as feared, the writer is never going make the FL introspect the wrong she did and give her character the necessary growth. As per the writer, no matter what FL did or does, she is not wrong but due to "circumstances", when clearly she was horrible for first few episodes and continues to be bad even now.
The so called strong FL's in Kdramas are instead looking like absolute cringy shit. If there is romance, it's really difficult to imagine why a ML with so much going on for him would fall for such a shallow and shitty FL.
Or... they just preferred not showing sexual content unless it was integral to the show/film. There are a lot…
ML's virginity is being glorified. It is and very openly. You can even search dramas of last 1 year and all you need to do is list dating history of ML and FL shown on screen. It's not just virginity. It also extends to interaction with opposite sex.
FL has male friends, very close and some times the friendship is "intimate" as well. FL would have male colleagues and casual friends who she acts normal and has normal interactions. ML on the other hand would have none of these.
Take for example the recent drama Samdal. The FL checks all the boxes above. The ML also checks all the boxes above. For good measure, the drama even has 2ML who checks all the boxes ML checks as well.
It's not historically true & I give you that. Dramas from 5 years back did not have this kind of ML and FL. It is also true that what I am stating is not 100% even today. It is like 80% and that makes up for most of Kdrama romances. I gave examples of dramas of ML being how I described from the last 1 year and it is just getting worse. And I stress this - IT IS A RECENT PHENOMENON.
Kdrama romances are not like west. Probably why few years back I liked them a lot. recently the charm is gone and the characters, especially the men are so incredibly fake, it is starting to get revolting. I would rather see realistic western romances than the incredible fake that Kdramas are producing.
Or... they just preferred not showing sexual content unless it was integral to the show/film. There are a lot…
You could very well be right about the target audiences being female.
But that fact does not negate the fact that ML's in most Kdramas are shown the way I have already described.
Point is - these same Kdramas take a lot of time in the drama to show case FL's crushes, attractions and dating history, while showing the ML as some one who never even looked at any woman until he meets the FL. There could be exceptions to this rule but those are rare exceptions. The rule is gloriously followed in most Kdramas & like you claimed, since the target audiences are females, these writers have the FL attracted to hot men, with dating history and multiple men in their lives, while the ML would more often than not be a Hot virgin pure man who never looked at a woman until the FL enters his life. Why they do it is obvious. The females watching these dramas project themselves as the FL, with similar dating history etc etc and imagine a virgin hot prince who only ever loved them, winning them over with great gestures and sacrifices. It's probably the power fantasy of most of the targeted audiences..
I give you all that..
but, my observations regarding the ML's in Kdramas is very valid.
PS: you could not be more wrong about western dramas. The one thing they get right is showing men as men, not some weirdos with weird diseases and trauma. You are not finding a hot virgin 30 year old CEO in western dramas. The critics would laugh at any drama with such a fake a man as Male Lead in western world.
Or... they just preferred not showing sexual content unless it was integral to the show/film. There are a lot…
These dramas may cater to the female audience. but that has nothing to do with how the FL comes across and how the ML come across in these dramas.
While I have given numerous examples of FL being shown on screen being sexually attracted to other men than ML or with dating history, on contrary, I have probably seen 1-2 dramas where the ML was shown attracted to other female than the FL. Even the ML's with dating history is very very rare in kdrama land.
Instead of going through the top ranked dramas, why not go through dramas relased in 2023 to make our case. What you said might be true few years back but since 3-4 years, there is an incredible difference between how FL are portrayed and how the ML are portrayed when it comes to sexual feelings and dating history.
Again, I do get your point on not seeing on screen does not mean that is not happening. And I am with you that not all things need to be shown. My point was, we do see the same Kdramas and writers giving FL's more backstory regarding their crushes, dating history and sexual attraction and almost none at all to the ML & instead give them trauma and diseases.
last point, the ML shows libido only and only for the FL on screen. FL's on the other hand are more in tune with reality with their libido being healthy and reaction hot men and not just the ML.
Or... they just preferred not showing sexual content unless it was integral to the show/film. There are a lot…
In 'Behind your touch', the writer details FL's dating experience. There are dozens of scenes where the FL is shown extremely sexually attracted to the 2ML.
That sexual attraction to opposite sex is what I was pointing at, not touching bums.
The FL's across multiple kdramas are shown attracted to other men than the ML. This is shown as pure sexual attraction. Some of them are direct like in 'behind your touch' or 'love to hate you'. Many of them are implied with FL shown as having dated other men, like in 'A good day to be a dog'. 'Samdal' or 'King the land' and many many others.
You don't need to see someone take a shit or bathe. That's a given and not important aspect to the story. Where as in a romance drama if the drama shows the FL dating history and explicitly being attracted to multiple men & on contrary show nothing about the ML and show trauma or some weird disease as cause of non existent dating life - then it is clear what the drama and writer are implying here.
Take the current running drama 'Flex X Cop'. The drama explicitly tells viewers FL dated multiple times. That implies her libido is normal. She was attracted to these men to give them a chance. The ML is a an obscenely rich and extremely handsome man...and has a trauma. There literally is no mention of his dating history. ML does not even give off a hint of his desires directly or indirectly. The writer on the hand gives the FL a back story regarding the relationships she had.
