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!

@FedUpWithBriiiiick I'm also watching and loving Family By Choice. Unusually for me I'm following quite a few currently airing/recently aired shows - A Virtuous Business and Love in the Big City (series version of the wonderful novel by Sang Young Park, there's a film version out in the cinemas in SK too), plus What Comes After Love, as well as CCW and Gyeongseong Creature 2. They're all really good, but so far FBC is the standout. Although LitBC is running it a close second.

Thanks @Saram13 for the info about the barley tea! Like the notion of comedy sized tea bags!

I’ve just watched the trailer for Beyond Goodbye on Netflix. It’s got the same ML as What Comes After Love and it looks like he gets to explore more of his range in this one, out 14 November.

Has anyone seen the Korean programme 'My Name is Gabriel'?

Currently sat on flight home (from SK) whilst watching it. Park Bo-gum flew to Dublin this year and adopted the life of a men's choir busker in the city centre for 3 days. The delight he showed at being able to walk around a busy city without anyone recognising him was clear to see!

He came across so sweet and sensitive in it. The real choir leader dipped out of his own life to allow PBG to cover everything from leading the choir, mingling with his friends and even meeting his parents. If not widely available outside of Korean Airlines channel then it may be accessible via YT? Highly recommend.

No idea what happened with the font on my last post 🤔

I loved that too, @AesopsMables ! Only watched the Park Bogum one as I'm Irish but absolutely loved it. The bit with the oranges was so funny the way he told everyone the story. And the parents were so adorable.

And it's on Disney+

Thanks everyone for the drinks info - it’s been bothering me wondering if it was coffee or soft drink for some reason! I’m much happier imagining an iced americano.

I had also been wondering about the barley tea. I just did a quick google and it sounds super healthy and I’d like to find some to have at home. Although I suspect it may be the drink renamed ‘devils dirt water’ by my teens who tried as many different drinks as possible from vending machines in Japan. Still makes me laugh thinking of the look of horror on their faces!

I'm still trying to get home after missing my last-flight-of-the-day, connecting flight (blast you HLR terminal changes!) and having to spend the night at an airport hotel.

Re sugar in drinks in Korea - not usually in plain coffees but OMG, the surprise in finding out that almost ALL drinks are loaded with sugar or "healthy" xylitol! Nothing was nastier than a sip of tomato juice at breakfast with a massive dose of sugar. And don't start me on the unexpected sugar in what a foreigner would expect to be a savoury snack. Sugared Cheetos anyone?🙀

I've enjoyed catching up with My sweet Mobster and now joined the collective love for ML Um Tae Goo's cheekbones.

In celeb news, I caught sight of the talented and beautiful Moon So-ri on my flight back. She was in the first class cabin, of course!😹

Oh poor you Migs! After that long journey one just wants to get home.
How was your trip? I bet it was amazing.

Hope you had a great trip, Miggs and are back home now!

We've started season 2 of Gyeongseong Creature and am still very confused but was SHOCKED to see the evil guy is the cutey-patootie from Family by Choice!!

The kids in Family by Choice are fantastic.

They are! I'm guessing the writer doesn't have a great relationship with their mother - all the mothers are awful (or dead).

Ep 6 of AVB where the pharmacist wife shares her fantasy is comedy gold! Her Sharon Stone infamous leg cross reminded me more of the Kenny Everett's Cupid Stunt leg cross.

In the best possible taste 🤣

Andante and Mrsfeather, the trip was amazing but must confess that Japan edges it for me re culture, (which is understandable, given how much K-history was destroyed during occupation periods) while Korea wins on the food front. I brought back lots of strange things - jellied red ginseng anyone? - as well as cooking ingredients. Have you tried the chewy, chewy, red and yellow corn? In a blind tasting I would not even have guessed that it was corn, the texture was so strange! Unique to Korea, I believe.

And yes, I'm glad to be finally home, relaxing in 7C temperatures.😂
I think I would seriously consider a visit to North Korea to see the contrast between the two countries. #hana

How easy is it to visit the North?

That is unknown for me, but NK recently announced that it will be opening for limited tourists.

NK to open for limited tourism

Hello everyone,

This is your Oppa advent fairy here you say that nominations for this year's Oppa advent calendar are now open, so if you want to see your favourite oppa in the calendar please let me know who it is 🤩❤️

For anyone who hasn't been around for the calendar before, you're in for a treat 🤩 @FedUpWithBriiiiick also does her 12 days of Alternative Oppas calendar, so let her know if you have any alt Oppas you're particularly fond of... For example the lovely Sung Dong Il 😌

Rowdy, ohhh it is that time of year again! Miggs, so pleased you had a fab time. Fascinating about the sugar laden stuff. Is Family By Choice, really worth it? I tend to avoid the teen angst things as feels a bit 'off' to watch at my age. LR was a good exception for me, as it started with them as adults, so didn't feel so odd. I'm watching Secret Life of my Secretary at the moment for some light relief. Just trying to work out where to go to next.

Family by Choice is good. They are teens in 2013, so I have a suspicion that they will move to being adults in 2023 within a few episodes.

It's sweet and fun but there are obvious melo moments (steadily increasing).

All the actors are adults also

I'm presuming the lovely Um Taegoo will feature this year!

I've been lurking for a while but have been lured back out by the Alt Oppas!!

In the last few weeks I have loved watching Rivals and binged through all 3 series of Sweet Home which was great too. And currently watching Jeongnyeon: the star is born which is fab!

Can Lee Jin-wook be a nomination for the Alt Oppas? He might have been on it already as I'm v behind in watching Sweet Home.