Karie the Maknae: I ran across this great post from 2018 in the archives and realized that it’s just as relevant in 2021 as it was three years ago. Come see what Kmuse had to say about missing romantic dramas way back when!

I was sitting down to my computer contemplating what I should write about and drawing a blank. It was only while I was staring at My Drama List when I realized one very disturbing fact. I am not watching any truly romantic dramas right now. There are a few which feature aspects of romance, but even they are besieged with melo angst tropes and/or illness. Which brings up the question “What has happened to the romantic drama genre?”

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that all the current airing kdramas (and recently completed dramas) are bad. There are some really intricate storylines in Misty, Return, and Should We Kiss First. But along with the romance is a heavy dose of murder, distrust, and terminal illness. Except for Return. That drama is absent of any romance and every character inside it is 100 % crazypants and should never reproduce…… ever.

In the past six months the only rom-coms that I really clicked with was I’m Not a Robot and Live Up To Your Name. Other than that it has been all melodrama, mysteries, and murder. So why are there so few romantic dramas currently in dramaland?

One of the largest problems with getting more romance in a drama is the fact melo is king in Korea.  All of the highest ratings dramas involve murder, cheating spouses, or terminal illnesses of loved ones, or in the case of weekend dramas, a parent.  Think of all the most recent highest rated dramas. Return, Shall We Kiss First, Misty, My Golden Life (Maknae’s Note: Insert Penthouse 1 & 2 in there — the ratings for those dramas are through the roof!) …… Gone are the days when people were flocking to shows such as You’re Beautiful, W: Two Worlds, or Reply 1988.  Excuse me while I tear up over what drama-watching used to be.

So you might be wondering what the solution is to the lack of kdrama romance.  The easiest answer is switching over to Chinese dramas for your romantic fix.  Sure, they are hella long, but that means there is just more romance to go around.  But even with a romantic outlet, I still miss that traditional Kdrama romance that got me hooked in the first place.  I guess I will just have to wait for that next drama nugget, which hopefully will come sooner than later.

Til our next shared drama moment,

Kmuse

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi