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EVENT: 50 Things You Learn From A Korean Drama (2021 edition)


partyon

EVENT: 50 Things You Learn From A Korean Drama (2021 edition)  

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  1. 1. Which of these tropes are true in 2021? (choose as many as you like)

    • 1) You're allowed to make u-turns wherever you want in Korea. And there is never traffic on the side you want to u-turn to.
    • 2) Soju must cost 1500 wons. Everyone drinks it every day all the time, especially the poor people.
    • 3) If you're rich, you're a jerk. If you're poor, you're an angel.
    • 4) You're not studying hard enough unless you get a nosebleed.
    • 5) Everyone always goes to the same hospital no matter where they are.
    • 6) If you stand out in the rain for more than five minutes, you'll end up with a fever and vertigo and people will rush you to the hospital to get some magic IV. And instead of taking an ambulance or driving they'll race you on their back.
    • 7) Truck of doom: If you're saving someone from being hit by a truck, you'll push them out of the way and wait for the truck to hit you instead. They're like a deer in headlights.
    • 8) If you're getting off a plane, you're ALWAYS wearing sunglasses. ALWAYS.
    • 9) Girls will always storm off because they're mad and the guy will stoically grab them by the arm and swing them back- and by magic, not dislocate their shoulders.
    • 10) You always get stuck in an elevator with someone who makes you feel uncomfortable. Even if there are six different elevators, you'll be stuck in the same one with that guy you hate.
    • 11) You're in-laws will hate you. Or throw water in your face. Or both.
    • 12) There are only 2 ways to kiss. You either press your lips against theirs with your mouth completely shut, and just press away for a very long and uncomfortable time. OR you devour the other person and suck out their soul.
    • 13) A guy will always get the right size ring, even if you're never held hands.
    • 14) Forget steamy bed scenes. You'll get pregnant just by holding hands or getting a back hug.
    • 15) One man can kick the butts of 6 gangstas. Especially when they all stand in a circle and attack the guy one by one. Then when each of them get their butts OWNED, they wise up and attack the guy at the same time. Then the guy will get pulverized and bleed out onto the dusty concrete floor of the empty warehouse they've found to fight in. There will be a fire in a trashcan somewhere. And the girl will have watched this the entire time, screaming in horror. Instead of calling 119, she'll just watch and cry. But it's okay. Cuz the next day the guy will be fine with a few random bandages and a few face scars. But never a black eye.
    • 16) If you study in the states (preferably Harvard), you are one of the top students and can speak perfect English (as assumed by the reactions of those around you). Why the viewers can't understand a single word uttered out of your mouth is beyond me.
    • 17) If you have a husband, he's probably a cheater. The audience will be shown lots of barf scenes of him cheating. You'll need barf bags.
    • 18) The leads knew each other as kids already. They just don't remember. Until the last episode.
    • 19) A drama isn't complete without the ML brooding in the shower
    • 20) In crime dramas, everyone is randomly killed off (preferably by a serial killer with a brain transplant)
  2. 2. Which of these tropes are true in 2021? (choose as many as you like)

    • 21) People always eat at a Subway. Or using a coffee maker, putting on facial cream or offering your colleagues donuts while the camera zooms in on the brand
    • 22) If you're being cheated on, you will throw water in the face of your hubby's mistress. Or you'll slap her. Or you'll grab her by her hair. In any case, the husband will not interfere.
    • 23) If you're not drinking soju, you're drinking iced Americano
    • 24) Ramen is the national dish of Korea. You'll be slurping away on ramen in nearly every episode. And you'll compliment how good it is.
    • 25) You will take out a cigarette but you'll never light it
    • 26) If it's winter, you never look cold even though you're not wearing winter clothes. Even if it's below zero degrees. You're always feeling warm because yeah, you're fashionable.
    • 27) Even if you're poor, you'll have the latest Samsung phone. And the rich guy will have the same model but in a different color.
    • 28) When driving, you don't need to look at the road. You gaze at the passenger while the car just drives itself. And you never need to check the mirrors because you're the best driver in the world. Oh, and no traffic jams ever.
    • 29) Someone in the drama is always a secret chaebol. Usually the ML.
    • 30) The ML is always younger than the FL. Because noonas are in fashion and apparently every man in Korea wants one. And if you're an ahjussi, then you'll prefer a super young woman. An idol actress will be cast in that role
    • 31) The wrist grab…. Nuff said
    • 32) If you're in the elevator, the elevator is the slowest in the world. You can have a 3 minute discussion in the elevator even though the building is only 4 floors in total. This is normal elevator speed in Korea.
    • 33) If you're second ML, you'll never get the girl. The 2nd ML always arrives at the scene late as the ML has already comforted/ rescued the FL.
    • 34) If you're a criminal, you always wear black clothes and a black baseball cap. Because no, you won't look suspicious at all. lol
    • 35) If a guy is a jerk, he is definitely into you. He'll have narcissistic tendencies, but he will just miraculously change for the female lead WITHOUT any kind of therapy. Because you know, the power of love.
    • 36) A taxi immediately appears every time and everywhere as long as you wave your hand and shout "taxi!"
    • 37) If you're working in a restaurant or at the fish/fruit market, you'll be an ahjumma with curly permed hair and floral clothes.
    • 38) If you travel abroad you always want to go to France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany or Spain. If you happen to speak German, French, Italian or Spanish, viewers won't understand a word of it.
    • 39) If you're playing an "ugly" character, taking off your glasses and straightening your hair will turn you into a goddess.
    • 40) If you are having coffee/juice/pizza in a cafe/restaurant, you will never finish them. You won't take a sip or bite of it, and leave the poor thing on table since something urgent always happens.
  3. 3. Which of these tropes are true in 2021? (choose as many as you like)

