I'm a sucker for fake!relationship trope. Two people pretending to be together and then catching real feelings later? *ahem, All Gain, All Love* Ugh, sign me up! And oooh, enemies to lovers (slow burn)! I love watching the tension and chemistry that slowly builds up when two people clash at first and then eventually see each other in a new light. *chef's kiss* Plus you get the fun banters that lead to eventual softening toward one another (*/ω＼) SOOO what I'm saying is, beanies~ go watch (All) No Gain, (All) No Love (*≧∀≦*)!

Love square (or any other multi-angle shape) with satisfying resolution. I am very happy when a rejected 2 ML or 2 FL finds true love.

Noble idiocy. Because it's the one you hate most that makes the other tropes that much more precious.

I confess I like the bickering (not so much in real life).

I like enemies to lovers, found family, childhood connection. Those are off the top of my head but it has to strike the right balance for me. For example: Boys over Flowers ❌️ but No Gain No Love or Suspicious Partner✅️

Is bickering a trope? I like when the character bicker, challenge, and tease each other.
Example: Knight Flower or Sh**ting Stars

Childhood connection when feels a part of the story and not thrown in or implies a fateful connection. Example: While You Were Sleeping or Hometown Cha Cha Cha

If I watch Kdramas, it's for the tropes. But one that can pass for plausible in asian dramas but not so much in western shows is cross dressing like in You're Beautiful, Coffee Prince, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Love in the Moonlight, The King's Affection, The Tale of Nokdu, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e or Arsenal Military Academy, etc.

But I likes the others too : fake relationship, forced cohabitation, friends to lovers, ennemies to lovers, etc.

Friends to lovers (childhood or not), enemies to lovers and fake relationship are all tropes than can be very fun, and that I can really like, but only if they're done well.

I also love a good slowburn, and by that I mean when it takes them almost the entire show to get together. I don't consider it a real slowburn if they get together halfway through the show.

Also, does romance between secondary characters count as a trope? Because I love that too.

I love enemies to lovers, cohabitation hijinks, second chance romance (if done right). I also like meet cutes and if the ML is a tsundere or just awkard at hiding his feelings. I like it if the ML falls first.

I looooove this thread!!! 🤩✨️ One of the things I love most about Kdramas is the tropes - they are the genre conventions that make Kdramas Kdramas. Some of my faves: connected past lives, childhood connection, friends to lovers, forced cohabitation, contract relationship, found family, and family family. And then the smaller ones: rescuing each other from danger, taking care of someone who developed a sudden fever, accidentally touching hands, piggybacks, dramatic fall-and-catch, and SO MUCH MORE!! 😆

Cohabitation, definitely.

I see many of my favorite rom-coms or romances have it (Live up to your name, Flower Boy Next Door, The Best Hit, 9 end 2 outs, Bossam, Fated to love you, Shopping King Louis, Heartbeat, My Holo Love, Yumi's cells, Happiness and other shows... And also c-dramas).

Even in shows that are not among my favorites, I enjoyed the part about cohabitation (Crash landing on You, Abyss, Bride of Habaek, Dodosolsol, Park's Marriage Contract, Meow...).

I love many tropes mentioned by beanies here so I will pick about one that’s not often spoken about. ‘Forbidden Love’.

I like stories where the leads know they aren’t supposed to fall in love or know it’s not the right thing to do but struggle and eventually they find the courage to fall in love.

Eg ‘Call it a love’ - she didn’t want to like him but couldn’t help it.
Secret Love - as complicated as it can get.
Coffee Prince - He struggles a lot with his feelings for a man and then eventually accepts that he is ok with it.
Lost, crash Landing on you.

-Star crossed lovers/Forbidden Love
Whether its feuding families, class differences or any other reason contrived by fate its always great see our hero and heroine get together at the end.

-Second chance Romance
Especially when our couple is much older like "When my love blooms", mature romances are underrated

-Cartoonishly Evil slap happy Chaebol mother in law
Like death and taxes the only constant in Asian dramaland is that rich middle aged women are petty, childish and hate poor people marrying their children lol.

-Random terminal illness
Usually introduced near the middle or the end to manipulate the audience emotionally, im an absolute sucker and fall for it most of the time.

I too am a fan of the enemies to lovers and/or bickering couples trope.
I love a good war of words and the conflict makes things that much more interesting.

I also have learned how much I love the found family trope that Kdramas do so well, even in non-romantic series.

