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- Bad Guy Falls for Good Girl. Most K-drama series, from historical to futuristic series, feature a badass cool guy who can fight his way through hordes of gangsters.
- The Knight in Shining Armor. There's always some kind of scene where a helpless female character is saved from bullies or trouble by the badass male lead.
- The Piggyback Ride. Aside from kisses and hugs, one of the sweetest and most romantic moments in a K-drama is the "piggyback ride." The rider is usually too drunk to walk (especially if they're a petite female), but could also instead be suffering from a sprained ankle, overexhaustion, or even faking an ailment to get closer to the ride giver.
- The Soju Scene. If a character is struggling with a problem—whether that problem centers on a parent, a sibling, a love interest, a workplace issue, or whatever else—there's only one place to go: anywhere that serves soju!
- Mona Bassil
- Journalist
- From Friends to Enemies. My Country: The New Age features two best friends who grew up and trained together in the arts of combat: Seo Hwi (Yang Se-jong), an orphan who later joins the King’s illegitimate son in his rebellion, and Nam Seon-ho (Woo Do-hwan), the son of a wealthy and calculating court official.
- Trips to Jeju Island. Jeju is South Korea’s largest island; it has an important wetland, enjoys a temperate climate, and is a popular touristic destination.
- The Prince or Princess Sneaking out of the Palace. Another common trope is the young prince or princess who regularly and easily sneaks out of the royal palace.
- K-Pop Idol Cameo. Just like American sitcoms feature a lot of memorable cameos from singers, actors, and athletes, K-pop superstars are often invited to make an appearance on local series, as this move is bound to improve ratings and make headlines.
- Sudden Amnesia
- Main Characters Who Actually Knew Each Other Beforehand
- Disapproving & Overbearing Parents
- Best Friends Turned Enemies
- Friends Or Enemies Turned Lovers
- Idols as Main Characters
- Tragic Event Or Illness
- The Bones in The Closet
- The Love Triangles
- The Cinderella Story
Amnesia is a trope that's often seen in many K-dramas. It's often used as a plot device for main characters to add a level of suspense, especially when it comes to a love story. After watching so many hours of the main characters finally trying to admit their feelings, a sudden tragic event of amnesia takes place. In Bring It On, Ghost, after the m...
Some storylines have audiences believe that the main characters just met, but it doesn't always turn out that way. It's often later revealed that the leads had a past together or met beforehand and forgot about each other. This is seen in What's Wrong With Secretary Kim and in Just Between Lovers. There's even a K-drama where the two leads had a tr...
What's a good love story if there isn't any backlash from family members? It's not uncommon to see love dramas use this trope, often when the charming and elite male character defies his parents' wishes to be with the person he truly loves. In Boys Over Flowers, the main male character's mother is often tagged as being one of the evilest to appear ...
This trope will also tie into another entry for obvious reasons. Many K-dramas often start with an already established storyline. These being former best friends who go through something tragic and become mortal enemies. In True Beauty, the school's most intelligent student and the school bad boy are known for holding a grudge against each other. R...
This is one of the most often seen tropes to appear in K-dramas because it sets up the storyline for a love story. It's also one of the most popular. This trope can come in a variety of forms, like the cold and distant cool guy who has it out for the female lead. There's also the lifelong best friends who one day realize they have feelings for each...
For fans of K-Pop and K-dramas, it's a joy to see a famous idol grace the screen in a lead role. The idol's popularity brings in an already established viewership when a K-Pop idol tries their hand at acting. One idol and actor that has risen to stardom is Cha Eun‑woo. He made his debut as a member of the K-Pop group, Astro and landed a lead role i...
As the storyline goes on and things seem like they're going to be okay, tragedy strikes. It's a useful and often used plot element that shifts the story to the serious and adds a level of tension. This is done with a character being involved in a vehicle accident or another form of physical altercation. This trope can also be described as the momen...
This is a favorite when it comes to a riveting and alluring K-drama. When it comes to dramas about love, it needs a bit of "oomph" to make things riveting. This is often done by alluding to the main character's dark past that has hindered them for years and it becomes one of the main hurdles to overcome for the characters. RELATED: 10 Great Korean ...
Fans can go on and on about how K-dramas use love triangles to create a love story that has them on the edge of their seat. Some are out of this world and have become fan favorites. There are also love triangles that created "second lead syndrome," where the second choice was more deserving of the female character's love. Love triangles create inte...
Cinderella's story of a simple girl getting the opportunity to glam herself up and impress the prince has been reiterated in many forms on screen, even in K-dramas. This more often than not occurs in the form of makeoversor a lower-status girl catching the eye of the popular male lead. In K-dramas, female leads are sometimes deemed as "unattractive...
- “ Reply 1988” – Choi Taek, Jungpal, and Sung Deok Sun. “Reply 1988” starred Hyeri as Sung Deok Sun, Park Bo Gum as Choi Taek, and Ryu Jun Yeol as Jungpal.
- “ Fated To Love You” – Lee Gun, Kim Mi Young, Daniel. “Fated To Love You” starred Jang Hyuk as the charismatic Lee Gun alongside Jang Nara as Kim Mi Young.
- “My Girl” – Sol Gong Chan, Joo Yoo Rin, Seo Jung Woo. “My Girl” tells the story of Sol Gong Chan (Lee Dong Wook), a typical rich boy who meets a girl named Joo Yoo Rin (Lee Da Hae).
- “ Boys Over Flowers” – Goo Joon Pyo, Geum Jan Di, Yoon Ji Hoo. This classic K-drama starred Lee Min Ho as Gu Jun Pyo, the rich high school student who happens to fall in love with poor girl named Geum Jan Di, played by Ku Hye Sun.
Jan 9, 2017 · If you’ve seen a drama (or ten thousand), these will be familiar to you. 1. Crossdressing. javabeans: Crossdressing—particularly in the woman-as-man iteration—is so frequently featured in dramaland that a newcomer might find the fixation strange, or at least disproportionate to the rest of the world.
Apr 3, 2021 · I wanted to make a comprehensive list of common Kdrama cliches, tropes or details that make Kdramas what we love. In watching Kdramas for so long, I've noticed so many wonderful (and not so wonderful) commonalities in dramas. This is all just for fun and of course is not a complete list.
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Oct 7, 2023 · K-drama tropes are like kimchi—spicy, addictive, and found in every Korean household. They’re the plot devices that never get old, mainly because they’re too busy being reborn in every new series. Let’s embark on this rollercoaster of K-drama tropes and recycled creativity, shall we? The Swoop of Destiny: When Gravity Meets Cupid
