Here are 5 overused K-Drama tropes that we desperately need to leave behind this year.
1. The Truck Of Doom
Found In: “Goblin”, “True Beauty”, “Cheese In The Trap”, “Shut Up: Flower Boy Band”. K-Drama fans all over the world will collectively agree when we say that we’ve had enough of the truck of doom sending our beloved characters straight to the hospital or worse, to a coma. It is nothing if not a plot device in most cases, and despite all its creative variations, it’s simply insufferable. Usually, it brings about a revelation in a romantic relationship or causes a separation - either way, there must be better ways to do so without putting someone’s life at stake.
2. Amnesia
Found In: “Master’s Sun”, “I Can Hear Your Voice”, “Her Private Life”, “Bring It On, Ghost”. Star-crossed lovers cannot be together because one of them simply doesn’t remember the other. Amnesia has formed the core of innumerable K-Dramas, and to some extent, it is a great little twist, especially when oblivion comes as a blessing. However, in the majority of K-Dramas that use this trope, it is a deterrent to a happily-ever-after story. It either prevents them from seeing each other or, in the worst-case scenario, turns them against each other. Once again, wiping someone’s memory cannot possibly be the only way to drive the plot.
3. Breaking Up In Or After Episode 13
Found In: “Because This Is My First Life”, “Something In The Rain”, “Find Me In Your Memory”, “A Piece Of Your Mind” It is an unsaid rule at this point that the main couple of a romantic K-Drama will break up or face a major roadblock in their relationship at around the 3/4th mark of the show’s runtime. After watching so many K-Dramas do this to us, we’ve been conditioned to expect that something is bound to go wrong, especially if the main couple is going suspiciously strong. A parent sneakily asking the female lead to leave their son, the male lead getting sent abroad to study - the reasons are as countless as they are (oftentimes) illogical. We need to retire this trope in 2022.
4. The Accidental Kiss
Found In: “Business Proposal”, “Dali & Cocky Prince”, “Hit The Top”, “You’re Beautiful”. If falling into someone’s arms wasn’t already cliche enough, falling into a kiss takes it another step further. Even if we consider that K-Dramas aren’t meant to be realistic, isn’t it too much of an overrated trope to have the main characters of a rom-com “fall” in love because their lips accidentally touched? Not only is it non-consensual contact, but also, it isn’t really all that romantic in most cases. Let’s have more consensual and intentional kisses in 2023, not accidental pecks that magically make you rethink romance.
5. Second Female Leads Portrayed Negatively
Found In: “My ID Is Gangnam Beauty”, “True Beauty”, “My Love From The Star”, “Tempted”. When you hear the phrase “Second Lead Syndrome”, it is a natural reaction to think of second male leads, even if the gender is inherently unspecified. This is probably because male second leads are portrayed in a much more rosy light than female second leads. In the case of the latter, you’ll usually see the predominant themes of jealousy, conspiracy, and so on and so forth, whereas, for the former, it is heartbreak, compromise, and sacrifice. Female second leads deserve to be fawned upon too! Which other K-Drama trope would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments section down below! Culture Spotlight: 10 K-Drama Tropes That Are Actually Real KDRAMA STORIES|Aug 3, 2022
