What time do the new episodes drop on Amazon?

I would kill for a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts right now (only slight exaggeration). The only potential sugary-fatty hit subs in the house right now are Mrs Crimbles macaroons or Baileys, neither of which work for me. 😭

Kristy Kreme 😭😭😭

Nothing can be substituted for those glazed beauties.

No Aldi, No Waitrose, No Kristy Kreme.

What's the fucking point of NI???

Enjoying Tomorrow, I'll be Someone's Girlfriend^^ on Disney+. Fans of J-dramas, check it out!

I know, FML.
I've just been to the shop for some mini eggs.

Just watching our Insta-beefcake ABH in Flexxcop on Disney+, but it's as it sounds so I might go in on the J drama while the kids are still at school...

Edited for spelling thanks to autocorrect

boaty hwaiting! How about a baileys? It's afternoon/ 5 o clock somewhere....

@JinBhoot When I saw that enormous stone, I realised that it is exactly what I need to put in front of the imaginary fern and orchid wall in my living room.

@Dragonrock Thanks for the biscuit link. It is so beautiful that I had to have it.

btw, some woke Chinese are not happy with the term "Lunar New Year". It is Chinese New Year as it uses a combination of lunar tables (and another table that I can't recall the name of) to determine the dates. The Chinese dates however, have been adopted by other Asian cultures and just called Lunar New Year. (Told you I know random crap 😁)

@MigsandTiggs glad you liked it. There have been sooo many adverts for Year of the Dragon stuff, expensive Radley handbags, cheap Shein sweatshirts.. Oh yes, the whole LNY/CNY thingy, been picking that up from some sources, esp nationalists on weibo. Often to be safe at work etc we just say Spring Festival but not sure most people in the West would know what I was going on about. A few years ago it was much more 'fashionable' to say LNY as CNY was seen to be too Western/old-fashioned. Honestly, I can't keep up 😃

One word ... traybakes

That's true. We do corner the market in Presbyterian buns 👍

Traybakes just don't cut it for me 😢

@mrsfeatherbottom PSA 🚨 ep 9 of MMH is up on Prime.

I had to stop with 20 mins to go so that I could collect dd, but flip me, Soo-min is getting scary. I think they have amped her up a bit from the webtoon (and she was bad enough already).

Nerdboss crush continues....

1 minute!

I think that’s the point - the chopping and changing keeps you on your toes.

I started work painfully early for me today so I’m going to retreat to the sofa to watch kdrama with a Baileys, an affection starved cat and some paracetamol in a minute. Thankfully my COVID test was negative so my plans for later this week are still do-able. 💪

MMH is delivering, big time. PMY’s engagement dinner was fantastic. More! I’m so sad that I can’t binge the whole series in one sitting. Also, who knew Solid Ground could leave one so shaken?👌

That's useful @MigsandTiggs, I work in education and we're never sure what name to call it when talking to the children.

Sorry, I think that I'm the only person here who loathes donuts with icing. Not a fan of ice cream either, which seems to be some kind of deadly sin in K-world!

DH is out tonight so I've got a glass of Portugese red to see me through the last episode of Flower of Evil and the second Dr Slump 😄

By the way, does anyone else cook Korean on a regular-ish basis?