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.

I am with you there Boaty. I know some really struggle with it and got treated pretty shamefully by other recruits (G-Dragon, Teamin) but others seems to relish it, Minho, Taec-yeon, Hyun Bin.

do you think it was based on looks only, in which case it is shallow or is there more to it?
@Dragonrock your guess is as good as mine.🤷🏻‍♀️ I have to remind myself that it's a reality show, so these must be scripted elements.

I have several Korean female friends where I live and NONE of them do the covering mouth with hand thing. When I went to Korea, I didn't see it either, so it must be a "genteel" (innocent, shy female) thing when talking to males in a more intimate setting?

I also asked about the age gap 'prescription' and was told that it just exists (no reason) but it's more important to the older generations. One friend has a husband who is 8 yrs older and she did say that it was something considered but decided to ignore in the end.

I wish they were watching HP so we can discuss it as I don't want to be insensitive by asking questions that can appear to be too personal.

Laywer lady is not as she appears on the surface. Not open and deflects questions or doesn't answer them at all. Interestingly, one SM commenter said that someone of her age and experience starting a law firm in SKorea would be an indication of an unsuccessful corporate career!!!

Re the lookism. I rofl whenever they mention looks. Yes, that plastic surgery looks damn fine!
I'll get my coat now...
(I'll be better tomorrow. Promise.)

Evening chingus! I've been reading but not posting much, despite having a constant Netflix list on the go. I've popped up because I'm after the Noona hivemind about KDrama music.

I've got a Spotify list (mostly for when I'm pootling around in the car) of songs/theme music that I like or that immediately remind me of something that I've watched and enjoyed.

Off the top of my head, I've got stuff from the likes of:
Empress Ki
Healer
CLoY
K2
One Spring Night
Korean Odyssey
Mr Sunshine
Hwrang

Any recommendations to add? 🎵

I have a playlist on Apple Music that I add tunes to when I finish watching the series, if I really like them. Have attached a couple of screenshots - hopefully you'll be able to tell the show from the image. I loved the soundtrack to Be Melodramatic.

Thanks @mrsfeatherbottom, that a good place for me to start 😃

O3ohn does lots of kdrama tracks. I like his stuff. Some of his soundtrack songs are a bit syrupy but I rate his EPs. Elaine (Korean-German) crops up frequently on OSTs. Also O.WHEN.

Thanks @boaty 😃

We’re watching The Haunted Palace at the moment which is very enjoyable. (The intro graphics (is that what they’re called?) are wonderful. Not quite up to Mr Queen standard but good enough to watch before every series rather than skipping them).
Kim Sang Ho who plays the blind shaman is absolutely brilliant.
Also, Celebrity which came out a couple of years ago. Blimey, if that’s what life is like as an influencer, then I’m glad I’m a nonentity!

DH and I are watching Prison Playbook and it is so funny! DH reckons he'd quite enjoy a spell in a SK prison if they were like that!

I am watching (trying to finish quickly) Park Marriage Contract at the moment and have started Tastefully Yours. Need to stick with Netflix as am flying end of the week and like a light funny something to keep my occupied.

I’ve been away so I’m catching up on Tastefully Yours. What a miraculous recovery from Alzheimer’s! They need to patent whatever just happened.

DS caught the end credits of a kdrama recently and asked “what’s with the slide show?” I can’t unhear that and think of it everytime I get to the recap before the teaser. 🤦‍♀️

Funny, my kids laughed at the 'slideshow' when they first saw them too. Programmes without them seem odd to me now!

Agree with the magic dementia-curing ramen!

Last episode of Pump Up the Healthy Love tonight and Tastefully Yours will finish next week. What other current shows are people enjoying? Second Shot at Love any good? Or Good Boy?

All the current series seem to be shorter - gone are the 16 episodes of 90 minutes each!

Our Unwritten Seoul
Nine puzzles
2nd shot at Love

@mrsfeatherbottom I like all the above.

Thanks Migs!

DH and I just finished Prison Playbook and it was his favourite so far - we gave it 10 out of 10. I think we've watched about 15 kdramas together. Nine Puzzles is next, I think but I need other ones to watch on my own too.

The remaining 5 episodes of Nine Puzzles have now dropped. Dilemma. I have something else I need to do this weekend. I also need to know how this series is resolved!

Damn boaty, just when I planned to clean my fridge and after I discovered One: Highschool Heroes (the one where Jansport is ppl!)🥊

Long post alert!

