Exploring Second Lead Syndrome

After watching both Emergency Couple and Sly and Single Again this week, I've been thinking about Second Lead Syndrome again. Both shows feature a woman caught between two men, and in both cases, the female lead is clearly destined to go back to her ex-husband from episode 1. Neither ex-husband is exactly a shining paragon of awesome boyfriend-osity, but hey,  he's rich and he's on the promotional poster, so it has to be true love, right?

It's no secret that Emergency Couple is giving me what might be my worst case of Second Lead Syndrome yet (We're talking Young Do levels here, folks. Things are bad.). In the case of Sly and Single, I feel sad for the second lead, but he doesn't have me clutching my heart and sighing at the TV or anything, either. The comparison of two very similar shows has got me wondering what it is that sparks Second Lead Syndrome (SLS) and why it is that I catch it for some dramas and I just don't care for others. There seem to be a few different factors at play in my self-diagnosis of this ailment:

Go ahead. Just stab my heart with little daggers, why don't you?

What could have been...

Second leads are notoriously bad at spitting out their feelings. While the first leads are dragging women around by the arm and forcing kisses onto them, second leads are always stuck forming painstakingly cautious love declarations, only to be interrupted at the last minute by a phone or something equally infuriating. (Seriously. Stop answering the freaking phone.) 

If viewers are already favoring the second lead, an interrupted love declaration is basically the worst thing a writer can do. It ensures that we will spend the rest of the show wondering what could have been if only the man spoke at a pace slightly faster than one word every thirty seconds. How can we feel satisfied that the female lead made the right choice if she didn't even know she had another option until it was too late?

Oh, Geol Oh, if only you had overcome your girl-instigated hiccups...

On the other hand, there is such a thing as waiting too long, and second leads who beat around the bush for a million years tend to lose my sympathy at some point. Take You're Beautiful's Shin Woo, for example. Yeah, she got interrupted by a phone call on their pseudo-date, but he could have said something a little earlier instead of just staring at her and talking in thinly veiled "stories." 

Then again, if she was too stupid to figure out that the story describing her exact situation was really about her, maybe Shin Woo dodged a bullet on that one. 

It takes two to tango

Mutual interest is the next big factor in second lead syndrome. Sometimes, I want to give male leads a copy of the book He's Just Not That Into You and send them on their way. I'm thrilled when they confess their feelings, but if it's obvious from the start that there's no interest from the female lead, it makes it a teensy bit easier to let the relationship die in my mind. 

If the show develops the possibility of a relationship with the second male lead, though, all bets are off. I think that's what got so many Boys over Flowers fans. She was completely interested in Ji Hoo one minute, and then suddenly she's dating Jun Pyo. Why? Because he shouted about his feelings more adamantly? His family had slightly more money? It's a mystery. Add in a fortune teller announcing that Ji Hoo is her soul mate, but Jun Pyo is her husband, and you've got a herd of angry fans on your hands.

Lesson of the day: Don't trust random island fortune tellers.

Emergency Couple is another example. Jin Hee and Chief Gook had fantastic chemistry for most of the show, which made it that much harder to figure out why the writers wouldn't just cave to their obvious connection and kill Chang Min in a freak bench pressing accident or something. (I'm joking! Sort of.)

Variety is the spice of K-dramas

This one's a biggie. It wasn't until I watched the recycled mishmash that was Nail Shop Paris that I realized just how predictable male characters are in Dramaland (or at least the romcom segment of Dramaland). I know that we've talked a lot about female leads on this blog, but if we want complex, interesting women in our dramas, don't they also deserve complex, interesting men to date?

As it currently stands, many romantic dramas have two tropes: the chaebol lead and the supportive second lead. The male lead has two personality traits: haughty and rich. (Rich isn't even a personality trait, but that's the best we've got, so we'll take it.) As time goes on, he becomes less haughty, and he falls in love. But that's it. Beyond haughty, rich, in love, and maybe sad about daddy issues, you don't have much to work with, personality-wise. 

Then you have the second male lead, who is (slightly less) rich, kind, and supportive. His main characteristic is his willingness to follow the woman around and serve her with his invisible love. 

