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 just wasn’t enjoying it. I found it boring and I didn’t like any of the characters. I only watched about 3 episodes so maybe I didn’t give it enough of a chance.

Ah ok. Thanks Mrsfeather, maybe we’ll give it a miss.
I want to rewatch The Legend of the Kitchen Soldier, even though we only watched it a couple of months ago as I loved it so much

With you there Andante - loved Kitech Soldier. Who suggested Kian B&B S2? I am enjoying it - not as much as S1 but then I do love Jin. I could not stay there myself as Kian and his nose /feet give me the ick but it is very wholesome and the Korean volleyball players is just fab! Also note for all us UK or close Europe ahjummas - new exhibition on Korean culture
www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/korea?utm_source=meta&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=aip_korea_conversion&utm_content=korea_kw_animation&utm_id=120253437457360612_v2_s11_e7798_i97938770&utm_term=120253437457360612&fbclid=IwY2xjawUtxzdleHRuA2FlbQEwAHBkb2YFYWRpZAGrOe8sHFIUc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrsDn2Dh0VT-YSvD6Bt9xmAExY6YYxNIjVHRraWIuzz-S_XLs8P40FAro3Bb_aem_3pLBEdBLAl3LNGHuvQ-ZFQ

Seems we will have Lee Byung-hun and Yerin Ha for a special guided tour through the exhibition. Together they'll introduce some of the show's highlights and share the fascinating stories behind these remarkable objects.

I’m enjoying The Ordinary Jackpot hugely. It reminds me of Misaeng with the underrated underdog team aceing the challenge. (Aceing looks wrong. Acing? Nah, that looks wrong too. 🙈) Anyway, you get my drift. I like how the Chinese branch returnee is proving to have excellent insights and capabilities.

Some of the Korean gold medalists at the Asian Games have made themselves unpopular for gloating over the fact that as a result of their gold medals, they will be spared military service.

That seems a bit harsh on them to me Andante. It's not like the exemptions are unconditional, they have to keep competing until at least 28 or will end up serving anyway. I read up a bit about it a couple of years ago when Korea's top male figure skater, Junhwan Cha, won gold at the Asian winter games. Most figure skaters are retired by 28 so to keep training and competing over such a long period is quite a commitment. So I don't think it's a free pass really, it's just to ensure South Korea doesn't miss out on medals because its top athletes are on active service. Although I guess it's different for different sports. If the athletes in question gave the impression they didn't have to work very hard to achieve their medals and exemption then I can see why that wouldn't go down well.

Cobol I didn’t realise the exemption only lasts while they are competing.
I hope the criticism dies down and the winners can enjoy their success.

I see it was some footballers who caused most of the fuss 🙄. They don't even get off serving entirely. I just checked and even Son Heungmin, also an Asian games gold medalist, still did 6 weeks basic training, so that'll be fun for them! I wonder if part of the backlash is due to the team's poor performance at the recent World Cup?

Wasn’t that what all the fuss with the South Korean media at the World Cup was over? Because the journalists were slagging Son Heung Min for not doing his military service?

Ah, ok. There's probably something in particular about footballers and the Asian games and military exemptions that I'm missing, then.

I've just finished Four Hands, Two Sonatas. It was a little overly dramatic, I thought, but enjoyable. If you like classical music and/or Song Kang it's worth a watch.

I really enjoyed it - the music was great. Apparently it was originally written as a BL but they changed it to a bromance. There was definite yearning.

My current guilty pleasure is season 2 of Kian’s Bizarre B&B. It’s so entertaining. The kitchen set-up is ridiculous to the point of comedy. The first lot of guests were poppets, especially the college freshmen and the twins. I like how respectful the religious ones are of each other’s faiths. The national athletes are a hoot. They’re not struggling with the mad set-up in the same way as the others. Oh to be bouncy, strong and full of youthful vitality!

That sounds fun, Boaty. Maybe we’ll give it a go.

Any of you chingus have views on Our Sticky Love?

I enjoyed it! It’ll not change your life but watchable and enjoyable. A couple of nice cameos too. I think I gave it a solid 8.

Boaty, I am with you, on Kian B&B so wholesome. As to the footballers and military service, yes I think there is some real 'beef' between the K-media and the national football team/admin. Song refused to do any media during the World Cup after that video incident and he was supported by the Korea Football Association. Then a month after the WC ended, K-media revealed findings from a 2016 sports ministry investigation into KFA that it had provided sexual services and entertainment to foreign referees in 2012 time frame, so I think it is daggers drawn. Song also had a blackmail scandal about a false pregnancy and the perpetrators were jailed end of last year but I am sure the K-media went to town on him. Wonder if the exuberance for reducing military service has been overblown? I mean I'd be overjoyed, footballers careers are late teens to late 20s/ early 30s (military service time). I am sure some get injured on duty and that is career ending or imagine if you have just signed or want to sign for a European club but told them I have to be away for 18months. Professional footballers aren't allowed to ski or do other stuff that might injure them so I am sure many clubs see military service and don't take the risk.

I’ve already forgotten it if that helps. I’ll look it up later to jog my memory. 😄

Does that say more about your memory, boaty, or the quality of the show …? 😉

A bit of both I’d say. 😆 I have looked it up and I’d say the first fan review on mydramalist by itsabitcliche pretty much nails it. mydramalist.com/786728-this-sucky-love

That review is brutal! I didn’t think it was that bad!

Kind of agree but I didn’t think it was good either.

Anyone else taking FAR too much notice of the clips being pushed from the S.Korea Army festival the other day 😜. Treated to quite a few actors and idols, performing and looking v handsome in their black combats! Kim Young Dae😎, Rowoon, Kang Daniel, Woozi, and then Lee Jun Young.

Where can one find this content? Asking for a friend. 😄

I’ve nearly finished Kian’s Bizarre B&B S2 and it’s so damned wholesome - and funny. I’ve really enjoyed. I woke DH up laughing at it yesterday. 😆

Dragonrock ·
Anyone else taking FAR too much notice of the clips being pushed from the S.Korea Army festival the other day

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying various Instagram posts on this.