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!

Thanks MrsF. That is indeed the fellow. Have bookmarked for future reference. 😄

I am making no progress with my dramas. Too much real life at the mo & the rest of my free time is soaked away by my manhwa habit (gives FedUp side-eye).

I watched episode 1 of Miss Night & Day on Sunday night and realised how much I have missed muted man mountain Choi Jin-Hyuk, but have been battling sofa napping to get through episode 2. I’m glad episode 2 starts to pull the two threads back together because episode 1 felt like two separate narratives running in parallel.

Waiting in anticipation for these shows.
I too, liked Crash and now it's ended, enjoying HSRoaG. Also started on what I hope is going to be total makjang nonsense, Bittersweet hell. Sometimes I need a show that takes up no headspace whatsoever.😉

I agree Andante . A refreshing contrast to see a realistic end of a relationship.

Spoilers! Pol & Andante! I also liked their story, but was trying not to give too much away 😀

I decided to give the mobster one a go in the end. I didn't realise it was the guy from Night in Paradise, he does do a good tough guy. I'm liking it so far.

Cobol · Today 08:45
Spoilers! Pol & Andante! I also liked their story, but was trying not to give too much away 😀

Yes sorry - I should have phrased that without giving stuff away. It’s just that when I’m in this thread I feel I’m chatting with you and forgot that it’s a forum read by many.

Oops. Apologies! It's an old show so thought we could get away with it 😉

Without giving anything away in an old show... I just went from crying to dying laughing in My Mister at the start of episode 10 - the pack of running ajusshies (correct plural?) from the bar and the soccer club who take to the streets for vengeance.

That's a perfect non-spoiler teaser AmVa 😁
Indeed, it's impressive work from all the posters here that so much is said with so little given away. Spoiler alerts for ongoing shows in particular are always greatly appreciated. 👍

Have been MIA lately as was focusing on my latest Korean exam - have been following one lesson a week at my local Korean school since early 2022, culminating in an exam after each 5 month-course, which then allows you to go up to the next level. I've been putting myself through this because I am clearly NUTS. Passed this latest one too, and now on a break till I start the final level (!) in September. These are the 2.5 study-free months of the year I get to binge dramas, podcasts and YouTube videos with Korean content, so bring it on 😁🙌

I started LiTC but never finished it. I loved the Seoul settings (been to that Gangnam branch of Pizza Alvolo! 😁) but found the story tedious and the characters unengaging. Much preferred JCW in both The Sound of Magic and The Worst of Evil.

Congratulations on passing the exam Saram. Do you take it online or in an exam hall with pen & paper?
You are obviously getting on brilliantly.
My major problem is understanding spoken Korean - I just don’t get enough practice and I don’t think I’ve got a very good ear for language.

Am 20 minutes short off finishing Eye Love You and have really really enjoyed it. It ticks all my boxes (quirky, which saves it from being too cutesy, excellent theme song, characters I care about, well-paced and good if quite slight story). I am also really enjoying Midnight Romance in Hagwon and don't seem to be bothered by the slow pace. In fact I am finding it restful and engaging at the same time. Love all the geeky detail and slice-of-life-ness. Wi Ha-joon and Chae Jong-hyeop both have charm by the bucketload.

My Mister is just glorious so far, I can see why it's a classic, but it's making me so sad too. That conversation at the start of episode 5. Man.

Once these are rounded up I plan to give Miss Night and Day a whirl. And Military Prosecutor Doberman for some Ahn Bo-hyun 😁🙌Then I think it might finally be time for.... Hospital Playlist @polkettle ...? Though Mr Sunshine may well have spoilt me for Yoo Yeon-seok in any other role 😕Or one of the other classics I've not yet seen - What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, Healer, She Was Pretty, It's Okay To Not Be Okay.... how many can I get through before September?! 💀

Watched the final ep of HSRoaG and it's my favourite kdrama of 2024 so far. It is a perfect little (8 eps only) gem.😍

@Andante57 Cheers chingu! It's taken in person with pen and paper, old-school. Reading, writing, and then speaking and listening. I find listening extremely hard too. I'm not as good as my 'official' level would have you believe. But our teacher this time (different one each course) decided to focus on practicing our listening and speaking as much as possible during the lessons rather than the grammar, as he reasoned we could do the exercises ourselves in our own time once he'd given a short explanation. And I think, as you get a bit more advanced, that's a smart approach.

I also do a separate conversation class for an hour a week, plus daily messaging with Korean friends in Korean to try and get it into my system. Don't really speak Korean with them though, as their English is so good it just feels a bit silly painstakingly forcing out limited sentences. When it's written, you have more time of course to compose your sentence/look stuff up.

Ok Migs I give up. What's HSRoaG?

I'm really enjoying using the 'Umi' app to paddle in very shallow Korean language learning waters. It uses drama clips to teach! While it's never going to get me to any level of technical efficiency, it's already made me pick out and recognise quite a lot more words and phrases than I'd learned over the previous 3 years.

Sorry Cobol, it's High School Return of a Gangster!😅

Ah, thanks Migs. I knew it had to be something previously mentioned but the acronym was really stumping me for some reason.

polkettle I've signed up for that app too. Let it fall the last few weeks but going back in now. I've noticed the odd glitch but on the whole it's a fun way to boost vocab etc. Might be a good way to improve listening @Andante57

Yes, thank you Saram & Pol - that’s a good idea and I’ll download it.

You beat me to it so I’m glad you asked. 😄

I’m back from sitting in my friend’s garden and putting the world to rights. I’m now making it up to my attention-starved cat with lap cuddles and My Sweet Mobster. Drunk mobster is such an adorable dork. I don’t like the 2ML at all. He is probably highly marriageable/attractive in SK terms - flower boy entering middle age - but he leaves me cold. I think I’m supposed to find his interest in the FL charming. Nope. He's giving me the ick.

Congratulations Saram!! Sounds like quite the achievement. I wish I could do some official classes but I know I don't have the extra time in the week to spend on making the most of the classes. Sticking with Duo for now (my streak is about 650 days 😁) and have been spending time recently on really getting the alphabet learned. In different language learning in my past I have always been stronger in listening and speaking, and so for ages I only half engaged with trying to learn hangeul because I could get away with it. But am now very pleased with hangeul progress and find myself pausing dramas to sound out text on screen.

Spent time last night theorising to my husband about what it said that Dong -hoon's wife had him saved in her phone as Dong-hoon sshi 동 훈 씨 Given he isn't watching My Mister with me I think I could have found a more receptive audience 😅😅

Yes, well done on your exam Saram.

And now I am watching Snow White and the 6 dwarves…. 🤣 I want steak for breakfast. 🙏

Congrats on exam Saram 🙌I too downloaded the Umi app, but then I discovered a YouTuber with a fun way to learn the alphabet...

I'm now on to Parasyte the Grey as I do like a horror movie.