Now, I love a good old fashioned chaebol love story, but every once in a while, I wish Kdrama male characters had just a little more personality. Haughty vs. nice makes it tempting to root for the nice guy, but you have to admit that some second leads are just a teensy bit boring. How can you blame her for having no interest if he's kind of a snoozefest? 

Sorry, not sorry, Jaejoong fans. His character was like watching paint dry.

When Kdrama writers break the mold and offer complex, intriguing second leads who break the basic mold, that's when I really can't resist. In Dating Agency: Cyrano, the main lead was doing typical male lead shenanigans, while Master was having long, heartfelt conversations with the female lead. They laughed together, cooked together, talked together, and he was secretly a gangster in disguise. It was a refreshing break from the norm, which automatically prejudiced me against her boring grandpa of the boyfriend.

Similarly, in Heirs, Young Do might have been a violent maniac, but if your only other option is another violent maniac, why not at least root for the one with multiple facial expressions and a motorcycle? (Remind me not to become a life coach for teen girls. Something tells me that I would be bad at it. Teens, don't actually date violent maniacs with motorcycles, okay?)

Whatever the reason, Second Lead Syndrome is always lurking around the corner of every romantic K-drama. As far as I can tell, the only cure is to demand a higher quality of male lead to leave their competition in the dust.

Selflessness: You're Doing It Wrong

Ah, noble idiocy: that moment in a kdrama when the music says, "What a sweet sign of true love!" but your brain says, "This is all a terrible idea."  For a while, I felt guilty watching these kinds of scenes. Maybe I'm too cynical! Maybe I'm just not noble enough to get it! After all, this is what the writers INSISTED true love should look like!

Then I realized that kdrama writers ALSO think that bowl cuts are all you need to pass as a man, sooooooo yeah.  After thinking about it some more, I noticed that many of these "selfless" moves were actually kind of selfish.

Don't believe me?  Let's look at some examples, shall we?


WARNING: Some spoilers below!

"Selfless" Move #1: "Something terrible is going to happen to a lot of people if I do this thing for you, but I don't even care--because love."

When a DEMON thinks your sacrifice is a good idea, it's probably time to rethink things.

Illustrative example: Arang and the Magistrate

This is the drama that pushed me over the edge to write this post.  Arang decides to give her body to a demon lady in exchange for letting her love meet up with his momma again.  Sounds sweet, right?  She would die not just for him, but for his mother! So noble!

Why it's actually selfish: Okay, so let's just overlook that fact that making deals with demon ladies is pretty much always going to be a terrible idea.  ALWAYS.  What is her incentive not to lie?  Even if this lady actually held up her end of the bargain, however, Arang has just given her immortal body to a demon who has been killing people for hundreds of years. 

Prioritizing your love over a bunch of other people just because it's your love is a roundabout way of prioritizing yourself.  Okay, so I've read those philosophical dilemmas about the train conductor with his kid on the tracks (Just get off the tracks, ya dumb kid!), so I get the idea that love might take over any other priority.  Still, trading your love's mom for an undefined number of people for the rest of time is selfish.  End of story. 

After watching Arang, I asked my husband if he would prefer that I let a demon lady kill a bunch of people to save his mom (who is very nice, by the way).  Fortunately, he looked at me like I was crazy, so I guess that resolves the dilemma.  Crisis averted!

"Selfless" Move #2: "My powerful mom/dad or your powerful mom/dad has threatened to fire a bunch of people if we're together, so I'm going to pretend to hate you."

Illustrative example: Boys over Flowers and a bunch of other chaebol heir dramas

I guess this is the opposite end of the spectrum from the previous example.  In order to prevent something terrible from happening to a bunch of people, you give up on love.  Surely, surely that's noble, right?

Why it's actually selfish: First of all, don't negotiate with terrorists.  Isn't that a life lesson right up there with the golden rule or something?  But that's not the main problem here.  You've taken the easiest possible way out without even thinking about how the other person will feel.  Guess what?  "It's easier if they just hate me" isn't actually a real thing.  Abandonment hurts, especially if you were supposedly in love five minutes earlier.  While you're patting yourself on the back and soothing your wounded heart with thoughts of how awesome you are, that other person is left with nothing.  Wouldn't it be better to wound your pride a bit and just talk it out?

