Random question but was there ever a kdrama male lead that you guys thought was very close to real? I like how now we don’t always have alpha males but beta too but honestly they are quite ideal too. I mean the male lead is always likeable in k and also c dramas. I think there will be examples in J or T dramas. But do some come to your mind? Any male lead that looked believable enough to be a guy we have met in our lives. I think when it comes to female leads, there is still a wide range but very short range for ml.

1
18

    Yong sik from When the Camellia Blooms. I would never call them country bumpkins for being earnest and wearing their heart of their sleeve. But you know who they are and what to expect and that is great.

    5
    1

      This came to my mind when I was writing it but you know he was still very ideal. Well maybe you have a met a guy like Yong Shik.

      1
      1

        Quite a few later in life. There are some that are other there with a IDGAF attitude and how who they are and who they are is pretty awesome.

        Not everyone is looking to be the coolest person in the room when they know they already are and not have to work at it.

        2
        1

          That’s awesome. I thought Yong Shik wasn’t all that real either because he fit the” too good to be true “category for me.

          0
          0

    Ban Do from Go Back Couple
    Dong Baek from Accidental Couple

    2
    1

      I hesitate to add this, but Lee Hwa Shin from Jealousy Incarnate felt painfully real to me, too. Not very normal maybe, but very real.

      2
      1

        Ohhh Ban Do is a really good example. I had totally forgotten about him. This guy definitely had a range, didn’t we all hate him in the beginning? Then slowly begin to like him and see him fully. Ban do was a very real husband in his 30s.
        Haven’t seen accidental couole, will check that out.
        I love Lee Hwa Shin but idk if I will call him real. I mean, he was, they were, everybody in JI was real to some extent. Maybe I haven’t met someone like him so I can’t really connect the dots.

        0
        1

          Well no, I may be the only person who loved Ban Do from the very first minute. I cried with him every time he cried. I love the show but I struggle with watching his wife’s scenes whenever I am rewatching the show.

          Yeah, I guess one can’t think of a character as real if one hasn’t met a person at least a little bit similar. My heart broke for him like it might break for someone in my own family.

          2
          1

            I had strong SLS in Go Back Couple and came to like Ban do when the show revealed itself slowly that he was always the best choice. Seems like you have met a Hwa Shin. I think his wackiness is hard to find but the rest, the jealousy and family issues included Hwa Shin was very real. In all honesty, I would love to meet someone like him for his comedic timing alone.

            0
            0

    Kang Ho Rim from The Man Who Dies to Live. Despite the wacky drama, him, his wife and his daughter felt real.

    Ban Do from Go Back Spouses.

    2
    1

      Haven’t seen Man who dies to live but Band do definitely fits, so I’m guessing Kang ho Rim does too. I am seeing a pattern here, it is mostly the married men, no? Are the single men only supposed to be ideal?

      0
      0

    Goo Dae Young in Let’s Eat. He reminds me of a guy liked years ago, especially in the third season seeing him as a college student. A very social guy, a good friend that’s always there to help those around him. He’s just a nice guy to everyone.

    Jo Suk in the sitcom/webdrama The Sound of Your Heart. He may not be the most clever, rich or handsome guy but he always tries his best in everything he does. There are fails, there are successes in both family and love life and it makes him real. I encountered people who sometimes fail or achieve their goals and they keep going. The fact he’s in a sitcom explains why this character is more real.

    Jo Seok Moo in Matrimonial Chaos. He’s not the perfect husband (there’s definitly a pattern ha!) and not the most likable person on earth but I somehow could relate to him. Mostly his way of not getting involved with people’s bussness.

    There must other dramas but I can’t think of more right now.

    2
    2

      Yes to Jo Seok Moo in Matrimonial Chaos.

      3
      0

      Totally agree on Go Dae Young. I have only seen season 3 of Let’s eat and I was surprised to see GDY being your very real everyday neighbourhood boy lol. Also his college self was very similar to boys I knew in college. I did see one episode of Sound of Your heart, I think Jo Suk fits in too. He was a beta male but not ideal at least. By Jo Seok Mo you mean Cha Tae Hyuns character? Cha Tae Hyun and Bae Doona’s character were both like a real life couple, again I have only seen an episode and I remember being irritated by him lol.

      1
      1

        Goo Dae Young could be any guy we know/knew. I cheered for the romance in Let’s Eat 3 because I felt like seeing myself having a crush back then haha

        Since The Sound of Your Heart isn’t romance centered and more of a slice-of-life, we see Jo Suk as a real human. I recommend to pick it up again, it’s really entertaining.

        Yes, I meant Cha Tae Hyun’s character. It’s normal to be irritated in the first episode and as the drama episodes go, you will grow attached to him or be less irritated lol

        0
        0

    I always thought it was the other way around? The guys are always allowed to have flaws and feel more realistic while the FLs have be almost perfect or at least very nice people. I can’t really get them kkkk.

    1
    1

      Maybe because although MLs are allowed to have flaws, but the flaws are not normal everyday flaws you see about?

      For my own choices, apart from LHS, the other two felt just very normal everyday guys. No matter what flaw or merit they had.

      1
      1

        Agreed. The flaws in male leads are usually his jerk attitude, his family problems, hardly sometimes his submissiveness. But in all cases they are still very ideal. They are shown in a way that the audience does end up liking them. That doesn’t go for the female lead and there is a wider range of female leads where being “the ideal woman” is far from reach. Only recently we have had shows like WWW where you could think that these women are far from normal/are ideal/or girl crush type. But that’s almost always the case with men. Dramas are mostly catered to women hence, the writers do make male leads that are far from your normal, everyday guy even if they have flaws. Otoh I think even an irritating candy exists in the real world and looks normal.

        0
        0