MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #49: Still reeling from the insanity of When the Stars Gossip, we dust off our party frocks to present Daebak Café’s 2024 best scoring shows

[boatyardblues]

A quiet corner of MN for serious addicts of Kdrama, or the K-curious. Most of our viewing is drawn from Netflix, Viki, Amazon Prime, 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 - the best are listed below.

The previous thread is here. Our list is cumulative & includes previous threads’ recommendations and favourites. Shows marked with a star are more uniformly loved or admired. On genre categories, 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. This tonal chaos is 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)🌟
Family By Choice (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)
Light Shop (Disney+)
Moon in the Day (Viki)
Moving (Disney+)
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)
I’m Married But… (Netflix - Taiwanese)⭐️
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 2024 dramas with 5 or more votes
Overall scores reduced due to more voters this year.
#1 A Shop For Killers 9
#2 Lovely Runner 8.8
#3 Let's Talk About CHU Score 8.8
#4 Family By Choice 8.6
#5 Squid Game 2 8.5
#6 Mr Plankton: 8.3
Full run down by Bettys here.

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.

Migs, I have just finished Ep2 and was thinking the exact same thing about Florence. If I was going in what I assume is November/December, I'd have leather gloves, scarf and hat, I'd also probably wear a better coat but can see why they want those wool things as they look stylish, but still! Gloves people, gloves. That said, am enjoying immensely and so glad you pointed it out.

Hospital Playlist fans - how are you finding Resident Playbook.
I have forced myself to watch first two episodes but it’s not working for me. I am very disappointed ☹️

I am not a Hospital Playlist mega fan like some others here. I found the first couple of episodes of Resident Playbook uphill work but have to say I’m really enjoying it now. Stick with it. The main characters develop and become more likeable.

Agree with boaty - wasn't too sure at first but loving it now, especially the budding romance!

I'm away for the weekend for a wedding and bought a book at the airport and got 'I want to die but I want to eat tteokbokki' for half price.

@Dragonrock , glad you're enjoying HP, it's like watching a k-drama. I'm waiting on ep9 to drop. It's amazing how much an onlooker can assess the situation. As a mum I want to get in there and give advice/support.

Every single person is likeable and I can't believe I'm saying this, but for one hardworking person, (no spoilers) the only solution to me, is to have both a sahm wife who's life is focussed on caring for him, children and home, and a fun, intelligent, working mistress. His insane focus on work would ultimately break any woman with personal/career ambitions who becomes his wife, no matter how much she loves him.

I might try Heart Signal, as I'd not heard of it before you mentioned it.

Hang on, @Dragonrock / @MigsandTiggs what is HP if not Hospital Playlist? 😅 I must have missed this conversation and just assumed it was this but now you've said 'its like watching a kdrama' so I'm obviously confused!

@AmVa it's Heart Pairing on Viki. It's extremely good, even the hosts.

I've started the Japanese remake of Suspicious Partners on Viki. So far so good! The Korean version is one of my all time favourites 😍

@MigsandTiggs , I have made it to ep6. Gosh I am very invested. The age thing made me heart break a little and I think I have guessed who you might be referencing above but have to say I have often thought I need a 'wife' to handle all my life admin ;-). I do agree there is not one of them that I do not like, unlike in HS, where on occasions some have seemed a bit off, but that might be the format, as like UK reality in HS there is less at stake and so you might get more wanna bes? Which I do not not see in HP. I am glad I did not watch it too early in my k-drama/variety viewing as I would have missed a lot of the nuance. I don't want UK reality like Love Island as tend to find it vacuous and coarse (god I sound old ) I really enjoy this more considered approach but mind you, none of them are average are they?

@Dragonrock I get the feeling that they are all genuinely looking for a marriage partner and that we are seeing their real selves. The only one I would say who is not 100% open is Je Hyeon, but then as a lawyer, she is accustomed to deflecting questions. The way to deal with that is by not filling the silences, offering answers.

I also like that the game changers are real game changers so it must be difficult for the participants. Do they take a chance on someone new or stick with what they know?
I find Ji Won so gentle, and Chae-eun, intelligent and up for a challenge and I hope they all find happiness.

Pump Up the Healthy Love is so funny. Especially enjoyed the "My Flour Liberation Notes".

I finished KBL Business as Usual today (Viki) , it was really good and the special episode was totally adorable. It's good for a weekend binge session!

Is anyone else watching Dear Hongrang on Netflix? The whole series dropped today.

I’ve watched the first 2 episodes and been pleasantly surprised to find it hasn’t shied away from the darker themes in the manhwa. In fact, it seems they have entirely leaned in to it tonally. Maybe because it’s a Netflix production, rather than a Korean network.

The manhwa plot has been sexed up a bit with FL’s side project, which is astonishing when the manhwa is so layered and twisty. The casting’s spot on 🌟and Lee Jae-Wook is chewing up the scenery.

Overall it is classy and faithful to the original story, which pleases me no end.

I'm on Ep 3 of Dear Hongrang. Didn't read the manhwa, but enjoying it very much. Only issue is that all the middle aged men look the same decked out in a moustache and beard and wearing the same clothes!!!

This is a constant battle with sageuk, though I have exactly the same problem with shows like Peaky Blinders and the Lord of the Rings films. I’ve realised I’m not very good at faces and rely on hair and clothing for cues. It’s why BTS’ constant hair dying and restyling used to trip me up.

I’m up to ep 5 of Hongrang now. It’s great. There’s so much plotting and swashbuckling. The two leads need to lean into their feels more and it will be hitting every measure of excellence. This role plays to LJW’s strengths. Jo Bo Ah is well cast too.

There’s a formal event at the end of ep 5 of Hongrang with a form of dress that I don’t remember seeing before. It makes me think of Mongolian traditional dress. Interesting.

It's this one @boatyardbluessorry for the very late reply

What a fantastic idea for a specialist travel company @peanutcookie . The 2025 destinations are interesting too.

DH and I have binged both series of Weak Hero Class these last few days, I think I preferred the first series but did enjoy the second. It wasn't nearly as much fun as Study Group. Why are the teachers non-existent/next to useless in kdrama world? I can't remember what we watched before it even though it was only last week.

Making slow progress with Moon Lovers. I was a bit confused when the 3rd prince wanted to marry the princess. I thought she might then have been a cousin or something so I googled and wish I hadn't as it put me right off. Have only stuck with it as seen so many glowing reviews about the love story. Which I'm absolutely not feeling. I've got 3 episodes left so might see if I can finish most tonight. DD is never here so FF is parked until she can fit me into her schedule.

I'm going to need super light and fluffy for my next watch.

As a fictional take on real history Moon Lovers works quite well, but it's not my favourite. It's neither as silly and fun as Hwarang or has the dramatic intensity of Six Flying Dragons. And the modern person going back in time theme is done so much better in Mr Queen. It's strongest point is probably the romance, so if it's not grabbing you.....For me, I watched it too soon after Flower of Evil I think, so struggled a little with Lee Joon-gi in such a different role and just never really got that into it. It's still a good battle-for-the-throne type story, though (very loosely based on historical fact)

I’ve struggled with Moon Lovers too. I haven’t made much progress over the last 6 weeks. 🤷‍♀️ ETA: Kang Ha Neul doesn’t do it for me and it is jarring seeing cancelled Ji Soo bouncing around like a puppy. I’m not feeling it.

Kim Ji Hoon appears to be redeeming his reputation, as a one brain cell k-celeb with flowing locks, with his role as the king in Haunted Palace. 😅

I had Moon Lovers on my list but seeing very mixed reviews, I parked it. Glad I did, now.