"Selfless" Move #3: "Something bad happened in my life, so I will pretend to hate you in order to save you from my burden."

Illustrative example: Scent of a Woman, Dream High

You find out that you have cancer.  Or that you're an illegitimate child.  Or that you have an illegitimate child.  In order to protect your love from the shame or pain of this new development, you decide--of course--to break up with them with no explanation.  Better to suffer alone than to drag your love into the fray.

Why it's actually selfish: This move is kind of understandable if you're just starting your crush.  I think it's okay to say, "You know what?  I have my own stuff going on right now, so I'm gonna focus on that instead of this non-relationship that may or may not happen."  What drives me crazy is when drama characters pull this move once they are in a committed, established relationship.  Take the mother in Dream High for example.  In the long run, her pretend affair and subsequent abandonment probably hurt her family more than her death did.  She also robbed them of the chance to properly say goodbye.  Again, you have the comfort of knowing the truth while your loved one suffers the emotional scars of abandonment.

Dream High is an easy example to pick on because we never actually meet the mom in the series, but this type of thing happens pretty frequently in central kdrama couples as well.  This "romantic" gesture might just bother me more than the previous examples because it misses the entire core of what commitment means.  Love isn't just about sharing warm, fuzzy moments.  It's about opening your life and trusting someone else when the crap of life hits the fan--as life crap invariably does.  No matter what, something difficult is going to happen to one of you at some point in any relationship.  Giving up and running the other way every time something craptastic happens because you want to "protect" your love shows that you trust your own strength more than theirs--a self-centered move.

"Selfless" Move #4: "I don't deserve you right now, so I'm going to ignore you until I can be worthy of you."

Illustrative example: The Master's Sun 

I kind of hope that drama writers don't actually believe that this move is selfless.  Most of the time, it's an episode 18 extension kind of move.  Suddenly, the character feels a need to run away from love for a few years to save the company business or discover their "true self" or learn self-discipline in the army or something.  In other words, it's an excuse for a time jump.  The reasoning goes that only a truly selfless person would be willing to pause love to become worthy of that love.

Why it's actually selfish: How come the "selfless" person is always the one who gets to go gallivanting around the world while the other person has to sit at home like a chump?  Also, have you ever heard of a phone?  Email?  If you're really doing this for the other person, don't lead him or her to assume that you broke up somewhere along the way.  Protect the Boss, I'm looking at you!  I real life, people get busy with work all the time, but they don't say "I'm gonna ignore you for a few years--I promise I will come back, okay?" That's nonsense.

While I think the last-minute disappearance is an overused plot device, I don't mind this move when the show is honest about it.  In Coffee Prince, for example, we all knew that Eun Chan was running abroad purely for HERSELF, and that was totally okay.  It was also clear that she had kept an appropriate level of contact with her long-distance boyfriend.  

Solutions

So what options do kdrama characters have?  If they can't protect their love or protect other people without being selfish, isn't that a little unfair?

Actually, there are dramas that find ways around these problems.  I really liked the way that Queen of Reversals flew in the face of noble idiocy, for example.  When the controlling father threatened to fire an entire team of people, Yong Shik was just like "Go ahead and fire them.  I do what I want!"  That sounds kind of terrible at first, but Yong Shik wasn't just gonna let those people suffer for his love!  After he took a stand against his dad, he went ahead and formed his own company to employ all of those people.  To make matters even better, he made sure that the object of his affection was present for his stand-off with his dad.  That way, she would know exactly what was happening.  Sure, towards the end of Queen of Reversals, they stopped communicating, but at least it was a step in the right direction!   That's what I would love to see in more dramas: just a little more communication so that we don't get brain damage from banging our heads against our computers in frustration.  Or maybe I'm not noble enough and should just trust the gooey ballads that say "No, really--this is true loooooove!"

On Re-Adaptations, Remakes, and the American Version of Boys over Flowers

In case you haven’t heard, there is an American version of Boys over Flowers in the works, and it’s created quite the hubbub among the fangirl crowd. Every single article I’ve seen on the subject—from the initial announcement to every casting decision—is filled with people outraged that anyone would dare touch their little baby.

