Yoon A as Shin Joo Young
Hello Everyone! I’m back with another post on our key K-Drama Characters. In my last post, The Village Idiot was our topic, and we spotlighted a few telltale characteristics and attributes, like the fact that they can unexpectedly end up saving the day at critical moments. Well, today we’ve moved up the list to our first thorn-in-the-side of K-dramas: The Jealous Lover. The Jealous Lover is a favorite topic of mine, because it seems that no matter what the drama is about, there’s always that scorned ex who feels the need to screw up their past love’s future love. (PS: this post has possible spoilers)
The Jealous Lover
Description: While there are cases of male Jealous Lovers in Korean Drama for the most part they are often portrayed as a woman with a penchant for bitchy remarks. The Jealous Lover isn’t necessarily all bad, she is often just misunderstood. Her actions are usually based on her unwillingness to let go of a love lost, a childish crush that will never come to fruition, or because she’s had her man stolen from her with the arrival of The Damsel in Distress or Princ(ess) Charming. She may scheme to either harm the new girl, or steal her man back; usually failing in the long run. You can spot The Jealous Lover from the countless glares, under breath swears, and often two-faced demeanor.
Social Network: The Jealous Lover, being a floater of the good and bad sides, is often seen in both the circles of the Prince(ess) Charming and the Evil Mastermind. More often than not, the Evil Mastermind will use the Jealous Lover’s pettiness for greater evil schemes.
Purpose: While adding smaller obstacles for the Prince(ess) Charming to overcome throughout the drama, The Jealous Lover is also there to teach viewers a lesson in life and love. That lesson being: Don’t go try to make nice with you crazy ex. They’re an ex for a reason and if random acts of petty vandalism and violence start happening around you and your friends, they’re probably to blame.
My favorite Jealous Lovers can be found in dramas like East Of Eden (pictured: Rebecca/Nurse Yoo Mi Ae), and 9 Ends 2 Ins (Shin Joo Young played by Yoon A). East Of Eden was ripe with scorned lovers, however Nurse Yoo Mi Ae took the cake by totally screwing up the lives of practically everyone in the drama with one swift baby swap. However, her crazy was probably attributed to the fact that the evil Shin Tae Hwan basically ripped her life in shreds by killing her unborn child and then leaving her for dead. While neither of their actions are admissable under any circumstances, you gotta give it to her. She really took the phrase “payback is a bitch” and made it her mantra! I was tempted to shout, “YOU GO, GIRL” because Shin Tae Hwan was evil beyond salvation… but I don’t want to encourage her (or anyone else’s) crazy to that extent. Moving on.
Girl’s Generation singer Yoon A, on the other hand played a spiteful student with a possessive crush in 9 Ends 2 Outs. Now, while she wasn’t technically a scorned lover, she sure did act as one (and rather convincingly too!). Her scary personality changes and conniving ways fit right in with the profile of a Jealous Lover, so for being able to master the crazy it takes to love someone who was never hers to begin with, I say we give her the trophy. Someone with a similar admiration for Yoon A’s evil ways uploaded one of my fave 9 End 2 Outs moments here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYvow6w3qn8
What are your thoughts? Is The Jealous Lover misunderstood or is there something more to it than that?
Category: Korean Drama | Tags: 9 End 2 Outs, East of Eden, Girls Generation, Jealous Lover, Kdrama, Key Characters, Korean, Korean Drama, Tiffny, Yoon A
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jolly Goode February 9th, 2010 5:00 pm
LOL…perfect description of the jealous lover. They are always bouncing around in the background somewhere waiting to have their sharpened knives/talons rip the heroine when the plot needs it. I also notice that many dramas have this person change and become repentant and become a better person. And I guess you’ll have a piece on the friend who turns evil.
janear February 9th, 2010 6:53 pm
I love the descriptors. EOE choice was masterful and YoonA was too I suppose. As soon as I saw her pic I knew where you were going. Can’t wait for Damsel in Distress (I like this better than Princess Charming). I also think there is a difference between Cinderella and the Damsel though at times they can be one and the same. I hope you continue. Its fun. There should be a little box somewhere on site to get people prepared for dramas with these descriptors!
Tiffny February 9th, 2010 7:28 pm
jolly: Thanks! Yes, the JL is *always* there in the background, and it’s so funny to me how they come right on time to screw everybody over! I guess one of their better personality traits would be their tenacity! Personally, if my man were stolen, or left me for some other chick, after the second search-and-destroy plot, I’d move on. Kdrama exes are pretty awesome in that way, don’t you think? LOL
Also, while I could do the Frienemy post, I think that they would probably fit the same profile as the JL, with a few tweaks here and there…just switch the scenario, no? Like trade the lover for a job position or some other covet-worthy-for-a-friend item and you’ve pretty much got the same recipe.
(btw, lol I love your ‘name’)
kawaiimomo February 9th, 2010 10:58 pm
good description! i haven’t seen east of eden but damn! Rebecca sure is evil!one of my most hated jealous lover is Chae Rim (i think that’s her name?) from Delightful girl Choon Hyang! she was a major bi*ch! i hated her! can someone make a list of good anti-heroes? there’s quite a lot of good ones for japanese dramas, such as Kimura Takuya in A million stars falling from the sky and Matsuyama Kenichi in Zeni Geba. but i’m having troulbe finding any good anit-heroes for kdramas. most of them i find weak like Temptation of Wife and Temptation of Angel since they’re only after revenge
jolly Goode February 10th, 2010 12:09 am
Thanks, Tiffny. Most K-drama characters seem to have tenacity…ha ha ha whether for good or evil. If someone broke up with me, I don’t know that I’d have the energy to bounce around like that even if I had the stank eye and the evil intentions. Yeah, I guess JL & Frenemies are fairly similar. I guess like Lee Si Young as Oh Min Ji(Jandi’s friend) in ‘BOF’. She was a secret JL. Keep up the good funny writing, Tiff.
I really dig this site and have been watching lots of dramas I’ve missed because it’s so easy and dvd quality on this site. I didn’t want to navigate and bother with some of the other drama sites.
I even did a Yelp review even though this isn’t a brick and mortar business, I was so into it…Ha ha ha. It helped me to see that there are lots of K-d-addicts even amongst the Yelpers.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/drama-fever-new-york#hrid:HoOEnuVirxfJwfnXIMbn1w/src:self
aX February 10th, 2010 2:37 pm
You’re right. I can’t think of any Kdrama that I’ve watched without a scorned or jealous ex. It’s ridiculous. More recently, Moon Chae Young’s portrayal in ‘Shining Inheritance’ is a misunderstood character that I hate but like anyway.
aX February 10th, 2010 2:38 pm
Correction. I meant, Shining Inheritance’s Moon Chae Won.
Tiffny February 10th, 2010 2:45 pm
janear: thanks! I’m sorry I didn’t see your reply earlier (lol I was still half asleep when I checked my email, but I’ll reply now). I will be continuing and I think you brought up a point that I hadn’t thought of: the fact that Cinderella and Damsel in Distress aren’t necessarily one and the same. I’ll try to discuss it when I explore the Damsel in Distress!
kawaiimono: yeah, Rebecca is something else! lol You should watch EOE, especially if you get a kick out of crazy revenge plots that are at least “somewhat” believeable…a few are over the top, but it’s still one of my favorite dramas!
jolly Goode: Thank you for the write-up!! That was very nice of you!^^ LOL and as long as Korean drama keeps giving me a warm tingly feeling, I’ll try to keep writing about it! Thanks again!!