Asian Dramas: A Look at Common Tropes

10 minutes read time

* This article contains spoilers for the following Asian dramas: My Demon, Healer, My Girlfriend is an Alien, and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim.

Introduction

Nowadays, if I’m watching a series, it’s likely either a Korean or Chinese drama. Don’t get me wrong—I love discovering new Western television series and rewatching some of my old favorites, such as Glee, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time. However, I find myself drawn to the structured nature of Asian dramas, specifically K-dramas. I appreciate knowing that I will get a complete story told in roughly 16 episodes, each ranging from 45 to 75 minutes. Additionally, I can count on the fact that once I finish those 16 episodes, the story is over—there’s no agonizing wait for a second season after binge-watching 8 to 10 episodes.

My genre of choice for dramas is romance. While I don’t always need a “Rom Com”, I prefer for the “Rom” to be a significant element in the show. Having completed nearly 40 Asian dramas (including K-dramas, C-dramas, and a few J-dramas), I’ve become quite familiar with the common layouts and tropes found in these series. Although these elements can vary by country, their respective cultures significantly influence the recurring themes that tend to appear.

What is a trope?

Television tropes are devices or themes used to tell a story. They “guide the audience through the narrative in a way that feels familiar and digestible” (Gooroo). Most of us can identify tropes in television and movies because they are frequently repeated. Tropes are often heavily influenced by culture.

For example, while this isn’t a trope in itself, it illustrates how cultural factors can impact the way stories are told and interpreted. In the film Inside Out (2015), there is a scene where Riley’s parents try to feed her broccoli. Most audiences can understand and empathize with children disliking vegetables like broccoli at a young age. However, in the Japanese version of Inside Out, broccoli was replaced with green bell peppers. While this change might seem minor, it was an intentional decision that addressed a cultural difference. The substitution led to a similar reaction from Japanese audiences, paralleling the response that other audiences had to the broccoli.

Trope #1: Portrayal of Second Leads: Male versus Female

A common trope I’ve often observed in many romance/romantic comedy dramas is the differing portrayals of the second male lead versus the second female lead. While it’s not present in every drama, it appears in many. Secondary characters competing for the affections of either the female or male lead are frequently introduced to complicate the relationship of the primary leads. However, while second male leads are often written as likable characters, second female leads tend to be portrayed as more entitled and unlikable.

I’m using the term “entitled” in two different contexts:

Sometimes the second female lead is of higher status than the female lead and looks down on her as an unsuitable match for the male lead.
Alternatively, the second female lead may have grown up or spent years by the male lead’s side, feeling entitled to his returned affections.

This pattern is noticeable in both Chinese and Korean dramas.

My Demon

Let’s examine the Korean drama “My Demon.” This recent series features Do Do-Hee (Kim Yoo-Jung) and Jeong Gu-Won (Song Kang) as the lead couple. The second male lead is Joo Seok-Hoon (Lee Sang-yi), and the female second lead is Jin Gayoung (Jo Hye-joo). There’s a stark contrast between how the writers present Seok-Hoon and Gayoung.

Seok-hoon:

Genuinely cared for Do-Hee’s wellbeing, regardless of her returning his affections
Very dependable
A “green flag” who truly cares about Do-Hee
His competitive tension with Gu-Won evolves into a bromance

Gayoung:

Instantly disliked Do-Hee before knowing her
Tried to pressure Do-Hee into offing herself so Gu-Won could live
Repeatedly interfered with Gu-Won and Do-Hee’s relationship
Misled Seok-Hoon about Gu-Won to gain his help in coming between Do-Hee and Gu-Won

Notably, the writers of “My Demon” allowed Gayoung to grow as a character, which doesn’t always happen. They provided a backstory to explain her possessiveness and allegiance to Gu-Won. They also created space for her to mend ties with Gu-Won, Seok-Hoon, and Do-Hee. Also, they gave her a very cool profession as a dancer whose specialty is traditional double-sword martial arts (which is also tied nicely into the story with Do-Hee and Gu-Won’s past lives being revealed). In the last episode, we see her helping a young girl who mirrors her past self, creating a satisfying full-circle moment for her character.

My Girlfriend is an Alien (Season 1)

This Chinese drama presents a more frustrating characterization of the second female lead. Unlike “My Demon,” where the female lead has a deserved redemption arc, Jiang Xue’s (Yang Yue) arc feels forced and undeserved. Her character is written in a way that does a disservice to the story. It’s challenging to sympathize with a character who consistently makes poor decisions and exhibits a vindictive spirit. She displays extreme entitlement due to her status and her history with the Fang brothers. By the drama’s end, her actions are never truly accounted for, making her sudden attempt at love with the second male lead feel unearned.