American "Jun Pyo" source/Korean Jun Pyo source

Considering that Boys over Flowers might just be the most popular kdrama in the history of anything ever, this outcome isn’t surprising, but I wanted to take another look at the issue.  Since my focus in grad school was adaptation studies, I have a slightly different take on the whole thing. (And yes, I realize that this makes me kdrama fan type #3. I can’t help it, okay?)  

After skimming through the comment sections of several articles, I have noticed a few consistent complaints about the American version of Boys over Flowers. Let’s have a chat about them one by one.

Complaint #1: The “original” was perfect

BoF source/P&P source

This is probably the most common concern.  A lot of people have been saying that they love Boys over Flowers so much that they don’t want another Boys over Flowersbecause it’s an insult to the original.  In order to talk about this issue, it may help distinguish the difference between a “remake” and a “re-adaptation.”  A remake is when you take a movie (or, in this case, drama) and redo it.  As an example, 2011’s Footloose (blech—Julianne Hough) is a remake.  A re-adaptation means that there is original source material, and it has been adapted multiple times.  Pride and Prejudice would be the perfect example of a re-adaptation.  Not only did Joe Wright adapt the source material differently than the BBC did, but the BBC adapted it differently than Robert Z. Leonard did in 1940, and so on and so on.  Maybe you believe that Colin Firth was the best Mr. Darcy of all time and that it was a travesty to even try to make a “new” one in 2005, but if everyone felt that way, there would be no Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy because we would have stopped at Laurence Olivier back in 1940.

So what does this have to do with Boys over Flowers? Well, lest we forget, not only is Boys over Flowers an adaptation of the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango, but Boys over Flowers is already a RE-adaptation of the manga.  If we’re applying the “We did it first!” attitude across the board, Boys over Flowers wouldn’t even exist because Meteor Garden (2001) and Hana Yori Dango (2005) beat it to the punch. 

Is it possible to re-adapt something too many times?  Probably.  But I don’t think there’s some magical cutoff to determine when that happens.

Complaint #2: They will change too much from the original

Source

If we accept the possibility of re-adaptation, then the concern becomes whether this particular adaptation will completely change the original text. 

The idea of a “faithful” adaptation is complete nonsense to begin with.  The second you decide to adapt something from one format (manga) to another (live action), you’re going to be stuck with an interpretation.  The choices you make in casting, costuming, lighting, etc. all put a personalized twist on the source material in order to place it in conversation with the original text.

That being said, I think what most people mean is that they worry about basic plot changes.  Guess what? Boys over Flowers doesn’t follow the exact manga plot, either, though I can understand why a complete, unrecognizable overhaul of the story would be concerning.  From what I hear, the basics will be the same: rich, snooty guys at a private school with a hardworking poor girl who won’t put up with their bullying.  Multiple rich guys fall in love with the poor girl, and romance ensues.

What would concern me more, however, would be if they kept everything exactly the same as it was in Boys over Flowers.  Think about adaptations as people on an elevator.  When there’s only one person in the elevator, that person can stand wherever he or she wants.  When a new person gets onto the elevator, what happens? They naturally spread as far apart as possible.  The same process repeats every time a new person gets onto the elevator in order to maximize personal space.

Think of re-adaptations in the same way.  They can’t all occupy the same space because then they really are pointless remakes. (I haven't seen it, but the new Carrie looks like it may suffer from this issue.) If each adaptation is in conversation with the original text, then why bother saying the same thing over and over and over?  Even changes to the plot can create an interesting conversation to keep things lively.

Complaint #3: It’s another American rip-off

IA source/ The Departed source

This one’s interesting to me.  If we’re okay with having Meteor Garden from Taiwan and Hana Yori Dango from Japan and Boys over Flowers from Korea, what’s wrong with an American take?  From what I gather, each one of those stories embeds its own distinct culture into the story, much like Bride and Prejudicetakes Jane Austen’s story and gives it a Bollywood spin.  Is the concern that American culture is much farther removed because it’s not Asian?  If so, see point #4.

But is that reallythe source of irritation here?  What if this were a French adaptation or a Chilean adaptation, or even an English-speaking adaptation, just done by the BBC instead of Americans?  I somehow suspect that there wouldn’t be so much outrage.

