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 hadn't really watched any dramas consistently since mid Feb, but am now into WLGYT and loving it. Want to return to Motel California, Study Group, Lovely Runner. And make a start on Buried Hearts, Hyper Knife, Potato Lab. All in the fullness of time 😁

So was the Buried Hearts twist reveal expected? I went, Oh, it's the Winter Sonata storyline!

Re Tangerines, I find that because of both pacing and content, I need to binge watch slice of life dramas as they lose impact when competing against concurrent dramas that I find more thrilling/interesting. I've decided to pause it until all eps have finished airing as I won't appreciate it properly, otherwise.

@Saram13 That's really fascinating about the reading alone in cafes. I don't think that's something you see much in this country, although gen z seem to be spending more time in bookshops (or taking selfies in them, at least 😀) than previous generations of young people according to articles I've read. Maybe it's the kdrama influence?

Caught up with Buried Hearts - @boatyardblues - none of our predictions were the right one!!

'Fess up feather/boaty, what were the predictions?😀

One of mine was the Director Seo was the chairman’s lovechild with the dour housekeeper. I couldn’t have been more wrong. We should probably keep the other permutations under wraps so we don’t spoil other people’s fun. It’s been superbly twisty. I’m expecting more shenanigans before the series wraps. I don’t think we’ll see FL do a decent painting though. 😆

Morning, thanks for the new thread and welcome to any newcomers 😃

Has anyone watched Knight Flower? I've just finished Asura and Killer Paradox and came across it on Netflix while looking for something fluffy. It's from 2024 and has some well-known faces but I don't remember it being discussed and, having watched the first episode, I can't get a handle on it yet.

It’s firmly tongue in cheek funny!

That being said, it shows poor treatment of widows and children, fair amount of fighting and it has got an eye candy younger ML (younger than FL).

Punk and Hanka, I might add that to my list. I ma just starting One the Woman with Lee Ha Nee as I think she plays tongue in cheek very well.

Thanks @hanka, I'll keep going. I've only seen the FL in Fiery Priest where I found her a bit of an aquired taste.

I am waylaid by my 4th or 5th rewatch of Because This Is My First Life. It’s so good. I left enough of a gap that I’ve forgotten whole chunks of the plot.

Punks, I loved Knight Flower. We did have some mention of it on the thread, and I remember with great fondness, the drawing of the tiger. Makes me smile just thinking how brilliant it was for a five year old! 😆

I remember the wonky tiger! 🙋‍♀️🤣 It was laugh out loud funny.

I am reminded of how decent Lee Min Ki’s character is in BTIMFL and also how wholesome twinkly-eyed sex pot CEO Ma is. CEO Ma sets a very high bar in the 2ML rankings. I’m maybe more jaded than I was in 2018 because BTIMFL now feels like female wish fulfilment, or perhaps a beautiful fairy tale to reassure us that there are still some princes out there. Let’s set aside Esom’s dickhead venture capital boss and colleagues for now & say this drama has really great male characters, as well as likeable, impressive female ones.

Hello hello! I've been snowed under with work so haven't watched as much as I'd have like to
DH and I have finished Something in the Rain. I liked the plot but it was soooo slooooow. It could have been made in half the episodes if they cut out all the staring into space, sighing and flashback scenes.

I have the last episode of MDN, hoping to watch it tomorrow and DD and I are making very slow progress with First Frost, mainly because she has a very exciting social life and I don't.

My big news is that the CLOY trip to Switzerland has made it out of the group chat and we have booked our flights yay! We will be there for a long weekend and would love any tips/itineraries. Tips on doing it as cheaply as possible would be very appreciated

aaahhhh, you're giving me ideas peanut - reading a blog on CLOY locations now. It's been a while since I've been in Switzerland, so no £ tips. One of the summer things to do in the Alps is hot air ballooning, but you might not have time for that and I thoroughly recommend a train journey in the Jungfrau region. If you take it to the glacier, you'll be able to walk on 'blue' ice!

Peanut, I’m so envious.
The Alps are so beautiful in the spring and summer and even more so when CLOY locations are included.
Dd and I went for a few days to a marvellous music festival in Switzerland some years ago and walking in the mountains was an unforgettable experience.

Peanut, what a great idea. We go to the French Alps in the summer. I never thought of doing this. Need to add it to the list and watch the eye rolls when I tell them why!

That’s an amazing idea, peanut! We’re off to Lake Garda in July for our first proper holiday in 6 years. Can’t wait.

I’m having a horrendous time at the minute with DD and school (GCSE stress and issues with her classroom assistant) and the k-drama escapism is the only thing keeping me sane.

That sounds like a great trip peanut. Switzerland is so beautiful in CLOY.

DH and I did a K drama related trip in February where we went to Granada to see the Alhambra. Memories of the Alhambra was one of my first K dramas! Quite a few iconic scenes were filmed in Girona and in Slovenia though 🫣🤣

I've just finished First Frost - loved it all the way through. It was so beautifully done and Sang Yan was improbably perfect ML but who cares about probability.

My Chinese colleague recommended Empresses in the Palace which I may delve into soon - she said she's watched it 500 times. Maybe an exaggeration but a good recommendation all the same!

The thriller/crime Karma starts tomorrow on Netflix with a six episode drop! (according to dramabeans) And my butt is already square from all the shows I'm watching. 😬

Another shock ending in tonight's Buried Hearts!!

I'm waiting for both eps of BH before I watch.#excited

Meanwhile, cdrama The Glory has been a revelation on the Chinese government's loosening of the Arts-for-propaganda approach. Or perhaps its the acknowledgement that economic equality also means sexual equality in modern China.

Episode 21 promoted feminist ideology at the expense of old-fashioned Confusian male/females. More importantly, the drama has highlighted Chinese cultural identity, it's sensitivity, love of nature and and the dichotomy of Western/Eastern 'identity' and self fulfilment. It's all done with a light touch and the usual hysterical acting. 😁
Thank you fedup, for the recommendation!

I’m still slowly making my way through Potato Lab and The Glory (C) - you’ve raced ahead of me there Migs!

Watching The Witch with DH too, which is ok, a bit slow - although it is by Kang Full, it’s a world away from the outstanding Moving.