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!

If you look just below the thread heading under Romance (Lighter, fluffier stuff) there might be something for both dc. Crash Landing On You is very good and Older dc might enjoy Mr Sunshine. There's something in every genre for everyone.

CLOY is a great shout that all 3 of you should enjoy - but Mr Sunshine would break those poor wee girls hearts Migs!
For lighthearted froth in a Business Proposal vein then King the Land might suit them (it's very frothy), Hometown Cha Cha Cha has very slightly more heft to it and is a pretty charming seaside romance. Crash Course in Romance was a recent enjoyable one which featured both teenagers and mothers love-lines- something for all of you!

@polkettle You're probably right about Mr Sunshine, but in my defence it was only for the 14 yo! 😁

I'm still not ready for the ending 😉

Welcome @clare8allthepies I suggest Extraordinary You (for both) Twinkling Watermelon (for 14 yo definitely, read up on it before you let the 11yo watch as it does touch on some heavier themes), my kids are a bit younger and liked Racket Boys and Hwarang. Hit the Top maybe?

Do they like high-school/college set stuff? I'll have a think

I'm on holiday so not keeping up with the thread, but I quickly checked mumsnet and ACTUAL LOL'D at this thread taking up all the characters in its spot in Active threads. Love this thread so much!

@clare8allthepies I just thought of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo - that one is fun, maybe 'My Id is Gangnam Beauty' or if they'd watch historical stuff The Kings Affection, Tale of Nokdu, Secret Romantic Guesthouse, 100 days my Prince.

My older two (11 and 12) are both boys and WILL NOT watch anything with too much romance but I think I'd be OK with them watching everything I've listed (disclaimer - I watched loads of historical dramas and the plots tend to blur a bit, so Google the plot before sitting down to watch 🙂)

Wow, thanks for all of the recommendations! Just shown my eldest and she’s already seen my ID is gangnam beauty, wonderful you and king the land but we will check out the rest.

Loup to the rescue! 👏
I enjoyed Weightlifting Fairy so much- just wait till DD14 sees the snog (was it while walking backwards/hiding under a jacket?) It was both funny and endearing.

@clare8allthepies I was going to suggest King the Land as well before reading your post. Others to think about might be Back to 1989 (although that is actually a Taiwanese series), it's basically "Back to the Future". Or another is Good Morning Call (but this one is Japanese) which is about a couple of high school students.

Or how about historical series? I thought Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung was an excellent series and also Love in the Moonlight. Although do be aware that Love in the Moonlight does include a couple of scenes of sword fights and the lead male character gets injured.

MiggsandTiggs- when you said chin up bar my mind went straight to Kim Young-dae ini Shooting Stars! Hello clare8allthepies - glad you found this place I have so much fun here and get to share my love of K-drama and K-pop. I might suggest Strong Girl Bong Soon for your girls. Mine watched it a few years ago. One loves Alchemy of Souls but she is nearly 18 now and Train to Busan was v popular with my two but depends if they can cope with zombies.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE ALERT - Not Safe For Vegetarians/Vegans.

@Rowdythree Do not, I repeat, Do Not watch the opening sequence of Blood Free (Disney+)!

Welcome clare8allthepies
My suggestion for your DD's would be
Yumi's Cells. series 1 was excellent and series 2 not bad either.

There's sex in Yumi's Cells although I can't remember how obvious it is)....

Definitely second Strong Girl Bong Soon, Rookie Historian and Love in the Moonlight. My kids liked AoS as well, but they didn't make it through all 30 episodes, it was more that they dipped in and out. The boys thought Seo Yul was BY FAR the coolest character (dual swords) poor Jang Uk....

I LOVE Good Morning Call, but I would use it as an opportunity to discuss healthy relationships and toxic men 🤣

I think @FedUpWithBriiiiick and I could both write an essay about why we like Daichi (2ML) best....

Evening all! Work shenanigans is hampering my posting this week but I can see the noonas (eonnis?) have already swung into action recommending shows for @clare8allthepies . Welcome Clare!

@TheLoupGarou glad the JCW socks are still bringing joy 😁 yes, an ajummah had to source them below counter at my request 😁
I know exactly what you all mean about some oppas not being suitable for footwear 🤔 JCW, it's nothing personal.

Welcome @clare8allthepies 🙂👋

💯
Daichi was ROBBED

@clare8allthepies Welcome! Thread chingus have covered all the recommendations, but I would add in Reply 1988 for you and your girls when they are a bit more familiar with Kdrama tropes and trends.

And Be Melodramatic for you when you are too!!

Handsome, kind, green flag Daichi . Aw, man. I'm annoyed about it all over again.

Thanks for the tip migs, although I am now quite curious 😬

Welcome to the thread @clare8allthepies I think everyone has covered all the ones I would recommend. My DD was about 14 when she got me into K dramas, so welcome to our world 😁

We're all caught up with Shogun which is so good! I don't want to wait a week for the next episode! To pass the time we've started Gannibal which so far has a man eating bear, a mute cute child, a missing police officer and apparently a group of cannibals. The ML is quite easy in the eye too. Only one episode in, so we'll see where it goes.

Thank you all so much for the warm welcome as well as the recommendations.

I was showing the kids earlier and they pointed out that I should have specified nothing too emotionally challenging. I cried at true beauty the other day and they haven’t stopped teasing me about it since! 🤣

Welcome Clare. You may find avoiding emotionally challenging moments tricky with kdrama. I've often opted for what I thought was a lightweight supernatural show only for it turn into a heart-wrenching blub fest - Tomorrow and May I Help You spring to mind. As for recommends, I think someone already mentioned it, but 100 Days My Prince is suitable for younger viewers and is also one of my favourite kdramas of all time. It has everything you want from a kdrama - feisty female lead, romance, amnesia related plot lines, stunning scenery and a hot assassin 🔥 😁

The first two episodes of Blood Free (Disney+) were a tantalising mix of thriller and mystery. The bodyguard "interview" was an exceptional and different take on the ubitquitous Zoom interview. I like all the techie stuff. Not so great was the footage of butching animals in the first 10mins of Ep 1.