There’s a sense that Hollywood rips stuff off all the time from other countries, and that’s what makes people mad.  When the English-speaking version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo came out barely two years after the Swedish version, it seemed like supreme laziness to me.  I mean, really?  People are so averse to reading subtitles that they need Daniel Craig to dumb things down for them?

Even though I get riled up about this issue all the time, there is another side.  First of all, this movie isn’t being made by Big Hollywood.  It’s a small, independent production, so it’s not like they’re robbing ideas and trying to make the big bucks by casting Kristen Bell as the female lead or anything. 

Second, English-speaking (or French-speaking, or Spanish-speaking) remakes and re-adaptations are a way to expose new audiences to your favorite works.  How many people had never heard of Infernal Affairs until they saw The Departed?  What about all of those people who decided to check out Japanese horror movies after that huge string of popular remakes in the early 2000s?  So maybe you can lure your friends into watching an English-speaking rom-com, and once they’re hooked, you can bring them to the source material.  If your predictions are right and it can’t even come close to Boys over Flowers, then even better.  It will finally force them to recognize the value of the kdrama world.

Complaint #4: The story won’t work outside of Asia

BoF source

Again, I hear you on this one.  Really, I do.  When I heard that they were redoing the stunning Swedish film Let the Right One In as Let Me In with creep-tastic Chloe Grace Moretz, I was horrified.  I reacted so strongly partly because the trailer looked like a pointless shot-for-shot remake of the first film (see point #2), but mostly because there seemed to be something inherently Scandinavianabout the film that couldn’t quite translate to an American setting.  As a Finn watching the movie, the reserved people living in the quiet and the cold somehow made the entire thing work beyond just a simple vampire horror tale (which I generally hate).  When I saw Oskar, he reminded me so much of my little brother that I cried for an hour after the final credits.  I recognize, however, that my experience with Let the Right One In isn’t everyone’s experience, and that many people could appreciate different aspects of the story in its American counterpart.

Obviously, there is something about the Korean culture in Boys over Flowers that resonates with many viewers, and if you simply aren’t interested in seeing what happens in an American setting because the culture was the most interesting part to you (much like my experience with Let the Right One In), then go ahead and skip it.  No one will blame you.

What I find interesting, however, is that most of the complaints seem to assume that the plot itself is impossible in an American setting.  I have read comment after comment that specifically claimed the bullying aspect of Boys over Flowers would never work on an American show.  I don’t think that’s the case.  The sad reality is that people get bullied everywhere in the world, and it can get pretty bad even in the States. As a teenager, my husband got shoved into a locker and had to wait until a teacher found him. (Yes, really.  This stuff doesn’t just happen on Saved by the Bell, folks!)  Sadly, more extreme cases where bullying leads to teen suicide are far too common.  I wish it weren’t true, but that part of the story isn’t specific to Korea.

On a lighter note, I like to think that the parts of the story that are outlandish in America also require suspension of disbelief for Korean audiences.  Where are these schools where people do no studying and there are zero teachers?  Is that a real thing?

So, what I’m trying to say is that the American version of Boys over Flowers probably isn’t a sign of the impending Apocalypse.  Personally, I’m not super interested in watching it mostly because it kind of looks like a bad made-for-TV-movie, but I’m also not upset by the fact that they are making it.  It’s certainly not worth writing hate mail to the actors and producers involved with the show.  Just take a deep breath and go re-watch Boys over Flowers instead.  I promise it will make you feel better. 

Fashion Face-off Friday: Seasonal Fashion

It's official: fall is in the air.  I can tell because I suddenly have uncontrollable urges to eat ALL of the things made out of pumpkin and sip hot apple cider out of cute mugs.  And not that apple juice nonsense that my local grocery store tries to label as "cider," either.  I'm a New Englander at heart--I know real cider when I drink it!

The change in the seasons also means that I peek out of my window each morning, patiently waiting for the moment when I can reasonably get away with busting out my boots, scarves, and cardigans.  That's why I'm devoting this week's Fashion Face-off to seasonal clothing.  

Many kdramas cycle through a full range of seasonal outfits, so instead of going with normal, safe choices, I tried to choose outfits that were over-the-top in their celebration of the chosen season.  
     