Cohabitation 😍😍

She fell first, but he fell harder is my absolute favorite. I love angst

I also love when two people work together to date someone else, but fall for each other. I see this less often in kdramas, though

I also can really love the past life or childhood love trope if it's done a certain way

Another vote here for fake relationships and forced cohabitation. It’s a great opportunity for the FL and ML to get to know each other without the pressure of trying to impress. Underneath the initial bickering is the communication that can lead to a real relationship grounded in not just acceptance but appreciation of each other’s true selves.

Tsundere heroes. Only in dramas can I forgive jerk male leads who turn soft once they fall in love. He's just a prickly marshmallow whose stone-cold heart needs to be melted.

I also love cohabitation born out of contract relationships, or when the female lead lives with the male lead secretly and must hide when an unexpected guest arrives. Either they hide together in tension-filled close proximity, or she gets locked out of the house and he races to come save her.

I like the whole "piggyback rides yes, handholding or touching absolutely not," inconsistency of K-dramas. So many moments of people running up on each other and then NOT hugging! It's wild.

I also like it when the parents of one of the leads feeds the other lead.

I like the tsundere trope also, specifically when the actor playing the ML or FL seems to be unemotional to the other actors in the scene but the audience can tell their emotion. ♥

To name a trope not yet mentioned, I love reverse taming-of-the-shrew.

Shining Inheritance, Protect the Boss, Miss Korea (secondary couple), Welcome 2 Life, are all among my favorites for this reason.

I couldn't say which "longterm-tropes" I like, but I like the small moments - when one part of the soon-to-be-couple fell asleep and the other spreads a blanket over them (especially when we're in enemies-to-lovers-land and the spreading happens with a wee bit of hesitation and low-key muttering), the "accidental" hand touching while walking, and caring for the other when ill. Especially that scene in the hospital, watching out at the bedside, then falling asleep and being awakened by the staring, formerly ill-fallen other part of the couple. (Why is it always the twitching finger that indicates rising consciousness? Is there any resemblance to reality?) Or one part wants to go, but suddenly there emerges a hand and holds fast. I love that. Especially when whatever brought them into the hospital indicates to the other part that they don't want to lose them, surprisingly.

Oh, for trope scenes I have two:
- She goes on a blind date, he finds out and goes to spy on her or stop her
- He reaches over to grab something she can't reach because she's too short

I like enemies to lovers for the bickering. False marriage can also be quite fun.
Terminal illness are worse offender than ToD and subway ppl.

One tropey scene I've always liked but I haven't seen recently is the kitchen back hug, where the ML is cooking and FL comes up from behind to put her arms around him. I just like the romantic, domestic intimacy it conveys. But as I said, I haven't seen it in recent shows--maybe, a few times when the 2FL who is trying futilely to win the ML back does it, and the ML shakes it off. I need that trope to be used sincerely!

For fans of the "forbidden love" genre, I can recommend two Qiong Yao classics (Taiwanese dramas from its golden age) called "Wan Jun" and "Gui Zhang Fu" (Ghost Husband) they should all be subbed and available on Youtube by now. So well done and lovely. "Wan Jun" is about three brothers all falling in love with the FL who was a child bride betrothed to the eldest son and the fallout. And "Gui Zhang Fu" is about a couple falling in love despite the grievances between their families over a serious incident that took place when they were toddlers. It's so beautifully written and acted. And the songs are classics. Qiong Yao excels at writing complicated emotions and difficult family situations. As for me, I also like the "finding lost love as an adult or middle age and getting a second chance" trope.

In real life there's no one to save me, much less a handsome eligible bachelor, so in dramas I crave the Cinderella trope, done well. Like the FL's life has fallen apart, living on the streets, down to the last won in her bank account, and then along comes knight in shining armor.

Whenever there is a secret romance, I am 100% in. Even if I don't really like the story! Doing something privately that only the couple shares. A romance that is usually forbidden in some way. Having to arrange secret meetings and getting caught or near caught. Even better if you have to hide together in a closet while your family makes a surprise visit or quickly returns from a trip for something they forgot. Is it getting warm in here?

I can’t believe I’m saying this but I love noble idiocy. It has to be made very well though. The person should have solid reasons like societal pressure, trauma or upbringing related self worth issues and it should break your heart for them, not frustrate. It should not be used to keep a couple separate as filler and should lead to growth. I can’t think of a k-drama that did it so well (to my standards) though. Any ideas?

Another trope I love is good cop-criminal/anti hero-heroine relationship. I especially adore female vigilantes (Knight Flower).

I was just reaching for something...
no really, i was just reaching for something

For romance
I love the "we connect on a deeper level" trope.

