"The King's Affection" and "The Red Sleeve" Is Changing the Cliché in Sageuk Dramas

A woman trips and tries to fall backwards. Just then, a 'handsome' man approaches as if he had been waiting and hugs the woman who almost collapses. The two exchange intense glances, but soon cough and correct their posture. They pretend to be calm, but their love has obviously already begun. It is a cliché common in historical dramas.

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However, the formula of these romantic historical dramas is gradually changing, twisting boring and cliché expressions, creating unexpected breath of fresh air in historical dramas. It is the story of KBS2's Monday-Tuesday drama "The King's Affection" and MBC's Friday-Saturday drama "The Red Sleeve".

In "The King's Affection" which aired on the 8th, Lee Hwi (Park Eun-bin) quickly caught No Ha-kyeong (Jung Chae-yeon), who almost fell to the flower bed while paving the way for the court ladies. The two spun and balanced themselves. Hwi's left hand wrapped around No Ha-kyeong's wrist, and Hwi's right hand wrapped around her waist. No Ha-kyeong fell in love with her when she learned that Hwi, who saved her, was a crown prince.

It was a typical scene. However, there is a response that it was not typical. This is because the combination of the two is not a man and a woman, but 'females'. Some viewers are enthusiastic. In particular, they appreciate their 'face harmony' and also reveal expectations for future narratives.

In "The Red Sleeve" which aired on the 13th, similar scenes were drawn in a different way, drawing attention. Seong Deok-im (Lee Se-young) was on the verge of falling after climbing up a chair while searching the upper compartment of the bookshelf. Upon discovering this, Yi San (Lee Junho) pushed the back of her head toward the bookshelf. Seong Deok-im, whose face was pressed against books, mumbled, "Should I thank you for this?" and made people laugh.

This scene is also talked about on various social media network and communities, contributing to the influx of viewers. There are also a number of comments mentioning the scene in the second summary of "The Red Sleeve" posted by MBC on its official YouTube channel. These netizens said, "It was good to break the cliché", giving viewers an idea of what fun they want recently.

In this regard, a drama official told Spotify News, "I think historical dramas are also following the times. It's time to carefully look at whether the script is in line with the trend", he said. "(Especially "The King's Affection") It is a historical drama, but it's fiction, so it can be a little more free. There is fun that comes from outside the box. It's the moment when I feel that K-drama is getting richer", he said.

"The Millenials and Gen Z's approach to romance and especially historical dramas has changed a lot, leading to a change in historical dramas", said sources from "The Red Sleeve". "It shows a step forward with a king who loves a court lady for a long time instead of a king who picks a court lady".

Another official said, "The attempt to destroy grammar that we have been so used to, is meaningful", adding, "The fact that this movement is also seen in historical dramas that are considered conservative among drama genres, proves that producers are accepting the social atmosphere and values that the present generation values. If we want to capture viewers in the future, we need to keep a close eye on these reactions and try to get out of the 'old'".