MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #48: Time for all the seasonal goodies, advent surprises and the weighing of the year’s dramas for the vote-off. Lazy holding title because I dropped the ball 😄

[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!

Boaty You have saunas, tree tents and huskies to look forward to if you keep going, but I agree it's quite slow in places.

bettys My mistake. I saw the word nanny and assumed baby. There's still a surprisingly high rate of procreation going on in these choices, though, definitely above the South Korean average 🤣

Which one Migs? I liked the bros hanging out scene with LMH, the Spanish pilot and the mouse man after LMH’s bollocking from GHJ.

I’m off to google earnest mouse man because I recognise him from another show but can’t place him.

Edit: he was the sunbae square-jawed journalist in When the Phone Rings. He’s much less annoying in this.

I'm loving every second of RiF. The 'moisturising' tent 😂

@boatyardblues there are so many! The drinking session complete with floating globules of booze; the detailed "How to poop" instructions. Bonkers! This drama is a visual representation of how spontaneous/creative thinkers, think. Mystifying to linear thinkers.
I think my main beef now is the pacing, hence watching it speeded up, but switching to normal for the interesting bits.

New Lee Se-Young drama on Viki, Motel California with Na In Woo as ML. It’s a friends to lovers story, fairly straightforward so far. I could watch Lee Se-Young til the cows come home. I’m interested to see if Na In-woo can turn up the heat. He’s perfectly cast as her chubby school friend at the start (in fat suit). LSY’s character is feisty. I like her in this already.

I saw that. I hope it's good. Love Scout on Viki is proving to be a bit boring.

^This drama is a visual representation of how spontaneous/creative thinkers, think. Mystifying to linear thinkers.
I think my main beef now is the pacing, hence watching it speeded up, but switching to normal for the interesting bits.^

This is a great observation. It’s totally bonkers, no question at all, but somehow I find myself charmed and wanting more.

Love Scout on Viki is proving to be a bit boring.

This too. I don’t really like Han Ji-Min and she’s extra unlikeable in this. Lee Joon-Hyuk’s character is too saintly to be interesting so far. I want him to drop a few f-bombs or cut some up at traffic lights so I know he hasn’t been neutered. 😂

Motel California is shaping up brilliantly. A third generation chaebol suitor has appeared but FL is not motivated by money. It’s actually great. There was a shot of Na In Woo beaming, a beautiful smile that went to his eyes & I suddenly ‘got’ his appeal.

After episode 3 I thought we were at least going to get an interesting story of one of the people being headhunted as a little side line each episode but looks like that's not the case.

And I'm already predicting a very tired trope regarding their parents and past tragedy.

I was a bit on the fence about RiF but I will have to give it a try. I pitched it to my husband focusing on how much he enjoyed KDY in Queen of Tears but he wasn't having any of it. We did watch Are You Sure together which he enjoyed but it was a bit of a stretch. Only his love of Jimin pulled him through!!

Okay I am in love with Kwak Dong Yeon's budgeting and travel organisation in RiF!!!

AmVa, I'm with you on the Kwak Dong Yeon love. IRL, I would drive him made tho, as I like to freewheel, exploring opportunities as I encounter them.

I watch Love Scout with a permanent smile, because... tall, handsome Lee Joon Hyuk.

Loving Motel California, not just for the fantastic FL, Lee Se-Yeong, but tall, handsome...😉<shallow>

Jihoo and Siyeong have been just friends and colleagues for years until Siyeong sees her cheating boyfriend with another woman. Can a drunken night of steamy pleasure in a Busan hotel room turn into more? Has Jihoo been carrying a candle for her all these years?
Cheesy shot just for @MigsandTiggs
Explicit scenes - best not to read on public transport.

Manhwa: A Friendship So Impure
Platform: Tappytoon
Genre: Romance, R-19+ 🔞 Smut NSFW 🥖
Status: Completed

I know I'm late to comment, but seeing the Beast turn into the cheesy generic prince was one of the greatest disappointments of my young life.

I think I'm gonna drop WSG, sorry LMH it's not hitting for me at present....

DH and I did start Light Shop and it's creepy and great. We both really like it, 3 episodes in

More Manhwa's to add to my reading list! Thanks Bettys 🤩

As a PSA for the uninitiated, if you want access to the Lehzin 18+ content you need the "Lezhin comics plus" app - download via their website, you can't get it from Google store.

Or so I heard 😇😉

Good to know @TheLoupGarou !

Tomorrow’s 2D Oppa might just be a certain wolfish gangster 😉🐶🐾

All the manhwa recommendations are making me think I need a kindle or similar small size device. I am making my way through watching A Virtuous Business. Need to speed up as really want to get started on Love Scout and Motel California. Not ventured into space yet, as the clips I've seen it all looks far too bonkers even for me. Mind you, pleased to report the other teen is now enjoying some of the more bonkers C-dramas, and asked me why it is all about mistresses, sex and money! Think she might look at China with different eyes when we go back this summer.

Once again, you've made my day bettys and as a bonus, I've bookmarked loup's PSA. Top chingus!!!!!

If anyone wants a CDrama recc to add to their current screener mix - Flourished Peony is a cracker.
Although it's not easy being a single woman in Olde Timee China.

Thanks Loup. This comment made me laugh out loud. 😄

polkettle - good call, I have started seeing this one, grabbing snippets off YT and trying to keep it in order.

In a world where shifters can take on their animal forms, can love grow between a gangster wolf boss and a fluffy little pooch? Wolf den leader Yoon Chi-Young finds a wounded white fluff ball and takes him in.
Later chapters lots of 🥖, read at your discretion

Manhwa: Paws & Claws (aka Don't Mess With The Pooch!)
Platform: Lezhin
Genre: Shifters, Animals, Crime, Yaoi, NSFW 🌈 BL R-19+ 🔞 Smut NSFW 🥖🥖
Status: Ongoing