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!

After a really good, creepy start, Light Shop fizzled out a bit for me. I've also been watching Flower of Evil, which I've been enjoying more than expected, and reading manhwa, some of Bettys' suggestions and also some I'd stopped reading a while ago that had added new chapters. I really, really have to finish my book soon, though as it was a gift and I had another for Christmas I haven't even started yet and I'm starting to fear being asked if I enjoyed them and having to admit I haven't read them yet because I've been distracted by cartoons and kdramas (and Japanese ice skaters on Youtube - don't ask!) 😅

Cobol · Today 19:38
After a really good, creepy start, Light Shop fizzled out a bit for me

We’ve got to episode 7 and I haven’t the faintest idea what’s going on. Dh is normally pretty switched on re plots and twists etc but he’s bemused as well.

I really enjoyed it too!

I didn't really enjoy it. The first 4 episodes were too creepy and the last four were depressing. DH enjoyed it more than I did.

I can’t believe it’s the same male lead as Light Shop!

and Japanese ice skaters on Youtube - don't ask!

Oh come on, you can’t tease like that @Cobol . 😄 Spill those Japanese beans. 🙏

If you want to see Ju Ji Hoon in full scenery chewing mode, Hyena is good value. It’s a legal drama where the two leads spark off each other through their professional rivalry and grudging mutual admiration.

Boaty okay, okay, I confess I was sucked in by a random YouTube algorithm suggestion (I'm still not sure where it came from) which led to me losing an entire evening to clips like this :

Iseop Tae is the chaebol heir to the company that Mingyeong Kang has been working so hard for. Although they entered the company at the same time, she always surpassed him. Now she has been forcibly demoted to become his secretary, can their natural animosity become something more?
NB last pic is a bit of a spoiler 🤭 but then we all know where it's heading, don't we?

Manhwa: Iseop's Romance
Platform: Webtoon
Genre: Romance, CEO, Office Romance, Enemies to Lovers
Status: Ongoing

Thanks for sharing this. I love figure skating. I was worried for him when he stumbled on a couple of his landings but you can see his coach leap to his feet ecstatically after one of them in the slow-mo recap, so it must have been a v high technical difficulty jump. He had a super warm crowd with lots of Japanese fans and his reaction to the result at the end was great. I didn’t realise the points accumulate during the routine. That was fascinating too.

Iseop’s such a dork on the romance front, you wonder how he manages to run a business. 😄

Boaty I used to love watching the ice skating at the Olympics when I was young but haven't watched it in years so I'd not heard of him before I happened to come across him on Youtube but straight away I could see he had something special. His programmes are always very technically difficult and he goes for everything. I've never seen anyone carry on so unphased after a stumble before. He won an Olympic gold in 2014 despite two falls and a second in 2018, he's broken countless records, first quadruple loop jump landed successfully in competition etc etc. I can't believe I've never heard of him before. I could, and have, quite literally watch him for hours 🥰😁

새해 복 많이 받으세요 (Saehae bok mani badeuseyo) to all my Chingus. Spent yesterday re-cleaning (already did it before the decorations up!) and preparing, so I have had a lovely peaceful day today with no work! Kung Hei Fat Choi or Xin nian kuai le whichever works for you! Happy Year of the Snake.

@Dragonrock , when I was given a New Year biscuit today, I remembered with nostalgia, the days of getting a red envelope. 🇨🇳

Gong hei fat choy (恭喜发财)!

@MigsandTiggs oh same, I did love being a young adult in HK and getting red packets, now I just have to hand them out😳

We had an amazing time seeing Ateez, despite my kids managing to lose a jacket, a cowboy hat and a phone charger 🙄. Those of you going tomorrow you are in for a treat!

Oooh, what platform is Hyena on?

Better than losing the kids!

It was on Netflix, but their license may have lapsed as I watched it a while ago.

I was just nosing around in the new & coming soon tab on the Netflix app. Melo Movie which arrives on 14 Feb looks fantastic. Park Bo-Young as newbie director and Choi Woo-Shik as a film fan, maxing out their flair for deadpan, sardonic humour. 👌 Bring. It. On. 🙏

Mr Dimples Jasper Liu is also back on 14 Feb in I’m Married… But. Normally this would be cheering news but it’s totally eclipsed by the inspired casting of CWS and my fave PBY in Melo Movie. I want to congratulate whoever dreamed that partnership up. Yes, I am excited.

I am also v. excited for Melo Movie. Same writer as Our Beloved Summer.

Just read this article - has anyone started watching Asura? It sounds fantastic.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jan/29/asura-netflix-drama-hirokazu-kore-eda

For the penultimate Draw January it's a firm favourite. Dojin and Jooahn work together but are total opposites and do not get on. However when a company trip to a temple results in a mysterious soul swap they have to spend an hour a day in each other's bodies. Will they learn to understand each other?

Manhwa: An Hour of Romance
Platform: Tappytoon
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Slice of Life, Office Life, Body Swap
Status: Completed

Motel California watchers - anyone else picking up on the it's a wonderful life references? I am maybe reading into it too much since the dad was actually watching it so obviously that put it in my mind but.. then you have the theme of being desperate to leave you small hometown and the broken staircase bannister ... That's the end of my list...but it's not nothing.

Am I giving off tin foil hat vibes right now?

An absolute cracker and ripe for live action adaptation

I loved An Hour of Romance. The body swaps were thoughtfully done and gave each character insight about the other’s life. I don’t know how they’d do the impish little monk in a live action version. Most child actors are too precocious and would struggle to pull off the knowing, sage aspect of his character. Otherwise I completely agree that it is crying out for adaptation.