MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (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 what’s going on with Kim Soo-Hyun’s neck

[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/4989666-mslattes-daebak-cybercafe-kdrama-addicts-45-where-we-are-still-waiting-on-lee-min-hos-astronaut-obgyn-to-arrive-and-ponder-whether-2024-will-be-kdramas-breakout-year?reply=132388025 here.
Our list is cumulative so includes recommendations and favourites from all previous threads. 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
I picked up a celebrity on the street (Viki)
LTNS (no major platform yet)
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)
Killer Paradox (Netflix)
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)
Destined with You (Netflix)
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 for Love’s Sake(QiYi)
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)🌟
Wedding Impossible (Viki)
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)🌟
Marry My Husband (
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)🌟
First Responders (Disney+)
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
Chicken Nugget (Netflix)
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)
Let’s Talk About Chu (Netflix, Taiwan)⭐️
Lost Romance [BL] (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, Japanese)
Some Day or One Day (Viki, Taiwanese)
Sweat and Soap (Viki, Japanese)
The Makanai (Netflix, Japanese)
The Romance of Tiger & Rose (Viki, Chinese)
The Untamed (Nertlix, Chinese)
To Fly with Me (Viki, Chinese)
Tientsin Mystic (Netflix, Chinese)
You Are My Hero (Viki, Chinese)⭐️

AVOID aka “the shit list” 💩
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!

Haven't looked her up but she was young version of FL in Hidden Love I think Jin. She's a great actress.

The scene with the best mate and the TCM doctor having lunch was trés amusant.

Anyone watching Lovely Runner around here? The premise didn't seem like it was for me as I'm not really into high school set dramas, but the reaction I am seeing online is insane. People talking about not just watching it but having an out of body experience where they are subsumed by the show...

@bettys is and loving it I think Amva. Intending to go in when my head is less full of Chen Maidong (which can be said in exactly the same tone as Park Morgan)

@AmVa Other than Will Love In Spring it is my MOST favourite drama at the moment. There is high school stuff but it's timey wimey so dips in and out. Loving the leads and their chemistry (shades of Extraordinary You, it is the same FL with another gorgeous ridiculously tall ML) Excellent ensemble cast and mystery thriller woven in too.

Agree @polkettle the characters of Will Love in Spring are really staying with me, I have to have an emotional reset before watching anything else.
I think Chen Maidong is my favourite Li Xian character, sensitive without being drippy, effortlessly hot even when doing something mundane, like cooking
(which is also a Park Morgan moment as he is in a white shirt 🔥)

I'm mostly immune to the charms of romantic cdramas, so I'm not watching that one, but I'm watching Lovely Runner AmVa and I'm totally hooked. It's kdrama at its best. Bonkers fantasy storyline, a strong FL who's like a force of nature and a ridiculously good looking ML who starts out as a swimmer and turns into an idol. It's just perfect. And the comedy friend is actually funny.

I am glad your mentioned Lovely Runner AmVa. I am not a fan of the high school stuff, just makes me feel rather voyeuristic but having seen clips of it I have been intrigued. With the kudos I see here for the FL, means I can now watch not just for the v handsome Byeon Woo-seok. Will add it to my list.

Okay - I'll be starting it as soon as I finish Eye Love You!! Thanks all 😍😍

I’ve started watching Frankly Speaking on Netflix with affable sweetheart Ko Kyung-Po as an anchorman. As romcoms go it has a screwball sensibility. I just had to pause because I was howling with laughter at his performance of the wetlands poem. I laughed so hard I have tears in my eyes. I can predict with a high degree of confidence his chemistry with this FL will tower over his (lack of) chemistry with PMY.

I'm have this one on my playlist. I really like him, and want him to do really well!

I have both those on my watch list- there's been a lot of buzz around Lovely Runner hasn't there? Whilst its not my most favourite setting, I actually really enjoy a good high-school/college drama - probably because I tend to like Young Adult/New Adult type storylines - coming of age/first love/ self discovery/found family - that sort of thing. High emotional stakes .....

Also LOVE Ko Kyung-Po and laughed out loud at some of the clips I've seen of Frankly Speaking so that's on my list too.

Just saw the clip of Frankly Speaking^^ in the lift, and puerile me was 😆

I wasn't getting any love for Lovely Runner so dropped it, but I'm loving the pace of Chief Detective 1958 (Disney+) and absolutely adoring the chubby, baby face of Choi Woo Sung who looks like he gained weight for the role. Add in Lee Je Hoon as the best cow thief catcher ie the opposite of his taciturn role in Taxi Driver, good FL/ML chemistry, the entertaining diversity of Team One's havoc causing activities in the Police force and I think it's a hit!

You make an appealing case here Miggs. I’m tempted, especially with your Lee Ji Hoon insights. He’s underrated and often overlooked.

With DS in full revision mode we’re not doing much this weekend. Exam season = more weekend drama time for me. 🙌

Looking at Joo Jong Hyuk’s mydramalist entry, it seems a second season of Extraordinary Attorney Woo is in production: https://mydramalist.com/people/29937-joo-jong-hyuk

Follow me in boaty.....

Excellent news!

I did a shuffle and seem to have settled on Lovely Runner.

Boaty the joy of Kdrama is that there's something for everyone 😍
I'm uptodate on CD1958 and moving on to the new eps of Blood Free. Disney+ has so much K-content now!

Also watching Goodbye Earth (Netflix) (haven't quite made up my mind on it) and will check out Parasyte the Grey to see if it's any good. Looking forward to EAW S2 and will wait for more eps to drop before starting Frankly Speaking

Byeon Woo Seol, ML in Lovely Runner, is totally my jam. Tall, athletic build and playing a competitive swimmer. He also emotes beautifully. I could not be happier. 🙌 I am also vicariously enjoying the fantastic pool. 😍

He does emote beautifully Boaty. Definitely has the voice of an actor. The way he says "naya" seriously gives me goosebumps 🥰

As I'm all up to date with Lovely Runner and I'm waiting for DH to carry on with Midnight Studio I decided to start Missing Crown Prince last night. I'm not sure what to make of it tbh. The style and feel of it is hard to describe, it's almost seems like a proper classic historical drama but then the FL starts beating people up so it's obviously not. And then there's Suho. I have no idea why, as he's so not my type, yet somehow I just find him mesmerising whenever he's on screen, but I think it's probably just me so although I'll carry on with it, I can't really say if it's any good....

City Hunter is great craic. So so fun. Highly recommend 👍

Hi all. Dh and I watched the first 3 episodes of Rain or Shine but then lost steam as he was busy with work and other things. Now he's back but I wanted to watch Heeramandi on Netflix which is a big Indian extravaganza set in the lead up to independence from the British Raj. Full of amazing set pieces and costumes. Quite liking it so far. On my own I'm working my way through She Would Never Know. I'm not enjoying it that much and not sure why I'm sticking with it but I don't need to pay attention as not much happens so I'm on my phone or doing laundry etc while it's on. Planning to watch It's OK Not to Be OK after. I think. Or I may go back to Gyonsong Creature