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.

Agree

Has anyone watched The Witch on Viki? I started it yesterday and realised I’d already watched 3/4 of the first episode ages ago. 😂 It’s off an odd start so I’m unsure which direction it’s heading in. Not that that is a bad thing.

I've watched it. 7/10

I started watching the spy romance, Tempest (Disney+) and a bit put out to find that it's still dropping. The political & philosophical comments are easily applicable to what is happening as the world copes with Trumpiam policies and the dialogue is so good that I keep rewinding to read it all!

Also pleased that FL Jun Ji Hyun is so far avoiding the plastic surgery look and looks exactly as she should, ten years older from Legend of the Blue Sea.

That sounds worth checking out Miggs.

My sleep’s out of whack at the mo so I keep starting kdrama episodes and falling asleep on the sofa, so my watch rate is glacial. My other grumble is that my Netflix algorithm has gone stupid, so I get loads of irritating US content suggested and it’s stopped telling me about kdramas. I half wonder if my kids have been starting things on my profile over the summer break and retrained it. 🤔 I need to get back on track somehow.

I feel you boaty. I had two hours sleep last night and I'm still awake. Time for a G&T night cap.

After a bit of a drought I am hooked by Tempest (Disney+). It’s an excellent political/spy thriller. Ju Ji-Hyun is brilliantly cast and smashing it as FL. Kang Dong Won is v good as the North Korean mercenary too. I would also note how great it is to have a core ensemble of fantastic actresses carrying significant, meaty roles, the kind of roles that would be filled by meh blokes in most US dramas.

I realise this is a minority view but I’ve got a bit fed up with Beyond the Bar. I find the good and bad characters too typecast. Most of the older partners at the law firm are reactionary, sexist, dishonest, greedy, dishonourable etc whereas the younger employees are all right thinking, fair, honourable decent individuals. This makes the outcome of situations or problems arising in the company completely predictable.
Also, some of the stories aren’t convincing. I know coincidences do happen but the history of doctor and the ill person on the plane was stretching plausibility (and again, the outcome was predictable).
Re. the single father and the housekeeper - would the doctor making the house visit really have kept quiet? Surely if he was discovered lying he would be struck off immediately?

I've just finished watching Heavenly Ever After with DH. There were some good moments, and some interesting ideas, with strong acting from the leads, but it lacked a bit in the story telling. Overall it was a bit of a mess.
I also watched My Boyfriend is the Man on Viki which worked reasonably well as a lightweight comedy despite the unpromising premise (I'm not generally a fan of body swap type dramas, but the solo swap was a novel twist).
I've got Tempest on my watch list but I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for a thriller. Anyone else watching anything good atm?

Tempest is also on my list but I might wait for more episodes and watch with DH. We’re watching Trigger together and enjoying it. I’m watching Call It Love which couldn’t be more different but I’m also enjoying it (not sure enjoying is the right word as it’s very sad but you know what I mean).

I still haven’t finished Heavenly Ever After. I wasn’t feeling it. 😕

I’m slightly embarrassed to admit I’m really enjoying Bon Appetit Your Majesty on Netflix. It has a pantomimey OTT aspect to it but the two leads are great value, the FL’s sidekick is fun and I love all the food prep. FL’s smackdown of the palace kitchen hazing pleased me too. I think she’s about to hand the king’s favourite consort and the queen mother their arses on a plate too. Modern day haute cuisine kitchen dynamics have prepped the FL well for palace connivance. 😄

Heavenly Ever After had the most wonderful ending where they referenced all the other dramas the FL was in. Its was a lovely homage to a career in acting and I've never seen anything as touching.
Im limping through Behind the Bar, but it's not grabbing me anymore, it's too miserable now.

Who is watching Walking on Thin Ice? 🙋‍♀️ I’ve just finished ep 1. I have high hopes.

I was going to ask if anyone was watching that. Also wondering about A Hundred Memories which looks good.

I'm loving everything about Walking on Thin Ice.
More importantly, when do the nominations for our Advent Calendar open? M&S has Christmas stuff out already and I want to nominate the ML, Kim Young-kwang.😻

I second Kim Young-kwang as an advent oppa. 🙋‍♀️

Another advent oppa candidate- second couple ML from Beyond the Bar Lee Hak-joo (this noona’s favourite).

Can anyone share their favourite romances? Struggling to move on after CLOY. Quite enjoyed Something in the Rain and 20th Century Girl. Not sure what to look at next.

Also…which thread number # has all the discussion of CLOY?! It must have been talked about a lot on here but I can’t find it.

Thisist Have you seen My Love from the Star? It was written by Park Ji Eun who also wrote CLOY. It’s a wonderful, unforgettable drama.
Also try Hometown Cha Cha Cha.
One of my favourites is Secret Love Affair but I’m not sure where it can be watched as it’s no longer on Netflix or Viki.

I will definitely take a look at My Love from the Star, thanks so much! It was the writing that blew me away in CLOY - the most cleverly written script. Hometown Cha Cha Cha was on my radar so must dive in…I need something to help me get over CLOY!

I agree with Hometown Cha Cha Cha, it's one of my favourites. I also liked Rain or Shine and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo for romance, none of which I would have tried without the recommendations on here, being more into horror and supernatural shows normally.

Speaking of which, Alice in Borderland is back. I was a bit doubtful about a 3rd series but I watched ep1 last night and it was good. I'm interested to see where they go with it.

I'm into sci-fi, so AIB is on my (very long) list!

I can see FL in WOTI is slowly finding her spine and voice. I can’t wait for the development of her full-throated roar.

Favourite romances- When the weather is fine; Our beloved summer; Our unwritten Seoul, Love next door; One spring night; 100 Days my prince (sageuk); Love untangled (movie); and The first frost (chinese and so so good)