Kdrama brings us lots of interesting characters, with multiple facets, mysterious backgrounds,
and ample character developments.
However, this is not always the case, and most often, Kdrama screenwriters seem to not
know how to write female leads.
So, today, let’s call them out with a list of female characters who are poorly developed.
Cha Eun Sang - The Heirs A massive hit across Asia, ‘The Heirs’
follows the poor high school student Cha Eun Sang, who struggles to fit it in when she
attends a school full of rich students.
In a very Kdrama manner, she gets entangled in a love triangle with Kim Tan - who’s
on top of the school’s social hierarchy, as well as Young Do - Kim Tan’s ex-best-friend
who’s now a baddie rebel.
When Eun Sang was first introduced, she was a strong character.
She knows what her dreams were, studied with all her mind, juggled two part time jobs,
assisted and cared for her family, and put effort in everything she does.
Even at first, when she realized Kim Tan has got a fiancé and when she got recommended
into the rich school by Kim Tan’s dad, she tried to stand her ground and reject them
- giving us the expectation that she will be a female lead with a backbone.
Unfortunately, none of these favorable traits of Eun Sang make an appearance as the series
goes on.
She lets herself be dragged around like a rag doll, and her only reaction to every mishap
is to stare at the floor and cry.
She never claps back to Kim Tan - who is overwhelmingly possessive, toxic, and has no boundaries.
It didn’t help that she’s in the constant mantra of “I’m poor so I’m not worthy
to be with you” either, because in my books, she’s better than her love interest a hundred-fold!
Honestly though, out of the three main characters, only Young Do has decent character development:
growing from violent highschool bully to an actual decent and caring guy.
Eun Sang and Kim Tan, meanwhile, just continue to be stuck as damsel in distress and her
prince charming.
Which is kinda unfair to them.
Not to say I hate The Heirs though, it remains a guilty pleasure.
But Cha Eunsang?
Her potential is wasted as a character.
Eun Tae Hee - Tempted Okay, big sigh.
Tempted… probably did a way better job on its supporting cast than the main couple.
It started with this f-up game of love, where the male lead Si Hyeon, was challenged by
his friends to seduce the female lead Tae Hee.
They fall in love, because it’s a Kdrama, but honestly, the path to that end wasn’t
that well done.
Let’s look at Tae Hee specifically: she was a hard-working college student, whose
parents got an unhappy marriage.
As a result, she doesn’t believe in love, and even pity those who got swayed by such
useless feelings.
And yet, she changed like 180 degrees at the first brooding young man that approaches her!
She tries to not love him and fails and cries like 500 times over the course of the series.
She lets his mean friends trample all over her, and throw everything she believes in
out of the window for our male lead because he can act out a couple of emotions and volunteer
at the same place as her.
Honestly, she started out as a strong and smart character, only for the writer to completely
ignore that and instead makes her shed tears and stupidly fall all over a guy that toys
with her heart.
The series didn’t tackle her personal issues either, and instead just erased her trauma
with some very basic flirting techniques.
Which is funny, because Tempted actually developed the supporting characters Su Ji and Se Ji
pretty well.
They are complex, have issues, regret their decisions, and have character development.
I will forever remain bitter that the female lead was written so poorly that she completely
pales in comparison.
Oh Ha Ni - Playful Kiss Ah, let’s come back to an old series.
Playful Kiss attempts to bring charm to a very classic plot, where a dumb, unpopular,
and yet bright girl fall for the smart yet stoic school prince.
Some particular events draw the two into sharing a house though, and yes, romance blossoms.
Well, for starters, Ha Ni, our female lead, is bubbly and positive and resilient, and
also kind towards everyone that crosses her path.
This is not a bad foundation to start on, as a female lead can always retain her kindness
while having a mind of her own.
However, Ha Ni has literally no character growth throughout the series.
She’s treated like dirt by everyone, including the male lead, and yet never once learned
to stand her ground.
Her only purpose in life is to be with him, actually, and that’s kind of… worrying,
because girl, you need to value your own happiness!
Watching the series, I keep expecting Ha Ni to at least be mad at the male lead for once,
and develop her own path.
However, it didn’t happen, as our male protagonist was mean to her even towards the end, and
Ha Ni stayed insecure even after she got married!
When she finally decided to become a nurse - I was happy - only for that tiny glimmer
of hope to be squashed as it turns out to be that she did that only because her love
Baek Seung Jo was becoming a doctor.
Honestly, Playful Kiss has its funny and charming moments.
Ha Ni and Seung Jo have chemistry, if you can look past all the mistreatment…
Still, it would be immensely better if the writers give Ha Ni even just a dust of self-respect
so she can actually be treated properly by everyone else!
Geum Jan Di - Boys Over Flowers Yes, Boys Over Flowers is a childhood favorite
that I still rewatch every couple of years.
The series follows the poor yet hard working girl Jan Di, and her struggles as she attends
an elite school for rich people.
And it has got a quick pace, a flair of drama, a party of visuals, and like, a legendary
lineup of OSTs, so it remains pretty remarkable even over time.
For the first couple of episodes, I love Geum Jan Di.
She’s head-strong, very resilient of her morals, and would be a great person to be
friends with.
She is heroic and athletic, and when she throws money at Goo Jun Pyo’s face and talks down
to him?
That makes me crack up.
However, the series, along its course, had failed Jan Di’s character.
They turned her from a resolute heroine willing to stand her ground and fight back into a
basic damsel-in-distress trophy cup that no longer knows how to have fun.
Just saying, the Jan Di of the first few episodes wouldn’t try to find a necklace in a dead-ass
snowstorm, nor would jump into the pool dramatically to rekindle the memory of her love.
At times, I really have to question: where was the kick-ass Jan Di that would stand up
for other people, where's the resolute Jan Di who’s dead set on achieving her dream
as a professional swimmer?
The writer just turned her into a plot device that will continuously fall into danger just
so the male lead can rescue her, and I just cannot stand by that.
Boys Over Flowers would be much better if the female lead can stay the way she was.
Kim Hye Jin - She Was Pretty Finally, we got ‘She Was Pretty’ - a classic
little drama that revolves around Kim Hye Jin - a beautiful girl from a rich family
- who later lost both of her wealth and beauty.
This is why when her estranged childhood friend Ji Sung Joon comes back and requests to meet,
she’s ashamed of her looks and asks her best friend to pretend to be her.
So, Hye Jin was a pretty depressing character: she hates her own looks and personality, and
needs ample work on her self-esteem.
Still, this is understandable and relatable - she has been criticized for being quote,
ugly, for years, and her skills are underrated because society always values outer appearance.
For at least half of the series, I absolutely clicked with Hye Jin’s character: she’s
capable, smart, kind, and a great friend.
She’s not a text-book strong female icon, but rather a simple and relatable girl with
her own securities and personality.
She wants to improve her looks - and that’s realistic too.
However, the way Hye Jin’s character was developed was pretty questionable.
She never stands up to those that disregard her, and instead a makeover just magically
solves all.Her quirkiness also seems to vanish after she becomes pretty - and instead, she’s
now all prim and proper and as straight-laced as her new hair-do.
The series showed Hye Jin’s development all in one-day over her change in looks - instead
of letting her grow into her own self.
Well, the series did appease me in the end, when she accepted her own beauty.
So, She Was Pretty is still pretty high on my recommendation list, if you are just looking
to enjoy something simple.
And that’s the list!
Do you think that these female characters can be better, if given proper development?
Are there any other female leads that you think were poorly written?
Don’t hesitate to state your opinions!
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