Yesterday’s episode of My Sweet Mobster with its rendition of the trapped in a freezer and must stay warm trope got me thinking: what are the oddly specific tropes we all love? Specific to dramaland and often rare, they’re a delight when they pop up unexpectedly. I’ll start off with three of my favorites:
1. Yes, it’s trapped in a freezer and must keep warm (most recently seen in My Sweet Mobster; previous favorite appearance in Wok of Love). Self explanatory.
2. Washing the ML/FL’s hair (Most recently seen in Frankly Speaking, also appearing in Do Do Sol Sol and Cinderella and Four Knights). Often prompted by the ML/FL having an injury and the other helping them to wash their hair with *romantic subtext.*
3. Surprisingly Bad Art. (All kinds of dramas! Favorite instance was in Sh**ting Stars). Usually we see a character doing their very best to draw someone, and when the drawing is revealed, it is Very Bad. Variations include Surprisingly Good Art (Psychopath Diary) and Surprisingly Unexpected Art (Kokdu Season of Deity). Hinges on the element of subverted expectations.
Beanies, what are your favorite oddly specific tropes?
This is something I’m always curious about, because there are SO MANY tropes in dramaland, and some of them are more rare than others… it’s always fun to hear the tropes and themes others enjoy!! 😊
Ooh this is such a cool one, Cera!! I feel like it’s something I might think about during the drama, but not think about as a connecting trope across dramas. Thank you for sharing these examples!!! 😊♥️
The connecting Jewelry is international; apart from family jewels and wedding rings, it was actually common to give a broken coin together with the child when children where placed in orphanages and maybe weren’t entirely orphaned; their mum would just lose her job as a maid if she was found out to have a child, and also couldn’t care for the child while upholding her job.
Sometimes it was a broken pendant in a necklace, but obviously the mothers of those children mostly didn’t have that kind of money, or they would have kept their child.
I was having a hard time placing the clip… I was thinking it was Park Seo-joon?
I’m so ready for the Cinderella/Freaking Fairytale show… the only things holding me back are the seven other shows I’m currently watching (yikes), and the inconvenience of accessing it 😂
Oooh, yes itβs PSJ: itβs actually from good old WHATβS WRONG WITH SECRETARY KIM. She went with her sisters to the coast, and they collected clams or something. 🤔 Of course he had to join in – it was the only βletβs work in the countryside and get a chaebol muddyβ gif I had at hand! 😂
Sadly, I wasnβt able to watch Cinderella yet either ☹️
Thank you for tagging me in this intersting post, HopefulRomantic <3
Some of my favourite tropes (They are my fav because I think they help the story move forward):
– The female and male character sharing un umbrella in the rain and one side of the male character getting rained on because the umbrella cannot cover them fully (I believe many dramas have this, but one I can think of right now is All about Eve).
– When the ML getting a panic attack or something similar and the FL taking care of him (Taxi Driver – Kim Do Gi got a panic attack when seeing a frozen corpse, See you in my 19th life – Seo Ha got a panic attack seeing the approaching truck, Forest of Secrets 2 – Hwang Si Mok got a headache during a meeting and Yeo Jin covered for him and bought him a coke).
Thank you for sharing some of your favorite tropes, Claire!! ♥️ The umbrella is always a good one, but when the ML tips it over to cover the FL is a lovely one. I hadn’t thought about that part (getting rained on while covering the other) specifically, so I’m so glad you mentioned that!! I think that recently, the MLs in My Sweet Mobster and Dare to Love Me have both done this. I also love the comforting during a panic attack trope. Thank you for sharing!! 😊
In Kotaro Live Alone that I saw before seeing it in K-drama, he specifically explained that for a man to hold an umbrella correctly for a woman, his shoulder must get wet.
So I accepted it as a total fact of “how to” and I notice that they always zoom in on that shoulder (or sometimes, their back).
I giffed it in Reply 1988 as part of a discussion once …
I was going to put the gif here, but you’ll have to make do with a link: https://imgur.com/D7KrZ6d
It’s been very “optimalized” so I just need to say that in the original, you very clearly see the rain falling on him – maybe even cats and dogs, eller “skomagerdrenge”, shoemaker boys, as we say in Danish.
Even if the close-up of the shoulder is provided by me, with the original quality it was very clear that showing him being rained on was an important testament to the nobility of his soul.
_ Sharing earphones and listening to the same song. Usually on the bus, but not necessarily.
_ Eating boiled eggs during train or bus travels. It seems it’s a tradition in Korea.
_ Sending the wrong message, emoji, sticker or image. It was hilarious in My secret Terrius.
_ Having to wash or change their clothes in their love interest’s house. As in Yumi’s cells.
_ One of the main leads leaves notes (post-its, notes in books, audios…) or other things in order to be remembered. Imo the cutest was a board game the ML created for the FL in Flower Boy Next Door.
Wow these are great, Isa!! ♥️ The sending the wrong message/emoji one is SO FUN when it happens!! 😆 And I hadn’t thought about the “having to wash or change clothes in their love interest’s house” – I feel like that’s one of the more rare ones, but always spices things up 😂 And that board game YSY left for the FL in Flower Boy Next Door was so sweet. Thank you for sharing, Isa!! 😊
Oh my, βone of them leaving notesβ: most heartbreaking one on CLOY (😭), most fun βchat conversation onesβ in TOUCH YOUR HEART. I really like those, too, Isa! (Even better, if the addressee takes the note and puts it somewhere for safekeepingβ¦ *cries in THE MATCHMAKERS*)
Even though it rests on the medically inaccurate assumption that getting wet or cold outdoors automatically leads to you getting a virus, I have a huge soft spot for the fever trope. As in, FL gets cold and/or wet in the rain and gets a high fever and the concerned ML catches her as she’s about to pass out and tends to her until she’s better, all the while realizing that he has deeper feelings for her than he realized.
