#korean trend

[koreaguides]

8 Popular Men’s Fashion Styles Seen In K-Dramas

1. Kim Seon Ho 

In Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Kim Seon ho’s fashion is casual and practical. You will often see him wearing a t-shirt, plaid shirt, and jeans. 

The main point of his style is that he rarely buttons up his shirts. Because the checkered patterns are colorful and diverse, it never gets boring. 

2. Park Seo Joon 

In Itaewon Class, Park Seo Joon often wears oversized items, especially bomber jackets in deep tones, that show his masculinity. 

He completes this edgy, street look by layering with dark hoodies and wearing combat boots. 

3. Park Seo Joon 

Unlike the stubborn, hard Park Saeroyi, Park Seo Joon plays a seemingly narcisstic chairman with a luxurious, clean style in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim. 

He often wears a full suit with a tie and completes the look with a very fancy pocket scarf. 

4. Lee Min Ho 

Lee Min Ho often plays a chaebol, a word used to describe the super-rich in Korea. 

In The King Eternal Monarch, he completes this look by wearing a long coat or trench coat paired with a turtleneck sweater, creating a classic and luxurious style. 

5. Gong Yoo 

In Goblin, Gong Yoo also dresses luxuriously in long coats and turtlenecks. 

Unlike Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo is portrayed more warmly, and you will see many scenes of him wearing sweaters and cardigans to create a sweet, friendly look. 

6. Cha Eun Woo 

Cha Eun woo’s image in My ID Is Gangnam Beauty is a gentle, sweet, and almost perfect guy. That’s why his fashion style in this drama is quite simple and causal. 

His most worn outfit is usually slacks and a button down shirt. The shirt is neatly tucked in, making him look and professional. 

7. Hwang In Yeop 

Hwang In Yeop perfectly portrays the bad boy in True Beauty with his big leather jackets, chain necklace, and silver earrings. 

He looks extremely trendy and sets the standard for the bad boy style. 

8. Lee Do Hyun

The drama Youth of May is set around an extremely important event in Korean history - the democratization of Gwangju in May 1980. Lee Do Hyun recreated the style of the youth at that time. 

The most typical of Lee Do Hyun’s retro outfits is jeans with a button down shirt and belt. 

[absolutebl]

2024 BL - Top 10 Trend Report

In last year's trend report I said:

"I think Taiwan has the chops to give us something as good as The 8th Sense or Old Fashion Cupcake but in their style, and I would like to see them exercise their talent for good rather than just profit."

And Unknown happened.

I asked for it, they gave it to me. I could not be more happy. So anyway, I just wanted to crow a bit.

And now...

2024's TRENDS!

1 Trope Subversion Levels Up

My Stand In went so far as to subvert the whole damn romance genre. But in general we saw a lot of BL recognizing, highlighting and calling out it's own absurdities and tropes. From Korea commenting on the Dead Fish Kiss to Wandee Gooodday actually promoting green flag behavior (the real deal).

It was an interesting year for meta commentary, it kind of whole scale left parody behind (say goodbye, Japan) and entered almost every BL from Thailand, even the ones who should have left it alone. (Side eyes Mame.)

2 Old Tropes Revisited

Unknown revisited the step-brother trope (as did Addicted Heroin of course). But there were other old ones we haven't seen in ages, like kidnapping for love, kissing on rooftops, and all the dub con (Blossom). Love Sick rebooted with very little modernization (except where it counted) right up to and including no kisses. Mix Up even did "trapped on the rooftop" which I haven't seen in over a decade.

And then Wimpy dropped. And it felt like I was reading yaoi in my tiny attic bedroom in the 90s.

3 BL Enters All the Workplaces

I love how many adult leads and sides we are getting, even from Thailand. By which I mean, BL outside of a school setting. We still have high school and university set stuff, but that used to be ALL we got. I don't mind school settings, but I like that we have some kind of balance going on these days.

We are starting to get not just cubicles and offices (as Japan foretold) but all kinds of workplaces from retail to authors to the film industry.

4 BL Passes the Sniff Test

He smells good has always been a trope that I love. It was one of my favorite things about Bad Buddy. But this year it felt like every third BL trotted this one out. I was delighted by it. Of course I was. But it happened A LOT.

Century of Love was a key use of it since smell is so coupled to memory, I thought they dealt with it particularly well. But even Japan and Korea deployed the sniff test.

