Asian Dramas' Logic 101

Welcome to class! Today's subject is about the logics that are used in Asian dramas! These factors are so common and often used that they have become the essential part of Asian dramas. Some are really annoying while some are hilarious ridiculous. So be open-minded that they are after all, fictional dramas. (And that it's from my perspective. Thanks!)

1. I'm the main female lead and I'm always poor. Like always.  

Boys Over Flowers -  Asian dramas' logic 101: Poor girls are
always average looking, cheery, delightful, and strong characters.
They're never materlistic or a money hungry person. A true angel by heart. 

Something I don't quite understand why Asian dramas always make the main female lead poor? Why Asia?! I've barely see any kdramas where it's the opposite way. Why can't female leads be smart, rich, or even a CEO of a company? My guess is that the Asian society/audience would rather watch and prefer a drama that have approachable female characters who aren't materialistic. But poor, really? I'm sure there are better ways to protray female characters on screen. Tired of this Cinderella story being reused in kdramas.

Cinderella set up: Heirs, Secert Garden, Princess Hours

Independent women lead: Protect the Boss, Princess Prosecutor, Take Care of the Young Lady, Dignity of a Gentleman

2. Did I forget my past? Oh no wait, it came back.

Stairway to Heaven - Asian dramas' logic 101: Memory

loss is a must to prove that love goes beyond the mind.  

Memory loss is just temporary and a great excuse to start over again.  Ohh, Asian dramas just love messing with people's memories. I don't like this unless there is actually a health reason. But the majority of the time, memory loss in kdrama makes it unromantic and super cheesy. Asian drama writers needs to come up with a better plot twist then making someone forget his/her past. It is over used and tiring to watch people make weird faces as they try to reconnect their past memories.

Memory loss: Secret Garden, Boys Over Flowers, Stairway to Heaven, Innocent Man, Couple or Trouble, Winter Sonata

3. If you take off your glasses, it'll instantly make you look 10x prettier. (0-0) = ugly?

Fated To Love You - Asian dramas' logic 101: If you take off your glasses,

you'll end up looking like a much better version of yourself.

This one is something that occurs in all kinds of dramas from Korea, China, and all the above. I don't see how taking off your glasses makes you look better. Sometimes, people look better with glasses, you know? Besides, what's wrong with a nerdy/smart/quirky looking man/woman? Asian dramas need to keep their characters with glasses on.

Glasses characters: Fated To Love You (both Chinese and Korean ver.), Hi My Sweetheart (Tawainese)

4. Accidents are happening everywhere in Asia to the point it's hitting the actors/actresses! OMG...(-_-)

Shut Up Flower Boy Band -  Asian dramas' logic 101:
Random cars always hits hot

 people all the time, ya' know. Expect it.

How annoying is that in a lot of Asian dramas the main guy/girl always getting hit by a freaking car/truck. I'm sure there are better ideas to get them into accidents besides getting hit by a fast running vehicle. Do people in Asian dramas not understand the concept of waiting for your turn to walk? Even if you're overly emotionally, you just don't go running towards cars! Hello-er! Please, drama writers, will ya put some sense into your characters? Stop getting them into accidents.

Horriable car accident in kdrama: Shut Up Flower Boy Band, Boys Over Flowers, Stairway to Heaven

5. Guys forcfully grabs girls' wrists vice versa. WHaAaaa-? (0-o)

Secert Garden -  Asian dramas' logic 101: Okay, so is this necessary?

Yes, it is because that's the only way to do things.

Okay, this one makes me want to laugh because it's hilaious how the women/men just follows as they're being dragged by the wrist. Do people even do this? (I doubt that.) But any woman/man who lets a man/woman do that to her/him should give her/him a big fat slap. Ain't nobody just going to walk along if you grab their wrist like that. I mean, there are other ways to handle it.

man-forcefully-grab-woman's-wrist: Secert Garden, Boys Over Flower, Heirs

6. Nice guys do really finish last...at least in Asian dramas.

To the Beautiful You - Asian dramas' logic 101:

Friend zone (to the max) are for the caring and nice guys.

According to Asian dramas, women only likes "cold, ignorrant guy but soft-hearted inside who treat them like crap at first then later opens up and shows romanctic affections but still maintain his manliness"? As if such horrible guy would even get a girl unless of course, he's super rich. But hey, if you're too nice in a Asian drama, you're automatically FRIEND ZONE. So make sure you act like a total jerk because women loves that.