Oh my gosh, I not-so-secretly loooooove this one, too!!! 🥰 Lol I’m always slightly disappointed if they get rained on and DON’T catch a cold that requires romantic caretaking 😆 Thank you for sharing, LaurenSophie!!
Hmm. Oddly specific tropes? I’ll think about it over the course of today.
I can name a few more examples of your tropes though, if that’s of interest!?
Freezer: Brain Works Hair Washing: We don’t get to see it, sadly, but there was hair washing in Mobster too!! Bad Art: I remember someone drawing surprisingly bad sand art recently…do you remember what that was??
Thank you for these examples!! 🫶 And omo I think you’re right about the bad sand art in HeartBeat!! I guess I still try not to think about that one 😂 And hmph I feel robbed not getting to see the hair washing in Lovely Mobster 😤
1. I like it when someone thinks that someone else is a dream and talks to them honestly….but PSYCH they’re not a dream!! Like the end of BTLIOF.
2. I love it when folks are roaming around outside, thinking about someone else, and their feet takes them to where they need to be…and when they look up, they realize what they needed to know.
Thank you Seon-ha!!! 🤗♥️ I love these!!! “Dream but not a dream” can be so romantic when done right. And the serendipity of winding up where you need to be is always nice… there’s just a lot more time spent outside in the average Kdrama, which is magical in itself. Thank you for sharing!!😊
I am leaving out the big ones like ML falls first.
1) The ML somehow ends up shirtless. FL somehow ends up seeing him naked. And somehow they fall on top of each other. I donβt care how ridiculous it is, but I love it.
2) The ML takes a sip of the drink from the same glass/bottle/cup. Can be intentional or an accident. But the implied βindirect kissβ meaning is something I learnt from kdramas. I especially love it when itβs done intentionally.
3) The hand touches just before hand holding. I love the little brushing of hands. The hesitant yet wanting feeling of hands being so close. I love it!!! It can be poetic when done well.
Oh I’m so sorry, Blue, I meant to tag you!!! 😥 Anyone can participate, I was just tagging people I’ve been chatting with recently on the wall. Thank you for sharing these examples!! ♥️ I love love love each of these tropes!!! They’re all so romantic, and are things that really drew me into the romanticism of dramaland. Beautiful!! 🫶
These are awesome Sonai, thank you!!! ♥️ Secret second life is such a fun one when done right… I think Her Private Life was the first time I saw this! Such a fun one! Neighborhood hangout spots are the best 👍 And aww proud Halmeonis are awesome 🥰 I didn’t finish Knight Flower, but I DID get to see *the tiger* – such an excellent example!!! 😂 😂 😂 Thank you for sharing, Sonai!!
You could almost say that Koreans Grandmother Kim Young-Ok- grandma you were referring to- is a toupe in her own right! If she shows up itβs definitely a mark on your bingo card. 24 movies, over 95 dramas-as counted on Asianwiki
I started watching K-drama after a long bout of Brooklyn 99, and Boyle repeatedly says that “Washing each other’s hair – it’s the most romantic thing that exists!”
And so, when I started K-dramaing, I met it so much, in my head calling it “A Boyle Moment”.
I think Bong-Soon washes Min-min’s hair, too.
Not a kdrama, but in Out of Africa, Robert Redford washes Meryl Streep’s hair and it is one of the most swooniest scenes by two amazing and beautiful actors at their prime.
Interesting… I think a lot of that type of commercial truck may just be white as the default color, but also visually, they stand out better for the drama viewer against the flow of other vehicles in traffic. But yes, our popular character seems to come in only one color!
A trope that I am liking less every time I see it is women and girls who are in love and yet turn their face downwards when a kiss is approaching even though they want to kiss. As if it wasn’t hard enough for the ML to get to the mouth, since the FL is often less than two thirds of his height.
I have one gif about it on my wall relating to Sh**ting Stars and another gif waiting for the right occasion in my stash.
Another one, which I don’t know if I can call “weirdly specific” but having the FL be extra small and the ML extra tall is, for me, a strange and unsettling preference. Unless it’s a special point about struggling against prejudice, (like in Hello My Twenties or a joke based on differences like in “Jaws”and his girfriend from the Bond franchise ( https://i.pinimg.com/736x/96/50/22/965022d31cde6a9cb8f50aa58e266f48–richard-kiel-bond-girls.jpg ), I find it much more romantic to have the OTP be of harmonic heights, him being like, half a head taller than her.
As with art, so with food – when Reply1988 and Seonha was brainstorming with me about K-drama bingo, someone making really bad food was suggested and made it to the bingo card.
Apropos bingo card: – Jumping the Palace wall – ML tearing the FL in to his arms, saving her from a passing motor vehicle – ML catching falling FL in a dramatic tango-like position.
Speaking incredibly … s l o w … l y . Especially towards the end.
And also – but I don’t know if it is really “weirdly specific” but midst all the “pretending to not like each other” and noble idiocy etc., couples need to keep in touch via unintended communication, and that means mostly one of these things:
– getting super drunk and spilling the beans
– thinking they are dreaming and hence spilling the beans (e.g. Destined With You)
– talking to themselves or someone else and being overheard
– – which includes talking on the phone, and the one they talk to is overheard. (Dr. Slump, all the f**king time).