(Seoul Blues)

(Blue Boys) Same actors, different characters.

Pitt Babe

Century of Love

Meet You at the Blossom

Soul Blues

Blue Boys

Dangerous Romance

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans

Cosmetic Playlover

Sunset X Vibes

Monster Next Door

Secret Love

Perfect 10 Liners (technically a 2025 show, but the sniff happened in 2024)

5 Fewer Shipper Characters within BL

Negative trends are always harder to call (it's easier to track the presence of something over the absence) but I'm still calling this one.

In a discussion of The Shipper @heretherebedork and I got into a discussion about this. It really seems like both we are getting less "female shipper" characters and/or they are evolving into overly interested but very supportive female friends instead. Softening, if you will.

I think partly this is because there has been a general decline in this archetype in yaoi over the past 5-10 years, but also they tend to incur pretty bad reactions in fans, and Thailand (especially) tends to pay attention to that kind of thing.

Unfortunately this also means we are seeing a worsening of the "no female representation at all" backbone of BL. We Are, which I loved, didn't have a single female character. Not even a throw away.

6 The rise of the green flag seme!

The seme (active attacker in the relationship) got a lot of green flag action this year. We saw lots of Dommy boys, Daddy types, and players asking for permission, trying to communicate, talking about safe sex. Particularly out of Thailand.

To make sure this is clear, green flag means he communicates about the relationship and sex, takes no for an answer, asks for permission for (almost) everything, and doesn't do things like (just spitballing here) take a hotel room key and go into the other mans private room when he's not around (or asleep). Okay? Christ on a cracker. (When it comes to flags Mame has red/green colorblindness.)

Some examples:

Alan from Pit Babe

God from Monster Next Door (except for the one journal reading incident)

Sun from Sunset X Vibes (almost too far)

Yak from Wandee Goodday

Latte from Knock Knock Boys

7 Japan Came to PLAY

Japan came to play and will not leave the field that they built. I may not always like JBL, but when I love it, I REALLY LOVE IT, and when it hits it hit hard (pain or joy). And even when I don't like it, it always gives me a lot to think about.

We had 19 JBLs in 2024:

Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun

At 25:00, in Alaska

Dominant Yakuza and Wimpy Corporate Slave

I Became the Main Role of a BL

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan

Takara's Treasure

Although I Love You and You

I Hear the Sunspot

Living With Him

Love is Better the Second Time Around

Love is Like a Poison

Perfect Propose

Cosmetic Playlover

Sugar Dog Life

0.5D

Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru 2

Mitsuya-sensei no keimakutekina ezuke

Happy of the End

Ossans Love Season 2

Japan had 18 total BLs in 2023.

17-15 in 2022 (a couple I couldn't get hold of and a couple I just don't think are BL, so 2022 is vague).

7 in 2021. <- THAT was when the big jump occurred, 3 years ago. Which might have more to do with the pandemic than anything else.

But back to now: 19 in 2024 means they are actually just increasing their production gradually and in a steady way, as might be expected. In round numbers we didn't see anything unusual.

BUT

The series they've been airing in 2024 are running longer (for them) and being aired over longer periods of time. Not to mention getting better and quicker distribution.

By which I mean, Japan used to have more shorts and movies, less actual series with full run times (by their & Korea's BL industry length standard) on streaming platforms. So I think it's JBL runtime and distribution that is experiencing real growth. And the consistency of that runtime.

In other words, it feels like there are more JBL airing because we have access to most of them (for a change) and they're running long enough to cross into each other (which has been rare in the past).

What's almost more interesting to me is...

8 What the hell happened, Korea?

Korea cut back on their BLs in 2024. I am not sure if that's money drying up, a crack down within the industry over there, the political situation, or something else.

Still, it was wild to see such a stark fall off in production. They had 18 BLs in 2024 but fully half of them were shorts, and more than half were poor production quality than is prior standard. By contrast they had 21 in 2023, but only 1 was a short, and most were very high production (getting 8/10 or higher from me).

Since Korea tends to produce some of my favorite shows, it's no surprise I had no 10/10 BLs at all in 2024 with so little KBL's stepping up to the plate.

I sure hope this isn't a trend but it feels like it might be.

