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!

Re: QoT.

I can believe the murder plots, I can believe the double dealing, I can believe the fake baby daddy thing, the PPL and the improbable plots... but for ML to have a graze that goes untreated by FL with a fully stocked first aid kit?? FANTASY LAND.

Ah. I spoke too soon. But she took her time!!

Giver her a break FedUp. She is proper poorly. And used to having staff to deal with this sort of thing.

Giver her a break FedUp. She is proper poorly. And used to having staff to deal with this sort of thing.

I WILL NOT HAVE MY TROPES INTERFERED WITH!

😖 FedUp is shouting. Hangry?

Fanks

No to +ve doors outcome.
Yes to +ve ending overall.

Shall I paint the fence while I'm on it? 😄

We were talking favourite actors/actresses over dinner with DS2, as you do making small talk with teens. 😄 I said I liked Yoo Yeon Seok, but only in his Mr Sunshine role. I was trying to find a good photo to illustrate my point & stumbled on the attached. Of course DS and DH had wandered off by then. It’s useless for conveying his brooding yakuza good looks but adorable. It’s one of many goofy/cute pics of the cast in this soompi article: https://www.soompi.com/article/1238481wpp/mr-sunshine-cast-say-farewells-drama-comes-end

Evening all! New to KDrama, I started last year when on bed rest after an op and pretty much only watch Korean shows now. My first was CLOY and oh my, it was one of the best things I've ever watched! I've convinced husband to watch now too and we just finished Wonderful World which was brilliant. We're also watching My Name and enjoying so far. I managed to catch up with QoT this morning and it has potential to be one of my favourites though I haven't cried as much as I thought I would so hoping for more as we approach the end. I'm also watching Backstreet Rookie on my own as I love a light fluffy romance. I'm about 2.5 episodes in but not sure if I should continue. Any suggestions? Others I've enjoyed are Strong Girl Bong Soon, Tomorrow, King the Land, Thirty-eight, and Business Proposal.

Welcome to the rabbit hole peanutcookie!
Kdrama sounds like the perfect way to recuperate from surgery! Hope you are well on the mend now 🙂
I'm a big fan of Ji Chang Wook, but even I struggled a bit with Backstreet Rookie . If you like Business Proposal and want a romcom I suggest Love to Hate You, Fight for My Way, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo. For more JCW in his prime Healer or Suspicious Partner.

My DH watches mostly under sufferance but enjoyed Gyeongsong Creature, DP, A Killer Paradox and (randomly) Sell Your Haunted House 🤣

I’m still envious of those of you with partners that will watch kdrama. DH puts his headphones on and watches something else on his ipad. We’re in the living room together but like those tragic couples you see in restaurants on their phones, not talking. I occasionally watch something in English for the sake of our marriage. 😄

And welcome @peanutcookie ! 👋 You’re definitely in the right place.

Welcome @peanutcookie agree with a lot of recommendations above, would add Our Beloved Summer and Romance is A Bonus Book for mostly fluffy romance (with a little bit of drama added). Also by the writer of CLOY and QOT, I recently watched Legend of the Blue Sea which was great.

I need a Goodreads type of thing to keep track of what I've watched and what I want to watch. Thanks for the suggestions. Loved suspicious partner and quite enjoyed weightlifting fairy. I'm totally rubbish at remembering the actors names but started Backstreet Rookie as I'd seen 2 or 3 of his and she was in My Demon (hated the ending of that). Think I will have to leave it and move onto something else. I did start Gyonsong Creature but parked it for a while. I'll go back to it but just finished Tale of the Nine Tailed so don't want to follow with another fantasy type.

@TheLoupGarou thanks for the message, the surgery was last May and almost back up to speed. I wish I'd started watching at the beginning of my 6 weeks off so I could have watched even more lol

Has anyone else been surprised by a glut of Midnight Studio? Three appeared this week after a weekly drip feed of 1 episode each weekend. It’s made me wonder if there have been the usual 2 eps per week & it’s the Viki team struggling to keep up. However, they usually upload the unsubbed episodes at broadcast pace in that situation. Most odd.

I have the usual Kdrama problem where you start two shows at approximately the same time but one is so fast paced and twisty that you sort of lose interest in the other, even though it would have been fine on its own. That is the problem I'm having with Midnight Studio. I'm watching Hide (Viki) and as the relevations keep coming it pushed MS out. I'm caught up with the latest episodes now and can resume MS. I feel a binge coming on. 😁

Hello @peanutcookie welcome on board. Seems you have made a very solid start on some great dramas. There are some historical ones that you might like, Under the Queens Umbrella, Mr Queen, 100 days my Prince, Joseon Flower Crew. As to the OH, my hubby watched Squid Game but prefers true life crime and more gritty stuff. As I am not keen on suspense, we tend to be like Boatyard.

@peanutcookie you want a My Drama List account!!

C-drama lovers! The Spirealm has started to drop on Viki (having previously dropped and been pulled for further editing/censorship).
It's a science-fictiony danmei adaptation, but the romance has probably all been cut.
First episode really good - it's right up my street 🙂

Re-watching Destined With You, I have remembered what my gripe was and why I didn't rate it as highly as I would have. A shaman-woo romcom with a decently ominous side plot is usually right up my mountain trail but, for such a new drama, it felt rather old fashioned and 🙄 to have yet another rich and handsome ML being low-grade obnoxious to a perfectly nice but poorer/lower staus FL ('cos issues) and her just accepting this as frustrating but somehow normal. 5 years ago, yes, but there have been so many better ones recently.

Maybe my menopausal arsehole radar is just set too low these days 😆

Punks It was extra disappointing because Rowoon is usually such a well-mannered young man in his dramas. We expext that kind of nobbish behaviour from the likes of Ahn Bo Hyun, but not lovely Rowoon. 😄

True. I'll forgive him 😁

I must investigate!