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!

Surely he needs to get back on the telly soon... Those lip fillers ain't gonna pay for themselves!

🤣

I love his character (and let's be honest, face) in RIABB but the moment I saw him kissing on screen the first time it was all downhill.

RIABB has the award in my mind for most ridiculous wound tending in a kdrama - first aid box, antiseptic and bandage for someone getting hit in the face by a flying lettuce.

Oooh I've found my people! Room for another K drama fan to join your ranks?? 😄

Welcome to the madhouse @Amrapaali - always room for a littleun, the more the merrier!

I'm watching Jimin and JK right now with dd - adorable beans.

Always! Welcome

I can't decide between W Two Worlds or Pinnochio for my favourite LJS drama. They're both good fun, and RIABB, but I think his main talent is probably wearing clothes. I wonder if he's mostly been modelling the last couple of years?

Welcome Amrapaali, I'm sure you'll fit right in.

I'm going for W: two worlds or While You Were Sleeping ..... not RIABB - Wi Ha Joon would have won that fight (for me) hands down 😁

One can only hope for IU's sake that his kissing game is better irl than in drama. I think he generally looks good but has almost zero sex appeal. I feel mean now for writing that. Oh well.

His main talent is wearing clothes ... @Cobol that is a perfect description!!! He always looks stylish and elegant.

Welcome @Amrapaali !!

W: Two Worlds wins for being so conceptually audacious IMO. I loved how they ran with the cartoonist as creator concept and executed it plot-wise. It was brilliant. LJS was definitely not the most dazzling thing about it.

Thank you all for the warm welcome 😻

Currently watching The Real has Come. Its length is similar to a C-drama 50 episodes!! But I'm not complaining. Quite enjoying this one even though some episodes I had to watch on 1.5x speed!!

For anyone yet to watch, starts off with usual tropes of rich chaebol family, squabbling, haughty grandmother, back-stabbing etc but all the characters have redeemed themselves. They've turned from 2D stereotypes to actual complex humans. Maybe that's why it needed 50 episodes!

Give it a go if you've nothing else on your watchlist (highly unlikely if you've gone down the rabbit hole of K drama!!)

Welcome from me too @Amrapaali 👋 I’m interested in how you found us. Some MNers were very rude about our (OK, my) long thread titles in AIBU a while ago. I’ve wondered if it makes them stand out & whether name-checking current shows, Korean actors and musicians encourages people in the know to open the thread.

Rude about long thread titles??!! @boatyardblues I swear MN gets weirder by the day 😆

I found this thread on Active- but to be fair I've seen you guys around over the years. I've been on MN for at least 8 years+ and your thread title is very familiar. I've never ventured inside because I wasn't into K Drama back then but now it's safe to say I am well and truly drowned in Hallyu!!

And yes name-checking actors, shows etc will definitely reel fans in. Though I just saw K Drama and jumped right in. I am having more fun now going back and reading all your long and lovely thread titles 😊

Speaking of which, are all episodes of My Sweet Mobster out? I started that one but was too impatient to wait for the upcoming episodes and parked it until they were all released. Discovered Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency in the meantime- cute romance. Definitely watch it on a big TV screen if you can. The cinematography is very beautiful.

Hi @Amrapaali ! Welcome to the group

DH and I started Hierarchy last night, on ep3 now. I have lots of theories! DD2 was busy all day so couldn't watch any more of Hidden Love so I started My Roommate is a Gumiho. Watched the first episode and not particularly impressed so far

All episodes of My Sweet Mobster are out - I loved it. Um Tae Goo is my new crush!

Welcome @Amrapaali! As my kdrama current watches only drop on weekends now, I'm well and truly down a Cdrama blackhole that is sucking me in. And don't start me on the thief of time that is Instagram!!!

I'm watching this too at the moment. Usually watch shows with my fiancé, but this is 'by myself' show which means I usually watch it on my lunch break. Got to episode 40 so far. Does feel very long compared with others but it's quite nice to be able to stick with characters for a bit longer.

Yep definitely felt the character progression. Some bits felt a bit problematic- adopted children not being acknowledged, stigma of single motherhood but for some strange reason the story kept me hooked

Instagram is the work of the devil!! Proper Black hole... 😅

But I've learnt quite a lot as well so not giving up on Insta for now. I never post on there but consume a lot of content

Welcome @Amrapaali! We are a fine bunch of Filthy Noonas™️

Hello chingus old and new 🫶🏼

I'm way behind on all dramas, the only thing I've watched recently is The Boyfriend which I absolutely loved, and now I'm wasting all my spare time either watching the Olympics or reading Manhwas.

So next week once the Olympics are over in going to start MSM and Tokyo Tower thanks to Migs suggesting it. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else is watching 😁

I've added My Sweet Mobster and Sweet Home 3 to the spreadsheet.

I wasn't sure what to watch next so thought I'd give TheLoup's recommendation, Meet You at the Blossom a go. It's quite bonkers, even for a bl, a kind of Chinese historical drama version of a bodice-ripping Mills & Boon novel - but without the bodices. Needless to say I'm enjoying it immensely 😂

Posting to register my disapproval of the huge plot twist in May I Help You. One of those tonal shifts that makes me want to send the whole writing team to Daegu ( a Pride & Prejudice - Korean legal drama - reference for newer posters). I had to stop viewing to make lunch. It may yet sort itself out but I’m still scarred by Black.

Boaty Although it was a little darker and serious than I was first expecting, May I Help You is definitely no Black. It's very moving with a satisfying ending.

Thank you Cobol. 🙏 I can now finish it with a lighter heart.