This was wonderful @leetennant ~ I love the potted plant analogy, it really drives home the objectification of women in most plots where they are a pretty prop for the protagonist (I was ranting about this earlier actually 😅). I’m glad to hear someone write with hope that this is changing!

Though, if you were a potted plant, which would you be?
My mind says geraniums are hardy and survive great neglect (I know from experience), but my nose says rosemary (but it grows brittle without consistent attention).

I knew just by the title that you must have written this @leetennant 😄

I remember your posts on the fan wall about Greasy Melo and I was intrigued. Not enough to watch it, sorry, but I did enjoy your writing here about a woman who thrives in a masculine world. I might know a thing or two about that. Thanks again for an analytical and contemplative post!

Overall, the portrayal of women in dramas this year may have seemed like the same progression of potted plant female leads, scheming second female leads and crazy mothers-in-law. But there were a significantly larger number of women with purpose and agency, and who were genuinely the hero of their own stories.

👏👏👏

I really love your review @leetennant! Hooray for strong female leads in Dramaland this year!

The first time I saw you use this term I thought you meant an actual pot plant. I can't remember the comment, but I had to read it a couple times.

Great write up on potted plants @leetennant Chingu. Slowly evolving are those plants who sit and wait to be watered to becoming more animal like in moving about themselves and spraying water on the gardener! I look forward to more plant evolution as the year wanes and we start a new year of dramas!!!

If this was published before I started Memories of the Alhambra, I would have ranted less on Hee Joo. It would have been so much easier to see her for what she is - a potted plant then to expect anything from her. It would also explained a lot about her actions or rather non-action.

Thank you! Finally something that included Song So-eun. I actually watched that drama for Yoon Donggu but was pleasantly surprised the first time I saw the heroine. I loved her to bits--indeed she was the center of the show! The ending felt rushed and I didn't really like how they resolved Kangho's deed (playing judge,how did he get away with it?!) but So-eun was a gem. From the moment she first spoke against her senior prosecutor (that a**hole) to her court hearing that threatened her future as a judge, I cheered for her. I felt the same way for Go Ara's Park Cha Oh-reum in Miss Hammurabi. She wasn't afraid to speak for justice and against stereotypes. She was strong but always grounded. She showed moments of vulnerability but it didn't stop her from going against the giants of society. It wasn't until she faced the probability of having made the wrong judgement that she finally crumbled with shattered confidence. Her emotional character was balanced with Myungsoo's rational Im Ba-reun. The show was heavy in procedural scenes as it was really an occupational drama through and through but it had so much heart! The cases were handled pretty well (maybe because the scriptwriter was a real judge). Miss Hammurabi may be my fave drama of 2018.

I love your piece. My only stipulation to your argument would be this: just because the male characters talk about the female lead as if she's a potted plant does not make her a potted plant. You may or may not have been implying this, but Jo Boa's character in SUFFB had quite a bit of backbone and spoke her piece despite the (sometimes) idiotic boys around her. I wouldn't characterize her as a typical candy. There's other such cases where other characters (whether male characters or evil mother-in-laws) try to speak for a woman only for her to speak up for herself. That's a reversal I love to see (JBL, Healer, GG 1979, etc)

To my way of thinking, I Am Not A Robot had a thin top-coat of creepy paternalism (faux female robot slave), a thick creamy center of solid female representation, then at its base was another layer of paternalism again. The unspoken subtext of the series seemed to be 'The natural destiny of a self-reliant young woman is to someday become the plaything of a high status male'. Granted that center section of strong female characterization was substantial and satisfying. But it was still just the interior of a sandwich.

I loved the analogy! This was a very nice (and important) write-up!
It is so important to have fully fleshed out females because that is what females are IRL! Not just eye/arm candy or princesses to be rescued.

It goes beyond leaps and bounds when there is a strong female character I can relate to!
Like Pi or the Ahn Jeong Min (Mama fairy where she was a grad student/lab assist), I struggle to find females being represented in scientific profession in dramas who aren't either lab rats or just people in the background.
I always squeal with joy when we see such good characters.

Given good writing, female characters can be so much more , so here's a request to writers, give your females a rich back story and loads of character. They might surprise you!

I love you, @leetennant, did you know that? I'm glad someone else watched and liked Your Honor - unlike you, I wasn't particularly disappointed with it, because despite its numerous flaws I was satisfied with what I saw on-screen. My biggest takeaway from this is probably the fact that this is the only boss/subordinate romance I've endured which didn't make me uncomfortable, because Kang-ho being out of place the away that horrible power imbalance. He respected So-eun entirely, and basically worshiped the ground she walked on, which is exactly what I think a girl burned by disgusting men needed in her life.

This was fun to read @leetennant , especially since I get aggravated by the lack of personality and dimension some FL's have. I'm not saying all of them have to be strong or be able to kick-ass. I just want FL's who make an impression on me with their layered characterisation or purpose other than just being there.

My current non-potted-plant female leads are in SKY Castle and Children of Nobody putting on phenomenal performances.

