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!

Obviously I will watch officer black belt because of my boy KWB, expectations are low...

I agree about PSJ. I was saying to DH how outrageously disrespectful the Marvel mob were giving him such a tiny, silly part when he’s a great actor who can carry a whole weighty series. I really like him in this modern update. He’s super versatile. The fight choreography for both leads is 👌

Morning! I'm yet to go back and finish GC, think I only watched 2 episodes. Have you watched Concrete Utopia on Sky Movies? PSJ still manages to pull it off in a post apocalyptic world.

DH and I started DNA Lover but only watched 2 or 3 episodes and switched to Love Affairs in the Afternoon. Liking the story but it is a bit slow and whilst I can't condone extramarital relationships the husband's obsession with his birds would drive me bonkers too.

Are there really only 2 episodes left of NGNL? I don't get how none of them knew he was fostered by their mum, ok FL had terrible relationship and wasnt there much but surely the others would have crossed paths at some point. I'm looking forward to the spin off, much prefer those two. The bickering of the main leads in the early episodes was entertaining but now I'm more interested in the second leads

I've yet to watch yesterday's LND but will make some time today

We've had 2 sessions of K-Club at school now. Only 2 kids signed up with only 1 turning up! But we have had other kids passing by and wandering in to stay. This week we watched some of the first episode of True Beauty which made me want to rewatch it.

Friday afternoon I had a tricky class and I was just knackered from the week so said I wanted them to finish their work by the end of the lesson so they could leave on time and therefore I could also leave and go home to watch kdrama. This prompted a chat with 2 of the most challenging boys who are actually quite into it too though only the action ones and we had a nice discussion at the end of the lesson about Bloodhounds and My Name. They refused to come to K-Club but I will keep working on them!

Any suggestions for other shows on Netflix/Prime that are suitable to watch with KS3 and KS4? We want to be able to have a discussion around the themes too. I was thinking Crash Course in Romance

Lady Maeda’s black silk dress in the final episode of Gyeongseong Creature is beautiful. You’d need to be a slim as the actress to do it justice.

I like PSJ in floppy fringe rescuer mode too.

I'm definitely looking forward to PSJ in floppy fringe rescuer mode 😁
As to Rain's appeal, I don't think there's any big mystery. It basically starts and ends at an unbuttoned shirt and plenty of body oil 😉😂. Not really my cup of tea but I get it.
My bias for Suho, on the other hand, is completely baffling, even to me. He's so not my type, he's about as far as you can get from a hot assassin, and yet I'm completely mesmerised every time he comes on screen. I blame the menopause ☺️🥰😂

The posters on this wide ranging thread keep me in stitches. Much love 😘

Hope everyone is well.

DH and I are currently watching Judge From Hell on Disney+ due to his love of Park Shin Hye. Enjoying it so far (up to Episode 3) although it's extremely violent and morally questionable! I am enjoying Park Shin Hye as a villain though!

I'm so jealous sakura. I've been waiting for what feels like forever for Kim Jae-young to get a leading role and finally it's here and has to be on blummin' Disney+ 😭.

Just read the synopsis for A Virtuous Business, coming in a couple of weeks. Looks like it should be a lot of fun!

I've been travelling for work and way behind on my viewing, but have just caught up with LND today with NGNL soon to follow!

I see Suga got a fine in the end for driving an electric scooter while drunk, it's on the BBC news site. I'm kind of hoping that the international interest, and that international fans are a bit more understanding and forgiving of minor indiscretions might help him a bit, but I don't know. They really like a squeaky clean image in Korea. 🙁

Hello everyone! I watched Officer Black Belt with DH ( action is the only KDrama stuff I can get him to watch) and we both quite liked it. There was a bit of change from the initial jokey start to some really pretty dark and violent scenes but I’m just glad to see Kim Woo Bin healthy and back at work.

i got an AEG email about Ateez coming to London and Manchester in January, wondered if anyone else had heard and if they were thinking about going? I’m in the Midlands so could make either one but no-one to go with so not sure if I’m brave enough ( DH not volunteering to come along, although he did say that if I went in my own I could scream as loud as I want lol)

I got that email too, @GaladrielHiggins but was tempted by XG, rather than ATEEZ. Although it's a Monday or Tuesday night right in the middle of exams for DD and would involve flights and hotels etc so sadly, it's not possible.

That’s a pain, hopefully they will tour near you later on. I missed Stray Kids in the summer and wish I’d gone so don’t want to miss this one! I’ve resigned myself to never getting BTS tickets though!

