Friday Feature: Two of hearts

The whole point of romantic K-dramas is to take two unlikely people and mash them together to create something greater than its parts. Here are our favourite couples who proved that two are better than one.

Let’s Eat

Sharing nothing but a love of food, uptight legal secretary Lee Soo Kyung (Lee Soo Kyung) and debt-ridden insurance salesman Goo Dae Young (Yoon Doo Joon) make a perfect couple… of gluttons. Soo Kyung is first attracted to Dae Young when she discovers that he’s the writer of her favourite food blog, and Dae Young eventually reciprocates when he realizes that he likes eating with her the best. In fact, they kiss for the first time in a street vendor’s stall over a plate of chicken feet. When they finally stopped eating long enough to confess their feelings, they disappointed me by not going out to eat to celebrate. I guess they were full from the 14 episodes they’d already spent stuffing their faces. Now that’s the kind of love I can get behind. – Only 만

Heartstrings

Kyu Won (Park Shin Hye) is a classical music nerd. Shin (Jung Yong Hwa) is the lead of a popular band and an ice prince that all the girls at school swoon over. Kyu Won also falls for Shin, but is coldly rejected. Yet, after forced interaction, their chemistry is obvious. Shin warms up to Kyu Won, and works to win back her affections. When Kyu Woo finally relents, Shin actively demonstrates their dating status. Their unlikely pairing horrifies everyone at school, and causes Kyu Won fear of having her hair pulled by jealous girls. As usual, Park Shin Hye ruins every kissing scene, but the couple talk a lot, which is nice. When a nasty rumour concerning Kyu Won and a male teacher is thrown in his face, Shin rushes to meet Kyu Won in order to protect her from the scandal, never considering the veracity of the story nor worrying about its reflection on him. She is plucky and selfless, and he is the best high school boyfriend, ever.  – Junggugeo Kaenada 중국어 캐나다

Master’s Sun

Initially attracted by his ability to repel the ghosts who torment her, Tae Gong Shil (Gong Hyo Jin) stalks the selfish, money-obsessed Joo Joong Won (So Ji Sub) and barges into his controlled world. In spite of his better instincts, he keeps her around until the inevitable happens, and they fall in love. Granted, they have to go through every K-drama delay tactic on the way to their happy ending, including amnesia, another woman, his disapproving family, and a pointless time skip, but their chemistry is so great that it doesn’t matter. – 만

School 2013

The bromance between Nam Soon (Lee Jong Suk) and Heung Soo (Kim Woo Bin) is as intense as any K-drama romance, and sadly, just as platonic. Nam Soon lives in a state of self-imposed penance, allowing the high school bullies to punish him at will until Heung Soo, a blast from the past, arrives on the scene. Heung Soo demands satisfaction for having his future destroyed by Nam Soon. Nam Soon offers to drop out of school. When Heung Soo scoffs at the idea that quitting school is a sufficient sacrifice for Nam Soon, Nam Soon reveals that what he is sacrificing is the possibility of reconciliation with Heung Soo. There are more angry tears and bitter words after that, but Nam Soon’s willingness to take a beating, literally and figuratively, for Heung Soo slowly chips away at his resolve until he agrees to eating and hanging out with Nam Soon, which essentially means the bromance is back on. – 중국어 캐나다

First Shop of Coffee Prince

Prodigal chaebol Choi Han Gyul (Gong Yoo) resists his family’s desire to marry him off, by hiring the cheerful, hard-working Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) to play his boyfriend when he’s sent on arranged dates. He ends up falling for Eun Chan so hard that he questions his own sexual orientation. When it’s revealed that she lied to him about being a man, he’s upset for a while, but then gets over it. They’re so happy when they finally get together that it should be nauseating; instead, it’s just awesome. She throws her chastity to the winds (what a sacrifice), and he sings her a song on a rooftop. Just writing this made me want to watch it again, so I did. – 만

Baby Faced Beauty

So Young (Jang Na Ra) is a 34 year old pretending to be 25 years old who is universally mistreated. Her sole supporter is her 27 year old work colleague, Jin Wook (Daniel Choi) who finds subtle ways to help her as a good oppa should, while allowing her to be self-sufficient. She attempts to break things off with Jin Wook before their actual age difference is discovered, and when the truth does come to light, he is upset at being deceived. In the end, Jin Wook decides that whatever her age, he likes So Young. When So Young becomes more career-focused in the latter part of the series, she is as independent as she ever was, but Jin Wook is there to provide support and cheer her on with boyish enthusiasm.  – 중국어 캐나다

Readers: who are your favourite couple?

Their love gets you through a long work day. Share your happy thoughts in the Comments below.