9 Why the hell is the not-kiss back?

Korea doubled down on being a pain in 2024 by bringing back the "they don't actually touch lips and we pretend they did by panning around the back of the head" with the camera. (Jazz for 2 sides, example. Yes, I'm still mad.)

Then Thailand did the with Addicted Heroin. AND with Love Sick.

What is this, 2016?

Color me annoyed. I thought we saw the last of that nonsense with Make It Right.

I remind you all, if they would kiss if they het but they don't kiss when they gay, it smacks of a phobia and I'm salty about it.

Yes yes, there are actor (idol, age) excuses in play. But they should cast differently if this is going to be a problem.

End of discussion.

No really, I don't wanna talk about it. I just want it to go away.

10 The rise of Great Grandmas

We have had cool grandmas before in BL but in 2024 we had so many of them. The Sign, Love for Love’s Sake, Monster Next Door, Jack & Joker, Every You Every Me, The Rebound, Wandee Goodday.

(thanks to @small-dark-and-delicious for bringing this one to my attention)

See the comments for additional discussion of the "why" behind some of these trends as well as a few I missed.

(source)

2023's Trends report here.

[chthonic-empyrean]

أنت ذلك الـ "لا شيء" عندما يسألني الناس عما أفكر فيه

You're that "nothing" when people ask me what I'm thinking about."

[takawoyu]

korean miku

[i4wons]

　˖༉　ㅤ۫ㅤ 🌸꒰͜͡ ୭ ͜͡꒱　Show　You　What　Devotion　Is.

@iluvrei ✿͙⣠⠳

[eunjiahn]

New jeans 뉴진스 🐇 ˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪

[imuerytired]

!!!SPOILERS squid games!!!!! I miss these two

[doux-amer]

[lain-at-the-gay-bar]

another small drawing for @f1femslashfest !

[asteriass]

The progression of the “Villainess” trope

Y'know, thinking about it, it's very ironic how a trope made to subvert one's expectations & give more depth to 1 dimensional villains in cliche novels by "humanizing" them more & providing their side of the story, eventually became oversaturated with cartoony villains & flat MCs. Thus, completely failing in its goal to "subvert expectations" as it too turned into mind numbing cliche, becoming the exact opposite of what the troupe initially aimed to achieved.

I am talking about "Villainess" series.

I remember seeing a twitter post a while back saying how a lot of the villainess stuff the authors & studios are putting out nowadays lack any sort of nuance when it comes to its characters. And how a lot authors simply switch the roles of the cast (Like: OG MC -> villain | OG villain -> MC) & call it a day. And I 100% agree with that.

This troupe kinda ended up becoming the dictionary definition of the saying, "You either die as a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become a villain” lmao

What could've been an opportunity to write nuanced villains & morally ambiguous main characters, turned EXACTLY into the cliche it was pocking fun at.

In an attempt to reveal how the MCs of your typical cliche novels can also be in the wrong at times, flaws that the story & its (in-canon) fandom may purposefully ignore, the villainess stories ended up doing EXACT SAME thing EXECPT this time it's the "villains" doing it rather than the OG FL or OG ML of the “OG novel”. In an attempt to stop cliche villains from remaining cliche, while we did ended up getting slightly more nuance for the “OG villain” characters, in the process, the OG MCs turned exactly into those flat cliche villains.

Alot of villainess series poke fun at the troupes they themself use, but not in a satirical way.

So many villainess series poke fun at the OG novels for being problematic or stupid & the fandom of said novels basically ignoring its flaws & problems, only gushing over the OG FL. Which yea, is nice & all, but y'know... that's exactly what those villainess series do too. SO MANYY of them borderline have the FLs participating in literal slavery. & More often than not have a borderline colonizer ML. Not to mention the numerous which carry weird undertones of colorism, and many such other things. All the while, the fandom of these villainess series continue to ignore their glaring problems & flaws & instead just gush over the FL and ML.

And I'm not even saying this in a hating sort of way (well, aside from the series with issues of colorism, orientalism, etc). Moreover, this is all not to say that one can not enjoy such stories, because admittedly, there is indeed fun in just reading a simple and familiar story line. But this is all more me being intrigued by this trope’s almost ironic progression as companies rush their staff to produce something which they think will be able to ride the waves of the current trends, only for the vast majority to simply drown in a sea of mediocrity (with many even being canceled due to this)

[Though I mean, something as simple as villainess tropes won’t be the only one to go through this. Like a lot of Shakespearean works, a subversion of the classics & typical troupes back then, got turned into ones of those classics and by many are now considered cliche. And that's just scrapping the bottom of the barrel!]

