Last week, I discussed some of my favorite Kdrama tropes. This week, we’re talking about those annoying tropes that make me roll my eyes, scream at the tv, or cry buckets of tears while I wonder what I’m doing with my life. Here are my top 5 least favorite tropes commonly found in Korean Dramas.
5. Amnesia
Oh, the main couple FINALLY got together for two seconds? TIME FOR SOME UNNECESSARY AMNESIA TO SCREW EVERYTHING UP.
4. Unnecessary Breakups
We’re obviously too happy together, so I’m gonna throw myself onto my sword because the plot will be much more interesting if we’re apart.
Ok, so this one isn’t as bad, but specifically the breakup in Pinocchio (see the gif above) was COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY POINTLESS.
3. Love Triangles
Most of you know from reading my book reviews that I HATE love triangles. Unfortunately, they are everywhere in Kdrama. Although the good side is that many times the love triangle is between two guys that are or were friends so there’s a bromance and tension there that can be kind of interesting.
BONUS POINTS IF YOU’RE HEIRS AND YOUR LOVE TRIANGLE CULMINATES IN A THREE WAY KDRAMA WRIST GRAB IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION (featured in the image above).
2. Horrible Mothers
They make good villains, but it’s always such a pain to watch. The historical shows are the worst because it’s almost always the Queen or the King’s mother and you just want her to die but the noble King or Crown Prince is protective of her because she’s his mom. JUST LET THE EVIL WOMAN DIE ALREADY.
1. Horrible or Vague Endings
I pretty much pick dramas based on whether they have good endings or not now. Ain’t nobody got time for all that ridiculous heartbreak. Everyone knows that we all want the main couple together or married, and all the villains need to die or be in jail. We don’t need these vague, metaphorical endings.
But in all seriousness, I concede that there are some dramas where a sad ending fits and makes sense. I’m not talking about those. I’m taking about the shows where everything is going ok until the last episode and then the writers are like, lets kill one of the main leads. That’s a fun way to wrap everything up.
What are some TV tropes that you hate?
