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!

@boatyardblues I have just watched episode 14. I want to have a really spoilery conversation about it all but will refrain for sake of those waiting to watch it all at once. But yes, love love love the 2ML, love both the leads, the band guys, the family. It was such an emotional episode, can't wait for next week but will be sad it's over.

@MigsandTiggs totally different note ... Yes that dream in Eye Love You. Good lord.

Also, is there a drama thats come out in the last year that hasn't featured that bar with the glowing curved roof thing over it. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about and this doesn't sound like insane ramblings.

He plays a good swine doesn't he? I knew I was right to suspect him earlier one. Enjoyed it all immensely. Now need to determine where I go next. I might dip into Heart Signal Chinese version as enjoyed the Korean version.

Gonna drop a random rec in here for a Thai drama - 'Only Friends' all 12 episodes available for free on the GMMTV channel on YouTube, handily arranged into a playlist (each ep is split into 4 parts about 10 mins long).

I wouldn't really categorize it as a BL, it's more of a LGBTQ ensemble show - the nearest kdrama comp i can think of is probably 'Nevertheless' but it actually reminds me more of western shows like 'Skins' or even 'Queer As Folk' if anyone remembers back that far - messy messy partying, sex and drugs and people making absolutely, jaw droppingly terrible decisions in relation to their personal lives. I'm about 3/4 of the way through and I have been very entertained whilst simultaneously wanting to climb into the TV and punch some of the characters.

Might not be anyone's jam but I thought I'd put it out there 🫡

Why is boys before flowers not on the list?

@Onemonkeyand3wisemen the list is really a cumulative collection of favourites and recommendations so we don't have absolutely every drama on there.

I think F4 Thailand (the Thai version) is on there somewhere? My favourite version of Boys Over Flowers is Japanese one from 2009 - Hana Yori Dango - a total guilty pleasure though. The Kdrama version has not aged well, don't think if I could actually recommend anyone watch it - I'm getting chills just remembering Lee Min-ho's hair 🤣

Yes, Lee Min-ho's perm is iconic, and not in a good way.

I'd say Only Friends is definitely a BL TheLoup. It stars quite a few Thai BL regulars and although it starts out a bit x-rated (oh ok a lot x-rated) it does get to the 'L' bit of BL eventually. Agree Queer as Folk is a good analogy, though. And yeah, everyone wants to punch Boston...🤣🤣🤣

I've never watch BoF because I've heard it is incredibly problematic, but also wonder at missing a piece of kdrama history since it is so iconic and I have heard it is a starting point for many tropes too.

Cobol fucking* Boston! * Oh my god! And hes so unrepentant! Top deserves a punch as well - although I can see he is trying to redeem himself (I'm on episode 9). My precious boy Sand deserves better, although I am secretly fond of poor little rich boy Ray and I really think Cheom should consider her blood pressure, cut her losses and hang out with April's friends instead 🤣. I AM INVESTED. I feel like they are real people.

I know it has loads of BL genre actors (First is one of my favourites 😍) but I think what I meant was that as a drama I think it tries to step out of the usual tropes and storylines and capture a wider experience? I really like it - its like TV crack

AmVa it is SO problematic - honestly wouldn't bother watching the korean version. I'd go for either F4 Thailand or The Chinese version Meteor Garden (which is way too long and has its own problems but also has Dylan Wang 😉). They are all basically the same story though, as is Heirs.

TheLoup I had a bit of a soft spot for Ray as well and Nick's character is interesting. It's definitely a bit different.

As for BoF, I'd say it's only worth watching for cultural context, but even then, if you're going to do a classic drama I'd say Full House is more worth watching. Especially if you watch it before 25 21 as there are several references to it in the latter. I agree Meteor Garden is overlong, but it still has a few things going for it. I haven't seen F4 Thailand, I might have to give it a go. When it first came out I was still feeling a bit overflowered from the Dylan Wang version 😁

Sending a fist-bump cobol - I feel like we often like the same things 🙂

I think Ray is a likeable character because, although he is a MESS, his actions and outbursts always come from a place of emotional honesty - he doesn't intentionally try to hurt or manipulate others, he's just been through a lot of emotional trauma....

Re: BoF - I think F4 Thailand is the best, but Dylan Wang is the best interpretation of the ML. Now. If someone would make a BL version I would be so on-board 😎

Hello all! I finished It's OK Not To Be OK last night. I enjoyed but wasn't amazed. I did like the fairy tales woven in. Not sure what to move onto next. Perhaps FFMY but I also need to go back to Gyonsong Creature. DH and I are making very slow progress with ROS, after seeing him in King The Land I am having a hard time dealing with the perm!

How do you feel about a Viki subscription (c£4pm)? The Red Sleeve is primo Junho, but that’s the only streaming platform currently carrying it. Worth it though, plus they have the classic Goblin.

There's loads of good content on Viki Peanut - definitely the subscription that's most worth it.

I third Viki. Loads of content.

Vicki is also where you can find Lovely Runner!!!

Viki is it!!

We promise we don't work for viki 🤣

Viki is brilliant - loads of good shows available.

We’ve just finished Vincenzo - we must be one of the few k drama fans to wait so long to watch it.
I enjoyed it but found it pretty violent. The punishments dished out to the villains - and my god they were appalling villains - were really gruesome.
Lovely Runner is next.

I have thought about Viki, didn't realise I had to pay. I don't mind as its a fairly low amount but not sure I'm happy about watching off my laptop (screen is so small!). Red Sleeve and Lovely Runner are both shows I really want to watch so may just go for it. For tonight I'm just catching up with sewing bee

Lovely Runner is so good!

peanut you can actually* watch *viki for free but there's adverts and some stuff is possibly behind a pay wall.... so you could start with the free version and then upgrade if you think it's worth it....

If you have Amazon Firestick or sometimes even your own tv will have the Viki app. My TV is an LG, if that helps.

#enabler