A corker of a penultimate episode of NLNG! Glad to see the dildos back!!

peanutcookie Good luck with the K club! I hope it takes off 🙌 I was going to suggest Midnight Romance in Hagwon to give them some idea of what it's like to be a high-school student in Korea, but it's on Viki. CCIR is a good call as an alternative.

Cobol Yes, a fine for Yoongi in the end. Not before he was subjected to pretty awful online abuse, as seems to be par for the course in Korea sadly. And people (?journalists) even paid to have massive lorries with big billboards stop outside his home saying what a disgrace he was and that he should leave the band. He made an undoubtedly ill-judged decision as an idol, and one wonders what was going through his head (apart from an awful lot of whisky 🤔), but the press hysteria was way out of line. Surely that's tantamount to stalking/harassment. Anyhow, I hope it will all die down by the time he's out of the miltary (social service) next year. Am curious to see how, if at all, the 'scandal' will be addressed then.

Galadriel I'm glad someone else has watched Officer Black Belt and enjoyed it 😁 Don't get me wrong, I love Kim Woo-bin and am extremely happy he's back on our screens. boaty, save it from the shit list for now at least!!!

I saw ATEEZ back in 2022 and will be trying for tickets next week (for one of the Europe shows). I like their music and they were very good live, so definitely up for seeing them again. Ticket prices are not out yet, but I've set a budget and will not exceed it unlike for BTS TAKE MY WON gentlemen If anyone does plan on getting tickets for one of the concerts, you can sign up for a pre-sale code to get early access.

Started Gyeongseong Creature part 2 and really enjoying it so far. Park Seo-jun has the most fantastically expressive face. And I know she's not popular (not even with me always 😁), but I like Han So-hee in this. The Korean friend I dragged to the Ahn Bo-hyun fan meet back in March was comparing PSJ and ABH. She finds ABH one-dimensional and boring (I disagree, I genuinely think he's a good actor, particularly in Yumi and Her Private Life). She said that PSJ, by contrast, is physically plain by Korean standards (yeah, I know, I spluttered too) but is a fantastic actor and has bags of charisma. Indisputable FACTS.

She said that PSJ, by contrast, is physically plain by Korean standards

What?! But he looks like Harrison Ford - FACT!!!

https://youtube.com/shorts/hTnWgSYVAH4?si=AHnXrf3IJnCwURAE

(I can't remember who first posted this, but I've never forgotten it, so funny 😂)

I'm hoping she meant a young Harrison Ford! (Don't see it myself)

I'm going to be trying for Ateez tickets next week @GaladrielHiggins for the London show. It’s just before my eldests school exams (they start on the Thursday) but my kids have been desperate to go for ages. Fingers crossed that when the European leg of the stray kids tour is announced it’s in school holidays!

I think you have to really want to see it 😁

She's right about him being very handsome, though. I don't know what Saram's Korean friend is on about.

Sorry, but I'm with the Koreans on PSJ. His face is so so, but he does have height and a nice personality (going from Jinny's kitchen).😎

I think these are his strong points for me. However, I also think GC2 points to him aging well and becoming more handsome as he ages, whereas a lot of the flower boys will fade. I get a good vibe from him & agree he came across well in the Jinny’s kitchen I saw (Canary Islands). When is the Icelandic series airing?

@Saram13 Your call for mercy for Officer Blackbelt is noted. I will stand down the poo emoji. 😄

I have started What Comes After Love (Viki), which is a Japanese-Korean crossover series. I have a huge soft spot for Lee Se Young and she is characteristically warm and likeable in this too. I’m finding the Japanese boyfriend a bit gormless in the first episode flashback, but he seems to have his heart in the right place. He becomes about 75% more attractive when his awful frizzy hair is tied back in noodle bar, but it’s a fleeting reprieve. I will pray for intervention by a competent barber. 🙏

@MigsandTiggs I thought I was the only one .. I didn't mind him in fight for my way, but that's about it... Found him actively annoying in WWWSK. Also read an interview he gave about working mothers which really put me off. It was an older interview so hopefully he has changed his tune!

Also, to my untrained ear Lee Se Young is smashing the significant volume of Japanese dialogue. It’s entirely possible she’s smashing though it like a bull in a china shop, like the wonky English you get in kdrama & cdrama sometimes. @FedUpWithBriiiiick Is she decent, so-so or awful?