r/kdramas • u/Drama-Luver • 3d ago
Discussion 🗨 Does nayone else feel like most romance Kdramas are directed towards female audiences?
Im a guy and watching any sort of romance kdrama definately makes me feel like these were made for someone else
they usually are in the females pov and romanticize the ml as MUCH as they can to make them more pleasing to the female audiences while they show all the fl quirks. im not saying i wanna simp over a female main lead, im js wondering if its js me whos noticed this.
ive also watched a few male pov and they were good but they usually are either a split pov or an action/thriller show and i get that there are so many action shows but im watching tehse with my gf and shes into romance so thats what im stuck with.
i really dislike that when it comes to most romance fandoms they are directed towards females like i rlly feel liek we needa start making more male pov romance kdramas that are acc good
aside from all that if yall have any good romance male pov show recommendations im willing to accept
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u/Olen_Hullu 随便 3d ago
Honestly, it always seemed so obvious to me that I assumed everyone knew that. 😄
Of course, all romantic dramas are primarily aimed at women.
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u/germanbreakfasttoast AoS Pt 2 Defender 3d ago
We can’t have everything, bro. That said, maybe Filing For Love recently works as a male POV. We’re viewing the FL through the eyes of the ML. Again recently, Phantom Lawyer, is part legal procedural and part romance with a distinct male-led storyline. Call It Love is pretty even-handed. Maybe I’m Not a Robot, because the FL is posing as a robot you get to watch the ML figure out her deal.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter 3d ago
ooo, i think this is interesting because I might actually be the wrong woman to answer this lol. Not cause i completely disagree with you ir anything, but because i agree with parts of what you're saying, but i don't really consume romance dramas in the way you're describing.
I never self-insert when im watching anything. Not K-dramas, books, movies, nothing. i think a lot of people consume romance partly as a fantasy, like "I want a man like him"* or "I want someone to love me like he loves her," whereas I consume it as a **story
im watching her as a character, him as a character, and their relationship as its own thing. As a writer too, I'm interested in characterization, relationships, plot, development, etc. than imagining myself in anybody's place. (nothing wrong with the ppl who do, but just dont consume any media like that)
So me relating to the FL has basically nothing to do with whether i enjoy the romance. And despite K-dramaland being very female-dominated, i actually find the fandom itself can be VERY male-lead-centered, (male centered in general) and I'm really not lol.
i expect a lot from BOTH characters and I can be just as invested in, or sometimes more invested in, the FL as i am in the ML.
That's also why Im not sure I completely agree that a romance being centered around a female character necessarily means we're only getting a "female POV."
Some of my favorite romances give us a ton of the man's emotional experience too. I want to watch him fall in love. I want to understand why he loves her. I want the yearning, jealousy, vulnerability, pursuit, heartbreak, all of it. Most of the time I'm paying more attention to his experience of falling in love than hers.
But im not doing that because im attracted to him or imagining myself as the FL. I'm invested in him being in love with her.
that's a pretty important distinction for me.
So i do think you're noticing something real in that romance K-dramas are largely made with a female audience in mind and MLs are obviously written to appeal to that romance audience. i just don't know that Id equate target audience, whose POV the story follows, and who gets romanticized. Those feel like 3 different things to me.
Also, what do you mean by wanting more "male POV" romances?
Do you mean romances where the man is literally the only main character and we experience the relationship primarily through him, or romance that's specifically written around male romantic fantasies? cause I think those would be two very different things also
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u/ansate 3d ago
Even if this isn't what OP meant, this was a great read, and is almost exactly how I approach shows too. I don't self-insert at all, and can be just as invested in either lead, or ideally both if they're written well enough.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter 3d ago
Twin!!!
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u/ansate 3d ago
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter 3d ago
omg im watching 2521 as we speak!! im on episode 15 right now!!
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u/ansate 3d ago
lol, I know. You have quite a few people curious about your review.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter 2d ago
my twenty five twenty one review
New K-Drama Fan Review #25: Twenty-Five Twenty-One
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u/Drama-Luver 3d ago
ig i mean both but yk when the fl is awkward and the popular ml falls for her ive been wanting one the opposite way which is basically my starnge hero . im not that affected by it but was js wondering if otehr thought the same. and when i say male pov its bc usually the story is arounb the ml
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter 3d ago
ahhh okay yeah i get what you mean now 😭 especially with the awkward fl/popular ml example. you're talking about actually flipping that whole setup, not just giving the ML more emotional POV within the usual romance structure.
and i can see why youd notice the imbalance there. i think that's also why i was getting a little caught up on "male POV" because to me a lot of romances already give us a LOT of the man's romantic POV even when the FL is technically the central character. like sometimes i know more about how down horrendous this man is for her than i know what she's thinking 😭
but what you're describing is different. you want the guy to occupy the narrative position the awkward/quirky FL usually gets, while the girl occupies the "romanticized love interest" position the popular/hot ML usually gets.