These communication things happen to other combinations than the OTP, too, like e.g., in Dr. Slump FL heard The Villain say to others that she wasn’t fit for cooperation.
βI love fight scenes between (“fake”)couples where one of them doesn’t know what’s going on or how to feel about the fight, but at the end all those weird feelings mean that they’re deeply in love and they just didn’t know (Flower of Evil’s dishwashing scene is THE perfect example).
This trope is like a child of the “I didn’t know I was (still) in love with my wife/husband/βfriend” trope.
βSecond leads thinking they’re in love with one of the leads, but they’re actually not so instead of ruining the ship they end up with another person or living their best single life (Ho Gu’s Love, Protect the Boss).
βFriend group where someone is treated like the cute baby the other (or at least one of the) members have to protect (Reply 88, Fight For My Way).
I love that trope too. Even more when it’s well done and the actors can express all these different feelings with their eyes, their voices and gestures.
I love that protecting the one member of the group example as a weirdly specific trope. In Donβt dare to love/Jealousy incarnate the two bright boys protecting the less academically able girl who lived in their building was an example of that. Sometimes it is a love interest and sometimes itβs just friends together. I feel like I have seen it a lot but canβt think of other examples.
Prison Playbook is another good example! Oh My Ghostess too.
To me it doesn’t really counts between love interests, but it works between family members (usually siblings).
I kinda felt it in Cinderella. The three sisters are protective of their mom. And between them, the two sisters-roomates act more delicate and attentive with their big unnie.
Prison Playbook is the perfect example as they did it with two characters it was such a great drama. The drug addicted character was the gift that kept on giving and I loved how everyone thought the main lead was stupid yet he was spot on when it came to reading every situation.
My favorite example is Reply because in that case it wasn’t only Taek’s friends, but the entire neighborhood taking care of him.
But Prison Playbook is a great example too.
I think this trope is a thing with this PD. Hospital Playlist probably had it too but I don’t remember.
I am totally gatecrashing this party because it’s an awesome post. Tropes! My favourite part of experiencing K-dramas ❤️
* When one of them finds an old connection to the other through drawing/photos/books/paper etc – as in Our Beloved Summer; Just Between Lovers
* An animation that defines the drama for posterity – Yumi’s cells, Business Proposal, Lovely Runner
* The wrapping of a jacket around the FL’s shoulders – as in every single modern drama. This one thing brought a flood of emotions the first time I watched it.
* The halmeoni – Oh the grandmothers in K-dramas….I wish I could steal them from the screens.
All are welcome!! Thank you for sharing, Minnie!! 🤗♥️ I love the tropes in dramas, too – it’s like a little scavenger hunt to see and appreciate where they pop up. These are such good ones!!! Omo I loooove the “wrapping a jacket around the FL” – it’s such a caring and romantic gesture!
Hmm, so many fun ones have already been mentioned!
One that I love for its ridiculousness is we are about to get caught somewhere we shouldnβt be and the only way out of the situation is to make out trope. It gets made fun of in Crash Landing on You and then used legitimately!
I also love when a character is criticizing someone for being too flighty or having an outlandish idea and they say something like, βYou watch too many dramasβ. That little meta nod to the audience makes me smile every time!
Just thought of another! Doing laundry together, but in the old school way, agitating the blankets with their feet in a big tub outside. They have to stand close together to make it work, and there is a high chance of someone losing their balance and needing to be caught by the other person 😉 not to mention sudsy flirting! I know this happened in Home Cha, but I think also in Heartbeat?
Thank you for sharing, Unaspirated!! 🤗♥️ These are so good!!! I also love the “doing laundry together” trope, and it was one of my favorite scenes in HeartBeat 🥲 And the meta of “you watch too many dramas” never gets old 😆
The make up trope was used in Chicago Typewriter and had a special meaning because they both had to make out it meant nothing as a survival strategy for the situation they were in.
Thank you for mentioning the bad drawing. I canβt remember which drama had it but it had me crying with laughter because it was so bad and I am sure it was about trying to draw someone they needed to find urgently and the supposed artist had implied they were good at drawing so got everyoneβs hopes up🤣
That trope makes me laugh every time; it’s just so fun and surprising, especially when the “artist” has been built up by someone else or when we’ve seen them drawing with such focus before the reveal 😂
This is such a great post I canβt believe I came late to the party and all the good ones have gone. The one I was thinking about recently was the use of the βAsian squatβ in the middle of the pavement to show someone is so overwhelmed/upset they need to stop walking and drop low. I noticed it first because I was jealous of the ability to do the position with feet flat to the ground and maintain it for periods of time. It is usually combined with slow walking in distress or being too drunk to walk.
Thank you Reply!!! 🤗♥️ It’s been so fun to get to hear about the tropes that bring us those little joys when we see them in a drama! That’s such a good example… I wish I could do that squat, too, but I haven’t developed either the right muscles or the right balance to be able to do it with flat feet 😞 Thank you for sharing!! 😊
I canβt seem to share a link to a YouTube channel called Upright Health where he has several videos on how to train yourself so you can do the Asian squat whatever age.
