The Korean Drama Archetype: The Nice Girl

So we all know that korean drama archetype of the unbelievably kind girl who gets pushed around.  Interestingly, she always seems to be paired with a guy that's totally out of her league, socially, aesthetically, or otherwise.  In these dramas, we see the girl succeed in her love life endeavors and the gruff guy almost always seems to soften towards her.

My question for you guys is, do you find yourself attracted to these type of girls?  Or is it something that only exists in korean dramas?

It is probably just to make girls feel better since the majority of Korean Drama viewers are female I would think.
And yes, majority of Korean Drama viewers to tend to be nerdy/introverts females so it does make sense to target that kind of audience.

Haha @Lie pretty accurate and funny post

To answer your question, I can be attracted to those girls but I would be more attracted to someone who gives off the vibe of being independent

I'm a girl but I don't believe it's true obviously. Just like I don't believe that a rich heir to a corporation is some model-looking guy whose gruff on the outside, but really just misunderstood on the inside lol However I do believe that a nice and kind girl (hopefully not one who gets pushed around lol, that doesn't seem nice, that just seems dumb) will get a lot more guys/be a lot more popular than the b**** who screws people over. He might not be rich/handsome but hopefully still a guy that will treat her well.

When I was in high school, I was a plain average-looking nerdy asian girl (Actually, I still am but I'm just older...) but somehow I ended up going out with the most popular guy in school and even the girls in the year above would say that they were jealous of me.
When I asked him why he chose me out of all the girls that were throwing themselves at him especially when I didn't even hang out with him and the 'popular' group, he said it was BECAUSE I didn't throw myself at him and because I didn't treat him any differently to any one else at school. He wasn't the heir to a huge corporation or anything like that, but if there is such a thing as 'leagues' in relationships then he was most definitely out of mine. In the end it was him that pursued me and tried to get to know me more when I had no clue that he liked me.

I think that people are still people at the end of the day whether they are rich or poor, popular or unpopular and if there is something about that person that you find interesting then you'll find yourself attracted to them whatever they are. I'm not saying that the things that happen in Kdramas happen in real life (because I very much doubt that...) but I think it is possible for two people who have completely different social statuses to be attracted to one another.

@RebeccaY

Sorry but you're not a plain looking asian girl. If your photo is real and non-photoshopped that is.

It's a common tendency to put a slight spin or twist on a life story to add some spice or make it more interesting. The fact that an average looking plain-looking girl managed to attract the most popular guy in school. That doesn't happen.

YOU may think you were or are plain-looking but I'm pretty sure the majority of guys didn't. I mean, did you do a poll or something of all the guys in your high school on if they thought you were pretty? And even if most thought you were plain, it's just a bunch of immature teenage boys who fantasize about supermodels all day.

Also, when a girl claims she's plain, she forgets that even if her face is kinda plain looking, she may have a good figure. A good figure goes a long way in attracting a guy, particularly East Asian guys who prefer slimness. Also, girls' looks are more variable. Get a nice haircut, put on some subtle makeup, wear a nice outfit, lose some weight and that easily adds an additional 2 points.

I'm not trying to offend you. And I do understand your point that it is very possible that two people who are in different leagues could have some sort of chemistry that makes it work. But it's very rare. Most of the time, the looks are a huge determining factor in 95% of all cases.

The story you told reminds me of that movie "She's all that." The girl character played by Rachel Leigh Cook is supposedly plain and nerdy. That's BS. Rachel Leigh Cook? Plain looking? She's objectively pretty by just about any guys' standards. The makeup artists must have had to try hard to make her look "plain" in that film.

I know every girl wishes the guy in her life sees more to her than looks and likes her for who she is but sorry, that guy you dated in high school, he dated you because even though he could have gotten prettier girls, he still found you pretty and the fact that you had lots in common and chemistry and all that just cemented the deal.

One more thing to add:

I've dated girls that were about on the same playing field in terms of looks as you are. Trust me, lots of guys were interested in them and the girls I dated, they knew their worth or at least had a pretty good hunch bout it.

Correct me if I'm wrong since I don't watch a lot of K dramas but the K drama girls you're describing sometimes have low self-esteem, right? If so, then manipulative guys would gladly date these types of girls because they view the weak minded girls easy to boss around and well, to manipulate.

@livingforhistory I'm not offended at all and my photo isn't photoshopped (I don't even know how to use photoshop O_O). I understand what you're trying to say and I do agree that a girl that looks plain at first glance could easily scrub up to be pretty just by making a few changes. I also think that whilst we all try to pretend that looks don't matter, a huge part of being attracted to someone is about how they look.

However, I still do think that it is possible for someone to be attractive to someone 'out of their league' as long as they can see past that plain first glance and see them for all the potential that they could be.

@RebeccaY

I agree it could happen. But I think korean dramas, hollywood romantic comedies, and pop culture in general tells too much of these kind of stories that it's led many people to believe that it's a common occurrence and almost to expect it to happen.

Korean entertainment and reality are very different. In my opinion, I think a lot of people can say that they would go for that character archetype, but say he/she met that character in real life- the chances of it being a romance like in dramas, is highly highly unlikely. Research states that majority of humans actually are attracted to people who are very similar to them. The whole "opposites attract" theory is a myth from pop culture.

I personally think parents and teachers should discourage their teenagers from watching too much of these dramas. I personally believe it helps induce depression and disconnects them from the harsh reality of life. It's not like the characters in those dramas are inspiring in anyway that motivates kids to reach their potential and be the best they can be.

Like most entertainment, k-dramas target people's insecurities. They know exactly what buttons to push. It's very calculated.

livingforhistory said: I personally think parents and teachers should discourage their teenagers from watching too much of these dramas. I personally believe it helps induce depression and disconnects them from the harsh reality of life. It's not like the characters in those dramas are inspiring in anyway that motivates kids to reach their potential and be the best they can be.

Like most entertainment, k-dramas target people's insecurities. They know exactly what buttons to push. It's very calculated.

Kerriganton said: Um.. tons of the fictional shows you see on T.V disconnect people from the harsh reality of life.

I am not a fan of K-dramas, but I feel like it is a good thing. Especially in the west, since it makes Asian guys popular LMAO.

Yeah I would date a woman who is a "nice girl" like the ones in the k dramas. As long as she was hot as some of the actresses who act in these kdramas that is the biggest thing. If she was 50 pounds over weight then no. That is the problem all the women in these dramas are pretty so why would it rare for a man who is rich have any problem with dating them?

Even if they were average looking I would still date them. The question you should ask your self is would you date a man who is "nice", who works hard, but he's poor and doesn't have any money, and he's not as attractive as all the men in these dramas?

I think the key is to be nice and attractive (or at least average) but even then a super rich model isnt going to date you?

They're pretty, and have a good heart so why wouldn't the handsome rich men of drama-land love them? 
Whats unbelievable is how incredibly dumb/naive these girls are. They're soooooooooooooooooo frustratingly dumb, if anything, that's what would make them unattractive realistically. 

severus said: They're pretty, and have a good heart so why wouldn't the handsome rich men of drama-land love them? 
Whats unbelievable is how incredibly dumb/naive these girls are. They're soooooooooooooooooo frustratingly dumb, if anything, that's what would make them unattractive realistically.