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!

Second pic of Paws & Claws is for @TheLoupGarou as Gyun Heesung is perhaps similarly thinking of his disappointment of animal vs human form

Paws & Claws looks like a hoot! 😻

Migs it's a good one 🤣 baguette heavy, but it does have a plot 😉

Definitely one of my top 2D oppa's - he's pretty much a green flag too (well, for our main character anyway) wolf form is a bonus 🤩

I'll take Yoon Chi-young's gangster-y human form over The Beast's ANY DAY 🤣

Loving RiF - it is perfect relaxing viewing. Only negative is Lee Dong Hwi's slight overreactions to being out in nature.. 🙄

Catching up on Family By Choice, watched a couple of episodes last night. When I said to my husband it was nice to watch a comforting show after binging Squid Game his reply was 'you mean the show you just cried through for an hour and a half" 😅😅

All these 2D oppas made me sigh up for Lezhin 😭

The Queen who Crowns is the most beautifully shot drama I have ever seen. The colours!! The main characters are well drawn, the relationship between M&FL is heartbreaking and the FL is mesmerising to watch. I'm fully invested.

I think even sageuk-phobes might enjoy it.

All these 2D oppas made me sigh up for Lezhin 😭

@MigsandTiggs We are heading back to Webtoon for today's 2D Oppa but stay tuned, there are more Lezhin recommendations to come! Plus if you collect coins on a daily basis from the Gift Box in Lezhin you can offset against paying for chapters. There are some series on Lezhin (and the other platforms) that you can't find by cough other means.

Martial Arts Master Cheon Nyeon-Bi is betrayed and murdered but wakes up in a new life as a concubine in the palace. She must navigate her new life while trying to investigate what happened to her previous one....and what is the link between the Emperor and the mysterious Tteokk-Boy who she meets in the garden?
Funny & feisty FL and green flag ML

Manhwa: A Martial Arts Master Wakes Up As A Concubine
Platform: Webtoon
Genre: Romance, Josei, Historical, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance 💚
Status: Ongoing

I'm so pleased you managed to get a leaping trout screenshot 😂
This one's a hoot and Little Omelette Cheon the Soft-Boiled is my fave FL.

LOVING Motel California. The two leads are great although my heart is breaking for ML. Lots of eye candy too; the tall childhood friend and the rich guy.

DH and I started Light Shop and I managed the first episode and didn't have nightmares so, go me!

Me too. Good to see some proper black comedy too. It's got a really modern vibe.

A refreshingly realistic depiction of sex, too, complete with the awkward getting dressed afterwards. So different from the usual kdrama trope of waiting until episode 15 after they've already got engaged!

A classic contract marriage tale. CEO Kang Tae-Mu wants to get married to his blind date Ha-Ri to get his family off his back. Little does he know that she is one of his employees in disguise after she stepped in for her friend! Made into a drama with Ahn Hyo Seop as ML - not sure that the casting could have been better.

Manhwa: Business Proposal
Platform: Tapas
Genre: Romance, Slice of Life, Comedy, Ceo, 💚
Status: Completed

Nice insertion of a 3D oppa there @Bettys! 👌 It was a great manhwa adaptation of a solid manhwa.

Yes! Business Proposal is great - I enjoyed the manhwa and the drama adaptation too. Although Tae-Mu really needs his eyes tested....

Seon-Woo is a nerdy looking guy with a secret - he has a crush on Tae-Moon, the handsome guy in his office! Can he persuade him into some kind of Office colleagues with benefits relationship? Could it develop into more? Raunchy, rude and funny with a heart. Make that very rude!!

Manhwa: Punch Drunk Love
Platform: Lezhin
Genre: Romance, Slice of Life, Comedy, Office Workers, NSFW 🌈 BL Smut 🥖
Status: Ongoing

I was on a bit of a KDrama high after finishing Squid Games S2 , brought down to earth with a thud by the ending of When the Phone Rings ( what were they thinking?) and The Trunk ( was really looking forward to it but it was so slow and dull, thank god it was short). Now on Ep4 of Light Shop, I like it but DH doesn’t ( he is being diplomatic but I can tell lol).

Waiting for more episodes of Motel California and The Queen who Crowns to drop before I start them. I’m thinking about doing a classic like Reply 1988 in the meantime.

Genuinely a bit mystified by people hating ending of WtPR (not in any way casting shade here- you're all in good company with social media opinion). I just thought it was a gloriously ridiculous dial up to 11 of a gloriously ridiculous show. I was crying with laughter.
Reply 88 is total brilliance. My personal suggestion for anyone watching any of the Replies is to spoil the "who does she marry" thing for yourself from the start and then you can enjoy the drama without having to pick a team and being sad if "your" team isn't picked. I think that's a big distraction.
I wouldn't pick who the character picks but I do think the character makes absolutely the right choice for her and that is very satisfying world building.

^Reply 88 is total brilliance. My personal suggestion for anyone watching any of the Replies is to spoil the "who does she marry" thing for yourself from the start and then you can enjoy the drama without having to pick a team and being sad if "your" team isn't picked. I think that's a big distraction.^

Pol is wise. I completely agree about the FL’s choices too. So much so, a legacy MN emoji is justified.

Pol re WTPR I agree the having to spend "x" amount of time apart before finally getting together is stock kdrama (true love in South Korea has to survive mandatory military service, after all...) so I didn't really have a problem with the postscript bit but the whole end of ep11 seemed to have happened completely differently at the beginning of ep12 and I was left completely confused as to who was shot and who was arrested and which bits were a figment of someone's imagination....

GaladrielHiggins We're only on ep2 of Light Shop but the thunder sound effects get top marks if nothing else.

100% agree with boaty and pol about Reply 1988 - it's a brilliant show. I wouldn't pick who she picks either - but I agree it's absolutely the right choice for her and completely within character.

Me and DH are really enjoying Light Shop, he'll only do one episode a night though - we are up to episode 5....

We're 3 episodes in to Light Shop! DH has a theory which is plausible so will be interesting to see if he's right!

Totally agree with Reply 1988 - I did see who she ended up with halfway through and glad I did.

Punch Drunk Love is an absolute work of genius also 🤣

That wedding dress is the funniest thing I've seen all week. I'm weak with laughter at the adoring gaze too. #2DOppas

I love a bit loads actually, of melodrama and so re-watched Temptation. It was one of the first kdramas I had watched, and hadn't remembered much of the plot, so it was a good diversion while waiting for weekend shows to air.

Singles Inferno 4. I haven't even finished Ep1and I'm already in despair at the plastic surgeried faces of both sexes and the look-alike female appearances. 🙄Will all the contestants be as self-confident as they first appear? Or are they a more realistic version of the usual k-persona depictions?

A relative who has worked in SK, said that his females co-workers were feisty and ultra competitive, which makes sense in their dog eat dog competitive society.