That channel sounds familiar; I think I may have run across that video at some point??? Thank you for sharing that! I need to get into a consistent exercise/workout routine, so I should add practicing that back in, too 👍
I read an article about this recently and since then have been squatting once a day just to prove to myself that I can still move my body that way 😂 Itβs not comfortable for me to stay like that for a long time, but itβs nice to know I still have that range of motion! But itβs certainly not an automatic thing I do when Iβm feeling overwhelmed.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 5:57 AM
Oddly Specific Tropes
Yesterday’s episode of My Sweet Mobster with its rendition of the trapped in a freezer and must stay warm trope got me thinking: what are the oddly specific tropes we all love? Specific to dramaland and often rare, they’re a delight when they pop up unexpectedly. I’ll start off with three of my favorites:
1. Yes, it’s trapped in a freezer and must keep warm (most recently seen in My Sweet Mobster; previous favorite appearance in Wok of Love). Self explanatory.
2. Washing the ML/FL’s hair (Most recently seen in Frankly Speaking, also appearing in Do Do Sol Sol and Cinderella and Four Knights). Often prompted by the ML/FL having an injury and the other helping them to wash their hair with *romantic subtext.*
3. Surprisingly Bad Art. (All kinds of dramas! Favorite instance was in Sh**ting Stars). Usually we see a character doing their very best to draw someone, and when the drawing is revealed, it is Very Bad. Variations include Surprisingly Good Art (Psychopath Diary) and Surprisingly Unexpected Art (Kokdu Season of Deity). Hinges on the element of subverted expectations.
Beanies, what are your favorite oddly specific tropes?
@attiton @elinor @seeker @isaGC @claire2009 @jls943 @Reply1988 @sonai @enriquequierecagar
πΈ Seeker πΈ
June 28, 2024 at 6:06 AM
Wow!! Hopeful what a wonder prompt. Thank you!
πΈ Seeker πΈ
June 28, 2024 at 6:06 AM
* wonderful 🤭
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 6:10 AM
This is something I’m always curious about, because there are SO MANY tropes in dramaland, and some of them are more rare than others… it’s always fun to hear the tropes and themes others enjoy!! 😊
πΈ Seeker πΈ
June 28, 2024 at 6:14 AM
One of my favorite tropes is a meaningful piece of jewelry or item.
– Like the rabbit in the moon key chain of the FL in Still 17.
– The star constellation necklace of Robin (Hyun Bin) in Hyde Jekyll, Me.
– The Yin Yang ☯️ Jade charms of the OTP in Alchemy of Souls.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 6:17 AM
Ooh this is such a cool one, Cera!! I feel like it’s something I might think about during the drama, but not think about as a connecting trope across dramas. Thank you for sharing these examples!!! 😊♥️
Isa is always time travelling
June 28, 2024 at 6:51 AM
The necklace Shancai was desperately looking for in the water in Meteor Garden.
DK-Drama β€οΈπ Giffing n Space Cadetting πΌπ»π
July 8, 2024 at 5:02 AM
The connecting Jewelry is international; apart from family jewels and wedding rings, it was actually common to give a broken coin together with the child when children where placed in orphanages and maybe weren’t entirely orphaned; their mum would just lose her job as a maid if she was found out to have a child, and also couldn’t care for the child while upholding her job.
Sometimes it was a broken pendant in a necklace, but obviously the mothers of those children mostly didn’t have that kind of money, or they would have kept their child.
πΈ Seeker πΈ
August 11, 2024 at 5:09 AM
Hopeful this is the pendant Gu Jun Pyo designed for Geum Jan-di.
The rabbit in the moon key chain.
Robin’s necklace.
The Yin YangΒ ☯️ Jade charms.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
August 11, 2024 at 5:11 AM
Oh I love it!!! If I could find it, I’d like to have a reproduction of that rabbit in the moon Keychain 🌙 🐰
πΈ Seeker πΈ
August 11, 2024 at 5:14 AM
That was my idea too!! I compromised by keeping a screenshot in my phone. 😅
redfox
June 28, 2024 at 6:30 AM
my favorite trope is when they go to the countryside and end up doing dirty work together
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 6:36 AM
That’s a good one!! Especially fun if one of them is a chaebol who’s never gotten his hands dirty before haha!
sonai
June 28, 2024 at 7:50 AM
Hahahaha oh yes, such a classic!!!
Midnight
June 28, 2024 at 11:26 AM
Oh my god! Is this from Cinderella??🥹🥹 My patience is now right at the last millimeter of its threshold!! Next week come quick!
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 11:34 AM
I was having a hard time placing the clip… I was thinking it was Park Seo-joon?
I’m so ready for the Cinderella/Freaking Fairytale show… the only things holding me back are the seven other shows I’m currently watching (yikes), and the inconvenience of accessing it 😂
sonai
June 28, 2024 at 12:54 PM
Oooh, yes itβs PSJ: itβs actually from good old WHATβS WRONG WITH SECRETARY KIM. She went with her sisters to the coast, and they collected clams or something. 🤔 Of course he had to join in – it was the only βletβs work in the countryside and get a chaebol muddyβ gif I had at hand! 😂
Sadly, I wasnβt able to watch Cinderella yet either ☹️
Midnight
June 28, 2024 at 7:36 PM
Ooh I thought he was Jun! Now I feel ridiculously relieved!! 😂
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 6:29 AM
Yes this is one that never gets old.
Healerβs
June 28, 2024 at 6:36 AM
Thank you for tagging me in this intersting post, HopefulRomantic <3
Some of my favourite tropes (They are my fav because I think they help the story move forward):
– The female and male character sharing un umbrella in the rain and one side of the male character getting rained on because the umbrella cannot cover them fully (I believe many dramas have this, but one I can think of right now is All about Eve).
– When the ML getting a panic attack or something similar and the FL taking care of him (Taxi Driver – Kim Do Gi got a panic attack when seeing a frozen corpse, See you in my 19th life – Seo Ha got a panic attack seeing the approaching truck, Forest of Secrets 2 – Hwang Si Mok got a headache during a meeting and Yeo Jin covered for him and bought him a coke).
