#part 2 of my enrique geum series

[donggu-ya]

Yoon Shi Yoon as Enrique Geum - Flower Boy Next Door - 2013

[turnonthesubtitles-blog]

Drama Relationships I Envy

I primarily watch rom-coms, and the first thing you start to realize in melos, rom-coms, and basically any Asian dramas that include romance, it can get....complicated. Romantic tropes tend to purport a male lead that is clingy and obsessive and female leads so innocent and fragile it’s a wonder their bones don’t break just eating ramen. Here a a few drama relationships that I genuinely LOVE (even in their complexity) that are worth the love and praise.

1. Choi Han Gyul & Go Eun Chan, Coffee Prince

They have and always be one of my most favorite couples in any drama I have ever seen. Eun Chan is strong to a fault, and tries to protect those around her although her lack of maturity makes her react impulsively. Meanwhile Han Gyul is petulant but deeply passionate and committed to those he loves. Together they are best friends and a romantic relationship is only an icing on the cake (but it’s a REALLY good cake). Seeing these two develop into much more mature individuals was truly a joy for me to watch and this is one of those dramas I can repeat over and over again.

2. Bang Myeong Soo & Kim Soo Jin, Ex-Girlfriend Club

I am a bit of a sucker for a friends-turned-to-lovers plot. While there is some criticism in regards to Myeong Soo being a bit too obsessive, I was never one who really gave it much credence. Both of the leads like each other so much as individuals, that it was hard to NOT see the passion in their interactions, whether that was under the guise of friendship or in a relationship. In defending Myeong Soo, he had never been in a genuinely mature relationship that had real stakes. For him, he has liked Soo Jin for so long and feels like he may be a bit undeserving of her, so any clinging on his part, was natural insecurity, which I found more endearing than troubling -- anyways it was never taken too far.

3. Lin "Truly" Jhen Hsin & Tsu Tai Yu, Our Times

One of the sweetest high school romances that I’ve ever seen. While this borders the edge of “romance”, these are two crazy kids I desperately wanted to see happy. When two characters can find common ground and mutual respect for the others feelings then I can rest assured that they are memorable. If this film taught me anything, it was that sometimes (like in Casablanca), the greatest thing you can do for someone you love, is let them go. I know it sounds sad, but I promise it has an amazing ending that I watch on repeat to this day.

4. Moriyama Mikuri & Tsuzaki Hiramasa, Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu/We Married as a Job

Navigating a contract relationship in dramas can be fraught with conflict and drama that can teeter on the edge or realism. It is not a trope that is even remotely realistic, and I have seen so many dramas turn into nothing more than a soap opera befitting American daytime television. In Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu, the couple navigate this relationship so honestly, and awkwardly it is impossible not to just love them. They are genuinely drawn to one another but struggle so realistically to overcome the barriers that divide them. If you want a more realistic spin on the contract relationship trope, I highly recommend this one. I watched it in two sittings --- a definite binge for me.

5. Xue Shan Shan & Feng Teng, Boss & Me/Shan Shan Comes to Eat

Probably my most controversial on this list, Shan Shan Comes to Eat achieves what I don’t typically see in Chinese dramas, a quick-burn romantic pairing. This pair likes each other almost immediately, and Feng Teng falls fast first. While I initially was turned off by how Feng Teng seemed to cherish Shan Shan almost like a pet or child to constantly amuse him, as the series progressed you could really see the mutual love they felt for each other and Shan Shan was able to come into her own, establish her own goals, all while having the support of fairly uncomplicated man who genuinely loved her. It’s refreshing to just see couples get along, especially when you have a high episode count that you know will be fraught with interference meant to keep the couple apart.

Other Favorites:

Suea & Junior, Ugly Duckling: Perfect Match (Thailand)

Du Zi Fen/Pi Ya Nuo, Bromance (Taiwan)

Kim Bok Joo & Jung Joon Hyung, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Korea)

Go Dok Mi & Enrique Geum, Flower Boy Next Door (Korea)

 Seo Jung Hoo & Chae Young Shin, Healer (Korea)

Cha Hong Do & Ko Yi Seok, Heart to Heart (Korea)

Jang Jae Yeol & Ji Hae Soo, It’s Okay, That’s Love (Korea)

Ban Ji Yeon & Yoon Dong Ha, Witch’s Romance (Korea)

Kim Sam Soon & Hyun Jin Heon, My Lovely Sam Soon (Korea)

Do Bong Soon & Ahn Min Hyuk, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (Korea)

Lee Jae In & Kim Da Hyeon, 1% of Something (Korea)

Soda Ren & Sugihara Oto, Love That Makes You Cry (Japan)

Okishima Shuj & Machida Kyoko, Beautiful Life (Japan)

What favorites would you add to this list?