In contrast, Fang Lie (Wang You Jun), the second male lead and younger brother of the male lead, is portrayed as youthful and bright, making him very likable. Even while invested in the lead couple, I felt sympathy for him that the female lead didn’t return his feelings.

Fang Lie:

Loyal friend to the female lead, Chai Xiao Qi (Wan Peng)
Stands up for her when his brother loses his memory

Jiang Xue:

Exploited Fang Lie’s crush on her to get closer to his brother, Fang Leng (Bie Thassapak Hsu)
Deleted Fang Leng’s memories of the female lead by sneaking into his office
Employed the scientist who eventually kidnapped Chai Xiao Qi
Revealed Fang Leng’s illness to his scheming stepmother

While these are just two examples, this trope can be found in other dramas such as “Cheese in the Trap” (K-drama), “Destined With You” (K-drama), “Professional Single” (C-drama), and many more. Of course, there are dramas where the second female lead doesn’t act this way, and conversely, dramas where the second male lead is vindictive and bitter.

In my opinion, this trope has been overused, and I appreciate dramas with more complex characterizations of second female leads. They don’t always need to be angry and vengeful or concocting some cunning plan against the female lead. It’s important to consider the societal implications of this constant characterization. What does this say about women? Why is it so readily accepted? How can writers include more diverse storylines for their second female lead characters?

Trope #2: Fate and Destiny

Why do so many dramas insist on giving the female and male leads a childhood connection? In some cases, it’s essential to the plot. For example, in “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?”, Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young) and Lee Young-joon’s (Park Seo-Joon) ill-fated childhood meeting is a major plot point. Removing their childhood encounter would completely change the drama. When characters’ childhood connections are important to the plot, it’s evident because the writer spends substantial time establishing the connection within the story. It’s either uncovered as part of the unfolding plot (as in “Healer”) or well-known from the beginning. “Castaway Diva” spends the entire first episode in the past, setting up the background for the story and the main couple.

Kim Mi-So and Lee Young-Joon as children

However, sometimes this storyline could be removed without impacting the plot at all. While I dearly love this drama, “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” falls into this category.

There are countless dramas that follow this trope and so I looked to research why this might be. One possible reason behind this trope is the greater theme of fate and destiny, which is valued in various Asian cultures. The idea that events are connected and influence life is presented in many ways in the media. The concept of first love, where you find your person, lose them for a while, and then reconnect later in life, is common in these dramas. It’s quite poetic, and viewing it from this perspective makes me have a greater appreciation of the trope (when it’s well-executed).

Another example of popular fate-driven stories can be found in Mangas/Manhwas/Manhuas. Many feature stories about main characters having a tragic end and then reincarnating to change their fates, or characters transmigrating into their favorite story as the villain to change the character’s fate.

The Red Thread of Fate is a theme that centers on fate and destiny. While it originates from Chinese mythology, this concept has spread beyond China and is now a well-known belief in various East Asian cultures. It has become a popular motif in literature, media, and art, representing the idea of destined love or significant connections between people. According to Kessler (2023), “The red string may stretch and tangle, but it never breaks, eventually bringing two people together.” Examples of this concept appear in dramas such as “Penthouse,” “My Roommate Is a Gumiho,” and “Tomorrow,” among others.

In Korean culture, Inyeon (인연) represents the idea of past lives connecting people. “Owing to the word’s long history and Korean culture’s deep respect for ancestry and wisdom passed down from generations before, this idea that life is destined to flow a certain way, including the people we meet and the relationships we form, is relatively commonplace in the lives of many Koreans today” (Kim, 2023). So many of my favorite dramas use this trope such as “My Demon”, “Tale of the Nine Tailed”, “Destined With You”, and more.

Korean television’s exploration of fate and destiny offers viewers a blend of romance, fantasy, and philosophical contemplation. These themes appeal to more than just Korean audiences, as these dramas have become beloved globally. They provide a way to examine human relationships and life’s unpredictable journey.

Memorable quotes about fate and destiny from Kdramas:

“Fate, destiny, I believe in them. If they did not exist, why would words for them exist?” (Healer)
“When it’s fate, there are no coincidences” (The King: Eternal Monarch)
“I think we are meant to meet and destined to be together. A shared fate, if you will” (Tomorrow With You)

Sources

TV Tropes: What They Are and How to Spot Them

Television Tropes

Reddit Thread

Inside Out-Alternate Versions

Why The Red String Theory Is a Symbol for Hope in the New Year

Inyeon Intriguing Concept From ‘Past Lives’ Will Change Your View of Fate

Dramas Mentioned

Castaway Diva

Cheese in the Trap

Destined With You

Healer