    • 41) You'll always tell someone that the weather is nice. Even though there's a hurricane. Because yeah, you'll think that the rain and wind are refreshing
    • 42) Slaps are more effective in makjang dramas using food - seaweed, kimchi, a pork chop.
    • 43) If you're a police officer or a detective, you won't have common sense. No, all criminals will be smarter than you. The newbie in your squad will puke at the crime scene. You'll be good at fighting, but the criminal will always get away, because they will be better than you at taekwondo. So, you won't catch him until the last episode.
    • 44) You have bangs regardless if you're a man or a woman. Yup, even if you look better showing off your forehead, you'll still want to have outdated whispy bangs if you're a girl and a bowl cut if you're a boy. And this Korean trend will not fade away - it will still be the trend in 10 years. Heck 50 years. We can only dream of forehead oppas.
    • 45) If you get a head injury even if it's serious enough to cause amnesia, your hairstyle will still look the same because all you need is an IV - never a bandage.
    • 46) If you’re poor, you almost always live in a ramshackled rooftop unit with a splendid view and a private balcony.
    • 47) When people move out, they always leave with one suitcase only. And the suitcase will seem empty
    • 48) Characters with actual serious illness will not go a hospital but will resist efforts to help them till they pass out. Whereas a cold or tiny cut initiates an emergency room visit, bed side angst, porridge and layers of bandages. And IV.
    • 49) Chaebol families' interpersonal relationships are all messed up. Their fashion might be the latest trend, but most of them have personality disorders.
    • 50) When it is raining and the ML/ FL is without an umbrella, miraculously an umbrella appears. Usually the second lead being the bearer of the umbrella.
    • 51) If it is school romance, the FL is excessively sweet and dumb. Too dumb to realize the ML is not into her. But she will conquer him with her sweetness and dumbness. I mean kindness.
    • 52) Someone always has to chase a bus with their crush riding on it. Most of the time the chaser fails to stop the bus.
    • 53) You will always sleep with the lights on. You will always drive with the car's interior light on. Lights are only turned off when you're going into a warehouse or abandoned hospital trying to catch the bad guy. Conveniently the CCTV won't be working at the warehouse/hospital either.
    • 54) The FL and ML must go their separate ways before getting a happy ending. They will not have moved on during the separation of 2 years. They reconcile within 2 minutes of seeing each other again.
    • 55) You will always look flawless even if water is thrown in your face, you are standing drenched in the rain or you wake up with a bad hangover.
    • 56) Any mid level in a position of power (even if its a secretary job, or similar level) will be over the top jerky/condescending to anyone who looks poor,new or doing a blue collar job. Especially if it's an undercover job by the person who is wearing the blue collar uniform.
    • 57) Koreans are the world's best drinkers. They will drink to the point of passing out and never suffer a hangover. On those rare occasions where a Korean "claims" they have a hangover, their best friend or ahjumma simply fixes them some seaweed soup and they're fine the rest of the day ... they weren't hungover ... just hungry.
    • 58) When the FL is drunk, the ML appears miraculously by her side and ensures her safety by carrying him on his back. And it is convenient that these FL are never too heavy. What kind of sorcery is this?
    • 59) Parking is always convenient! Right in front of the hospital, restaurant, etc... and they don’t ever get fined.
    • 60) If you wanna know if someone is gossiping about you - go spend some time in toilet !