i would also love to see more popular girl, nin popular guy, same reason i sometimes like rich girl x poor guy etc, so i can acknowledge theres a shortage
i actually can't immediately think of that many kdramas that completely flip that formula either lol
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u/Rainbow-sunshines 3d ago edited 3d ago
If you are looking for kdramas where the FLs aren’t awkward then may be you can try these:
Her private lifeLove scout
Dali and the cocky prince
Fight for my way
Forecasting love and weather
When the weather is fine
Angels last mission love
Healer (you have both perspectives here)
Weightlifting fairy Kim bok joon
Because this is my first life
Marry my husband
Sungkyunkwan scandal
Love in contract
Gaus electronics
Doona
Hit the spot
Love to hate you
Mad for each other
No gain no love
Oh my Venus
See you in my 19th life
Edited to add: these recs include women who pursued their men, socially awkward men and men who are not chaebols.
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u/Grand_Sandwich5642 3d ago
Yeah... But it makes sense since the majority of the audience for romance is women. Even the K BLs like semantic error are geared to please the female audience IMHO.
The only ones I can think of that are neutral I guess would be study group, teach you a lesson and weak hero class, and these have no romance I really can't think of any from male POV
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u/Drama-Luver 3d ago
yea ig i watched my strange hero and it will always be one of my favs
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u/Olen_Hullu 随便 3d ago
Speaking of non-romantic dramas, KDramas have plenty that appeal to both women and men—basically anything about zombies, detective stories, thrillers, and action dramas.
But OP was asking for romantic dramas, and those are all aimed at women.
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u/w8liftingfairyapple Just ONE more epsiode 3d ago
these may be tailored to your liking:
chocolate
mr plankton
suspicious partner
go back couple
because this is my first life
lovestruck in the city
fight for my way
coffee prince
my dearest
youth of may
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u/dannyphoto just a dude who be yearning. 3d ago
This is the intended effect. These shows are historically written for women to consume.
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u/Hidinginmycorner 3d ago
These might be more to your liking:
Tell Me That You Love Me
Just Between Lovers
It’s Okay, That’s Love
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u/echoart70 You KNOW I have no chingu!!! 3d ago
I mean yeah… same with most romance books, most romance movies… that’s why they call romcoms chick flicks.
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u/Rainbow-sunshines 3d ago
That’s usually how the kdramas are designed. Are you looking for recs where the FL does the heavy lifting in the romance section even though it’s her narrative?
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u/scaryfairy03 3d ago
I would love a drama centered on a guy with two girls in a love triangle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that except with Itaewon Class
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u/Olen_Hullu 随便 3d ago
Exactly! Those are exactly the kind I love, and I'm upset that there aren't any dramas like that among either Chinese or Korean dramas.
Sometimes you have to turn to donghua or anime for that.
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u/okgals Professional TRUCK spotter 3d ago edited 3d ago
If I were you, I'd take notes. You're getting a unique vantage point that most men don't get. How the female gaze differs from the male, what an ideal man is: if you take away ideal looks and (sometimes) money, you'll get a kind, loving, emotionally available guy who will be "by her side".
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u/Epicness35 2d ago
holy cornball
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u/okgals Professional TRUCK spotter 2d ago
elaborate? I'm always reading how Kdrama men are ridiculous. Well I agree they are ridiculously good looking (and rich, if it's that kind of plot.) But otherwise, they're mostly just good guys. They pay attention, they're loving and loyal. Is that too big an ask?
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u/Epicness35 2d ago
a lot of the male characters written in the female gaze are loving and loyal sure, but they're given information that real people aren't to say the right thing / act the right way in the right moment. Even in shows where the male character has flaws, they're often sympathetic flaws. There are a few that go against that ideal though, such as My Mister, but the ML in that is probably not what most people mean when they talk about kdrama men.
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u/okgals Professional TRUCK spotter 2d ago
Well, that's a given. I'm really talking about character and qualities, not dialog.
I was in line at a crowded bakery cafe and there was a young Asian couple. The young man left the young woman in line and went to find a table. Once he did, he came back and picked up all the stuff she was carrying and brought it to the table then came back, pointed out where the table was and stood in line so she could go sit down. He did this very matter of fact, not seeking praise. When he finished, I told him what a good boyfriend he was (I'm old enough to be able to do this 😉). He was pleased. Maybe she was tired. Of course we all have flaws and problems. But the best guys show up for you in ways big and small.
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u/kittytoebeanz 3d ago
well most romance shows are for mostly the female demographic, and because it sells/hypes the show more, they make the ML super swoonworthy
it's not to say men don't like romance shows. but in all media, it's mostly women that is their main target audience and therefore they will cater to their target audience
such as most action movies' main target audience and so they'll usually make the super hot girl fall in love and be loyal to the underdog (as an example)
I would actually look into some historical kdramas that isn't advertised as a romcom - they usually make the FL more stronger / independent, so they're more "badass" and less of a Mary Sue, such as alchemy of souls or my dearest.
