[HanCinema's News] Romantic Dramas Increasingly Feature One Woman Alongside Many Men

Romantically themed television dramas in South Korea appear to be moving away from traditional one man, one woman projects, as many current and upcoming titles instead take the approach of having one woman alongside many potential male partners. The trend, while not new, has typically been used for younger characters. The current trend featuring women in their thirties in such roles, however, has hinted at attempts by drama producers to chase a more mature audience.

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To date the outcomes of this strategy have not been excellent. "Oh My Baby", which features an older woman desperately trying to become pregnant in anticipation of her decreasing fertility, has done poorly in the ratings in spite of featuring hitmaker Jang Nara in the lead role. "Born Again", in a more genre bending approach, did similarly weakly throughout its run. Although in that case, there were larger problems at work than just the lead being torn between two different men.

Additionally, not all the news has been bad. "Hospital Playlist" performed excellently with a male-dominated cast with comparatively few women in the main spotlight to go around. Of course, "Hospital Playlist" was not principally a romantic drama, although neither was it particularly a standard medical drama, focusing on social elements in general. Still, the drama's conclusion involving the character played by Jeon Mi-do, however, was deliberately left open as a possible sequel hook.

However, whatever reasons there are for these varying outcomes will only indirectly affect two upcoming major dramas that will utilize similar premises. "Was It Love" and "To All The Guys Who Loved Me" will both premiere in July. "Was It Love" is aiming for a reversal of the premise of "Oh My Baby", with its lead being a single mother, while "To All The Guys Who Loved Me" is expected to feature more of an antagonistic tone between its female lead and the men who pursue her.

For this trend, the traditional first lead, second lead dynamics are unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon. With success for most dramas being elusive, even as some transform into major hitmakers, new ideas are constantly being tried. Whether this one may have a more permanent presence will depend a lot on how "Was It Love" and "To All The Guys Who Loved Me"are perceived.

Written by William Schwartz