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!

Hello all! I'm making progress with IONTBO, just got to the big reveal today and was shocked! Can't wait to find out how she ended up there. I have quite a few questions so hope they get answered. Unfortunately don't think I will get the chance to watch anymore until Tuesday night. DH and I seemed to have stalled with Rain or Shine but I'm enjoying it and defo want to finish - pesky man just keeps going away. We took a break this evening to watch Bridgerton but hoping to be back to ROS by Tuesday if DH's schedule allows

loup, I would be interested in a BL spreadsheet as I've only ever watched that Semantic one.

MrsF, if you're rewatching QoT, and it's your thing, apparently the paintings etc are by quite prominent Korean artists. I might have a whizz thru again, just to check them out, (and you-know-who's neck/face discrepancy) but oh dear, the thought of wading thru all his tears!

Midnight Romance in Hagwon is my current fav watch.

Tip of the Day. Chingus, beware of dodgy recommendations <side eyes fedup> <whispers> City Hunter. Only watch if you pissed yourself laughing at Yakuza Lover....which, fortunately, I did! 😆

Nothing dodgy about City Hunter Migs, easily the funniest movie I've seen in ages, probably since Zom 100 which was even funnier.

I was stuck watching Army of Thieves this weekend. It wasn't bad, definitely better than last week's Bullet Train which was awful. Also Dr Who. So no kdrama at all 😔

ohhh Migs - glad you said that as I have been wondering as I quite like Wi Ha-joon, he seems very versatile. I am on ep 12 of FfMW, after bingeing Bridgeton Fri/Sat - so was in search of a new view or maybe I go for Lovey Runner?

Cobol, Zom 100, you said? 🏃

migs you enabler 😁 I love you.
I will get on the case < rubs hands together in glee >

Episode 13 of Lovely Runner 🏃🏻‍♀️ so good!! It's never been entirely predictable in the way the plot has developed. Now crossing my fingers it doesn't do a MMH and fall at the last hurdle with a terrible ending.

I await the outcome with interest.

I have FOMO but also the "25/21 Trauma".

I have City Hunter firmly on the list for the next evening DH's out 😁🙌

Also awaiting the outcome of Lovely Runner before deciding whether I'll add it to the list 🤔

Watched The 8 Show over the weekend. It was okaaaayy. I liked the cast. Some good moments. But overall, ultra violent and I felt it was a case of style over substance. At the end (I caught the bit after the credits started rolling, think it was just the one 'PS' ) I was a bit like - 'yes, and now......?' Not in a more-story-to-come kind of way, more, hmmm, that was a bit meh. I can take alot in terms of violence, psychological stuff etc., but the payoff has to be proportionate. Like it is in, say, Oldboy or (for me at least) Somebody. The 8 Show didn't deliver.

I'm now continuing with Eye Love You (nice light watch, does what it says on the tin) and The Midnight Romance in Hagwon. Enjoying that so far, though the theme song is already really pissing me off and we're only on episode 4 🤔Amused/horrified to see Seo Jung-yeon, who was recently in My Demon and Like Flowers in Sand, playing a 60-year-old (the actress is still in her 40s!) It's supposed to be a melodrama, right? So I guess that element will kick in soon.

On the final stretch with Mr Sunshine. LOVING it. Kind of glad I hadn't seen it before seeing YYS on the stage, as I might have found myself climbing over people's heads to get closer to him 🤔😁

On the final stretch with Mr Sunshine. LOVING it. Kind of glad I hadn't seen it before seeing YYS on the stage, as I might have found myself climbing over people's heads to get closer to him 🤔😁

He’s so good in Mr Sunshine I found it hard to square the nerdy, sexless baseball player in Reply 1994 with his compelling turn as Dong Mae. Likewise his dutiful mummy’s boy in Hospital Playlist. I’m dying to know which YYS turns up if you date him in real life.

If it is not Dong Mae I would be, respectfully, asking for a refund.

As long time fan of his YouTube channel- somehow compelling in its earnest nerdy dullness, I wouldn't hold your breath for Dong Mae. That man does love his dog almost as much as he loves getting a certificate for a new niche skill.
This episode where he hand lays a new floor for a completely unappreciative Rita a favourite.

Pol, the ending made me laugh - nothing like a dog showing cat-like appreciation for owner's two hours of hard work. "Yeh, well done, I'll just get in my bed now".😆

Lovely Runner episode 14 had me a little misty eyed. The plot-advancing dementia patient is a new development. I will be paying attention to whether this catches on as a trope. I’m loving 2ML’s story arc.

😱😱😱 Choi Woo Sik. FFMW. The medical dinner. 😱😱😱 His reasoning about how things might pan out. 🤬 Yes. I am now invested.

Heheh boaty I'm enjoying you enjoying this so much 😁

Eye Love You (Viki) is incredibly gentle and sweet. Saram, how did you manage to leave out the bit about that 🔥 dripping wet Chae Jong Hyeop dream?? 😉#FN

A bit late, but we are up to episode 8 of Chicken Nugget and seriously laughing our heads off. The humour is so weird, and Ahn Jae Hong is both great at physical comedy and deadpan humour.

Chicken Nugget is definitely on my 'to do' list @AmVa, is it teen friendly?

I've made it to E3 of My Mister 😁 and I've binged all 6 available episodes of The Atypical Family. I didn't look at either cast list before I started, so the appearance of several actors (who I don't remember in anything else) popping up in both, is messing with my mind somewhat! 🤯🤣

Hello again everyone! I’ve been hiding from this thread as we belatedly started watching Queen of Tears and I was trying to avoid spoilers. I totally blubbed at the end of QoT and have just bawled my eyes out at a bit in Hometown Chachacha, I think the girls are slightly concerned about me 🤣

@PunksVersusBrats would say def fine for teens - biggest piece of horror is the existential crisis of what it would be like to be turned into a chicken nugget. And one scary bird 😅There is quite a lot of swearing too 🤷

I cried loads at Hometown Cha Cha Cha!!

Oh dear! So far it’s been fairly light and funny but it was the flashback scene to a character’s child dying that set me off. I think I had better stock up on tissues for the rest of the series 😭

@clare8allthepies yes- I remember that bit and it is so sad. You find that character so annoying for ages (at least I did...) and then suddenly have so much empathy for her 😭

Great, we'll make that a family one 😁Swearing is fine, they go to our local comp so will have heard it all already 🙄