Today’s post is inspired by Jesse!
In the course of one of our chats scattered across the blog, where I was trying to think of dramas to recommend to Jesse, I’d suggested Romance Is A Bonus Book. He’d ultimately sounded quite happy with this suggestion and said that he would probably check it out soon, but, he’d also said this, about the first time he’d considered watching the show:
“I remember at the time that I came across the show in a search awhile back, I saw the word “success” (as in Cha Eun-ho is a successful author) and completely lost interest. I didn’t want to see successful characters! I wanted to see losers and average Joes, because that’s who I could relate to at the time. I wanted to see love interacting with unremarkable people so I could nod and say, “See, Jess – it happens. Just you wait…”
..And that made me realize that Dramaland’s been so focused on creating everygirls and everywomen to give the female viewers (traditionally a majority) someone to identify with, that it’s forgotten that our growing number of male viewers would also appreciate an everyman to identify with. So I set about coming up with a list of dramas featuring regular guys – instead of the usual chaebol prince, or requisite geeenius – as romantic leading men.
Coz a regular guy deserves to feel the feels too, yes?
Dear Jesse and every other guy out there who’s felt marginalized by Dramaland’s penchant for unreasonably successful male lead characters,
I’m sorry that Dramaland hasn’t caught up to the fact that its male viewer demographic is changing, nor adjusted its programming to equalize things more. That kinda sucks, now that I think about it.
I’m really glad that you’re here though! I love that we’re seeing more and more male drama fans in our midst. You bring male perspective to our discussions, and that makes all our conversations feel richer and more interesting. Thank you! 🙂
I haven’t seen ALL of the dramas out there, but I’ve seen quite a few, so I’m here to share with you, what I hope will be a list of dramas that will feel more relatable than most.
As always, if you guys have insights, perspectives &/or more drama titles to share, please tell us all about it in the comments below! <3
What kind of shows qualify to be on this list?
Lemme see.. I know some good ones!
Since today’s focus is on the more relatable romantic leading man, here are the guidelines I’ve decided to work within:
1. He’s not a chaebol prince, nor a genius, nor uber successful;
2. He can have a job or be a professional, since regular guys have jobs too;
3. He can be a senior executive, if he comes across as a relatable regular guy;
4. Kinda spoilery? But he has to be our romantic leading man and therefore get the girl in the end;
5. Said girl may or may not be an everygirl;
6. No period dramas, or dramas with fantasy elements like time travel etc, to maintain relatability.
Guess what? I’m happy to report that I have a decent number of shows to share, that fulfill these criteria. 😀
REGULAR GUY ROMANCE SHOW SUGGESTIONS
20th Century Boy and Girl
Regular Joe cred: He’s got a job as an investment banker, but he’s very down-to-earth and feels like a decent, normal guy.
Other notes: Angst-lite and warm, Show’s more a friends-to-lovers story than a tale of a top actress falling for a regular guy. The bestie gal pal just happens to be a successful actress, is all. Some suspension of disbelief required; ie, how does the top actress walk around without a gaggle of fans rushing to say hello all the time? Great if you’re looking for something light and easy.
Flash Review is here.
Answer Me 1988
Regular Joe cred: There’s a love triangle in this, and strong fan feelings about both contenders, so I’ll just say that everyone’s pretty much a regular Joe in this show. And the one character who’s some kind of genius, is mostly awkward at everything else.
Other notes: Such a warm sense of community in this show, that I almost love that more than the main love triangle. All the characters have their time to shine, as Show focuses on both the kids and the parents.
Review is here.
Answer Me 1994
Regular Joe cred: Like Answer Me 1988, there’s a love triangle in this too, and strong fan feelings about both contenders, so I’ll just say that everyone’s pretty much a regular Joe in this show, regardless of their occupation.
Other notes: Again, very strong warm family feels. This time, instead of a wider community, it’s more of a found family vibe, with most of our characters living under the same roof.
Review is here.
Be Melodramatic
Regular Joe cred: Because this features an ensemble cast, there’s more than one loveline in this show. Importantly, all the male love interests in this drama world are regular people. The one male love interest who’s extra successful at his job is played by Ahn Jae Hong, who is cut from a different, more unassuming cloth than the usual sharply chiseled male lead, which makes him more relatable.
Other notes: A really refreshingly written drama that feels quirky and funny, without feeling try-hard.
Review is here.
Fight My Way
Regular Joe cred: He’s a regular guy who happens to be an ex-taekwondo athlete trying to make good as an MMA fighter.
Other notes: She’s a regular gal, who works in a department store and aspires to be a newscaster. A friends-to-lovers story that feels organic and endearing. The final episode feels overly neat, but Show is otherwise solid and enjoyable. Bonus points to Show for being about underdogs striving to break into careers for which they feel under-qualified.
Review is here.
Find Yourself [China]
Regular Joe cred: He’s an intern fresh out of college.