If there is a kdrama where the ML was shown sexually attracted to a woman other than FL, do share like 3 of them from last 3 years to change my view about it.
Not saying these men were not jerking off. I am just pointing at the tone of these Kdramas where the FL character is shown very explicitly being attracted to multiple men & the ML is shown as.......a man who has not hit puberty.
Or... they just preferred not showing sexual content unless it was integral to the show/film. There are a lot…
Well, the same Kdramas have no problems showing FL's being attracted to hot men, having sexual feelings. Heck there was a drama last year where the FL was shown shagging dozens of men.
ML's being sexually attracted to women is not a thing in Kdramas. In fact, there are probably 1-2 Kdramas in last 3 years where ML was shown attracted to a woman other than FL. On contrary, there are dozens of kdramas where the FL is shown attracted to hot men, who are not ML's, in last few months.
If they were not showing FL's sexuality on screen, then your point was spot on. The only character in Kdramas who does not hit puberty is the ML.
In fact Kdrama writers make up weird diseases and traumas to ensure the ML's libido is non-existent. These Kdramas literally tells the viewers very directly that the ML never ever looked at a woman.
To give you examples - Flex X cop, the FL discusses her dating history with her colleague. The writer inserts that part to tell viewers that FL dated. When it comes to the ML, it is trauma again. Take another example, Samdal, the ML has only ever been in love with FL for nearly 40 years. The FL has a team of ex boyfriends. How about 'a good day to be a dog'? same pattern. How about 'Behind your touch'? I can just go on and on...
Your theory goes down the gutter when we look at FL's and see how their sexuality is just fine when compared to the ML's in these same dramas.
Surprised that a Kdrama actually shows a ML jerking off fantasizing about a woman. After watching hundreds of kdramas, I was convinced Kdrama ML's never reach puberty and never have sexual feelings..
Shocking that this drama shows a ML doing male things...
Welcome to Samdal-ri. Here we serve alcohol in place of water. We offer male simps who don't develop any kind…
Rumor has it that the only male virus can infest Kdrama ML male leads. Anything that is of female type will never be in the same universe as Kdrama ML's.
And you are spot on about true love. Nothing screams true love than being multiple other people. Does not apply to the males lead though, he must be a simp..period.
There are 3 main leads and all of them have meaty roles and excellent story lines.
There are no over the top heroes or villains.
The best thing about the show is how normal and scared a hero can be & how normal and vicious a villain can be.
A neat 'karma said hello' moment in the drama was the cheater who lies and has sex with his childhood friend, only to find out he got an STD from his cheating fiance. That was a nice bit of writing there.
Each of the 3 leads have their own arks and the finale when all 3 leads meat is done very nicely. It was massive payoff where all 3 involved are left lost.
as feared, the writer is never going make the FL introspect the wrong she did and give her character the necessary growth.
As per the writer, no matter what FL did or does, she is not wrong but due to "circumstances", when clearly she was horrible for first few episodes and continues to be bad even now.
The so called strong FL's in Kdramas are instead looking like absolute cringy shit. If there is romance, it's really difficult to imagine why a ML with so much going on for him would fall for such a shallow and shitty FL.
It's not just virginity. It also extends to interaction with opposite sex.
FL has male friends, very close and some times the friendship is "intimate" as well. FL would have male colleagues and casual friends who she acts normal and has normal interactions.
ML on the other hand would have none of these.
Take for example the recent drama Samdal. The FL checks all the boxes above.
The ML also checks all the boxes above.
For good measure, the drama even has 2ML who checks all the boxes ML checks as well.
It's not historically true & I give you that. Dramas from 5 years back did not have this kind of ML and FL.
It is also true that what I am stating is not 100% even today.
It is like 80% and that makes up for most of Kdrama romances.
I gave examples of dramas of ML being how I described from the last 1 year and it is just getting worse.
And I stress this - IT IS A RECENT PHENOMENON.
Kdrama romances are not like west. Probably why few years back I liked them a lot. recently the charm is gone and the characters, especially the men are so incredibly fake, it is starting to get revolting. I would rather see realistic western romances than the incredible fake that Kdramas are producing.
What could go wrong.
FL is even on medications for depression and both of them are doctors.
Even in good dramas some parts of the writing is really terrible.
But that fact does not negate the fact that ML's in most Kdramas are shown the way I have already described.
Point is - these same Kdramas take a lot of time in the drama to show case FL's crushes, attractions and dating history, while showing the ML as some one who never even looked at any woman until he meets the FL.
There could be exceptions to this rule but those are rare exceptions. The rule is gloriously followed in most Kdramas & like you claimed, since the target audiences are females, these writers have the FL attracted to hot men, with dating history and multiple men in their lives, while the ML would more often than not be a Hot virgin pure man who never looked at a woman until the FL enters his life.
Why they do it is obvious. The females watching these dramas project themselves as the FL, with similar dating history etc etc and imagine a virgin hot prince who only ever loved them, winning them over with great gestures and sacrifices.
