MsLatté’s Daebak Cybercafé (Kdrama addicts #50: God rest you merry gentlemen 🎶 Oppa season is just around the corner and we are here for it.

[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 cumulative list includes previous threads’ recommendations and favourites. Shows with a star are more uniformly loved or admired. On genre categories, most Korean dramas have multiple strands - e.g. supernatural, romance with a thriller; crime series with fantasy elements. Genre-busting mash-ups are normal. Series tagged as dark may also have moments of comedy or the absurd, likewise fluff can have heavier moments. 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)
Squid Game - 2 seasons (Netflix)
Suspicious Partner (Netflix)🌟
The Lies Within (Netflix)🌟
The Worst of Evil (Disney+)
Tunnel (Netflix)🌟
Vigilante (Disney+)
Walking on Thin Ice (Viki)

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)
Our Movie (Disney+)🌟
Our Unwritten Seoul (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)⭐️
Glass Heart (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)
Romantics Anonymous (Netflix, 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

#1 A Shop For Killers Score: 9 Votes: 7
#2 Lovely Runner Score: 8.8 Votes: 10
#3 Let's Talk About CHU Score: 8.8 Votes: 8
#4 Family By Choice Score: 8.6 Votes: 9
#5 Squid Game 2: Score: 8.5 Votes: 5
#6 Mr Plankton: Score: 8.3 Votes: 10
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.

We often resort to acronyms and/or abbreviations of show titles or actors’ names. Don’t be afraid to ask for help/clues if we’re not making sense or have descended into acronym soup.

If you want to join us down the kdrama rabbit hole, welcome! Pull up a chair, say goodbye to early nights and get stuck in!

I've started Our Universe, Boyfriend on Demand and Phantom Lawyer and not been impressed by any of them, so hoping Bloodhounds 2 will be good when it lands.

I recently watched non-Kdrama House of the Dragon, 1 & 2 and the current clutch of K shows is comparing unfavourably with it. They seem stuck in a rut and need an injection of new ideas.

@boatyardbluesthanks for recommending You and Everything Else - it’s so good. I adore Kim Goeun anyway but she’s just great. The friend is so awful and I agree, it feels like it must be autobiographical to some degree. I’m about half way through so will try to finish it while waiting for new episodes of In Your Radiant Season which I’m also enjoying.

Boyfriend on Demand continues to delight and amuse. Please do not be put off by the candy pink dottiness of the early episodes. Episode 4 leans hard into all the romance tropes in an entirely knowing way. If you watch a lot of kdrama you’ll be in on the joke. I laughed a lot during that episode.

We’re thoroughly enjoying Boyfriend on Demand and loved episode 4 with all the different options. That must have been an expensive episode as even brief appearances from those actors can’t come cheap.
Will such a thing become reality?
Hmm….I don’t suppose our great grandparents would’ve believed it if, among many other things, they’d been told their descendants will be talking to people face to face on a screen on the other side of the world

The videophone in Aliens seemed wildly futuristic and that was 40 years ago. I wonder what the world will be like by the time my kids are my age.

Started Boyfriend on Demand last night and glad you have all told me to persevere till ep 4. I am now completely caught up with Pursuit of Jade, ep 27 drops today and then one a day until ep 40! They have kept the pace up very well. Also watching far too many traffic cams footage as they build the stage in Seoul.

Happy BTS Comeback Day for all who celebrate!

Love love love the new album! 💜

Arirang!!!!! Haven't been on these threads for AGES but it's BTS day 😍😍😍. On track 2 and loving it so far...

Enjoy, everyone. I’ve never really listened to BTS - my K-pop knowledge is whatever DD plays and OST from dramas I’ve watched.

Two episodes left of You and Everything Else - I really hate Sang-hyeon but that actor in their film is so awful too. I could never work in a job where I had to suck up people like him.

After being traumatised by Battle of Fates yesterday, I'm recovering watching Ju Ji-hoon in Climax. I've only listened to the first Arirang track so far as I've been busy trying out a new sport.