I'm watching the brutal bullying that is a central theme of One: Highschool Heroes and it got me wondering how this became so embedded school life in South Korea.
The 2011 Daegu Middle school case is heartbreaking. I would have personally killed the perpetrators and willingly gone to prison if that had been my child. To hell with forgiveness.☠️

ChatGPT to the rescue.
The culture of school bullying in South Korea has developed through a complex mix of historical, societal, and institutional factors. While bullying exists globally, South Korea's particular social dynamics have contributed to a distinct and sometimes extreme manifestation of school bullying (called "hakpok" – 학폭, short for 학교폭력, meaning "school violence"). Here's how this culture has evolved:
1.Historical and Societal Roots

• Authoritarian Legacy: South Korea's education system and broader society were heavily influenced by authoritarian military regimes through the 1960s to 1980s. Obedience to hierarchy and rigid discipline were emphasized, often breeding environments where power dynamics could be abused.

Confucian Hierarchy: Traditional Confucian values reinforce respect for authority and seniority, which can lead to older students (or those in higher grade levels) feeling entitled to dominate younger or weaker students 2.Education System Pressure

• Hyper-competitive Culture: South Korea is known for its intense academic pressure and exam-driven culture. Students often experience high stress, and the school environment can become a pressure cooker that displaces stress through aggression.
• Overcrowded Schools & Long Hours: Students often attend school all day and then go to after-school academies (hagwons) late into the evening. This leaves little room for emotional development or healthy socialization

3.Weak Early Intervention & Institutional Response

• Silencing Victims: Victims have historically been discouraged from speaking out due to stigma, fear of retaliation, and concern over their academic records being affected.
• Schools Covering Up: To protect their reputations, schools have often failed to properly address bullying cases, especially when the perpetrators come from influential families.

Legal and Systemic Inadequacies: Until recent years, there were few effective channels for reporting and addressing school violence. This contributed to a sense of impunity for bullies. 4. Media and Pop Culture Influences

• Normalization in Dramas/Movies: South Korean media has often depicted school bullying, sometimes in sensational or glamorized ways. While some dramas highlight the trauma (e.g., The Glory, School 2013, Who Are You: School 2015), they can also reinforce stereotypes or trivialize the problem

	<strong>Idol &amp; Celebrity Scandals:</strong> Numerous South Korean celebrities have faced backlash due to past school bullying allegations, highlighting how widespread and deeply embedded the issue is.

5. Digital and Cyberbullying

• Online Platforms: With South Korea’s advanced digital infrastructure, bullying has increasingly shifted online — through group chats, anonymous forums, or social media, making harassment more pervasive and harder to escape.

Digital Recordkeeping: Unlike physical bullying, cyberbullying often leaves behind a trail, which has both worsened the impact for victims and provided more evidence in high-profile cases.. 2010s: High-Profile Suicides and Reforms

• A string of student suicides, especially the 2011 Daegu middle school case, sparked public outrage.
• In response:
• The law was amended in 2012 to:
• Allow anonymous reporting.
• Mandate reporting of all school violence cases to the police or education authorities.
• Establish counseling centers and victim protection systems.
• SVCCs were empowered but often criticized for being ineffective or biased (many members are school staff).

Recent Developments

• Public Awareness Rising: High-profile cases and media exposure (e.g., The Glory on Netflix) have brought school bullying to national and international attention.
• Government Action: The South Korean government has introduced more rigorous anti-bullying policies, including mandatory reporting and counseling programs.
• Cultural Shifts: There is a growing societal recognition that bullying is a systemic problem, not a personal failing of the victim.

Current Challenges

• Bias & Retaliation: School committees are often accused of protecting their own (especially in elite schools).
• Uneven Enforcement: Rural and low-income schools often lack resources to enforce anti-bullying policies effectively.
• Record Controversy: Keeping permanent records of student misconduct raises privacy and rehabilitation concerns.
• Digital Evidence: Proving cyberbullying is still hard, and perpetrators often act in group chats or anonymously.

So depressing.

Strangely enough, learning about the reasons behind school bullying has made me realise that to some extent, the bullies are also victims of their society. However, the lack of a genuine desire to openly tackle bullying, both at school and work, is sad and depressing.
One of the sadder points is how the highly competitive schooling doesn't leave time for emotional development and socialising. No wonder the adults drink so much.😢

Migs I think it's relevant as well that corporal punishment was routine in South Korean schools until as recently as the 2010s and only completely banned in 2021, much later than in countries across Europe. When adults are regularly hitting and physically disciplining kids (and some of the punishments were pretty harsh) it's maybe not surprising that kids end up being violent towards each other. At least that's no longer going on, or at least no longer legally sanctioned.

This interview with the director of Nine Puzzles has some interesting details: news.mydramalist.com/article/director-yoon-of-nine-puzzles-says-the-k-drama-is-divorced-from-reality

I found the artist who designed the puzzle pieces. This website has some of her animations, including a collaboration with Balming Tiger: www.yeonyeoin.com/animation?lang=en

Sorry for long absence from the thread! I’m still here, reading insights!

Dies anyone know what streaming platform Oh My Ghost Clients! is on? I can’t find it on the usuals

It's on Viki, but not in the UK. #olga's?