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!

Thank you for drawing my attention to Make Me Tingle @mrsfeatherbottom I devoured the first 4 episodes yesterday. It’s very enjoyable. The leads are perfectly cast and have good chemistry. I clutched my
pearls a tad at the HR minefield aspect of the intrusive workplace team meeting conversations 😆 but generally I love the unflinching frankness of it all. Hats off to the cast!

Oh yes, I laughed so much at the 🐙🍆 scene during FL’s family ancestral rites. Inspired writing and madness. Only in kdrama. 🤣

It’s so funny!

Here's another endorsement for MMT. I'm uptodate to Ryan Cheng and MMT is a welcome modern change. Love the characters ... and I'm learning about sector product diversity!!!! 😂🤓😳
#everyday'saschoolday
#funtimes

FL’s divorced aunt is great fun too. I hope she gets a good story arc. I thought FL might ask the ahjumma with the roadside truck o’ vibes for a crash course explainer in her products’ uses. Aunt is next in line for useful orientation chats.

Into the second have of Take Charge of My Heart and enjoying the silly fluff. Usual cliches (some tongue in cheek, some seemingly not) but just the thing as the evenings draw in 🍁🍂

Also (and a bit random) does anyone have an eSIM recommendation for Korea. We need 7-12 days, depending on how we sort our phones as DH is staying on for a few more days for work. Just needed for tourist stuff like maps, transport, tickets, etc.

I've not used one before 🙈

I haven’t used an eSim for S Korea yet. We hired mobile dongles from Dosirak and picked them up from the airport. If you have the all you can eat data option you can tether multiple devices to it. When we travelled as a family group we hired two as we were split across 2 hotel rooms. It worked quite well because you go out of range reasonably quickly so can split off in pairs when you’re out. We found they didn’t hold enough charge for a long day of sightseeing so sometimes staggered them, all tethered to one & then the other later in the day. If you go for it, take the charging lead/plug out with you as well bc we found they didn’t charge well from a power bank.

If you’re set on an eSim, Dosirak do eSim as well with airport collection. I used a Saily esim recently for north America & found it intuitive. They do South Korea coverage too.

https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=esim+korea+travel&cId=09364b4a-b72d-4554-b94e-dfb136851651&iId=d08a703b-c008-4ff4-af41-012da023bd29

I've used esims in several countries in the past couple of years and found useful recommendations on site above.

Thanks @boatyand @migs😀

An IG post came up on my feed that mentioned all the things needed for enjoying Kdramas. I loved this one.

"Eyes must be fluent in subtitles".

After a beginning when I had to regularly rewind to read them, I can proudly state that my eyes are now fluent in both K and C subtitles! 😂💪

I'm current with Lament of Autumn and casting Ryan Cheng aside, this Cdrame is pulling a 8.5/9 for me so far. It's not just the insane 'smouldering' but the tension change and emotions with the war in eps 17/18. The multi-layered story and character arcs, the drone shots...ahhhhh!🙌

I even consulted Claud.ai to explain how an opera star could marry into a wealthy family, and that's only one unrealised background plotline. My next query will probably involve mosquito control when all those houses built around ponds. (I so want a house like that!). I'm guessing the fish do the vector control.🤔

On a literary level I can only see a tragic ending for the main leads, but this is Cdrama, so the opposite might yet happen.

I’m also fluent in subtitles. 😁 DH and I used to watch a lot of Scandinavian series which are quite slow and then we tried a Spanish one and could hardly keep up with the subtitles because they talk so fast! Korean tends to also be a civilised speed.

The Lidia Poet detective series on Netflix (Italian) also goes at a canter. It was a relief to return to kdramas at a trot. 😆

I am so looking forward to today’s Make Me Tingle episodes. I potentially have social plans which will get in the way of devouring them this evening. 😢😄

I got all excited yesterday as I thought there would be an episode as I got my days wrong. Was so disappointed when I realised I had to wait another day!

Is anyone watching Where The Mask Ends? Much general plotting and skulduggery 😁

Ive been watching that @PunksVersusBratsits a very good distraction for me at present really enjoying it!

Just realised that thread started so long ago that we never even compiled the 2025 top 5 and it’s nearly time for 2026!

I've started Where the Mask Ends to help me over the trauma induced by the daily drops of The Lament of Autumn. It's near the halfway point but why is the romance so sad???!!!!

I now have a wish to visit 1930's China. Anyone with a time travelling pod going spare?😆

Oh no! We’ll have to rectify it when this one ticks over.

Editing to add that we are only about 50 posts from the end. Any additions for the recommendations? I’m definitely going to add Pursuit of Jade to the non-K list.

Legend of the Kitchen Soldier was a stand out for me this year, should definitely go on the recommended list. I also really liked Wonderfools for the supernatural (more grown up?) list.

Noted Cobol 👍 (Edit: which genre for kitchen soldier?)

I’ve added The Scarecrow and A Bona Fide Killer to the crime/thriller section and The Ordinary Jackpot to the straighter dramas. To be honest, I’m struggling to remember what I watched earlier in the year.

Cobol · Today 21:00
Legend of the Kitchen Soldier was a stand out for me this year

I agree. I adored that show.

I would say Kitchen Soldier mostly falls into the comedy category boaty. A very gentle, slice of life, military set, thriller adjacent, food-based comedy 😁

I agree on Legend of a Kitchen Soldier, The Scarecrow and A Bona Fide Killer. I would also add We Are All Trying Here as well as You and Everything Else.