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 6:41 AM
Thank you for sharing some of your favorite tropes, Claire!! ♥️ The umbrella is always a good one, but when the ML tips it over to cover the FL is a lovely one. I hadn’t thought about that part (getting rained on while covering the other) specifically, so I’m so glad you mentioned that!! I think that recently, the MLs in My Sweet Mobster and Dare to Love Me have both done this. I also love the comforting during a panic attack trope. Thank you for sharing!! 😊
Isa is always time travelling
June 28, 2024 at 6:55 AM
“One side of the male character getting rained on because the umbrella cannot cover them fully”.
I have recently seen it in the Drama Special A moment of romance.
Blue (@mayhemf)
June 28, 2024 at 8:04 AM
We saw it in Mobster too! In ep 5 I think.
DK-Drama β€οΈπ Giffing n Space Cadetting πΌπ»π
June 28, 2024 at 8:43 AM
In Kotaro Live Alone that I saw before seeing it in K-drama, he specifically explained that for a man to hold an umbrella correctly for a woman, his shoulder must get wet.
So I accepted it as a total fact of “how to” and I notice that they always zoom in on that shoulder (or sometimes, their back).
I giffed it in Reply 1988 as part of a discussion once …
I was going to put the gif here, but you’ll have to make do with a link:
https://imgur.com/D7KrZ6d
DK-Drama β€οΈπ Giffing n Space Cadetting πΌπ»π
June 29, 2024 at 7:34 AM
It’s been very “optimalized” so I just need to say that in the original, you very clearly see the rain falling on him – maybe even cats and dogs, eller “skomagerdrenge”, shoemaker boys, as we say in Danish.
Even if the close-up of the shoulder is provided by me, with the original quality it was very clear that showing him being rained on was an important testament to the nobility of his soul.
Isa is always time travelling
June 28, 2024 at 6:40 AM
Some of my favorite tropes (there are so many!):
_ Sharing earphones and listening to the same song. Usually on the bus, but not necessarily.
_ Eating boiled eggs during train or bus travels. It seems it’s a tradition in Korea.
_ Sending the wrong message, emoji, sticker or image. It was hilarious in My secret Terrius.
_ Having to wash or change their clothes in their love interest’s house. As in Yumi’s cells.
_ One of the main leads leaves notes (post-its, notes in books, audios…) or other things in order to be remembered. Imo the cutest was a board game the ML created for the FL in Flower Boy Next Door.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 6:48 AM
Wow these are great, Isa!! ♥️ The sending the wrong message/emoji one is SO FUN when it happens!! 😆 And I hadn’t thought about the “having to wash or change clothes in their love interest’s house” – I feel like that’s one of the more rare ones, but always spices things up 😂 And that board game YSY left for the FL in Flower Boy Next Door was so sweet. Thank you for sharing, Isa!! 😊
sonai
June 28, 2024 at 7:55 AM
Oh my, βone of them leaving notesβ: most heartbreaking one on CLOY (😭), most fun βchat conversation onesβ in TOUCH YOUR HEART. I really like those, too, Isa! (Even better, if the addressee takes the note and puts it somewhere for safekeepingβ¦ *cries in THE MATCHMAKERS*)
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 7:58 AM
Aww The Matchmakers… that scene was beautiful 😭♥️
bbstl π§Ή
June 28, 2024 at 8:05 AM
A good one in Witchβs Romance when he leaves his proposal hidden in her book because sheβs going to marry someone else.
Isa is always time travelling
June 28, 2024 at 3:08 PM
The use of that trope in CLOY was simply perfect.
Midnight
June 28, 2024 at 10:40 AM
I also love the shared earphones trope, my most favorite one being this one:
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 10:45 AM
Oh that’s so sweet!! I haven’t seen that drama, but that’s such a lovely use of that trope. 😊
Midnight
June 28, 2024 at 11:27 AM
It’s truly sweet. If it wasn’t for 3 distinct problems I have with this show, Memory would have been one of my most favorite shows ever!
tabong is ironing the crosswalk
June 28, 2024 at 1:39 PM
I love all these tropes too!
LaurenSophie
June 28, 2024 at 6:55 AM
Even though it rests on the medically inaccurate assumption that getting wet or cold outdoors automatically leads to you getting a virus, I have a huge soft spot for the fever trope. As in, FL gets cold and/or wet in the rain and gets a high fever and the concerned ML catches her as she’s about to pass out and tends to her until she’s better, all the while realizing that he has deeper feelings for her than he realized.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 7:03 AM
Oh my gosh, I not-so-secretly loooooove this one, too!!! 🥰 Lol I’m always slightly disappointed if they get rained on and DON’T catch a cold that requires romantic caretaking 😆 Thank you for sharing, LaurenSophie!!
Seon-ha
June 28, 2024 at 7:24 AM
Hmm. Oddly specific tropes? I’ll think about it over the course of today.
I can name a few more examples of your tropes though, if that’s of interest!?
Freezer: Brain Works
Hair Washing: We don’t get to see it, sadly, but there was hair washing in Mobster too!!
Bad Art: I remember someone drawing surprisingly bad sand art recently…do you remember what that was??
Seon-ha
June 28, 2024 at 7:26 AM
IT WAS HEARTBEAT! Right? In the last episode or so?
