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.

Cobol we’re enjoying Potato Lab - it’s such light-hearted fun.

Rowdy, The Haunted Palace is getting very good reviews and it’s on our list.

I really wish you could download from Viki!

Lee Jae-wook's new historical drama, Dear Hongranglooks promising but isn't out until May.

The source manhwa is on Manta if you want to read up ahead of the TV adaptation. It’s on my bookmarked list. The TV series has nudged me to get reading.

The US version does allow this, but not the European version. 😠

Potted on perillas <why the hell do I now have 39 plants?> yesterday and enjoying Heavenly Ever After (Netflix) today. Based on the first two eps, it's going to be a treat.

I noticed that there's no download option on Viki which is annoying. Also, I keep getting stuff on socials for Crushology 101 which is on Viki but not in the UK.

I'm very jealous of those of you getting to go to Korea soon!

Oh the Korea trips sound just wonderful. I am well jel. Back from my work trip to Shanghai. Real highlight for me this time was being able to see blue sky! The drive to EVs has really worked, it was great seeing them all on the roads. My plan with my ipad worked. By not connecting it to the wifi, I was able to keep all my downloads and am nearly finished with One the Woman now, which I ma enjoying a lot. I'm also very into Kian's Bizarre B&B with Jin from BTS. Loving the variety show format and the general public that are booking in. I know if I had tried to watch it a few years ago I'd have had NO clue about a lot off the things they were mentioning.

Is anyone else trying for Enhypen tickets tomorrow?

I found us. ykiyk

Ahoy @alphabetacharlie ! 👋 You didn’t fancy kiloromeowhiskey (KRW) or indiacharlienovember (ICN) for a topical twist? 😄

@boatyardblues it was echo-charlienovemberyankee that got me in trouble!

Just seen thanks to @Saram13 that there are some good dramas coming up on Disney+ Disney+ shows the type of shows they seem to pick up/commission are much more up my street than your average romcom - no throwing shade at romcoms, i just like action/thriller/supernatural plots...

Also - a bit off topic - if anyone likes paranormal/thriller type shows and would like a decent intro to Thai drama (not BL this time) Leap Day is good. It's on the gmmtv YouTube channel so free to watch at the min (sometimes these dramas get picked up by a streaming service midway if they get popular internationally) 3 episodes out so far.

I'm on ep 4 Weak Hero (Netflix) where all eight episodes are available. It's very violent but if like The Glory, it's based on how gangs of bullies operate, then I can understand why actors who have their school bullying past outed find their careers instantly evaporate.

Yes loads of promising content coming up @TheLoupGarou 😍

Since returning from Korea last month I've finished WLGYT (will be amazed if anything tops it this year, thought it was glorious from start to finish) and Karma (excellent), but after FINALLY finishing Hospital Playlist (loved it!) nothing I've returned to or started new has really grabbed me. Have just started Kian's Bizarre B&B and enjoying that so far, and will start Hyper Knife too.

Leap Day sounds interesting, thanks for the tip - I'm more into thrillers/supernatural than romcoms too, will give it a go.

I've also been focusing more on old Korean films (search for the Korean Classic Film channel on YouTube), which has some real gems. And novels/reading up on modern history, since visiting Gwangju for the first time.

@alphabetacharlie dh and I are watching Weak Hero too. I love the friendship that the 3 boys have formed!

TheLoup - I need to get started on Leap Day - too many dramas, not enough hours!

Dd and I got tickets to go and see Enhypen in Manchester in August 🎉

👻

@Saram13 - if you loved Hospital Playlist, have you started Resident Playbook? Only 4 episodes so far and each one has at least one cameo from HP!

@Rowdythree - hope Enhypen is good (I have a mental block and always say Enhyphen which annoys DD no end). They keep popping up on my Instagram.

I started a very random pick today - Dare to Dream/Jealousy Incarnate. Lots of familiar faces looking very young!

Also watching Divorce Insurance on Amazon but I think there's a reason they don't make a lot of dramas based on niche financial products - not really doing it for me!

Summer is the time when everyone else attends concerts/fan meets while I get to attend ....agricultural fairs! 🤔
Well, at least I can say that I've petted mangalitsa pigs, a highland calf and polka dot sheep.😎

I have a recommendation too, it's a Chinese BL called Secrets happen in Litchi Island, it's a first love story between summer camp volunteers, the quality is excellent and the cinematography is beautiful. The episodes are quite short, so it's really easy to binge...I really enjoyed it 😍

It's also on YouTube
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I have FOMO on the Highland calf petting. So cute! 😍

I don’t post much in the week because all the stuff I’m currently watching is on weekly airing & shoehorned into the weekend. I spend far too much time reading trashy manhwa in the week. 🤪

I'm watching Divorce Insurance too, but I'm really enjoying it.
I'm very glad they make so many different types of shows as it means we can all find something we like!

Welcome back @MigsandTiggs!!

I’m enjoying Kim Young Kwang as the imugi in human form in The Haunted Palace. He suits an all black hanbok and top knot. 👌 He’s only in it for 3 episodes, sadly. I need to be a bit braver and watch that Netflix serial killer series because we don’t see enough of him lately.

@mrsfeatherbottom I did start Resident Playbook, thanks for the flag :) Much to my disappointment, I found the music highly irritating and the whole thing too slapstick/exaggerated 😬 Didn't make it to the end of episode 1 💀

@boaty oooh you mean Somebody. That was a real marmite one - very dark. I loved it. I don't think I've ever seen him in anything else, but now moving The Haunted Palace up the list.

@ScarlettSunset As you say, something for everyone 🙌 I'm always 🤔when people say to me 'oh I don't like K-dramas'. Have they tried them all? [Paddington Bear stare]

@Rowdy excellent news re: Enyhypen!

I'm currently properly bingeing Kian'sBB&B. Quite fabulous. Constantly laughing out loud, which DH and DD are finding very irritating 😁

@Saram13 You need to get some The Secret Life of My Secretary in your life. Racehorse legged Kim Young Kwang in romcom mode. It’s quite sweet. I will find his serial killer turn jarring when I knuckle down to Somebody. He’s only in Haunted Palace for a bit due to supernatural plot shenanigans, but still worth it.