I love it when two leads comfort and support each other. Either they have similar life experiences, or, on the contrary, they're so different they complement each other well, I just love to see them be there for each other in their journey.

You Are My Spring
Tell Me That You Love Me
Run On
Just Between Lovers
Find Me in Your Memory
When My Love Blooms
Mad For Each Other
A Piece of Your Mind

For romcoms
Cohabitation/neighbors.

Things go smoothly, no need of extremely forced scenarios/coincidences (except for the living together/being neighbors part LMAO), or creepy stalkerish behavior.
They have a safe space for all the craziness (their home), they see each other at their worst (and all the time), and they're there when the other one needs them.
It works perfectly, imo.

Reply 94
Fight For My Way
Jugglers
Shopping Wang Louie
Flower Boy Next Door
Mad For Each Other
Gaus Electronics
Still 17
Oh My Ghostess
W
The Best Hit
Mr. Queen
Kim Bok Joo

For melos
With melodramas I show my toxic side, hahaha.

I LOVE a good "I didn't know I had feelings until I met you"/fix me trope.

Flower of Evil
Black
Kill Me Heal Me (Shin Gi, Shin Ji or wtv the name of the bad boy personality was)

To clarify, I don't think those relationships were toxic. I get toxic about them all on my own. LMAO

As someone who is aroace and doesn't really watch romance (so far 55+ kdramas in but I watched at most 3 romance kdramas. And even then it's a stretch since I watched it... for the (murder) mystery) here are the ones I would call my favorites lol:

childhood/past connection. Is it overdone even in non-romance kdrama? Probably (YES). But I grew up watching detective conan where, I kid you not, like 90% of the romances is childhood friends to lovers (or at least childhood connection) and it's not even a romance manga/anime. It's a detective mystery story. The author is just helplessly obsessed with that trope. The Childhood Connection trope is basically in my blood stream at this point. I accepted my fate. I was force fed the trope for a decade so now I can't hate it lol.

some sort of star-crossed love. I like angsty angst, what can I say.

Not sure if it counts as a "trope" but I do LOVE variations of the "i'd die/kill/ for you" and even more the "i'd live for you" characterization.

I suppose I'm gonna end up in total minority here, but FL chasing ML))) I love my girls knowing what they want early on and going after it with persistence. Hardly anything compares to witnessing a hot man lose all his usual composure due to being flustered^^ Even better if this early attraction is mutual and openly discussed - there are better ways to take time with relationship progress other than one or both being frustrating idiots in denial!

Almost a tie with battle couple - simply because I disagree with trendy notion that FL can be amazing ONLY if she's a warrior on par with/better than ML. Nicely written and acted non-combat heroines deserve love and respect too.

When the guy falls first— doesn’t matter if it’s the ML or 2nd ML (but it’ll be the latter 90% of the time, or else, where’s the angst??) When I’m given this trope in a drama, much of the rhyme or reason typically goes out the window and I’m just a pile of goo 🫠🫠🫠
This trope for me is made even better when the guy falls for the girl for other reasons outside of her looks

**SPOILERS for Cdrama watchers**
i.e. In my most recently finished C-drama— Blossoms in Adversity — the 2nd ML falls for the FL because of her smarts, her wits, and her agency (being able to stand up for herself in the midst of being picked on in a tough situation)— I just 🥰🥰🥰🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻

Not sure if it's a trope if it doesn't happen that often, but I really like it when the heroine initially likes someone else, and not the ML. Not sure why, but there is something satisfying for me in watching as her affections start to shift, regardless of what the the story with her initial object of affection was. And plus points if she initially finds the ML annoying, lol

With the exception of noble idiocy, I like just about any romance trope, as long as it’s used creatively and organically, and executed to a high artistic standard. What I really dislike are those “trope for trope’s sake” dramas, where cardboard characters act out a series of tired clichés that you can see coming from a mile away.

This is a small one, but I love it: ML is a great cook and makes a great meal for FL. See: Ri Jung-Hyuk making noodles by hand in CLOY, the King making a fantastic-looking steak and rice dish in TKEM, Hyun-Woo making tofu stew for Hae-in in QOT. And because My Liberation Notes brilliantly subverts every trope, Son Suk-Ku plopping the pot of ramen and a bottle of water in front of Kim Ji-Won.

I might be in minority but I love childhood connection trope (but not childhood first love, there is a difference). If done well, it brings layers to a relationship that's deep and comforting. However, I dislike the whole 'first love' hankering after.

Forbidden love is the other one. Not the kind where it's simply used as a plot device or a separation trope, but the one that moves the story forward and makes the characters evolve.