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 7:33 AM
Thank you for these examples!! 🫶 And omo I think you’re right about the bad sand art in HeartBeat!! I guess I still try not to think about that one 😂 And hmph I feel robbed not getting to see the hair washing in Lovely Mobster 😤
Midnight
June 28, 2024 at 11:33 AM
Hair Washing: Wok of Love
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 11:36 AM
Oh my gosh I can’t believe that I forgot it happened there, too!!! 😱 Wok of Love had a LOT of my favorite tropes!
Seon-ha
June 29, 2024 at 9:51 AM
I thought of two, Hopeful!
1. I like it when someone thinks that someone else is a dream and talks to them honestly….but PSYCH they’re not a dream!! Like the end of BTLIOF.
2. I love it when folks are roaming around outside, thinking about someone else, and their feet takes them to where they need to be…and when they look up, they realize what they needed to know.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 29, 2024 at 10:32 AM
Thank you Seon-ha!!! 🤗♥️ I love these!!! “Dream but not a dream” can be so romantic when done right. And the serendipity of winding up where you need to be is always nice… there’s just a lot more time spent outside in the average Kdrama, which is magical in itself. Thank you for sharing!!😊
Blue (@mayhemf)
June 28, 2024 at 7:24 AM
I am not sure if itβs only for tagged folks.
I am leaving out the big ones like ML falls first.
1) The ML somehow ends up shirtless. FL somehow ends up seeing him naked. And somehow they fall on top of each other. I donβt care how ridiculous it is, but I love it.
2) The ML takes a sip of the drink from the same glass/bottle/cup. Can be intentional or an accident. But the implied βindirect kissβ meaning is something I learnt from kdramas. I especially love it when itβs done intentionally.
3) The hand touches just before hand holding. I love the little brushing of hands. The hesitant yet wanting feeling of hands being so close. I love it!!! It can be poetic when done well.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 7:36 AM
Oh I’m so sorry, Blue, I meant to tag you!!! 😥 Anyone can participate, I was just tagging people I’ve been chatting with recently on the wall. Thank you for sharing these examples!! ♥️ I love love love each of these tropes!!! They’re all so romantic, and are things that really drew me into the romanticism of dramaland. Beautiful!! 🫶
Blue (@mayhemf)
June 29, 2024 at 6:43 AM
No need to tag me. I usually skip past posts with tags as it feels weirdly intrusive. Thatβs a me problem 😜
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 29, 2024 at 7:00 AM
Sorry for the confusion, and please feel welcome to comment on any of my posts, anytime! Tags or no tags! 🤗♥️
Isa is always time travelling
June 28, 2024 at 7:40 AM
I LOVE when their hands touch, even when it’s unintentional and doesn’t lead to hand holding… yet (example: The Matchmakers).
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 7:45 AM
Omo that is probably my favorite instance of the “hands touch” trope too, Isa!!!
DK-Drama β€οΈπ Giffing n Space Cadetting πΌπ»π
June 28, 2024 at 8:31 AM
It was better than handholding – it was “prolonged pretending nothing is happening and not moving at all”.
Sizzle sizzle!
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 6:35 AM
Love this example of this trope☺️
sonai
June 28, 2024 at 8:12 AM
Such a fun prompt – and so many good tropes mentioned already!!!
Iβll add:
* FL having a βsecret second lifeβ, that the ML somehow stumbles across without her realizing, and he might even secretly support her in that (Knight Flower, Alchemy of Souls, Her Private Life, The Matchmakers)
* not a romance trope, but I just love it when the FLβs (somehow itβs never the ML?!) best friend owns a bar/cafΓ©/restaurant, so everyone naturally hangs out there – and in the end, itβs not only the original friends, but more people attached to their group (Into The Ring, Her Private Life, Our Beloved Summer, Search WWW if Iβm not mistaken, β¦)
* a hot blooded secondary couple 🔥🫠🔥 (Lovely Lobster, Business Proposal)
* and the last is super specific: FLβs halmeoni being super proud and showing off her grandchildβs love interest in the whole neighborhood, and in the end even getting him a savings account (KTL) 😂 That was grand!
LOL, the bad art!!! I can only think of the tiger drawing in Knight Flower, and still canβt get over it! 😂🤣😂
👏🫰👏
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 8:19 AM
These are awesome Sonai, thank you!!! ♥️ Secret second life is such a fun one when done right… I think Her Private Life was the first time I saw this! Such a fun one! Neighborhood hangout spots are the best 👍 And aww proud Halmeonis are awesome 🥰 I didn’t finish Knight Flower, but I DID get to see *the tiger* – such an excellent example!!! 😂 😂 😂 Thank you for sharing, Sonai!!
tabong is ironing the crosswalk
June 28, 2024 at 1:42 PM
All of these are wonderful tropes!!
The bestie owner is always great. 👌
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 6:37 AM
KTL saving account was so sweet
23new2kdrama π±ππ β€οΈ
July 20, 2024 at 12:41 PM
You could almost say that Koreans Grandmother Kim Young-Ok- grandma you were referring to- is a toupe in her own right! If she shows up itβs definitely a mark on your bingo card. 24 movies, over 95 dramas-as counted on Asianwiki
sonai
July 20, 2024 at 12:55 PM
True! But every time she shows up, Iβm in agony if the writers will let her liveβ¦! 🫣🫣🫣
She got all the love in KTL though, and rightly so. Up to the birthday queen look 👏😃🫰
DK-Drama β€οΈπ Giffing n Space Cadetting πΌπ»π
June 28, 2024 at 8:28 AM
I started watching K-drama after a long bout of Brooklyn 99, and Boyle repeatedly says that “Washing each other’s hair – it’s the most romantic thing that exists!”