Other notes: She’s his manager, he’s considered a family friend. He’s attracted to her; she’s under pressure to find a husband and settle down, now that she’s over 30. Show is light and quite fluffy, but manages to serve up some thoughtful nuggets via voiceovers by our various characters.
Review is here.
Five Children (Five Enough)
Regular Joe cred: Both leads are single parents in regular jobs.
Other notes: A sweet story of a second chance at love, and how that involves much more than just two people being in love; it’s also about the intricacies and challenges of meshing two families.
Flash Review is here.
In Time With You [Taiwan]
Regular Joe cred: He’s a regular guy who has a job at the airport.
Other notes: She’s a manager at a shoe company. They’ve been friends since high school, and have been besties since. A very relatable friends-to-lovers story, and this OTP is so natural together.
Flash Review is here.
Let’s Eat 2
Regular Joe cred: He’s an insurance advisor by day, and food blogger by night.
Other notes: She’s a neighbor and long-lost schoolmate. As they bicker and bond over food, feelings blossom. The food porn is not the most attractive in this installment, but this is the best handled OTP arc of the 3 Let’s Eat shows, in my opinion. As a bonus, there are community feels from the coming together of the ragtag bunch of neighbors in the building.
Review is here.
Life is Beautiful
Regular Joe cred: Everyone is a regular Joe!
Other notes: A family drama set in gorgeous Jeju Island, there are several lovelines in this show, with couples of varying ages and life stations taking turns in the spotlight. Shout-out to Show for not only presenting a rare gay loveline, but handling it with a great deal of sensitivity.
Review is here.
Miss Korea
Regular Joe cred: He owns a small company, but his company isn’t doing great.
Other notes: She works as an elevator girl in a department store. In an attempt to save his company, he and his team work with her, to prepare her to compete in the Miss Korea pageant and love blossoms in the process. Understated and warm, I feel this show is pretty underrated.
Review is here.
Ojakgyo Brothers
Regular Joe cred: Everyone’s a regular Joe!
Other notes: A family drama featuring OTPs of varying ages and life stations. Our youngest OTP is Joo Won’s quiet detective, to UEE’s self-absorbed rich girl who finds herself stranded without her usual resources. A very heartwarming drama all-around.
Review is here.
One Spring Night
Regular Joe cred: He’s a single father who works as a pharmacist.
Other notes: She works at a library, and meets him by chance one day, when she pops into his pharmacy for a hangover cure. An instant connection evolves into stronger feelings, and this would-be couple has to navigate the complications of their circumstances, where she wants to break up with her parent-approved boyfriend, and he’s not considered a good match because he’s a single dad. Show does a nice job handling character development and the couple dynamics are healthy yet believable.
Review is here.
Plus Nine Boys
Regular Joe cred: He’s 29 and works for a tour agency.
Other notes: She’s his friend and colleague. A friends-to-lovers set-up, with a love triangle thrown in, this show is warm, everyday and relatable. Our story also features 9-, 19-, and 39-year-old male characters, all trying to overcome the “curse” of the plus-nine age, which is supposed to bring more hardship than average.
Flash Review is here.
Thirty But Seventeen
Regular Joe cred: He’s a quiet and reserved set designer.
Other notes: She wakes up from a 13-year coma, and finds that her entire life has changed. A lovely, warm story of healing and found family.
Review is here.
Twenty Again
Regular Joe cred: He’s a theater arts professor.
Other notes: She’s his ex-schoolmate, returning to earn the college degree she never got, because she’d fallen pregnant at age 19. A friends-to-lovers story that’s sensitively handled, with a lot of the spotlight on her rediscovering her self-worth.
Review is here.
We Married As A Job [Japan]
Regular Joe cred: He’s a computer nerd.
Other notes: She chooses to earn a living as a housekeeper because of the tough job market, and because of.. Developments, they agree on a contract pretend marriage that’s purely professional. Feelings grow, and it’s all very endearing and cute. Both our leads are polite and dorky all the way through, and Show is quintessentially quirky in its Japanese way.
Flash Review is here.
When The Camellia Blooms
Regular Joe cred: He’s a policeman whose greatest asset is his earnestness and passion.
Other notes: She’s a single mom who runs the neighborhood bar. He falls instantly in love, and proceeds to court her in his dorky, earnest way. A serial killer is thrown into the mix to spice things up, but this show truly shines in its character moments and relationships.
Flash Review is here.
IN CLOSING
I hope you guys will find something relatable to watch, from this list! Some of these shows are a little older, but they are all solid watches that I personally enjoyed.
As always, if you guys have other shows to recommend or insights to share, please tell us about it in the comments – coz sharing is caring. 😉
I hope this helps!
Love! ❤
~kfangurl
Can you feel.. my heart?
POST-SCRIPT:
1. If you feel that I missed anything, or if you have your own insights that you’d like to share with the rest of us, do tell us about it in the comments!
2. Do you have a question of your own? Drop me a comment here or on the Dear kfangurl page, or send me an email!