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  • Poll closed on 05/30/2021 at 10:00 AM

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And because I get paid to think about K-drama at work(not really, but I wish they did), sharing two more tropes that have been done to death.

 

1. Cross Dressing FL and the ML are destined to fall in love, even if the ML starts questioning his sexual inclination. These FLs are able to fool all, but mostly never the MLs/ SMLs and the ever wise audience.:ph34r:  I mean it's always so obvious that it is a female but somehow everyone is oblivious to it. 

 

2. When the FL is drunk, the ML appears miraculously by her side and ensures her safety by carrying him on his back.  :sweatingbullets: And it is convenient that these FL are never too heavy. :crazy:What kind of sorcery is this? Why are we deprived of such knights in shining armours? Where are they hiding?:angry::tears:

 

3. If the FL is poor, which is usually the case, her father must be a taxi driver. :P

 

4. If you have family in the country, they live on Jeju Island. :D

 

@partyon Please organize the event 'Too Dumb to Live'. Lately, there has been a deluge of these ever smiling, kind, saccharine sweet FLs who are giving everyone diabetes with their sweetness.

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If you are male chef you will an Adonis with a elegant, romantic, gentle manner and  a mysterious!1 past  complete with intimate cafe and always give the FL after hours pasta making lessons. 
 

 

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50 Things You Learn From A Korean Drama - PLEASE VOTE in the poll!

 

Thank you, chingus, for your fun comments, feedback and suggestions! :kiss_wink:

We have reviewed all suggestions, and chose the most common and typical k-drama tropes for the poll above. We also tried to combine some of the suggestions, so that we could get as many options to fit in the poll as possible.
(If your suggestion didn't make the poll this time, we do apologize as we can only fit 60 options in total due to technical limitations.)

 

Let's see which 50 tropes make the 2021 edition. :glasses:

 

Let's vote!

Animated GIF

 

re: @Lmangla @Sleepy Owl

 

tagging:

Spoiler

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I was hoping for a list of tropes to RETIRE for good and make sure it goes viral and that all the Kdrama producers and writer see it lol!!!! There are so many I am tired of but my number one is the childhood friends but they don’t find out until XX episode lol. 

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1 minute ago, Yinye said:

I was hoping for a list of tropes to RETIRE for good and make sure it goes viral and that all the Kdrama producers and writer see it lol!!!! There are so many I am tired of but my number one is the childhood friends but they don’t find out until XX episode lol. 

 

Chingu, guess what my secret wish is.....?

Maya Rudolph Laugh GIF by NETFLIX

 

That some of the writers and producers of k-dramas see our event, and decide NOT to include any of these tropes in their next drama. :joy:

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1 hour ago, partyon said:

That some of the writers and producers of k-dramas see our event, and decide NOT to include any of these tropes in their next drama. :joy:

 

Thanks for the tag as always, and yeah, shouldn't only be for Kdramas, but for other dramas as well. B)

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1 minute ago, MayanEcho said:

 

Thanks for the tag as always, and yeah, shouldn't only be for Kdramas, but for other dramas as well. B)

That's the truth, sometimes when waching a Cdrama I sometimes ask myself if I am sure it's not a Kdrama because it sure feels like it. :lol:

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3 minutes ago, Tamakins said:

That's the truth, sometimes when waching a Cdrama I sometimes ask myself if I am sure it's not a Kdrama because it sure feels like it. :lol:

 

Ahahaha, I think they learn some things from each other. Well, they also sometimes have dramas that are adaptions from the same story, but their own interpretations and versions. One example is Mr Queen, an adaption from the few years earlier Go Princess Go.

 

Hmm, some of these tropes are fine with me if the plot is about fantasy and the super worldly. :D

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@MayanEcho@Tamakins Do c-dramas use the same tropes as k-dramas? Are there no differences?

 

@LeftCoastOppa No, you got the hand holding -> pregnancy wrong. In k-dramas we never see any hot action between the leads. It's a back hug and BOOM! PREGNANT!

In Thai Lakorns we get to see actual bed scenes before a pregnancy is announced. :sweats:Shout out to my chingus @Lmangla @gm4queen @Min2206 who can confirm this. haha

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2 minutes ago, partyon said:

Do c-dramas use the same tropes as k-dramas? Are there no differences?