@MigsandTiggsyou have me intrigued - what’s the new sport?

I need to listen to Arirang some more. No. 29 is best played on decent speakers. I missed the lingering resonance on first listen on my phone & thought over a minute’s silence mid-album was a bold move.

Padel! I took up pickleball because I couldn't find a padel court a year ago, however I've been given a 7 day pass at a gym with amazing padel facilities, so went for a taster session.
I'm not sure how I feel about it, so will go to a social session next. I do love pickleball tho, and got myself a new racquet for last Christmas.😐

I have now finished Boyfriend on Demand. I enjoyed it immensely. Seo In Guk and Ji Soo had great chemistry and the show had a lovely vibe. Seo In Guk always comes across well, in that decent person in real life way. I have a soft spot for him. Plotwise I thought the storyline about Ji Soo’s BFF treating the VR service like a game and crushing it was amusing. I need to sleep on the scoring.

Another Arirang resounding thumbs up here 👏👏👏 great job lads

@boatyardblues - thinking I need to as well as was busy, so couldn't consume the full album before the Netflix live this morning. Glad now that I waited for the live. Loved FYA, Body to Body and Normal live but hadn't 'got' them when I just listed to the recording. Same with Swim,, the MVB did not capture me but live was very engaging. So happy to see them happy and smiling esp Suga as I do not support paparazzi images so really not seen that much of him for ages.

I was just going to have a quick look at the concert but ended up watching it all the way through. As a civilian I have to confess I spent the first 20 minutes or so trying to work out who was who, apart from RM, of course, who was easy to spot on his Val Doonican stool. I did enjoy it, though, more than I expected. Is it just me or did Jimin seem particularly happy to be back as BTS? Anyway, it was nice to be watching something that lots of other people around the world were watching which wasn't war in the Middle East. I hope it continues to be a happy reunion and they work out how to have a regular life for themselves as well.

We watched about 15 mins of the concert. I think we’re too old to really enjoy rap music, but we liked seeing the band and the dancing and all the happy crowds.
Have they always sung in English or is that a recent development?

@Andante57 - K-pop has often blended Korean with English verses, it was sort of the 'style'. So BTS has often had English verses. Dynamite was the first all English track and of course it took off. A bit like at Eurovision, I prefer artists to sing in their own language and so was a bit sad it had quite so much English. Many of the solo work had a lot of English content as well, so it shouldn't have been a big shock to me. I can see the justification, as they got a lot of new fans over the last few years and maybe with the global tour coming they want to be seen to be more 'accessible'?

Thank you Dragonrock.
Yes I also think it’s a bit sad that there was so much English but as you say they’re a global brand now.

I am sooooooo pleased someone mentioned how mad the first few episodes of Boyfriend on Demand are as it has kept me going. I am a HUGE Seo In-guk fan. Still not at ep4, but as I was warned I am now taking it tongue in cheek. Also, if you are a fan of stylish historical dramas then Pursuit of Jade is fab. I am now on ep 32, it drops one a day and two a day at weekends. Haven't ever been so hung up on waiting for the next episodes. I am also on ep two of the reality show The Village Barber with Park Bo Gum (doing a lot of his gummy smile admittedly but also v nervous as he is actually doing haircuts). The idea came form his military service where he was a barber and then he went on to take more exams for this show. Lee Sang-yi and Kwak Dong-yeon are in it as well, the former having trained to be a nail technician! As you can tell I am off in la la land as I am avoiding the news and radio, as global events are just dreadful and as a history graduate and life long current affairs fiend, I am just in shock.

I've tried Boaty, but BoD is just boring me.😥 Climax, (Viki) on the other hand!😍

Mugs we started Climax but there were two vomiting scenes in the first 15 mins so we gave up as we thought that it might be an ongoing theme.

😂

eta @Andante57 I think the unfolding plot and ML is 😈

Looks like some very promising dramas coming up in April!