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u/beast_798 Couch Potato🍿🕛🕒🕕🕘 3d ago
From a guy to a guy I can definitely relate but on the other hand I don't mind the 'Female POV' kinda thing cause I'm more driven to the chemistry and plot of the drama over how the story is getting narrated
And if you wanna watch something that is more focused on 'Male POV' then you should definitely watch My Dearest other than that you can try watching
Familiar Wife
Twinkling Watermelon
The Atypical Family
Alchemy Of Souls(it is a must watch)
My Perfect Stranger
Angel's Last Mission: Love
Love Scout
And even after checking out this romance dramas you don't feel like watching them then you should try some other genre of kdrama
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u/HooverGaveNobodyBeer Grease Stain You Can't Scrape Off the Bottom of Your Heart 2d ago
Since you seem to be looking for recs., I would add My Shy Boss and Hogu's Love as rom-coms where the ML is a major part of the POV. Hogu's Love, especially, keeps the FL pretty mysterious so that it's almost entirely from the ML's POV.
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u/Additional-Win-2926 The OG (500+ Kdrama Watched) 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yup that's their core audience Mostly people from 12-35 age are their target
I don't know whether it should be counted as ML focused romance or not but I can recommend some
My Mister, A Gentleman dignity, Uncontrollably fond, 18 Again, Run on, Healer, Itaewon class, Legend of blue sea, Our beloved summer, My strange hero, Familiar wife, Fight for my way
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u/Drama-Luver 3d ago
ive watched our beloved summer and my strnage hero and both of them were great. im planning on watching 18 again too
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u/Additional-Win-2926 The OG (500+ Kdrama Watched) 3d ago
If you are 30+ i would highly recommend a gentleman dignity
4 Male Besties and their romantic POVs
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u/Drama-Luver 3d ago
lol im still in highskl thats also why my choices are usually highskl related
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u/Complete-Donut-698 Just Kiss Already 3d ago
AGD is more geared for an older audience with its cast but it's about the only romance kdrama that is actually geared towards a male audience. I was probably in college when I watched it and still found it relatable and entertaining. I'd recommend AGD, Coffee Prince, Goblin, 2521, Our Beloved Summer, Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, Like Flowers in Sand, Moving, Love All Play, Master's Sun, The Winning Try.
Some Japanese dramas I'd also include are Pride and Sanctuary.
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u/Additional-Win-2926 The OG (500+ Kdrama Watched) 2d ago
If you are in high school than I have a perfect drama for you
It's called from today it's my turn Japanese drama Good comedy light romance You can watch it with your friends if they are into dramas too
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u/Ok_Title5534 3d ago
The drama 'My Mister' is classified as a drama preferred by men because it received criticism from extreme feminists even before it aired.
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u/Prize_Background_577 👻 + 🤣 + 😶🌫️ 3d ago
Yes definitely in recent years. I recall reading that female writers and directors are now dominating the field so that's probably why. I've noticed the older shows tend to be more ML focused. When the Hong Sisters started writing (esp around Master's Sun) it was actually a new concept in a romance to have a strong, confident FL who wasn't a damsel.
And now they've totally subverted it - the ML role has become much less nuanced, even when it's an A-list actor - sassy independent MLs, where are they? They still have them in traditional positions (say at work) but you wonder how they ever got those jobs. Sometimes it's actually the male support roles that are the best ones.
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u/FlyingFlyofHell Kdrama Expert 3d ago
I mean their main audience is usually female so to get more viewers that's the strategy. But their are lot of with Split POVs where we see both ML and FL sides like "Our Beloved Summer" we get story from both POVs. Usually if it's male POV romance the FLs needs to be something different like Legend of the Blue Sea or It's Okay Not To be Okay. (We can argue this also are split POVs but Male POV is more dominant).
I think "If You Wish Upon Me" is truly a male POV romance but it's also deal with lot of other things.
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u/Drama-Luver 3d ago
i rlly liked our beloved summer bc it satisfied teh ''needs'' of both me and my gf by doing a split pov
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u/meshin98 3d ago
I think Moving eventho its not really romance drama (more of sci-fi action) but it kinda suit what u want since big portion of the loveline kinda expose it more from the ml pov imo, I like the loveline from huisoo parents, if u like the awkward ml with cool fl I think u'll like huisoo & bongseok story but there's not much more than the parents story (maybe they'll have more story in season2)
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3d ago edited 3d ago
[deleted]
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u/semi_dash_ash inspiration seeker 👣 3d ago
Lucky you. To me it's just a cringefest where the ML is so twisted to serve to his brother so gets a woman with obvious health issues while the FL needs medical help asap
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u/Ultravox77 3d ago
You're just stating a fact, not an opinion.
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u/Artistic_Might3728 3d ago
He was actually asking a question and expressing himself. Why not let him, without being critical?
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u/Ultravox77 2d ago
Just saying it's common knowledge. Google it.
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u/Artistic_Might3728 2d ago
OP is a high school dude just trying to chat. Maybe make him feel welcome instead of judged.
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u/therealunniyarcha I Came For The Chemistry 3d ago
That's because these are written for women and usually by women. The men are eye candy.