Welcome to Couch Kimchi‘s very first round table discussion here on Soompi. This will be a regular feature where we talk about everything and anything drama-related.
Since we like to have fun, we’ve decided to start off with a bang, or more appropriately, a smooch because our very first topic is kisses!
Ahhh … kissing. It’s the ultimate form of fanservice. Most K-drama kisses occur after a long buildup to that moment and are designed to let the audience know the romance is officially beginning.
Google defines the act as “the touch with the lips as a sign of love, sexual desire, reverence, or greeting.”
Clockwatcher: Although in older dramas, it was more like “touch chin with lips from a strategic angle.”
Rinchan: To kiss, as defined by a K-drama fan, is that one thing you want the OTP to do, but with which the writer will forever troll you.
Tessieroo: LOL. True! While watching a few dramas, I’ve found myself screaming, “Just kiss her!” The writer is holding out on me.
Angie: I’m usually yelling at the girl to kiss back. When you’re opposite Lee Min Ho or Lee Jun Ki, I want to see you take full advantage of the opportunity. The guys don’t hold back, and the women shouldn’t either!
Table of Contents
WHY DO WE LOVE KISSES?
K-DRAMA KISS vs. REAL LIFE KISS
FAVORITE KINDS OF KISSES & FAVORITE K-DRAMA KISSES
WORST KINDS OF KISSES & WORST K-DRAMA KISSES
HOW K-DRAMA KISSES ARE CHANGING OVER TIME
K-DRAMA KISSES ON CABLE VS. THE BIG 3
FORCED KISSES IN K-DRAMAS
FAVORITE KISSERS
KISS SCENES ARE MORE REALISTIC NOW, BUT WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN FUTURE DRAMAS?
WHY DO WE LOVE KISSES?
Clockwatcher: Because we are pervs?
Angie: Definitely! But that’s “we” as in most of the Asian drama viewing population. On any discussion thread, there are pages of screencaps and gifs of kisses, and fans get very excited if they notice even a teeny bit of French involved.
Tessieroo: It’s the female version of porn? Women like to watch romantic, sweet kisses while men … Oh, lets just not go there.
Leila: We are not. We are simply … what’s the right word? Romantic.
Angie: Sappy.
Clockwatcher: Haha. In summary, one woman’s romance is another man’s porn.
Rinchan: Well, lets just say it’s the publicly accepted way to display those types of feelings before an audience.
K-DRAMA KISS vs. REAL LIFE KISS
Clockwatcher: Most of us aren’t the maid’s daughter with whom the chaebol heir falls in love. We usually meet people and go on dates before we kiss. So, the first kiss usually takes place on a date. Sometimes, it’s spontaneous, and other times, it’s at the awkward moment at the end of the date when we want to let our partner know we had a good time. In dramas, it’s completely different.
Angie: Yes, in real life it’s on a date … or while drunk at a party …
Tessieroo: It’s also interesting to me that most dramas don’t follow any unspoken rules of dating, like the seven dates rule—no kissing until the seventh date.
Clockwatcher: Gosh, seven dates?
Tessieroo: *stinky side-eye* Well, I’ve heard some people have those kinds of rules, but no one I know of. In dramas, it’s more about the mood and/or setting, but even then, I’ve seen OTPs who’ve been dating a long time and the mood is perfect, but the female lead slaps the man after that first kiss. That’s very different from real life.
Rinchan: It’s not always about mood and setting though. In real life, I have never tripped over a guy and landed on his lips. LOL. However, scenes like those can often be used as a catalyst to get the characters thinking about each other in a romantic way.
Leila: I’m seeing less slapping incidents. Well, scratch “It’s Okay, That’s Love.” Anyway, I think what I enjoy about a kiss is the significance it has for the couple, the timing, the ambiance, and how it proves love. When you look at how the kiss is done, it’s indicative of the level of the relationship—either it’s just starting or it’s deep.
Clockwatcher: Exactly. In dramas, the kiss is usually some kind of climax and is a significant part of the plot. Sometimes, it’s the moment that the lead—generally the man—stops fighting his feelings. At times, he is desperate because he wants her to understand how much he loves her or the kiss is a reply to girl’s love confession. The very important emotional aspect is the reason we can love a drama even if the kisses can technically suck.
Rinchan: True. Quite often, a kiss is used as an announcement of one’s feelings, a request for reciprocation, or a stamp to seal the beginning of a relationship. I do love how kisses were used in “It’s Okay, That’s Love.” Part of it was therapeutic for the female lead, but it also took out all charged meaning behind common K-drama kisses. It showed the ease in which two people can love each other without ceremony, with no reservations, plus it’s more realistic.
The post Round Table with Couch Kimchi: Kisses in K-Dramas appeared first on Soompi.
No comments:
Post a Comment