Breaking up with romcoms - it's not you, it's me.

[dangermousie]

I have realized that in the last 12 months, the only romcom drama I came even close to finishing was the off-beat Marry Me Mary, where I lasted 11 episodes.

When I started this drama obsession of mine, 6 or so years ago, if I had to pick my favorite genre of drama, it would have been a romantic comedy. But while I will always have a grandfathered love for romcoms I fell for over the years (My Girl, Goong, Coffee Prince etc) and would enjoy rewatching them, I have been less and less interested in the genre and have come to realize that, by now, for a kdrama romcom to work for me would require a minor miracle (Taiwanese and Japanese romcoms, as rare as the latter are, still appeal to me due to their feel and vibe, though they are not my favorite genre of either twdrama or jdrama).

I could go all crotchety old-ladyish about it and claim that they don't make them as well nowadays but that wouldn't be true. A romcom kdrama isn't any more likely to be flawed than any other genre. And take something like My Princess - cute concept, good script, leads I adore, and yet it still couldn't keep my attention past episode 2. I have no problem with watching 59 (!!!) episodes of Song Seung Hun in a revenge/mobster epic and easily follow Kim Tae Hee as a spy or a supernatural killer, but stick them in a romcom and I lose interest faster than you can say "but they smooch!"

I could probably chalk it up to being an angst junkie (and I am) but I don't think this is it. My love of fictional angst is merely a symptom of something else - high stakes. I need high stakes to get really involved and romcom is unlikely to have it. There isn't much brain food in it either, but ultimately, I can't claim every agsty drama I like is intelligent. It really comes down to stakes - "why should I care?" Of all the drama worlds, the romcom one is the safest. In a period drama, horrible things may happen. The stakes are insanely high in revenge dramas and melodramas too. In them, death and sanity of/vengeance for yourself and/or your loved ones are on the line. What's the worst that can happen in a romcom? Two fairly decent people won't get together. It's sad but not when compared to murdering evil parents or beheading. There is no lasting harm from the worst-possible scenario in romcom - after all, without Monster McEvilsons to really bring down doom, if the OTP doesn't hook up, it's their own fault. In a way, romcom has to work even harder than any other genre - stick a character in mortal peril and it's easy to care what happens to him/her. But to make you love them enough to care about everyday things - that's harder.

Still it doesn't explain why I enjoy relatively low-stakes dramas like Dream High or Gloria (before it went into its murder/revenge mode which, ironically, I liked less). Maybe the artificial cuteness of romcom set-up is less interesting to me? I think the older I get, the less want the entire drama to revolve around romance even when the drama is a melodrama, much less when the stakes are less than life/death.

I honestly have no idea.

Comments

[veryclevername.livejournal.com]

Maybe you like things like Dream High and Gloria because they were never really entirely low-stakes?
I mean in both the main character are all working really hard just to survive, in their chosen careers or life in general. It's not quite as tense as beheadings or murder but maybe there is still enough tension to keep you interested.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

True. Dream High is pretty much an exception for me in a lot of ways anyway - I normally prefer dramas with mature/grown-up characters but I've helplessly fallen for this.

[timescout.livejournal.com]

Well, I haven't been able to get into a show centered in romance only for a while now, hence I didn't finish any of the recent 'cute' ones people went gaga over. I bailed out after some episodes in every single one as I got thoroughly bored.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am going to have to join you in your corner :)

I love a good love story when it's mixed in with everything else, but as the appetizer + main course + dessert, not really my thing any more.

[timescout.livejournal.com]

True. I've stuck to some dramas heavy on the romance when there has been interesting side characters or something else to tickle my fancy. But on the whole I prefer shows that are more of a mixture, even if they are genre specific. Other than romcoms that is.

[veryclevername.livejournal.com]

Totally off topic but, I just realized you're the second person on my friends list to say that in the last few days. I mean swan_tower was talking about romance novels, but it's still an interesting coincidence.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think for me it's an age thing. I am not ancient or anything, but I am older and have been with my husband for a while, so romcom hijinks are a lot less exciting.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I find I am getting more and more tired of formulaic dramas, even if I like/love them (like Secret Garden), fast forward A LOT. I haven't had a drama that made me truly 100% obsessed since Chuno (and before that, I used to get obsessed all the time). I have seen too many dramas, I think. It is like - blah blah blah, I have seen this all before.

So "Mary.. " , may be for the reason different to your, works well for me too (or worked - I am not loving the episode 100 too much).

[enagwolo.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the formulaic dramas but I guess it depends on my mood.

dangermousie, you loved Secret Garden, right? But I guess that was a melodramatic rom com.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the formulaic dramas but I guess it depends on my mood.

Me too, I find that I must watch out when I say "I like this" or "I don't like that", there always will be something to break the rule.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

SG was a drama I adored when I watched it but looking back I have no idea why :)

I think love-centric dramas just aren't my thing any more.