First post ever here, just because I liked this question so much. My favorite is "ML is a great cook who makes a great meal for FL." Think Ri Jung-Hyuk making noodles by hand for Se-ri in CLOY, Lee Gon making some fantastic steak and rice thing in TKEM, Hyun-Woo making stew for Hae-in in his tiny apartment in QOT. And because My Liberation Notes brilliantly subverts the tropes, how about Mr. Gu plopping down a pot of ramen and a bottle of water in front of Mi-Jeong?

On the other hand, I can't stand seeing MLs in their 30s wearing full pajamas. That is a trope that I cannot understand for the life of me.

cooking for somebody while being terrible at it (my roommate is a gumiho, Tale of the nine tailed, Business Proposal 2nd couple). Nothing shows utter sincerity as putting all your heart in something you have no clue how to do but trying hard anyway. I´d call it the bird dad effect. Like the bird dad having the urge to show your dedication by feeding worms

I've enjoyed every trope at least once. But I have a real hard time with the Korean obsession with High School first love-thing. I wish they'd turn the trope on its head and have the passionate High School fling and then meeting as 35-years olds, a bit more bitter and life-savvy but having the annoying chemistry when they'd rather not with the complications this would ensue.

Contract relationships, when done well, is my ultimate catnip. The best example I've ever of this is the Jdrama The Full Time Wife Escapist. The show took the premise very seriously which made the characters also go over the contract several times as their life situation and relationship progressed. I absolutely hate the premise when they make up a contract that's voided or abused by one party right at the start. Case in point Jdrama Business Marriage.

Enemy to lovers and friends to lovers are also very satisfying tropes when done well. Enemies to reluctant friends (or partners in crime) is one of the most charming side stories. Chief Kim, anyone?

I really don't like the childhood connection but that's because it's so rarely utilised in a sensical and poignant way. Can You Hear My Heart is a favourite of mine.

Many have already mentioned Friends to Lovers and Enemies to Lovers, I love both. Ideally as a slow burn romance, peppered with some bickering.

I don't know if it counts as a trope here as I've rarely seen it, plus it's not necessarily typical KDrama, but I love the Clark Kent trope. One of the reasons I love HEALER so much.

For those who enjoy cohabitation tropes, there's a really lovely Japanese drama that I can recommend called "Hotaru no Hikari". FL is adorable and ML is smokin'.

I fantasized once about making a drama where some staircase played a major role because people kept tripping, falling, and getting caught and falling in love there.
I won't say it's my favourite trope, but it's fun, silly, and much rarer seen in Western comedies.

Does noona romance count as a trope? If so, mark me down as a fan—especially when the woman is in her 40s or older. For example:
Hyena
Secret Love Affair
A Witch’s Romance
Human Disqualification

Even though I'm well past noona age, it's still my favorite form of wish-fulfillment drama!

oh oh oh!
One of my all-time fav rom-com trope: "I-am-jealous-of-myself" trope
It's hilarious for everyone (except the jealous person) LOL

Bit late to the discussion but, I think the best trope is best friends to lovers, it's more practical. But it has to be done right. It might become boring. But when you do it right it's my favorite.I think this trope has the best feeling good ending part.

Then Forbidden love trope but nothing icky like incest. I think this trope has the most angsty part.

Then enemies to lovers but not just bickering, I don't think just by bickering or having some cat fight you're enemies. It has to be real enemies. This trope has the most intriguing beginning.

I enjoy the trope where "I will find or choose you in any life, verse, or time." (Not the fated ones trope)

Throw in some even the heavens are moved or annoyed by their determination it's entertaining to watch.

- Jerk-to-marshmallow hero
- Tortured hero with questionable morals
- Body swap between two very dissimilar characters or two very antagonistic characters
- Enemies to lovers
- Forbidden love / impossible odds type of love story
- Unequal class dynamic (rich ditzy smart confident heiress is my favorite)
- Any type of dynamic that gives rise to sexual tension and how the main characters try to navigate it.

Contract marriages - that moment when the relationship suddenly tips over from everything being cool and calculated and subject to the clauses on the contract... and the male and female lead wake up in the same bed!

Also, I'm a complete sucker for the emotionally damaged young man finding salvation in a relationship with a strong woman.

as a watcher who barely deviates from rom-coms, i like the friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers and slow-burn tropes. i've realized that i like it when it's the FL who initiates the kiss (even if it's a dead fish kiss).

I just thought of another trope scene I adore: karaoke. If the leads sing a duet together or one of them sings to the other, I am almost automatically sold. My favorite use of it in a Kdrama is in Dear M