Though the tried and true pattern of Korean dramas wasn't nearly as
conspicuous for me when I was younger, things have since changed.
Perhaps I've matured (hardly likely), or maybe all scriptwriters are
issued some kind of drama-writing-for-dummies manual that lists all the
standard corners that are to be covered (more reasonable).
Regardless
of the how's and why's, the fact still stands that K-dramas coincide
with a pace that approaches hysteria. The overlap can happen in
underlying plot lines, backdrops, or cliche scenes, to name only a few.
But mind you, that's not to say I'm complaining. There's only so much
scriptwriters can do with the human experience. In fact, I'll go so far
as to say I applaud them for stretching their imaginations with some of
these dramas.
But for the purpose of this article,
let's appreciate what happens when the tank runs dangerously low on
creative inspiration for characters. Here are some of of the
archetypical characters that faithfully stick with us through the years
and span across dramas:
1) The Chaebol
(
Lee Min Ho as Goo Jun Pyo - '
Boys Over Flowers')
Going off a whim here, you already saw this coming, didn't you?
The chaebol is to a Korean drama what Iron Man is to the Avengers - both are indispensable. If you can proceed without incurring emotional trauma, try picturing the Avengers assembling without Tony Stark. Miserable, isn't it? Everything just goes dark. Where
would the Avengers be without Stark's cryptic jests? Where would all
the dry humor be sans this self-proclaimed genius, billionaire, playboy
philanthropist?
Speaking
of genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist, it seems our K-drama
chaebols aren't too far out of Stark's rank - understandably, we're
looking past the glossy red, explosion-proof suit that can close alien
portals, mind you.
The
chaebols are the unbelievably good-looking and self-righteous rich
boys. They rarely see past their ego and they're escorted through their
elite lives with a holier-than-thou smirk that make girls feel
lightheaded. But looking past all the haughty arrogance, chaebols are
inseparable from all K-drama genres because they're your classic
bad-boy-with-a-soft-heart-once-you-dig-deep-enough prototype.
2) The girl who gets the fairytale ending (90% of the time)
(Han Hyo Joo as Go Eun Sung - 'Shining Inheritance')
Or,
if you really want to get technical, the female lead. These ladies
anchor the drama and bear the bulk of the burden on their shoulders. We
sympathize with their past and place our hopes in their futures. Their
stories captivate us, their idiosyncrasies engross us, and their
romantic escapades fluster us.
The
female leads are hard to dislike (for the most part). Despite people
who might have wronged them in the past or present, they confront their
situations with a childlike single-mindedness that we can't help but
envy.
Their
personalities are as nuanced as it gets - we have some princesses,
tomboys, get-rich-or-die-trying blue collared workers, stingy lawyers,
and beloved queens. But that's only scratching the surface, of course.
These
women simultaneously make us fall in love with them and have us
criticizing them for making the wrong string of decisions. But through
it all, we find ourselves living out the drama vicariously through these
heroines (or anti-heroines).
(
Jung So Min as Oh Ha-ni -
'Playful Kiss')
3) The best friend 
(
Lee Kwang Soo as Park Jae Gil -
'Nice Guy')
As is the case in any K-drama, the main character simply
must have a loyal sidekick or confidante - a "biffle," if you so kindly will.
Though
they're certainly not positioned at the forefront of the drama, the
best friend characters hold a special place in our hearts. With enough
personality and sass, they can even catapult themselves to widespread
fame.
I take a particular liking to the best friends who provide comic relief from the drama - that's right,
Lee Kwang Soo,
I'm looking at you. Take Kwang Soo's character in 'Nice Guy', for
instance. Though the drama itself is rife with backstabbings galore,
Park Jae Gil considerably cools down the mood of the drama, rendering
the underlying tone a bit more playful.
But to be honest, it's Lee Kwang Soo, and such is the story of his life:
4) The Frenemy
(
Joo Won as Lee Kang-to,
Park Ki Woong as Kimura Shunji -
'Bridal Mask')
Where
would K-dramas be without a healthy rivalry at the heart of the plot?
It could very much be a love triangle, a sibling rivalry, or the classic
best-friends-turned-mortal-enemies situation. The novelty is unheard
of, I know.
The frenemy is the quintessential outsider.
Though we often find ourselves hating his or her guts, a drama devoid
of the antagonist is rather bleak. Without antagonists, our lead
characters wouldn't have any highs or lows - instead, his or her feats
would frankly plateau off without those electron-charged moments that
make our hearts drop.
5) The ass-kickurz
(
Lee Min Ho as Lee Yoon Sung -
'City Hunter')
Beautiful
actors can seldom go wrong shooting fake guns on screen. That simply
works against the laws governing good-looking people. The more I think
about it, there's something about male and female leads wielding
dangerous weapons and doing all kinds of stunts that unerringly
jumpstart our adrenaline.