[akatsukichii.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it's because a korean rom-com is too formulaic where you can immediately tell what's going to happen next because you watched too many. (not JDramas....i've barely seen any rom-coms their either just romances or just comedy XD). I think you might like low-key things like Dream High and Gloria because the shows can still be good without the romance it just enhances the show. You get to watch proper character growth and see the people change instead of rom-coms where they claim to have changed but it's usually too sudden or the viewer can't really notice the change....eg. Secret Garden. as for tw-dramas those are just crazy and fun which makes it awesome (I have yet to see a KDrama as wacky as some J and TW Dramas...You're Beautiful brought too much drama in the last 6 episodes so it does not count :P)

On a side note I think the last JDrama rom-com I've heard about was Ohitorisama in 2009....I don't think Buzzer Beat or Natsu no Koi something something (Matsumoto Jun drama) <---didn't finish... counts in korea every drama season they're guaranteed one rom-com and in Japan they're guaranteed one or more (right now more) detective drama -_-' (Although I enjoyed Joker and Spec XD).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

This is all very true.

[karened.livejournal.com]

Re: Jdramas.

OMG How much do I miss the golden age of Japanese romance dramas. Overtime. Long Vacation.

<3 They don't do it like they did anymore.

[orangebreeze.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's because an everyday love story alone hasn't too much to work with? Like, you need other conflicts then "will they realize their love". I'm getting quite bored with RomComs lately. Never finishes MMM, My Princess is cute, but that's all. I don't like people dying all over the place and I love happy endings, but there needs to be some conflict to really sympathize with the characters. I have to say, Family Honor is the first drama that kept me on edge even after the leads got together. Normally I lose interest as soon as that happens, because afterwards nothing happens anymore :D

[enagwolo.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on not wanting to watch a drama with the leads dying at the end and wanting a happy ending so I prefer rom coms. But the dramas are formulaic which is why I broke up with kdramas a few years ago (but we reconciled in 2010).

My friend just recommended Family Honor to me but I really can't bring myself to watch any drama longer than 20 eps.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I don't mind the deaths but either way, I want things to matter and in romcoms, nothing really does.

[quaggy]

My Girl, Goong, Coffee Prince

Hmmmm... I would argue that you were never a rom-com girl to begin with. You were into romantic dramedy.. and still are giving your love for Dream High and Gloria. Though both My Girl and Goong are definitely rom-coms, they had enough drama (and angst) to see you through.

Plus it's no secret that you prefer your fluff doled out with a lighter hand.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Those are all still pretty fluffy by my standards - I honestly think I'd not care for any of them, My Girl excepted, if I first checked them out today :)

[mojadora.livejournal.com]

yeah i agree with you. there is just not enough stakes in romcoms to get you excited watching new eps and eagerly wait for new ones. i really like 'my princess' a lot but i am stuck in like ep 4 or 5 cause i won't ger the motivation to continue. i plan to marathon it instead when it finished :P i think romcoms are great for marathon-watching.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you can skip the dull bits.

[your-insomnia.livejournal.com]

Yeah I've been feeling the exact same way. Either I'm burned out from kdramas or korean romcoms have been really "dry" lately (they just don't have enough conflict to keep me interested). My Princess bored me to tears while I was watching it even though I couldn't really understand why...Cute set up, likeable characters what else did I want?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes

[lightsjustright.livejournal.com]

I think it just gets to the point where you feel like you've seen it all and nothing feels fresh or worthwhile to sit through anymore. Or, well, that's why I dropped Mary/SG and am so behind with My Princess. That said, I can still totally get flail-y over a well-done romcom. It just takes the right one. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[elizabennet69.livejournal.com]

Am I the lone voice? I love love love Korean rom coms, or rom melos anything romantic. Always happy with a romcom either in film or in TV shows. And Korean actors, both male and female are so good, it is like they were made for romantic roles.

I think the only romance TV show I didn't really like was Phoenix. Other than that I'm a total sucker for them.

This doesn't mean that I don't like action or drama. But usually I prefer the rom com/melo.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I used to, but now, I like to rabidly ship in dramas which aren't mainly romantic even if they have romance. Because otherwise it's like too much chocolate - delicious substance but you can't have too much.

[karened.livejournal.com]

I've stopped watching MP too...like...8 eps in.

Am now more involved in Jade Palace...I really love how the characters develop in every episode and how we keep finding a new/hidden side to them. Not one person (except for the very very minor ones) is flat. That makes the journey of discovering each person very intriguing and exciting.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, I love my romance but when, as in JP, it's mixed with other stuff.

[rectherapyfreak.livejournal.com]

I just finished East of Eden last night! Song Seung Hun had amused me so much in My Princess that I decided to watch some of his other stuff.

I have found that I really like dramas that are based more on family issues than romance like East of Eden and Cinderella's Sister. The historical dramas that I have seen I really enjoy too. I do like most rom coms a lot too. I guess I like everything...lol...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I love EoE. Glad you did too :)

[issy-chan.livejournal.com]

wow, it's being long time since i have left any comment on your LJ, DM. :-)
I thought i love rom-com dramas when i was watching Jdramas and i still like them alot. because they are not as cliche and as predictable as kdramas.
but now that i have been watching kdramas for over a year now, i have come to realise that i am not really a big fan of their rom-coms. I think i like a bit of angst in my dramas too. and if they are in sageuk form, it's even better.
I also finding myself FFing alot when i watch a kdrama these days. the only drama that i watched every minute of it recently was SG, Gloria up to ep25 and some months ago was Tamra the Island. of course not forgetting our all time favourite, Chuno. ;-)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes yes.

Watching anything good lately?