MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #47: Lee Min-Ho’s a no-show, Kim Soo-Hyun cried himself into a dry husk and a sweet mobster sausage supremo is currently charming the noonas. We continue our ongoing mission to spread Kdrama joy. 😘

[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 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)🌟
Missing Crown Prince (Viki)
Mr Queen (Viki)🌟
Mr Sunshine (Netflix)
My Dearest (Viki)
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)🌟
Lovely Runner (Viki)
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 Atypical Family (Netflix)
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!

To be fair it seemed quite promising - the costumes and sets were lovely - it's just a shame about the writing (and the acting & directing, not to mention the swordfighting...😭). Oh well 🙂

First episode of new season of Pachinko is out and it's already off to a banging start (theme music change the only downer 😓)

The theme music was the best part of the first series!! (I wasn't a fan). Will probably still watch it but might fast forward the more modern bits which I didn't like (same with the book)

I wonder which drama it will be … this caught my attention on Threads.

I dont know how to link from Threads
but here is a link to profile

Copy paste of five messages (including story).

I fell so hard for a boy in college, when he asked me to tea at his home after a meditation class.
After walking a couple blocks to his house, there was a package waiting in front of his doorstep. He handed it to me, and said "it's for you."
I was so confused.
1/3

He had sat next to me every day during class, but he had only spoken to me once—and to answer a question I had asked our professor.

To think that he bought me something before we’d even had a full conversation … perplexed me.

When I opened the package, it was a book.

Several weeks later, he asked me what I was doing the following Tuesday for dinner. I didn’t have any plans, so he asked if we could meet off campus.
2/3

When Tuesday rolled around, and I saw red and pink hearts everywhere, I realized it was Valentine's Day.

After dinner, we wandered into a book store, and he bought me another book.

I still have both of them, 20 years later.

Tell us a story about how some of the books on your bookshelf got there.
3/3

*And/or let me know what parts of my story, if any, you’re curious to hear more about.

I’m writing a couple of love plots in a Kdrama series I’m developing, but have zero know-how of making romance interesting. 😅

Thank you! It will be a while til that happens, but I am sharing my development of the series publicly on my IG account: gyoposdotcom !

Evening all. I made it to the end of Dinner Mate before the shutters fall on our free month’s trial of Prime & we cancel it tomorrow. I persevered but now wish I’d skipped loads of it or watched something else. I had my fill of Song Seung-Heon looking suave until he started to irritate me. There was so much angst and it dragged toward the end. It has possibly spoiled Lee Ji-Hoon as a leading man for me forever - hard to come back from playing a swivel-eyed loon so convincingly.

Thank goodness for Love Next Door on Netflix - a positive breath of fresh air & nipping along nicely.

Evening all! I've been busy with results day celebrations (congratulations to everyone who did/parented someone who did exams too), birthdays and weddings so haven't watched much. I'm almost finished with My Sweet Mobster. I'll probably start Love Next Door. DD2 and I have parked LL for now and watched the first couple episodes of When I Fly Towards You which were sweet but I fear won't be as good as Hidden Love. I need another swoonworthy one I can binge whilst waiting for LND episodes. Both DDs said they'd watch Made in Korea with me but their social lives are pretty full so don't know when they will actually be home to watch anything with me lol.

I have less than a week now before school reopens and I'm just planning to watch as much as I can hehe

Love Next Door is good. It's the first new release rom-com I have enjoyed for a while and excited to see next episodes (MSM not withstanding, but it has its peaks and troughs)

I am so into Love Next Door. Some of the best chemistry between leads I've seen in ages. I actually squealed with delight in episode 3.

I completely agree about the leads’ chemistry in Love Next Door. It’s excellent and I am very much looking forward to this weekend’s episodes.

The ambiguity about who read what letters is also delicious.

The Rom-com silly season is well and truly open starring No gain, No Love (Prime). Who would have thunk it- getting your contract groom at a convenience store!

Sounds like Love Next Door might be next on my list! I’ve been enjoying Bad Memory Eraser - especially all of the fantastic cardigans - but am hating waiting for the next episodes.

In the meantime I’ve been wading through Beauty and Mr Romantic. Started getting bored by about episode 15 and checked the number of episodes hoping it might be 16 and finish soon but turns out there are currently 43 episodes with a new one each week. I am determined not to be beaten by it and have managed up to episode 33 (possibly accidentally asleep for some of them). I feel like I’ve invested so much time it would be even more wasted if I didn’t get to the end… wish me luck!

How gutting! We’ve just cancelled Prime & I love a good contract marriage drama. I’m keeping everything crossed it’s rubbish (sorry, not sorry) so I won’t feel so aggrieved. 😁

I am determined not to be beaten by it and have managed up to episode 33

That’s the spirit! Fighting! 💪

Ahhh @ClarityJones , you've fallen into the sunk cost fallacy. I've dropped so many shows this year that I'm apprehensive about rating them and causing their average to drop!

ClarityJones I don't like to be defeated by dramas once I've started them either, which is why I persevered through all 51 episodes of Empress Ki 😁 . I usually know early on if I'm going to enjoy a drama or not so if I make it past the first couple of episodes I normally finish it, with the single exception of Queen for Seven Days which I abandoned half way through. I hit my limit of Park Min Young in perky sageuk mode and just couldn't take anymore 😂

I almost dropped Miss Night and Day with 1.5 episodes to go 😅 was very frustrated at all the plot developments that could have been avoided with one short conversation.

Very much looking forward to starting No Gain No Love, just finishing off True Beauty before I do.

Speaking of which... Think I have developed a very late onset case of 2ML syndrome in episode 15 of TB. Cha Eun Woo I feel has a tinge of the feathery stroker about him but I was happily going along with him until recent plot developments.

Yesterday afternoon I idly googled Pilot (current number 1 movie in Korea - basically Tootsie in the air with my fave Cho Jung Seok) in the sneaky hopes it might be available to download illegally somewhere already - only to discover that it was IN THE CINEMA THAT VERY DAY (and for a few more days but only in one place and at really odd times)
Ticket purchased, pulled pork in the oven abandoned, and I hotbiked it into town.
Had a lovely time - a definitely recommendable hoot. Also enjoyed the auduence company of various business suited Korean women slinking in straight from work in pairs.
And TODAY his Netflix singing series A List to Playlist starts - my CJS content cup runneth over 🥰

It's like your birthday Pol... what a rush!

😁Fighting!
@ClarityJones this has happened to me so many times - the "I'm going to finish watching this even if it kills me" feeling.

I am more ruthless these days about dropping shows if i lose interest, but also have been known to watch on 2x speed if I want to know what happens but can't deal with pointless plot twists....

AmVa I had MAJOR 2ML syndrome in TB - I'm still kind of mad about it 🫢 the character - I forget his name - reminds me a bit of the 2ML in Lovely Runner and liked him too. Obviously slightly delinquent-leaning boys with a heart of gold are my type 😉

Brilliant idea! I really should have thought of that. Will definitely give it a go. Who knows - the ending may surprise me!

MiggsandTiggs - No gain, No Love - looks right up my street, enjoy both Shin Min-a and Kim Young-dae a great deal. Now need to decide if I start on it of Love Next Door. Pol - what a result, sounds like a fab day.

Well I'm in bits after today's episode of Pachinko.

Brilliant, brilliant tv.