Note: In case you're wondering, King 2 Hearts easily won our last face-off, with Richard Armitage swooping in as the dark horse to get second place.  I have to say that I applaud these results all around.

On to the new contenders!

Contender 1: Winter (Baek Yeo Chi, History of a Salaryman)

The advantage to cold weather is that you can layer on the accessories without feeling like you're boiling your innards for the sake of fashion.  The advantage to being immensely wealthy is that you can purchase as many accessories as your body can carry without hurting your bank account.  I like to think that the combination of weather and wealth is partly to blame for Baek Yeo Chi's winter ensemble.  The faux fur coat is a given considering that she's a rich lady in a Korean drama, but Yeo Chi went the extra mile with the leather wrist straps (?), bedazzled headband, and cheetah print purse.  Because if you're going to fake kill one animal for fashion, you should just go ahead and fake kill all of the animals.

Contender 2: Spring (Kim Ji Soo, Nail Shop Paris)

I wouldn't normally post a picture from behind like this because it feels objectifying and a little creepy, but I really needed to make it clear that Ji Soo is wearing peplum shorts here.  I didn't even know that was possible, but, as you can see, it is.  If this pastel/floral combo doesn't just scream "springtime!" to you, the fact that her butt looks like it is blossoming into a beautiful rose probably should.

Contender 3: Summer (Geum Jan Di, Boys over Flowers)

Jan Di's expression says it all.  When I think of summer, I think of vacation, and when I think of vacation, I think of the beach.  Nowhere in the history of resort wear is there an outfit that goes all in like Jan Di's does.  The patterned straw hat, the bright, flowing dress--it's all geared towards fun in the sun, regardless of what anyone else says or thinks.  Someone on Pinterest once said that Jan Di's dress looks like a salad, and now that's all I can see when I look at her.  

Contender 4: Fall (Tae Gong Sil, The Master's Sun)

Walking around wearing a poncho and rain boots? Definitely a spring activity.  Walking around a cemetery in a poncho and rain boots?  Now we're suited for fall!  Halloween is my favorite holiday, and Gong Sil's ghostly poncho seems perfect for the occasion.

Which seasonal ensemble wins out?  Vote below!

Which Seasonal Outfit Was Best?
	Winter (History of a Salaryman)
	Spring (Nail Shop Paris)
	Summer (Boys over Flowers)
	Fall (The Master's Sun)
pollcode.com free polls

Flower Boy Face-Off: Boys Over Flowers

For our last little video from KCON 2013, we decided to ask Kdrama fans the hardest questions they have ever faced: Who would you ultimately choose to date- Jun Pyo or Jihoo from Boys Over Flowers, or the actors who play them, Lee Min Ho, or Kim Hyun Joong?

Check out the results in this amusing video.  Look for Rosie from Shine a Light Rose and her mom as they answer the questions!

I was pretty pleased with this game, so look out for more Flower Boy Face-Offs in the future!

So let's hear it ladies and gents! How would you answer these questions?

Which Flower Boy Would You Date?
	Jun Pyo
	Ji Hoo
	Lee Min Ho
	Kim Hyun Joon
pollcode.com free polls

Fashion Face-off Friday: Stuff Rich Ladies Wear

Our last Fashion Face-off Friday, Battle of the Guyliner, ended up being a decisive victory for Joo Byung-hee of Shut up Flower Boy Band, proving that a little makeup philosophy can go a long way.  I'm a little sad that my favorite vampire prosecutor came in last, but he had some stiff competition.
I tend to see a lot of kdrama jokes about rich chaebol styling, but today I'm taking a stand for gender equality and recognizing that women can wear absurd rich outfits, too. Think of it as Girl Power--just with more weird accessories.

Contender 1: Han Song-yi  (Queen of Reversals)

As far as I can tell, Han Song-yi only has two defining character traits: 1. She hates everyone and 2. She loves money. As far as I can tell, the costume designers of this show firmly believe that nothing says "I will crush you with the sheer weight of all my money" like wrapping yourself in dead animals. My all-time favorite rich lady outfit was one where she was wearing a gigantic fur arm warmer on each arm, but unfortunately, this series is 31 episodes long, and even after I spent two hours scrolling through every.single.episode (I couldn't help myself--those arm warmers were that outlandish), I couldn't find it again.  Sadly, this means that we have to settle for one of her many other fur-covered outfits.