 

The pulse to confirm pregnancy or to detect injuries would be commonly seen in dramas with settings in the ancient past, or costume fantasy genre. Supposedly, the heart beats would change, when the body condition has changes within.

 

China and Korea are both in East Asia so a lot of their stories, legends, and ways of life would inevitably have something common. :)

 

It would also depend on what would be allowed by their own board of censors before the drama is shown. ^_^ 

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At least k drama girls are learning how to kiss now. In 2000 a girl would stock stand still with arms stiff at the side and eyes wide open. Like a paralyzed arctic fish. 
 

Then we would get 2 or 3 episode of wangst about stealing her first kiss!1!

 

They still tend not to embrace back though. Odd. 

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@RobinM I have watched 'Pasta in Love', 'My Lovely Sam Soon and 'Oh My Ghost' and I loved them and often re-watch them when there is 'nothing interesting' on the Kdrama scene. I agree with the ML being a Greek Adonis, but they were mostly very temperamental and cranky, crabby before they fell in love. In fact, some continued to be jerks (My lovely Sam Soon) even after realizing that they might have some feelings for the ML.:angry: So they may have been on top of their game professionally, they were simply cold and unavailable emotionally.  Please do suggest some K-dramas where the MLs are gentle and romantic!:wub: I am tired of these cold, arrogant, rich jerks who think they can treat the woman any which way.  :angry:

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29 minutes ago, MayanEcho said:

 

The pulse to confirm pregnancy or to detect injuries would be commonly seen in dramas with settings in the ancient past, or costume fantasy genre. Supposedly, the heart beats would change, when the body condition has changes within

 

How could I forget....

 

THE SLIPPERY PULSE

:evilelmo:

@Sleepy Owl @Lmangla We forgot it from the list :joy:

 

12 minutes ago, confusedheart326 said:

Please do suggest some K-dramas where the MLs are gentle and romantic!:wub: I am tired of these cold, arrogant, rich jerks who think they can treat the woman any which way.  :angry:

 

Chingu, I am bad at suggesting dramas with gentle and romantic MLs.

But I can suggest what you should DEFINITELY stay away from:

 

Thai Lakorns

:evilelmo:

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@confusedheart326 I should have clarified. When the chef character is SL or Cooking is just part of the drama not the main plot. He never wins the girl anyway
 

Nah. A K drama heroine will still virtually always pick the cold prickly Alpha male jerk with a damaged past and secret tender heart over the child hood friend or patient kind SL.  Only now in 2021 the wrist pulling verbally abusive and overly possessive ML is usually seen for what it is and is not very common in the better dramas anymore. 
 

It was this way in 2001 and now and will probably be so in 2031. Somethings will never change:)

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58 minutes ago, partyon said:

In Thai Lakorns we get to see actual bed scenes before a pregnancy is announced. Shout out to my chingus @Lmangla @gm4queen @Min2206 who can confirm this. haha

 

Ha ha chingu! Definitely I confirm this! I've been watching only 5 episodes of a lakorn and I am already getting the full picture. :w00t::mrgreen: Your Pon oppa is the handsome evidence!

 

And by the way, the poll is so tough. I've never seen such a honest poll in my life. Need some time to vote! :D

 

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3 hours ago, confusedheart326 said:

 Please do suggest some K-dramas where the MLs are gentle and romantic!:wub: I am tired of these cold, arrogant, rich jerks who think they can treat the woman any which way.  :angry:

*prepares voice with honey* 

 

LOVESTRUCK IN THE CITY!!!!!!!!!! 

10/10 a boyfriend you would want to have (to the point of unreal)

 

Extraordinary you for the sweet HS love with fantasy elements

Good Doctor

Jugglers

 

 

 

 

 

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Something that I think is hilarious in most of the dramas is that no matter what happens the FL always...ALWAYS randomly run into the ML in the most awkward way which usually winds up in a first accidental kiss.

 

Like man.. Why can't I have that kind of luck. LOL

:lol:

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54) The FL and ML must go their separate ways before getting a happy ending. They will not have moved on during the separation of 2 years. They reconcile within 2 minutes of seeing each other again.

Addition: And right before ML comes back, the second male lead has finally decided to confess his feelings.

 

I witnessed this again just the other day finishing True Beauty. :criesariver: My poor Seo Jun.

 

 

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