Friend zoned guys: Boys Over Flower, You Are Beautiful, Princess Hours, To the Beautiful You

7. Woman can be disguised as guys or at least look convincing.  



Sungkyunkwan Scandal - Asian dramas' logic 101: I look like a total girl,

but when I'm dressed like this everyone knows/thinks that I am a guy. Can you guess which one is the female lead?

I do like it when female characters get to act like men, but some of the Asian dramas I've seen so far the female characters do not look like a man at all, period. Some female actresses may look and do well with it, but other actresses have feminine features that makes it obivously quite clear that they're females. So when I watch it, I'm like 'yep, that's a girl dressed as a boy'. I do think that Go Eun Chan in 1st Shop of Coffe Prince would've past by as truly looking like a man.

Obiviously a girl: To the Beautiful You, You Are Beautiful, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Painter of the Wind, Goddess of Fire

8. We are in a relationship, but we might be related. So heartbroken...

Autumn in My Heart - Asian dramas' logic 101:

So we may be related, but not by blood. No one

is ever 100% quite sure or refer to a DNA BLOOD TEST.  



Believe it or not, Asian dramas likes to use the excuse of a sibling/half-sibling/step-sibling excuse to test the relationship between the main characters. The writers just love having us being disgusted, confused, yet have pitied for the characters in their forbidden love. But like it is getting old because we have awesome health technology nowadays that can easily avoid this misfortune. Just get a DNA testing instead of going through all the drama.

Sibling/half-sibling/step-sibling drama: Autumn in My Heart, One Fine Day, That Winter the Wind Blows, Love Rain 

9. If you don't have cancer, you'll get sick somehow. Or possibly die of a unknown disease. Or you could lose your vision entirely.

That Winter the Wind Blows - Asian dramas' logic 101: 

I may have cancer or be blind or have an illness or all,

but I'll always managed to fall in love with a

handsome/pretty person that I couldn't possibly be with.

Why do Asian dramas like to make their characters die/sick? It's for either to make us drown in tears or have feelings of WTF. Is cancer the only cause of death in Asian dramas? If not, why are people always getting blind? Not just that, why do people always get sick after being in the rain? Apparently, Asian dramas are limited to these health related issues. I will be waiting for one day that a common cold/sickness can be cured with over the counter meds in Asian dramas.   

Asian dramas' diseases: Stairway to Heaven, Autumn in My Heart, To the Beautiful You, Sad Love Song, Scent of Woman, A Thousand Day Promise, That Winter the Wind Blows, Winter Sonata     

10. People in Asian dramas rarely rely on the polices.

I Miss You - Asian dramas' logic 101: Leave it up to one man to

do everything. Even working at the police department doesn't

guarantee your own safety.

Polices/security people are totally useless in Asian dramas. It's because they can't come on time like EVER or find the true criminals! Sometimes, they're even bribed by rich people and society is corrupted that could lead the polices to be the bad guys; therefore, it is up to the main casts or one main character to fight for justice. So don't be surprised if the police are there, but not really doing their job or moving the plot forward.

Corrupted and useless polices: Hong Gil Dong, Capital Scandal, I Miss You


11. You are my first love and it means we are meant to be together by fate.

The Moon that Embraces the Sun - Asian dramas' logic 101:

Even though we barely hit puberty,

we know that we're meant to be.

Asian dramas love using first love between the main characters to make it seem like they've known each other forever. First they meet, share memories together, and then somehow are seperated that ends up in them having a reunion. It's nice to know they have history together, but it is kind of overused. I prefer watching younger versions of the characters and not little kids playing together. Kids don't understand romantic affections and are often associated with "I like you" not "love". Also, having a younger version of a character instead of a kid version makes more sense in terms of remembering the importance of their relationship.

First love editions: I Miss You, The Moon that Embraces the Sun, Autumn in My Heart, Stairway to Heaven

12. People love to go study abroad in the U.S. and Europe, exclusively...if not some other Western country.

Flower Boy Ramyum Shop - Asian dramas' logic 101:

Yes, I've done it. I've went to America and seen the

Western world.



If people in Asian dramas could go anywhere in the world and live there for a while, it's obivously not somwhere in Asia, South America, Africa, or the Carribeans, etc. It's funny when they return 'smarter and richer' after being abroad.  I mean come on, these 'Western' places are great but that's all I've ever seen in Asian dramas. Overused, overrated, and there are other great places.