The potted plant conversation is usually followed by one of my least favourite kdrama staples: the Wrist Grab.

Nicely put together!

I agree about how nice it is to have different female character from the traditional characteristic that fictional world often have. But I also will say it is great to have male character that is far from the typical rich jerk. Because I believe it is just as problematic that masculine expectation we have for how male should be. Woo jin (still 17), Jin Hyuk (Encounter), Bok su (My strange hero) and Kang doo (Just between lovers) are male characters that subverted that classic male character and they also show respect to female around them.
Lets us celebrate how diverse Kdrama have become when it comes to character traits for both female and male character :D

Please continue to write and rant for us. It's always a pleasure to read your writing.

I need to find time for Your Honor. I'm willing to overlook flaws in a drama with a well done female character.

I love you LT. INAR can never receive too much love.

I need more Jia-like female characters with proper fleshed out character development and agency in their own story.

Everytime I start a kdrama I am scared the main female character - who often starts out so strongly- will inevitably end up as nothing more but a simple plot device and/or an accessory for the male lead to shine.

Thank you for this ode to the female characters who escaped this fate!

@leetennant Someone has to ask, are you sure you’re not a potted plant?

Aaaaahhhh such a great piece. YES TO EVERYTHING. I really love your take on Your Honour, as well - I couldn't put my finger on it but you nailed it, about how Lee Yoo-young really was central character. (I love her - you should see her in Tunnel as well, if you haven't already.)

I can't remember if you've watched Mother or not, but that's another show all about the women, mothers or not, which you should watch immediately if you haven't already!

Amazing - as always - @leetennant. While I was always aware of how female leads were portrayed in kdramas, i must admit you had a big role in making me -MORE- aware. I just cant bare a stupid candy anymore or just mock them endlessly. Nevertheless, i feel the need to add that i like my female leads opinionated and strong -- but the male leads as well. I dont like male leads to be subservient to their female lesds. There needs to be a balance. The only first example that comes to mind is Just Dance although it was treated well when seungshine tells shieun that hed just take in anything. Point is, yay for 3D characters!

Your writing is thought-provoking as always, @leetennant. This article from FiveThirtyEight is good supplementary reading: The Next Bechdel Test.

Although these tests were created by American women, many of them are applicable the entertainment industry anywhere. These 12 tests broadly fall into four categories:
1) Behind the camera: on set crew, production staff
2) Intersectional: gender,race, ethnicity
3) Protagonists: characterization, dimension, empathy, agency, sexuality
4) Supporting cast

I. LOVE. THIS. ANALOGY. Spot on.

Also, Greasy Melo...Ugh. It was a mess, and I've struggled to grasp why I still felt compelled to watch it. NOW I remember...although her character annoyed me in so many ways, I DID appreciate her independence and her free mind. And I always like dramas with a bit of quirk. Unfortunately for that show, the writers didn't take that charming quirkiness and translate it into a cohesive story, but it had the elements of something special.

Sadly a lot of times dramas are about hero journey and character growth, heroine is already finished product and waiting on the sidelines for hero to fall in love with her and change for better. I fall in love with Gangnam Beauty Id, because it was the opposite, the heroine had to got through character growth and find her inner strength and hero waited for her, and a lot of side female characters and some male in that show were given chance to grow as a character although some of them were quite tropeish. I wish we got more fluffy dramas that are revolving more about women growing into romantic relationship than multiple retelling of Cinderella waiting for her prince charming to grow up into not being mean jerk.

Thanks, @leetennant! I enjoyed your writing. I agree with what you are saying, but must confess I didn't like I'm Not a Robot nearly as much as most commenters seemed to. I am also not drawn to watch Greasy Melo or Your Honor. I was planning to watch Memories of Alhambra, but am given pause by your description of a potted plant character. Hmm, what to do...

I don't think Memories of the Alhambra is good counter-example.

I don't need that a drama was 50-50 between the female and the male characters. It will depend about the story. In the case of MoA, the story is about the game and the male character, the female character is not very important in the story. The issue is why Park Shin Hye accepted this role? From an actress like her we are excepting more. But if you forget the fact it's Park Shin Hye and you take her character for what it is, I really don't care that she doesn't have more importance. If the genders were reversed, it would be the same for me.

I think I need different things in drama. I love a typical rom-com drama like Clean with Passion for Now from time to time.

But there were a lot of strong women in drama Mr Sunshine, The Guest, Come and Hug Me, Just Dance, Familiar Wife, My Mister.

So this is the 'potted plant' everyone is referencing! great one ChinguMode!

Chiming in to say thanks for this really great look into what makes a good female character! I hate the argument that a piece "passes the bechdel test" so it must have good female representation according to some. If you don't mind, I will use your potted plant analogy in the future to explain to them why this is not always the case!

I fell in love with I'm Not A Robot right when I started watching it, but it was hard for me to pinpoint the exact reason why I was so obsessed (other than Yoo Seung Ho capturing my heart).

Thank-you for such an insightful analysis! It explored the great writing in the drama about themes that are not too common in most kdramas. No wonder I found it to be such a breath of fresh air for me >u<