And so, when I started K-dramaing, I met it so much, in my head calling it “A Boyle Moment”.
I think Bong-Soon washes Min-min’s hair, too.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 8:41 AM
😂😂😂 That’s awesome, Cecilie!! Haha Boyle was right!! 👍
Gum Shoe
June 28, 2024 at 10:37 AM
Not a kdrama, but in Out of Africa, Robert Redford washes Meryl Streep’s hair and it is one of the most swooniest scenes by two amazing and beautiful actors at their prime.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 10:46 AM
Ooooh thank you Gum Shoe!!! 😍 It’s such a swoony gesture when done right 🥰
DK-Drama β€οΈπ Giffing n Space Cadetting πΌπ»π
June 28, 2024 at 8:46 AM
Talking about weirdly specific, that a Truck of Doom seems to have to be white, that is weirdly specific, isn’t it?
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 9:33 AM
Interesting… I think a lot of that type of commercial truck may just be white as the default color, but also visually, they stand out better for the drama viewer against the flow of other vehicles in traffic. But yes, our popular character seems to come in only one color!
DK-Drama β€οΈπ Giffing n Space Cadetting πΌπ»π
June 28, 2024 at 9:07 AM
A trope that I am liking less every time I see it is women and girls who are in love and yet turn their face downwards when a kiss is approaching even though they want to kiss. As if it wasn’t hard enough for the ML to get to the mouth, since the FL is often less than two thirds of his height.
I have one gif about it on my wall relating to Sh**ting Stars and another gif waiting for the right occasion in my stash.
Another one, which I don’t know if I can call “weirdly specific” but having the FL be extra small and the ML extra tall is, for me, a strange and unsettling preference. Unless it’s a special point about struggling against prejudice, (like in Hello My Twenties or a joke based on differences like in “Jaws”and his girfriend from the Bond franchise ( https://i.pinimg.com/736x/96/50/22/965022d31cde6a9cb8f50aa58e266f48–richard-kiel-bond-girls.jpg ), I find it much more romantic to have the OTP be of harmonic heights, him being like, half a head taller than her.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 9:32 AM
These are interesting points, and I think a good example of how a lot of things come down to our personal preferences!
DK-Drama β€οΈπ Giffing n Space Cadetting πΌπ»π
June 28, 2024 at 9:33 AM
As with art, so with food – when Reply1988 and Seonha was brainstorming with me about K-drama bingo, someone making really bad food was suggested and made it to the bingo card.
Apropos bingo card:
– Jumping the Palace wall
– ML tearing the FL in to his arms, saving her from a passing motor vehicle
– ML catching falling FL in a dramatic tango-like position.
Speaking incredibly … s l o w … l y . Especially towards the end.
And also – but I don’t know if it is really “weirdly specific” but midst all the “pretending to not like each other” and noble idiocy etc., couples need to keep in touch via unintended communication, and that means mostly one of these things:
– getting super drunk and spilling the beans
– thinking they are dreaming and hence spilling the beans (e.g. Destined With You)
– talking to themselves or someone else and being overheard
– – which includes talking on the phone, and the one they talk to is overheard. (Dr. Slump, all the f**king time).
These communication things happen to other combinations than the OTP, too, like e.g., in Dr. Slump FL heard The Villain say to others that she wasn’t fit for cooperation.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 9:36 AM
Another great set of examples, Cecilie!!! 👍👍
tabong is ironing the crosswalk
June 28, 2024 at 2:08 PM
Idk how specific this is but:
βI love fight scenes between (“fake”)couples where one of them doesn’t know what’s going on or how to feel about the fight, but at the end all those weird feelings mean that they’re deeply in love and they just didn’t know (Flower of Evil’s dishwashing scene is THE perfect example).
This trope is like a child of the “I didn’t know I was (still) in love with my wife/husband/βfriend” trope.
βSecond leads thinking they’re in love with one of the leads, but they’re actually not so instead of ruining the ship they end up with another person or living their best single life (Ho Gu’s Love, Protect the Boss).
βFriend group where someone is treated like the cute baby the other (or at least one of the) members have to protect (Reply 88, Fight For My Way).
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 2:33 PM
These are awesome!! Thank you Tabong!! 😊 👍👍 The “fights revealing real feelings” is such a good one.
Isa is always time travelling
June 28, 2024 at 3:20 PM
I love that trope too. Even more when it’s well done and the actors can express all these different feelings with their eyes, their voices and gestures.
tabong is ironing the crosswalk
June 28, 2024 at 4:01 PM
Yes! The acting is vey important in those scenes. And that’s one of the reasons why I can’t get over the fight in Flower of Evil.
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 6:45 AM
I love that protecting the one member of the group example as a weirdly specific trope. In Donβt dare to love/Jealousy incarnate the two bright boys protecting the less academically able girl who lived in their building was an example of that. Sometimes it is a love interest and sometimes itβs just friends together. I feel like I have seen it a lot but canβt think of other examples.
tabong is ironing the crosswalk
June 29, 2024 at 7:02 AM
Prison Playbook is another good example! Oh My Ghostess too.
To me it doesn’t really counts between love interests, but it works between family members (usually siblings).
I kinda felt it in Cinderella. The three sisters are protective of their mom. And between them, the two sisters-roomates act more delicate and attentive with their big unnie.
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 7:08 AM
Prison Playbook is the perfect example as they did it with two characters it was such a great drama. The drug addicted character was the gift that kept on giving and I loved how everyone thought the main lead was stupid yet he was spot on when it came to reading every situation.
tabong is ironing the crosswalk
June 29, 2024 at 7:23 AM
Yes!
