From gazes to kisses: Romantic-clichés that make K-dramas captivate hearts
K-dramas have an undeniable charm when it comes to romance and gestures which sets them apart from your regular rom-coms. Any devoted K-drama fan can attest that after indulging in these series, our expectations for love and partners reach new heights. From heartwarming gestures to stealing gazes, here are key romantic clichés that have the incredible power to sweep the viewers off their feet.
Gazing: A love language
In Crash Landing on You, during a fireworks display scene, Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) and Yoo Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) find themselves caught in an enchanting moment. Unaware of Ri's feelings, Yoo innocently asks him if he finds the fireworks beautiful, and Ri—captivated by Yoo—gazes deeply into her eyes and responds, "Yes, they are beautiful." Such heartfelt gazes transport us to a realm of romance.
Protecting the girl at any cost
Korean actors such as Lee Min-ho and Song Joong-ki have mastered "protecting the girl" cliché to perfection. In The King: Eternal Monarch, Lee effortlessly essays the role of a protective hero, who is willing to go to any lengths to ensure the safety of female lead (Kim Go-eun). In K-dramas, the male protagonists' unwavering readiness to save their girls, makes the series truly "romantic."
Friends turned lovers
Several K-dramas depicted the desired cliché of finding love in someone from your childhood. The 2015 drama Reply 1988 beautifully portrays the complex emotions between childhood friends Deok-sun and Jung-hwan. Similarly, in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, a romantic journey unfolds between childhood friends Kim Bok-joo and Jung Joon-hyung. Most K-drama fans love to watch how childhood/teenage friends navigate the transition from younghood.
Jealous moments
It's common to witness a male character struggling to confess his feelings, leading to bouts of jealousy whenever he sees "his" girl with any other guy. Jealousy—although a negative trait—can sometimes exude an attractive aura. This has been perfectly showcased in the series What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, where Park Seo-joon's subtle gestures, like playfully squashing the bottle—while being jealous—exuded an undeniably attractive vibe.
Under-the-rain kissing scenes
Rain and romance make an undeniable charm in K-dramas, that makes our hearts yearn for a similar connection in our real lives. As the rain pours hard, the characters' gazes locks and the atmosphere turns magically romantic as if they exist in another world. One memorable umbrella kissing scene occurs in I Am Not a Robot, where the umbrella plays a critical role.
