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!

I saw a trailer for this Pol and thought it looked good. Hope it comes to viki 🤞 Ive just signed up to GagaOoLala and got a trial of WeTV so I am definitely not getting any more streaming services (in my defence, I cancelled Disney + - albeit a while ago - and Prime)....

I got WeTV because there was a couple of specific shows I wanted to watch and I cba with ads, I probably won't keep this one as there is a fair bit of crossover with Viki and iQiyi.
GagaOoLala is definitely worth it for BL/LGBTQ+ content - especially Japanese shows that aren't easily available elsewhere - its more pricey at about £8 per month but no commitment period so cancellable at any time - lots of first episodes available for free (how I got sucked in).

Off the top of my head -
J drama's
Our Dining Table
Minato's Laundromat
Tokyo in April is
25:00 to Asakasa
I Can Hear The Sunspot
Love Is Better The Second Time Around
I Love You, and you?
I Became the Lead in a BL Drama
Takara's Treasure

Plus Taiwanese classic We Best Love/No. 1 For You and loads of newer Thai drama and international content .....

Here's another thumbs up for Connection and 🙄at ppl.
And there's always love from me for 2pm.😍

Just finished The Red Sleeve. Well that was not what I was expecting. Plus I'd psyched myself up for what I thought was the last episode last night, didn't know it was 17 episodes, good thing I have Mondays off! Ep17 was great and made up for the few before which dragged a bit. I definitely need light and fluffy next

The Loup, that little tik tok made my morning! One of my 18 yr old was only singing and doing that exact move yesterday, after playing lots of other J &K music in the car yesterday. The other 18 yr old has booked DPR - The Dream Reborn World Tour 2024 when it comes to the UK. I am feeling very proud that I am not so out of touch with my teens.

@TheLoupGarou !!!
Coming to Disney+ in Aug.
I hope it's the recent iteration of JK doing exactly as he pleases 😁

Gah! I'm going to have to sign up for Disney + again aren't I, RIP me - crushed under the weight of all my streaming service subscriptions 😂

@Dragonrock my kids mock 2pm for being cheesy - philistines - I was like the cheesiness and oiled abs are the literal point of them 🤣

peanut I needed a hug after the end of The Red Sleeve 🥺 what's next on the list?

The Loup - oh they are philistines, how old? She sure gets the appeal 😍, her Dad was non-plussed when conversation turned to Taecyeon, Capt Korea etc and both mine were rather 'surprised' that their Mother was then able to discuss his forthcoming Netfilx J BL drama! Ha, I am not SO out of touch! I have been persevering with She was Pretty, nearly gave up as the FL is annoying and her mate, 2nd FL is not much of a mate as she never introduced her to skin care. But PSJ and Si-won are well worth the watch. So am fast forwarding a lot, so I can move onto MSM.

I've now watched three episodes of Miss Night and Day and am glad I continued after pausing halfway through a pretty rubbish first episode. I guess there is a lot of set up that had to happen. Enjoying it now!

I was wondering if anyone was watching it! Worth giving it a go?

I'm enjoying Sh**ting Stars!

@Dragonrock mine are all tweens - dd8 is the biggest k-pop fan but genuinely horrified when anyone takes their shirt off, she's like 'stop showing off'! BTS Jimin and Felix from Stray Kids are her favourites - 2pm (and Rain!) are ahjussi/appa territory 🤣

Hello all - missed a couple of threads (took a weird break from K drama with health issues that meant subtitles were too much and I can't deal with the American voice overs!). Am back and watching Atypical Family - loving it. May need talking out of buying gold trainers... Hoping everyone is well and happy! I've already got lots of new ones from here on the list just by scrolling back a few posts! It's good to be back.

I’ve been down to bare minimum kdrama due to travel. 😭 I plan to watch MSM this evening. We have a long weekend with few plans this weekend so I’ll be catching up on the others after my hiatus

We're off to London in the morning (Stray Kids, Woo!) but just finished packing so can watch MSM!

Hope you're feeling better ❤️

My girls are so excited! I’m not best pleased that it’s the same time as the Euros final though.

I am neither English nor interested in football so not bothered! 😁

At least the weather on Sunday looks good. The timings are a bit annoying as there's 4 hours between NMIXX and Stray Kids but hey ho! Hope you all enjoy!

Currently watching C-drama The Double (Viki, Netflix). It's only my second c-drama, but it's rather good and very binge worthy.

@mrsfeatherbottom talking Miss night and day- yes definitely!! I didn't love the first episode, there is a lot of crazy set up to get through, but now have watched episodes 2-7 in about 48 hours 😅
Chemistry between the leads is great (all three of them!!)

I’m all caught up with MSM. It’s my favourite weekly airing show currently. The COVID test subplot is 👌

I am showing great restraint not watching MSM so I can binge it later but the posts here are making that difficult!!

On the miss night and day front - what is the term for when you want the FL to kiss the ML. But also the 2ML. It's not 2nd lead syndrome ... I just want there to be lots of everyone kissing in this show 🤣 I am basically up to date now - half an episode to go before I have to wait each week 😥

I’m interested to hear Miss Night & Day is a grower. I have the day off today so will catch up on my backlog of episodes.

This post is in praise of The Double.

It's like Chinese opera - hidden identity, revenge, adventures, slapstick comedy, romance, ninjas, set piece sword/fan play, people flying acrobatically thru the air, swishy ponytails, beautiful costumes and beautiful scenery. The storylines flow coherently and it's just so enjoyable.

It makes me want to travel to China again.😍

Migs - I have been dipping into that as I like Wu Jin Yan, seen her in a few things inc Yanxi Palace, Legend of Hao Lan, which shared lead character actors and she completely carried My Bargain Queen all by herself. So pleased to see the love for Miss Night & Day, I had it on my list but then early reports were a bit worrying, now adding it with MSM. to my watch list. Am persevering with She was Pretty with LOTS of fast forward, but did start Because This Is My First Life, and zipped through first 2 episodes very quickly. Good luck to all those heading to BST in London.

Migs - The Double is on my watchlist definitely, just need to find time to squeeze it in .....

🚨for historical/BL/c-drama lovers (bit niche I know, is it just me??) 🚨 Meet Me At The Blossom has just dropped 2 episodes on Viki/GagaOoLala/iQiyi - those two episodes contained Xianxia style sword fights, a deposed crown Prince, plotting courtiers, implausible cross dressing (Tale of Nokdu style), a spoiled young master, assassins, aphrodisiac needles and a 2 day post sex coma. Immortal line from the MC "I was surprised to find out you were a man, but I thought about it and I decided true love doesn't care about gender"
Honestly, very extra but I loved it.