I just can’t contain it anymore. There are so many amazing female characters on my screen right now that I need to gush about them. It’s not always easy to find a layered female character so I’m a happy camper.
Crush #1
First on my list follows her handsome boss around, waiting to straighten his ties, or cut those zip ties in a flash. She loves silly romance and is finally ready to move on from being a slave to her job so she can find herself and be happy. Except… she’s totally in a relationship with her boss and she doesn’t even know it.
I’m talking about the ponytail-fabulous Secretary Kim. Park Min Young lights up my screen like I haven’t seen in forever! She is SMART. Okay, seriously, she could run that company by herself and take Sunday off for a spa day. She’s drop dead gorgeous and has skirts I would kill to wear. She also just makes me happy with her sass and the way she handles her boss’ ginormous ego.
Crush #2
Though I’ve lost some joy for this next drama, I have not lost any love for my girl Lee Sung Kyung. I didn’t realize she is musically talented, but she has a beautiful set of pipes on her, and I’m glad she’s getting to show them off. When she sings and dances on About Time she puts a huge smile on my face.
Crush #3
Some of you may pull out your pitch forks on this one, but I am LOVING Go Ara in Miss Hammurabi. Yes, she cries in almost every episode, but where I found it infuriating in Hwarang, I find it fits her character and circumstances in Miss H and I don’t mind it. Her character is a woman, and citizen that the world needs. The show can veer toward the preachy side at times, but I like that they are tackling issues that are important and ones that tend to get swept under the rug with the need to keep up appearances. I also love that her relationship with Ba Reun (L) is one that balances both of them out. She needs someone to make her stop and think before she acts, and he needs someone to show him that life isn’t horrible and mundane. Side crush alert! The secretary (Lee Elijah) in this drama is tons of fun! I am so on board with her and my boy Ryu Deok Hwan.
Crush #4
The next one on my list has such a sad sweetness to her character that I usually want to go give her a hug. Hehe, yes, I did that on purpose. Jin Ki Joo blew me away in the last episode of Come and Hug Me when they had her act with the younger version of Na Moo. She totally captured the younger version of herself, yet still managed to keep a subtle maturity to her interaction. I love the intensity both the leads have managed as they spend more time with each other. I have a feeling this girl is going to break my heart by the end.
Crush #5
This one just hit my radar yesterday. One of my all-time girl crushes is Audrey Hepburn. She had a quirky cuteness that I can’t get enough of and Yang Mi has several mannerisms that remind me of her. She’s kicking butt, and being super quirky cute, in Legend of Fuyao. And her onscreen chemistry with Ethan Juan is amazing. I’m hoping for some wonderful kisses from those two. I usually drop Chinese dramas around episode thirty, so I’m hoping they get to that part by then.
Crush #6
Now I’m going to flip the switch on you. There is a character in dramaland that is getting a lot of dislike (it’s not exactly hate) and I wanted to analyze it a bit. I was thinking of doing a whole post on it, but I think I’ll just be brief and let you decide. I’m talking about Kang So Bong (Kong Seung Yeon) in Are you Human Too?. First, I want to say my crush is on the actress, not necessarily the character.
Almost across the board, most Kimchi Fangirls included, people do not like her character and don’t see how they are going to cheer for her with this OTP. So what I want to know is: Do you feel that So Bong is suffering from bad character development OR is it another case where we expect way more from our female leads than we do from our male? I just wonder that at five episodes in, if the male lead had put money before the female character’s well being and privacy, would we hate him? I personally look forward to seeing So Bong grow as a person, and learn to love and trust people by interacting with a robot. Yes, the irony is not lost on me.
So who is your current airing girl crush?
Until the next fabulous female character,
Drama Geek with Dramas With a Side of Kimchi
How ironic that the nicest character in AYHT is the robot. Honestly neither of the human leads are very likable people in episodes 1-4, as far as I’ve gotten so far, but the female is getting a lot of the flack. I think it mainly comes from the fact that viewers simply aren’t used to FLs who are self-involved, selfish, or money-hungry, One of my all time favorite dramas, In Time With You, as a female lead who actually can be selfish, petty, and definitely not a very good best friend, and that character got a lot of hate when the drama came out.
I agree that people aren’t used to a female lead that is the one who needs to grow and change. It reminds me of Suzy’s character in Dream High. She did not start out the drama very likeable but by the end had the most character growth.
“…she could run that company by herself and take Sunday off for a spa day” AGREED. Secretary Kim is such a great character, she knows what she wants and also has the brains to accomplish it and still has layers. I’m in the not liking Kang So Bong camp, and after watching more I’m leaning more towards poorly written character development and not a strong enough actress to pull that character out of it. I think it also is a case of Seo Kang Joon being a better actor that it’s throwing off the vibe. She could change for me, but right now that’s where I am. This makes me seem like I hate her – I don’t, she’s just not in the right role
I’m not sensing hate from you. I keep going back and forth between badly written character and people not usually liking a female lead who isn’t nice. The actress impressed me in Circle, but she is still fairly new.
Female characters are always held to higher standards by fandoms. So Bong is no worse than any of the rude and selfish (but secretly traumatized, so it’s okay) male characters that are endemic to Kdrama land, yet most of the audience can’t sympathize with her at all. It’s sexism, pure and simple. The fans really need to give her a chance to grow.
I agree that if her character was male and doing the same things that people wouldn’t think twice about liking her.
female lead in Lawless Lawyer is also really awesome. She doesn’t take lightly to being “protected” and can fend for herself. But she also isn’t a super human. She has her vulnerabilities as well.
Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I forgot about her. You are so right. I love that they are a true team.
Regarding So Bong, I think she has been deeply scarred by what happened to her in the past. Her father taught her to fight fair, and yet her whole career was lost to someone who decidedly did no! So she has decided the world favors those who don’t play by the rules. It’s completely relatable, and I don’t understand why people don’t get that about her and feel more empathy for her innocence lost.
I am with you! I am loving all the ladies in “Miss Hammurabi!” Go Ara and Lee Elijah are great, plus the definite Girl Power vibe with Park Cha O Reum’s grandmother and all the ladies down at the market. <3 🙂
I’m loving the market ladies too!