Okay, I’m really curious. What’s the appeal in love triangles? Like, why are there so many dramas that use this trope? For me, it’s the fastest motivator to drop a drama.

A plot centered around a love triangle is going to cause nothing but unnecessary drama, pointless heartbreaks and otherwise nice characters acting out of character pursuing a dead-end romance. Someone always gets hurt and then there are episodes devoted to watching them cry in the shadows or hinder the main characters’ reciprocated love.

It seems like such a tiresome and draining plot device. I understand writers use it to elongate the story but I don’t understand why the audience receives it well enough for it to be a popular plot device.

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    Angst. They want sth to act as a hurdle. That is why SLS exists, they make the second lead so appealing that one thinks he/she deserves more. But it’s actually really just angst, which is important to keeping some people engaged. Now I guess many people including me are better off without a second lead causing useless problems for the destined to be couple.

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      I’m one of those people that feel they are better off. Especially in K-dramas where the seemingly nice SL starts to force their feelings on the female lead and somewhat bully them into a quasi relationship.

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    In addition to angst/conflict I think some people like to imagine having two people vying for their attention.

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    I have no problem with love triangles. They work because they do exist in real life so it’s very easy to understand and place yourself in their shoes. Many kdramas do use it only as plot device which is probably why some people begin thinking most of them as this.

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    Forced and contrived conflict lol.
    Don’t know how to write decent characters with decent motivations and therefore realistic conflict? Love triangle.
    😛
    Sometimes kdrama is so “here’s how to write using a bingo chart” it’s hilarious, but also do I wish more from it a lot.

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    I despise love triangles. I know they are present in most dramas, possibly to create tension that would otherwise not exist but I really don’t like them as a plot device. Especially when a second lead keeps pursuing someone who has made it very clear that they are not interested or that they are interested in someone else. It’s almost as if the second leads go “That’s why I like him/her! He/she doesn’t want me and so I’ll pursure them even harder”. How is that a thing that makes sense??

    Ok rant over. I really don’t like love triangles in case you couldn’t tell.

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      I can spend hours ranting about how ridiculous of a plot device it is. Personally, I’m an independent being who can not stand the thought of someone imposing their rules/feelings/way-of-life on me. I don’t like to impose and I expect not to be imposed upon.

      In love triangles, the SL almost ALWAYS end up imposing their feelings on the ML. And imposing feels like there’s a hand wrapped around my throat. It frustrates me to no end and I feel like I can’t breathe. It is no exaggeration when I say I ABHOR love triangles. And when the SLs aren’t imposing their feelings, they’re spending precious screen-time crying in angst. I don’t get angst after a certain age! Like, move on with your life. It’s been a couple of episodes already!!! I guess I can’t relate.
      If someone doesn’t like you back, you try to move on. It might be difficult depending on how much you like them but you can move on. I just don’t get how you can make that tiring, exhausting plot device take center stage in the story you’re telling.

      And if it was done in taste (I honestly don’t think it can) it’d be less exhausting. But K-dramas and J-dramas – and dramas in general – have proved it can’t over and over again. I just despise how otherwise reasonable characters become so unbearable and forceful. It’s like they just destroy a character’s growth/trajectory just to create unnecessary conflicts.

      Rant not done but I will stop here.

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        “I guess I can’t relate.
        If someone doesn’t like you back, you try to move on. It might be difficult depending on how much you like them but you can move on”. This ☝️👏👏

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