It's probably the power fantasy of most of the targeted audiences..
I give you all that..
but, my observations regarding the ML's in Kdramas is very valid.
PS: you could not be more wrong about western dramas. The one thing they get right is showing men as men, not some weirdos with weird diseases and trauma. You are not finding a hot virgin 30 year old CEO in western dramas. The critics would laugh at any drama with such a fake a man as Male Lead in western world.
but that has nothing to do with how the FL comes across and how the ML come across in these dramas.
While I have given numerous examples of FL being shown on screen being sexually attracted to other men than ML or with dating history, on contrary, I have probably seen 1-2 dramas where the ML was shown attracted to other female than the FL. Even the ML's with dating history is very very rare in kdrama land.
Instead of going through the top ranked dramas, why not go through dramas relased in 2023 to make our case.
What you said might be true few years back but since 3-4 years, there is an incredible difference between how FL are portrayed and how the ML are portrayed when it comes to sexual feelings and dating history.
Again, I do get your point on not seeing on screen does not mean that is not happening. And I am with you that not all things need to be shown.
My point was, we do see the same Kdramas and writers giving FL's more backstory regarding their crushes, dating history and sexual attraction and almost none at all to the ML & instead give them trauma and diseases.
last point, the ML shows libido only and only for the FL on screen. FL's on the other hand are more in tune with reality with their libido being healthy and reaction hot men and not just the ML.
There are dozens of scenes where the FL is shown extremely sexually attracted to the 2ML.
That sexual attraction to opposite sex is what I was pointing at, not touching bums.
The FL's across multiple kdramas are shown attracted to other men than the ML. This is shown as pure sexual attraction. Some of them are direct like in 'behind your touch' or 'love to hate you'. Many of them are implied with FL shown as having dated other men, like in 'A good day to be a dog'. 'Samdal' or 'King the land' and many many others.
You don't need to see someone take a shit or bathe. That's a given and not important aspect to the story.
Where as in a romance drama if the drama shows the FL dating history and explicitly being attracted to multiple men & on contrary show nothing about the ML and show trauma or some weird disease as cause of non existent dating life - then it is clear what the drama and writer are implying here.
Take the current running drama 'Flex X Cop'. The drama explicitly tells viewers FL dated multiple times. That implies her libido is normal. She was attracted to these men to give them a chance. The ML is a an obscenely rich and extremely handsome man...and has a trauma. There literally is no mention of his dating history. ML does not even give off a hint of his desires directly or indirectly. The writer on the hand gives the FL a back story regarding the relationships she had.
If there is a kdrama where the ML was shown sexually attracted to a woman other than FL, do share like 3 of them from last 3 years to change my view about it.
Not saying these men were not jerking off. I am just pointing at the tone of these Kdramas where the FL character is shown very explicitly being attracted to multiple men & the ML is shown as.......a man who has not hit puberty.
ML's being sexually attracted to women is not a thing in Kdramas.
In fact, there are probably 1-2 Kdramas in last 3 years where ML was shown attracted to a woman other than FL.
On contrary, there are dozens of kdramas where the FL is shown attracted to hot men, who are not ML's, in last few months.
If they were not showing FL's sexuality on screen, then your point was spot on. The only character in Kdramas who does not hit puberty is the ML.
In fact Kdrama writers make up weird diseases and traumas to ensure the ML's libido is non-existent. These Kdramas literally tells the viewers very directly that the ML never ever looked at a woman.
To give you examples - Flex X cop, the FL discusses her dating history with her colleague. The writer inserts that part to tell viewers that FL dated. When it comes to the ML, it is trauma again.
Take another example, Samdal, the ML has only ever been in love with FL for nearly 40 years. The FL has a team of ex boyfriends.
How about 'a good day to be a dog'? same pattern.
How about 'Behind your touch'? I can just go on and on...
Your theory goes down the gutter when we look at FL's and see how their sexuality is just fine when compared to the ML's in these same dramas.
This one is different to that in a lot of ways.
After watching hundreds of kdramas, I was convinced Kdrama ML's never reach puberty and never have sexual feelings..
Shocking that this drama shows a ML doing male things...
Anything that is of female type will never be in the same universe as Kdrama ML's.
And you are spot on about true love. Nothing screams true love than being multiple other people. Does not apply to the males lead though, he must be a simp..period.
That would be a tale she would tell her grand children.
There are no over the top heroes or villains.
The best thing about the show is how normal and scared a hero can be & how normal and vicious a villain can be.
A neat 'karma said hello' moment in the drama was the cheater who lies and has sex with his childhood friend, only to find out he got an STD from his cheating fiance. That was a nice bit of writing there.
Each of the 3 leads have their own arks and the finale when all 3 leads meat is done very nicely. It was massive payoff where all 3 involved are left lost.
nice potential if they truly show her growth.
She is super cautious with new people and surroundings and is not afraid to take precautions to protect herself.
And the ML is absolutely smitten with the FL.
He could have easily flexed his money and power and gotten the FL and her team fired and jailed.
He could have been rude to them as they are to him.
but no, he is making the best of the situation, while the FL who is responsible for the mess is still sitting on her high horse.