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!

Congrats to @Cobol and @Dragonrock DC, and best of luck with sorting out uni options. My DD will be starting her second year, the first one absolutely flew by!

I've had a good drama week this week, I've started 4 new dramas! Sweet Home (which is a lot scarier than I remember! MSM which dh and I are enjoying together, Love Next Door and Thai BL Bad Buddy recommended by @TheLoupGarou I can't remember the last time I was so emersed in dramas! 💪🏼

You've got your mojo back, girl!

Am here for all your BL recommendation needs 🫡

Also massive congrats to all those with uni places! A-levels are definitely the hardest exams I ever did- the thought of my final biology exam still brings me out in a cold sweat.

Thanks for the push, I have started on Master's Sun. Not sure I can cope with So Ji-sub hair style, but will persevere. Got lots I am considering for my holiday, Romance in the House with the lovely Minho, saw a clip of the cast on Knowing Borthers, and it looks good. Considering Love Next Door but quite fancy a good / silly sageuk, as not watched one for a while.

After seeing mention of Mission: Cross (Netflix) here, I watched it last night. It was very enjoyable and as a fellow crocheter, I laughed my socks off when the pink car with the crocheted steering wheel and more, was on screen. The character dynamics and writing were chef's kiss. The perfect show for recuperating after Perfect Family (Viki).

DNA Lover (Viki) on the other hand went straight to the drop list after only one episode. Annoying FL character was made even worse by the actress's overuse of lip fillers. Why do some women think it's a good look?

Congratulations @cobol and @Dragonrock!

I finished BTIMFL yesterday. I liked the story and it was well acted but tbh the last 3-4 episodes really dragged and I was bored. I just wish they used their words! (& didn't have such long pauses or speak so slowly). Finished Serendipity's Embrace today. It was OK, nothing exciting. Again, the earlier episodes were better. DD2 picked My Lovely Liar as our next watch. The first episode hasn't gripped us so hoping it picks up soon

@peanutcookie I dropped My lovely Liar, it just never got going, and I found it pretty boring 😬

I started Tokyo Tower this morning which had me hooked right from the off, helped along by the handsome ML 😉 I should finish it off tomorrow

I'm absolutely loving Bad Buddy too, I'll definitely try more Thai dramas after this one.

Late to the celebration party, congratulations to proud parents & all the best to youngsters.

Good luck to those waiting for GSCSs.

I am venturing in to South Asian dramas and cheesy mafia novels these days 😆

We're off to get DD's GCSEs this morning!!

I've one episode left of Atypical Family - have enjoyed it although it slowed down a bit in the middle. The actress that plays the teenage daughter is so good.

Just found out recently that I'm being made redundant and DH is worried I'll be watching even more kdramas!!

I’m sorry to hear about your redundancy MrsF. 😕 I hope you find a new job quickly (assuming that’s what you want). Your husband’s not wrong though, is he? Kdrama would be the obvious way to soften the blow, at least initially.

@mrsfeatherbottom As we say in the industry, your job was made redundant, not you, so 💪for both job search and soothing, increased k-drama watching.

@mrsfeatherbottom good luck for the results!

Sorry about the redundancy, it can be really tough, but I echo @MigsandTiggs words - onwards!

Fingers crossed for the GCSEs mrsfeatherbottom 🤞

Sorry to hear about the redundancy MigsandTiggs. There's probably a kdrama out there for such occasions. I know I found a lot of solace in Romance is a Bonus Book when in a similar position careerwise to the FL.

@mrsfeatherbottom - hwaiting / fighting on all fronts. Hope the young featherbottom gets what they need.

Sorry to hear Migs - hope you can take some down time to reset before launching into something new!

Also - have just watched the first two episodes of Love Next Door and they were heart flutteringly good!!!! The leads are both so great.

I watched all of Lovely Liar, quite enjoyed it, but wouldn't put it as compulsory viewing.

Thanks everyone. She got As and A star (it turns things bold if I use the asterisk) in her A level choices and a smattering of As, Bs and C stars in the rest so we're delighted!

Just finished Atypical Family and have downloaded a few episodes of Good Bad Mother to watch on holiday (in the land of no Wi-Fi!)

Ooooh, I wasn't the person whose job was made redundant.

Tomorrow, Pachinko 2 airs on AppleTV. Here's a of what happened so far. I'm very much looking forward to Lee Min-ho on my tv.😎

Sorry I tried to make you redundant@MigsandTiggs 🫢 and sorry for actually being made redundant @mrsfeatherbottom , I hope things work out OK.

@mrsfeatherbottom Congratulations on mini FB's GCSE results and I'm sorry about your redundancy. Hopefully you will find comfort in K Dramas whilst things sort themselves out.

I've just finished Tokyo Tower, the ML is insanely handsome. What a mess those guys left behind them though, I'm slightly offended by the use of 'Old Hag' being thrown at very attractive middle aged women 🤣 also the 8 years later scene at the end wasn't really necessary but I enjoyed it a lot, I need something new to watch now 🤔

Jung So-Min is smashing it again in Love Next Door and Jung Hae-In is a great foil for her. Their bickering is magnificent. When they bring that passion to the romance I predict sparks. 👌 Jung Hae-In is good at letting his female leads shine, though I may be biased because Something in the Rain was my 2nd kdrama. Jung So-Min has cornered the casting market for pugnacious, vivacious scrappers. I don’t even mind that she’s a bit typecast because I enjoy her so much in these roles. When she ages out of FL roles, all her hair pulling and brawling experience will be perfect prep for evil chaebol MIL, sassy ahjumma and firebrand mother roles.

Sidebar: How sloppy do you have to be at contracts that your new business is floundering due to lack of fee income? 🙄

I should add that the paramedic/mudflat man pairing also works for me.

I'm very much looking forward to Love Next Door Boaty but I first have to finish the utter trash that is Meet You at the Blossom that TheLoup put me up to. Can the ML beat the oft fatal black needle curse with the help of seven crimson dahlias and the love of his man (or something)? One episode to go....😂😂😂

Haha! Sorry cobol - I'll admit it wont be one I'll rewatch - I still thought it was fun though 😁