Yes, yes she IS wearing a full suit under that polar bear cape.  I guess she thought it would add to her credibility as a businesswoman?  

Contender 2: Kim Joo-won's mom (Secret Garden)

I really, really want to make a your momma joke here, but I'm trying to keep it classy.  Whenever I see Joo-won's mom, I can't help but think that it's exactly how rich people would dress in real life--if my five-year-old niece dressed them.  Her wardrobe is an endless parade of lace, tutus, and tiaras, but she can afford them.

Who doesn't own a lace nightgown/dress for informal gatherings?
Poor people.  That's who.

Contender 3: Madam Kang (Boys over Flowers)

In all honesty, her clothing isn't as blatant as some of the males on the show.  She is here for one reason and one reason only: her collars look like they can (and have) stabbed people in the face.  

Randomly, there's this old hip hop song called "Wanna Be a Baller," and even though I know they aren't the actual lyrics, I always think the first line goes "Wanna be a baller, popped collar, 20-inch blades on the Impala" (The REAL lyrics are "shot caller," not "popped collar," in case you were wondering.).  I kid you not, EVERY time Madam Kang came on the screen to threaten people with her pointy face and her matching pointy collar, I got that song stuck in my head for a week.  And THAT, my friends, is what earned her a spot on this list. Okay, and also for wearing what appears to be a sash.

To be fair, Madam Kang IS pretty baller.

Contender 4: Kang Hye-na (My Fair Lady)

Not to be outdone by the older generation of fancy ladies, Kang Hye-na is out to prove that she can be just as ridiculous and rich as the best of 'em.  In Hye-na's world, the words "less is more" don't exist.  If you have money MORE is more.  The upside?  Since she doesn't dress herself, she is single-handedly supporting the Korean economy with the number of servants she hires to hold things like--metal suspenders?  Is that what those are?

In related news, I need a bejeweled scrunchy--ASAP

Out of these wealthy women, which one wore the craziest outfit?  Vote below!

Craziest Rich Lady Outfit
	Han Song-yi (Queen of Reversals)
	Joo-won's mom (Secret Garden)
	Madam Kang (Boys over Flowers)
	Kang Hye-na (My Fair Lady)
pollcode.com free polls

Kdramas in the Real World: Texts to a Bestie

When Coco wrote her post comparing her life to a k-drama, I started to wonder how I would react if her life suddenly turned into a kdrama.  Can you imagine the text conversations you would have if Geum Jan Di were your best friend?  I just did:

Which kdrama heroines do you wish would text you?  What would you say?

Fashion Face-off Friday: Terrible Kdrama Date Outfits

The votes are officially in for our last Fashion Face-off Friday, and once again, we have a tie!  Gil Ra Im was winning by a landslide for a while, but Goo Jae Hee's feeble attempts at masculinity caught up in the end!  Let's see if we can make this next one a solid, clean victory...

As we all know, the makeover is a staple of k-drama-dom.  The dorky girl gets whisked away, and the man of her dreams gasps at her beauty as she walks into the room, transformed.  For many k-drama viewers, the makeover is a payoff for putting up with absurdly awkward costumes/hair for the first half of the series, but sometimes the payoff just isn't as satisfying as it should be.  For this week's Fashion Face-off Friday, I bring you supposedly awesome date outfits gone wrong!

Challenger 1: Park Gae In (Personal Taste)

Now, I know that I have mentioned this outfit before in my Personal Taste review, but I feel like it would be a travesty to leave such a worthy contender out of this particular fashion face-off.  I think what makes this date outfit most offensive is that it came several episodes after her "makeover."  There's no excuse! None, I say!

If you're going to seduce "gay" Lee Min Ho by dressing like a man,
maybe Charlie Chaplin isn't your best bet for a fashion role model.