My favorite example is Reply because in that case it wasn’t only Taek’s friends, but the entire neighborhood taking care of him.
But Prison Playbook is a great example too.
I think this trope is a thing with this PD. Hospital Playlist probably had it too but I don’t remember.
Minnieπ«π©π»βπPioneer and Teacher π©π»βπ«π±πΉ
June 28, 2024 at 3:03 PM
I am totally gatecrashing this party because it’s an awesome post. Tropes! My favourite part of experiencing K-dramas ❤️
* When one of them finds an old connection to the other through drawing/photos/books/paper etc – as in Our Beloved Summer; Just Between Lovers
* An animation that defines the drama for posterity – Yumi’s cells, Business Proposal, Lovely Runner
* The wrapping of a jacket around the FL’s shoulders – as in every single modern drama. This one thing brought a flood of emotions the first time I watched it.
* The halmeoni – Oh the grandmothers in K-dramas….I wish I could steal them from the screens.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 28, 2024 at 3:22 PM
All are welcome!! Thank you for sharing, Minnie!! 🤗♥️ I love the tropes in dramas, too – it’s like a little scavenger hunt to see and appreciate where they pop up. These are such good ones!!! Omo I loooove the “wrapping a jacket around the FL” – it’s such a caring and romantic gesture!
Unaspirated
June 28, 2024 at 7:23 PM
Hmm, so many fun ones have already been mentioned!
One that I love for its ridiculousness is we are about to get caught somewhere we shouldnβt be and the only way out of the situation is to make out trope. It gets made fun of in Crash Landing on You and then used legitimately!
I also love when a character is criticizing someone for being too flighty or having an outlandish idea and they say something like, βYou watch too many dramasβ. That little meta nod to the audience makes me smile every time!
Unaspirated
June 28, 2024 at 7:32 PM
Just thought of another! Doing laundry together, but in the old school way, agitating the blankets with their feet in a big tub outside. They have to stand close together to make it work, and there is a high chance of someone losing their balance and needing to be caught by the other person 😉 not to mention sudsy flirting! I know this happened in Home Cha, but I think also in Heartbeat?
Minnieπ«π©π»βπPioneer and Teacher π©π»βπ«π±πΉ
June 28, 2024 at 8:21 PM
Yes, and Doctor Slump! That was her confession moment!
Unaspirated
June 29, 2024 at 4:35 AM
I thought there was one in DS, but then I couldnβt think of when it was! Thanks for confirming!
Minnieπ«π©π»βπPioneer and Teacher π©π»βπ«π±πΉ
June 29, 2024 at 8:08 AM
Episode 6 in the beginning π
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 29, 2024 at 4:09 AM
Thank you for sharing, Unaspirated!! 🤗♥️ These are so good!!! I also love the “doing laundry together” trope, and it was one of my favorite scenes in HeartBeat 🥲 And the meta of “you watch too many dramas” never gets old 😆
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 6:50 AM
Yes I love that laundry trope too especially as a form of stress management.
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 6:49 AM
The make up trope was used in Chicago Typewriter and had a special meaning because they both had to make out it meant nothing as a survival strategy for the situation they were in.
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 6:27 AM
Thank you for mentioning the bad drawing. I canβt remember which drama had it but it had me crying with laughter because it was so bad and I am sure it was about trying to draw someone they needed to find urgently and the supposed artist had implied they were good at drawing so got everyoneβs hopes up🤣
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 29, 2024 at 6:30 AM
That trope makes me laugh every time; it’s just so fun and surprising, especially when the “artist” has been built up by someone else or when we’ve seen them drawing with such focus before the reveal 😂
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 6:58 AM
It is definitely the focus of artist that builds the expectations up🤣🤣🤣
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 6:56 AM
This is such a great post I canβt believe I came late to the party and all the good ones have gone. The one I was thinking about recently was the use of the βAsian squatβ in the middle of the pavement to show someone is so overwhelmed/upset they need to stop walking and drop low. I noticed it first because I was jealous of the ability to do the position with feet flat to the ground and maintain it for periods of time. It is usually combined with slow walking in distress or being too drunk to walk.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 29, 2024 at 7:03 AM
Thank you Reply!!! 🤗♥️ It’s been so fun to get to hear about the tropes that bring us those little joys when we see them in a drama! That’s such a good example… I wish I could do that squat, too, but I haven’t developed either the right muscles or the right balance to be able to do it with flat feet 😞 Thank you for sharing!! 😊
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 7:21 AM
I canβt seem to share a link to a YouTube channel called Upright Health where he has several videos on how to train yourself so you can do the Asian squat whatever age.
His phrase is pain sucks, life shouldnβt.
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 29, 2024 at 7:25 AM
That channel sounds familiar; I think I may have run across that video at some point??? Thank you for sharing that! I need to get into a consistent exercise/workout routine, so I should add practicing that back in, too 👍
Unaspirated
June 29, 2024 at 2:44 PM
I read an article about this recently and since then have been squatting once a day just to prove to myself that I can still move my body that way 😂 Itβs not comfortable for me to stay like that for a long time, but itβs nice to know I still have that range of motion! But itβs certainly not an automatic thing I do when Iβm feeling overwhelmed.
Reply1988 -β£οΈMother Beanβ£οΈ
June 29, 2024 at 4:29 PM
Well done you 👍🏾
HopefulRomantic π¦ Tigermoth π¦
June 29, 2024 at 4:51 PM
Yes!! That’s great!!