[kdram-chjh]

Kdrama: Miss Night and Day (2024)

"三位主演也太可愛了吧😊

Repost @jtbcdrama with @use.repost

・・・ 카리스마 넘치는 눈빛👀⚡ 센스 있는 포즈💃🕺 그리고 자꾸 기대하게 되는 이 조합 (๑’ᵕ’๑)⸝*

JTBC 새 토일드라마 <낮과 밤이 다른 그녀> 6월 15일 [토] 밤 10시 30분 첫 방송!"

Shared on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjh_twa/

Watch this video on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C75SykPPLVh/

[koreaguides]

2023 Spring Hairstyle Trends

1. Tassel Cut 

The tassel cut is a short, straight cut that has slight layers at the end, creating a more natural and effortless look. It’s a very clean, refreshing style that’s perfect for spring. 

2. Long Elizabeth Perm 

This hairstyle has been a classic for a while now and consists of soft, natural-looking waves. It’s a great style for those that want a more elegant and feminine look.

3. Up-do Variation 

The up-do has been making a comeback in recent months and has been mostly seen on K-pop idols as create a more unique look. 

4. Semi-Leaf Cut 

This popular style keeps the front bangs long and the back layer a bit shorter. It’s a very versatile hairstyle that can be done with loose waves or sleek and polished for a more sophisticated look.

5. Crop Cut 

This haircut consists of short, cropped bands that fall above the eyebrows, with the side quite short as well. It has a very youthful, sport vibe and is a great look to try out for the warmer spring months. 

6. Gail Cut 

This hairstyle is extremely popular among Korean men and was widely popularized by K-Drama actors Song Kang and Park Seo Jung. It’s a classic, signature look that you can’t go wrong with. 

7. Hippie Perm 

The hipper perm has also been quite popular, especially in the spring, among both men and women for its effortless, beachy wave style. It’s great for adding volume and texture to your hair. 

8. Rose Pink 

It’s time to try out bolder colors, such as rose pink. With this beautiful shade, any photos you take outside among the spring flowers are bound to turn out beautifully. 

[demonparadise]

Bio𝓈 / 𝒮ymbols

（1-800）𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐲 H͟o͟t͟l͟i͟n͟e͟ ͢˚𐙚 ✶ 🍱 ？!!

🚯🦇🩻━╋ HIT MY LINE. 🍏🧉🛋️ ㄔ

─ᬺ 月暗 📬🏀🎧📓 ꮽꮾ

🫀📴💾🪲🚯🦇🩻━╋

𑁍 🪼🍺⁺◦ ༘ 🎨 ✶ 🍱 ？!! 💻

♱ ๎𑜓 🌺 🈳 ࣨ࣪⬮ ፝⃟⃰⃰༽‬ ̩̥🇵🇸 ི⃨ꦿꦸ💧❇🌐

ᎠᏬᎭᎵ ᎠᏬᏚᎯ ᏧᎩᏓᏟ 🩸🪬ᬊㅤ ⃨ᰯᰭ ❀ ۪۪ᅠ🧭♬ㅤ✦

🚸💤🚨咲く花 ͏͏ே۪͙̉𝆬 #22 ✟ ♡ ୨ ׅ ׄ 🥃🍀🪽

F̲I̲R̲E̲ ̲P̲H̲O̲E̲N̲I̲X̲ 🦚🏵️ 𒀭 ₊ ⨾ ☎️♻️🐈‍⬛

𒂭ུ۪۪۪۪᳝۟⓵⃜🎸❙❘♫ུ ᭒᭄ ✴︎ 🐲 ͟͟❘❙❚Ꮺ 𝆬⃞ ͙᭰͒̑͡✿ ུ

𝔇♡⃝lled-Up! ཻུ͎ ✴︎👜 🎀 ᭒᭄🎧Y2K

[teddiegurl-blog]

Tonkla should be protected at all costs P-Korn will finish my baby boy with heartbreak😭😭😭😭

[euoiabloom]

I need this one's in my life❤️<3

[angels-671]

𝓁𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸🎀𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