Challenger 2: Gil Ra Im (Secret Garden)

I love Gil Ra Im as much as (okay, more than) the next person, which is why this makeover hurt me so much.  I know it isn't as blatantly offensive as the others, but it was still a huge letdown.  Maybe it's the crooked line of gigantic crystals that someone hot glue gunned between her boobs.  Maybe it's the "chic" slicked/poofed combo hairstyle that matches Lee Jong Hyuk's Lego hair from our first fashion face-off.  Maybe it's the awkward hemline that isn't quite asymmetrical. Whatever the case may be, she deserves better!

To quote a Gil Ra Im-ism, whoever chose this dress deserves to
have his or her fifth vertebrae turned into the sixth.

Challenger 3: Geum Jan Di (Boys over Flowers)

Poor Lee Min Ho is always getting stuck with fashion duds.  Jan Di had several "fairy godmother" makeovers throughout the course of the show, and I kept hoping they would really transform her.  In spite of the male cast members giving heroic attempts to do double takes at her "transformations," I was never convinced.

"When I saw her dressed like that giant cupcake,
I knew she was the woman for me!" said no non-kdrama man.  Ever.

Challenger 4: Ma Hye Ri (Prosecutor Princess)

I was baffled by the first few episodes of Prosecutor Princess when they kept emphasizing how much time and money Hye Ri spent on clothes and then she appeared on screen in these crazy monstrosities. This outfit was one of many possibilities, but it won out because she chose to don it for a major life event: attempting to purchase some fabulous (read: hideous) shoes.  From what I can tell, she is wearing a bib made of some combination of fur, lace, and glitter. She also gets bonus points for crazy hair.

I know, Hye Ri, I'm just as shocked as
you are at how bad it is...

So who wins your vote?  Any other major fashion disappointments? Vote in the little black box below!

Terrible Date Outfits
	Park Gae In
	Gil Ra Im
	Geum Jan Di
	Ma Hye Ri
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Fashion Face-off Friday: Korean Female Bowl Cuts, Who Wore it Best?

Results are in for our first Fashion Face-Off Friday: Crazy Man Hair poll, and it's a tie between Lee Min Ho in Boys Over Flowers and Jang Guen Suk in You Are Beautiful! Here is the conversation where ViVi and I discussed the close race. ViVi thought Lee Min Ho won.

Let this be a warning to you when texting your kdrama fangirl bestie that auto correct just does not get it.

For our second Fashion Face-Off Friday, where we celebrate bizarre kdrama styling choices, we examine female bowl cuts. Who ever said bowl cuts never look good on women? Everyone...except kdrama stylists. But let's be positive about this. Some leading ladies pull it off better than others and are a little easier to imagine as desirable to men.  Let's vote on, as far as bowl and extended bowl cuts go, who wore it best!

Competitor #1

Goo Jae Hee from To the Beautiful You is a female lead who got a bowl cut to try to pass as a boy. I find it hard to believe that anyone actually fell for it because she is still so pretty. Makes me jealous that she can be that pretty with a bowl cut. I would look absolutely ridiculous.

Photo Source

Competitor #2
While this might be considered more of an extended bowl cut, it is still a strong contender. I have to admit that I was really bothered by Jan Di's hair for the first half of Boys Over Flowers, but a combination of her hair growing out a little and me growing to love her more allowed me to look past it and even consider it kind of cute.

Photo Source

Competitor #3 
Gil Ra Im sports a whispy, side-swept bowl cut. She is not trying to pass for a boy, but she might be sporting this look to fit into her male dominated field of stunt doubling for action films. She pulls it off in a sassy way.

Photo Source

Competitor #4
It was never made clear whether Eun Chan from Coffee Prince cut her hair into a bowl cut to try to look androgynous, or if she just cut it that way to keep it out of her way as she worked one of her many physically taxing jobs to support her family. When I first started watching Coffee Prince I asked my friend who had already seen it whether her hair ever changes. I was so impatient for her to be pretty. She told me that it wouldn't happen until the last episode and I thought I would die. But gradually, just like Jan Di, I came to love Eun Chan so her hair didn't matter.

Photo Source

So who pulled off the bowl cut best? These female leads all did their darndest in a difficult style situation and pulled it off way better than I ever could. Vote below now!

Best Bowl Cuts
	Goo Jae Hee
	Geum Jan Di
	Gil Ra Im
	Go Eun Chan
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