Romantic Tropes in “Bridgerton” and the K-dramas that Feature Them

Did you get completely swept up in the “Bridgerton” craze that took over the world with corsets and secret glances this year? Have you perchance been standing six feet away wearing not only a mask but also a full-bodied gown, elaborate bun, and pointed boots? You’re not alone.  Shonda Rhimes’ “Bridgerton” became a sudden Netflix phenomenon that took the world by storm and swept us all into its updo. If you’ve finished the series and are looking to satisfy your thirst for more gripping romances — the kind where holding hands is the biggest scandal in town — then look no further than South Korean dramas. 

The longing glances, the hand-holding, the proclamations  of love… and the contract relationships. Korean dramas have everything you want and more ready to be poured over you in a wash of tingling romantic feels. Here we break down the biggest romantic tropes from “Bridgerton” that you can also find in droves in K-dramas. Like what you see and aren’t sure where to watch these shows? Not to worry, all the shows listed below are available to stream right now on KOCOWA!

FORCED PROXIMITY OR STUCK TOGETHER

One of the absolute best tropes to get romantic juices flowing is when two love leads are stuck together. Whether  it’s at a restaurant, an office space, or snowed in on a mountainside, forced proximity brings the heat of keeping two people in constant contact with one another. Bridgerton accomplished this with the contract relationship trope, but there are a variety of ways this trope is used in popular shows.

Switched luggage? Amnesia? Stuck on a boat? All are fair game when this trope comes into play, and if done well, whoo boy, can this ignite a love for the ages! Pair it afterwards with the separation trope, and you might just burn a hole through your screen with all the pining. If Stuck Together is your trope of choice, then be sure to check out these K-dramas: “Still 17” (stuck as roommates), “Oh My Venus” (stuck as workout partners), “I am Not a Robot” (stuck as a robot maid, yes lawd), “Wok of Love” (stuck in a restaurant), “Coffee Prince” (stuck in a coffee shop), “Warm and Cozy” (stuck on Jeju Island), “Shopaholic Louis” (stuck in Seoul because amnesia).

FAKE DATING OR CONTRACT RELATIONSHIPS

“Bridgerton” relied heavily on the fake dating trope to ignite the love affair between Simon and Daphne – and so do K-dramas. Fake dating is an immensely fun trope because it foregoes the presumptions of impressing the other person. Oh yes, fake dating throws the air of expectations into the sea and allows two people to learn how to enjoy each other’s company without any presumptions of love. In fact, ew, how COULD these two EVER be in love? Not happening!

The fake dating trope gives room for real chemistry to form and flourish through forced proximity. Throw in the Enemies to Lovers trope (more on that below) and you’ve got the beginning of one saucy love story on your hands. K-dramas are rife with Fake Dating or contract relationships. If this trope makes you sit up and pull out a buttery bag of popcorn, then look no further than these popular K-dramas: “Fated to Love You” (marriage contract), “Lie to Me” (dating contract), “King 2 Hearts” (engagement contract), “Big” (switched body forced relationship), “Coffee Prince” (dating contract).

ENEMIES TO LOVERS, RIVALS TO LOVERS, OR HATE TO LOVE

Do you love it when burning hate turns into burning love? Then you might have a passion for the enemies to lovers trope! This one is exactly what it sounds like: Two people start out hating each other and, against their own will (and possibly with a little help from forced proximity), end up falling in love. The Enemies to Lovers trope belongs to another lovely trope, the Slow Burn romance (see below), which fits perfectly because that passionate, hate-fueled fire has to be cooled into a slow-burning, marshmallow kind of love — totally swoon-worthy! This beloved trope was made popular by Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and continues to live on in Korean dramas. In fact, almost all K-dramas have a bit of that hate-to-love in them.

If you love hate-to-love with a burning passion, then check out the following K-dramas: “My Love from the Star”, “Master’s Sun”, “Coffee Prince”, “I am Not a Robot”, “It’s Okay That’s Love”, “Suspicious Partner”, “Oh My Venus”, “Pasta”, and “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo”.

SLOW BURN ROMANCE (That hand-holding type of love)

Now, this is one trope that I think Korean television shows entirely own. Seriously, it’s what brings many people to K-dramas in the first place. Every Korean drama romance is a slow burn. I’m talking about the longing glances, the hand-holding, the smiling at text messages, and daydreaming about that other person’s type of love story. Even if the love is reciprocated early on, it is still a slow burn.

These love stories take their time to make the audience scream at their screen: “CAN YOU AT LEAST HOLD HANDS ALREADY!?” Yes, holding hands is a big plot point, and so is using casual language (using honorifics to more casual friendship language) and opening doors. Forget kissing, oh no, kissing is too much of a  satisfying climax that can only show up until episode 9 at the earliest, and when I tell you it’s satisfying, dear readers, it is more than satisfying, it is a love explosion – as in, I have exploded! 

As mentioned, practically every K-drama has a slow burn romance, but here are a few to check out first: “Do You Like Brahms” (musical contemporary romance), “Coffee Prince” (contemporary romance), “Love in the Moonlight” (historical romance), “Still 17” (contemporary romance), “My Love From Another Star” (fantasy romance), and “Fight for My Way” (contemporary romance).

My personal recommendations on this list are the classic “Coffee Prince,” the oldie but goodie “Pasta,” the comedy-horror filled “Master’s Sun,” the so-weird-it-shouldn’t-be-good and yet is amazing, “My Love From Another Star,” the bickering friends-to-lovers in “Fight for My Way,” and lastly, the adorable college romance, “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo.” All shows have the “Bridgerton” tropes we all love (and even more to fall in love with), and are all available right now on KOCOWA. Start your free 14-day trial today!

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