The Hallyu wave is one of the biggest pop culture phenomena across the world. From Korean dramas to K-pop, the Korean entertainment industry took over global pop culture within a few years. We are living in times where a Korean drama would not work in Korea but would garner worldwide attention. While the Korean drama genre is slowly growing and expanding to cater to a global audience, there are still many things that the industry is doing. Check out our list of awkward and unnecessary things that K-dramas need to stop doing in 2024.
1. Childhood to adult lovers
One of the most popular trends in K-Dramas is the trope where the couple has always somehow met when they were kids. This is one of those tropes that is showing no signs of stopping. Welcome To Samdal-ri and the upcoming Korean drama Doctor Slump are literally about two childhood friends who reunite later in life. Although the trope is quite interesting and is largely explored in books as well, the overuse of it has left the fans exasperated whenever it is revealed in a drama.
2. The Fish Kiss
There is nothing more annoying than waiting for over seven episodes only to witness the main leads engaging in an awkward and painstaking act of touching their lips. The suddenness of the movement, the female protagonist looking wide-eyed and placing her hands awkwardly on her sides is getting extremely painful to watch. Fans have started calling it the infamous ‘Fish kiss’.
3. Flawless make-up
One of the biggest appeals of Korean dramas is the attractive cast. Their spotless faces and appealing fashion clothes (Even if they are poor) make them look like straight out of a webtoon. While fans have no complaint about that, it is the times when they are supposed to look a little haggard that their clean faces throw them off. Whether it be an accident or waking up in the morning, the characters look too perfect to look real.
4. Angels of Simplicity
This is the kind of trope that is quite prevailing in Indian soap operas too. From keeping mum in the face of injustice to taking on all the responsibility, the ‘poor’ girl is portrayed as the epitome of pure and innocent. We all know where this goes! A dashing and borderline psychotic hero then comes along and saves her. Meanwhile, the angel of simplicity is still as pure and shy as she was.
5. Evil second female lead
The second-lead syndrome in Korean drama has kept the K-drama business thriving. However, an annoying noticeable trend is where the second female lead is always cunning and evil. Whereas, their male counterparts are portrayed in grey areas to get the fangirls divided. Our Beloved Summer is one of the few Korean dramas where both the female leads are not vying for the male’s attention with any malicious intent and are quite appropriately mature for their ages.
6. Justice for bearded kings!
Considering the young demographic of Korean drama viewers around the world, the male leads are always without any facial hair. Choi Si-won is one of the few popular actors who have rocked a heavily bearded look in a K-drama. We have never seen any of the top actors in a bearded look ever because of the industry’s obsession with portraying men in their forties as boys to appeal to the younger audience.
7. Male lead must have a bad childhood
From their parents’ dying to their mother leaving Korea, a male lead’s personality is underdeveloped until and unless he witnesses a childhood trauma. This is one of the popular tropes in Korean dramas that fans are probably tired of. Moreover, these male leads always somehow manage to become millionaires while the female leads with the same childhood will always turn out to be hardworking, poor girls worthy of a broken dream.
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