This applies to dramas as recent as
'Iris 2' or traditional dramas like
'Jumong',
which was filled with abundant battle scenes. I can't be the only
person with a soft spot for action sequences. Does anyone else get all
weak in the knees or have butterflies in your stomach while watching war
scenes? Or one-on-one combat? Ugh - I'm smitten.
(
Lee Joon as Yoon Shi Hyuk -
'Iris 2')
6) The freaks extrasensory characters
(
Lee Jong Suk as Park Soo-ha -
'I Hear Your Voice')
I'm
wholeheartedly kidding. There's no way I can call them freaks given how
well I know myself and how readily my friends could vouch for me.
Over
the last few years, K-dramas have increasingly started to tie up the
loose ends of worn-out plot lines, like those of love and revenge, with a
supernatural dimension. We're now seeing characters who are part
mythical creatures on the small screen, or characters who have
extraordinary powers.
But the supernatural isn't
exclusively reserved for the characters. We can find such
extraterrestrial instances embedded in the plot lines entirely, like
time traveling through different eras.
Though
subjective, I appreciate how scriptwriters are leaning more and more
towards the fantasy genre. There are certainly dramas that take the
superhuman element to extremes, so much so that it becomes too cheesy.
But like everything, when done with moderation and expert screenwriting,
the drama proves to be worthwhile.
(
Lee Seung Gi as Choi Kang-Chi -
'Book of the House of Gu')
7) The no-nonsense mother who needs to take extra doses of chill pills
(
Park Joon-geum as Moon Boon-hong -
'Secret Garden')
She's
the timeless figure in K-dramas. As a matter of fact, she's just as, if
not more, iconic as her chaebol son. Though her eyes could very well
burn holes through your clothes (even if they were made of metal) and
make you feel guilty for reasons you cannot remember, at the end of the
day she just wants what's best for her son. I promise if you choose to
think of it like so, it'll be considerably easier to understand why it
seems like she hates everything about the human race.
Granted,
these moms are fragile, menopause-ridden women with closets crammed
with luxury furs. And so the curious newcomer might venture to wonder
how dangerous they can possibly be.
Dear friends, do not underestimate their overly-powdered faces - they can easily make Hannibal Lector look like Mr. Rogers.
(
Lee Hye Young as Kang Hee-soo -
'Boys over Flowers')
8) The gender bender
(
Yoon Eun Hye as Go Eun-Chan -
'Coffee Prince')
For
some strange reason, we tend to dote on the girl-pretends-to-be-boy
drama genre. But given how frequently producers started to pick up these
storylines after the success of
'Coffee Prince', I'd say the concept has lost a bit of flavor.
Though
the freshness wanes, I don't think anything can take away from the
hilarity and accuracy of some of the transformations of these top
actresses. The hairstyles, the outfits, and the way they carry
themselves across the screen are all so delightful to watch.
Especially when
their love interest (who, no doubt, was questioning his sexuality all
those times he was around her) finds out she's a girl after all.
Finally. Because that didn't take you too long or anything, you handsome actor.
(
Park Shin Hye as Go Mi-nam -
'You're Beautiful')
9) The mini-me's
(
Kim Yoo Jung as Yeon Woo,
Kim So Hyun as Bo Kyung -
'The Moon that Embraces the Sun')
Though
their air time is sharply limited, child actors set the tone and
standard for their older counterparts to follow. Considering how much
capital is invested into each drama, that's quite a truckload to place
on the shoulders of these prepubescent kids.
But it's always amazed me how
well
they perform under all that pressure. They're not only entertaining the
domestic audience, but international viewers as well. I've yet to see a
child actor lower the quality of the drama - and if it means anything,
that says a lot considering how much we accomplished when we were their
age.
(
Park Ji Bin as Geum Kang San -
'Boys over Flowers')
We
need to take a moment here: This is Geum Jan Di's beloved younger
brother in the present day. Apparently, he hit some kind of magical
puberty that skips over the awkward pimples-errwhere, pudginess that
most of us are gifted with. This isn't even fair.
10) The bro fest
(Jang Dong Gun, Kim Soo Ro, Kim Min Jong, Lee Jong Hyuk - 'Gentleman's Class')
It
might be a hormonal thing - but there's something about gathering a
group of fairly good-looking men together that pull our heartstrings.
I'm certain it's the same situation given a group of beautiful women who
conveniently happen to be close friends, no?
I'm
so attracted to these kinds of tightly-knit friendships (where each
friend is stunning in his or her own way) that we find in dramas. The
reason being there aren't any dull moments. Each friend is as flawed and
conflicted as the next friend, and so it usually ends up being the
blind leading the blind.
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