Once in a while, I feel the urge to “correct” the way some kdrama/cdrama viewers think.

I did it a long time ago when I imposed a ban here on my blog on words like “cinematography,” “bromance,” “chemistry,” and “oppa.” Posters often use them, thinking that they’re saying something meaningful, when in reality, they only look:

– pretentious (don’t use “cinematography” when all you really like is the pretty landscape),
– silly (don’t use “bromance” for brotherhood if “sismance” for sisterhood isn’t part of your lexicon),
– low-brow (don’t say “chemistry” when you can’t explain why their performance is compelling), and
– cringe-y (unless you’re younger than the actor and you’re related to him, calling an actor “oppa” is excessive).

I did it recently when I wrote about the difference between villains and antagonists.

Link: Legend of the Female General: Villains vs Antagonists

And I did it when I warned you all of the “Hello Kitty” syndrome in some dramas.

Link: A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You: Hello Kitty!

So, here’s another one of my “bitchtalks” as I call them.

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I want posters, readers and lurkers here on this blog to learn to make a distinction between tropes and clichés. It bugs me whenever I see posters complain that a kdrama is “too trope-y” as if having tropes is a bad thing. [No, it isn’t really a bad thing.]

Tropes are like “ingredients” of a drama. They’re like kitchen staples: flour, pasta, salt, sugar, pepper, oil, vinegar, etc., which cooks need to make their dishes, from a no-fuss meal to a five-course meal. Similarly, screenwriters use tropes as building blocks for the narrative arc. Because tropes are often familiar to the viewers (like flour, pasta, salt and sugar are familiar to eaters), these are used to quickly drive the plot forward and simplify the message to the viewers.

In romcoms, the tropes we’re familiar with are the meet-cute, misunderstanding, noble idiocy, forced separation, and happy reunion. In kdramas in particular, we recognize the truck of doom, drunken confession, piggyback, princess carry, accidental skinship, accidental kiss, forehead kiss, childhood connection, pretend marriage, second lead male syndrome, umchina (or perfect son of mother’s friend), wrist grab, back hugs, and many more.

Whether or not a kdrama is “too trope-y” is subjective. However, I’m willing to bet that the viewer who complains about a drama being “too trope-y” is:

a. easily bored,
b. bragging about what a connoisseur he/she is on fine drama,
c. missing out on the key points of the show, or
d. ignorant of the word “cliché.”

Clichés are tropes that are stale, tired, banal, overworked, and uninspired. In keeping with our cooking theme, I’ll compare clichés to ingredients on our kitchen shelves that are rancid, overripe, moldy, and past their expiration date.

In Episode 6, we do see a lot of tropes, but I don’t consider many of them as clichés. I’ll explain a few. [I’ll limit myself to six.]

1. When he trips, and takes her down with him

This is uncommon. Usually, it’s the female lead who stumbles, and the guy who saves her. Here, the king trips over an invisible boulder (hmph!) because he doesn’t like her coming any closer to him. He’s like a cornered animal; he has a fight-or-flight response.

His flight response tells us, however, that he’s MORE into her than she is. At this point in time, he likes her more than she likes him. Metaphorically, he’s fallen for her.

My verdict: Useful trope; not a cliché

2. When she scrapes her hand, and he over-reacts

Usually, when a girl scrapes herself, the hero buys bandage. He then blows on the boo-boo (don’t do this in real life!) before applying first aid.

What? No Vaseline ointment?! This is when Vaseline is useful. 

Here, the king blows on JiYeong’s scrape (which she finds awkward) and he reassures her that he’ll summon the royal physician to attend to it. She says there’s no need for him to do that as she’s used to getting cuts like this in the kitchen. Of course! It’s just an occupational hazard for her, or as Monty Python would have said “Tis just a flesh wound!” The king then clears his throat and says that he’ll “inform all those in the kitchen to dull all the knives.” Which is ridiculous as sharp knives are essential to a chef. Knives are said to be an extension of a chef’s hand, and dull knives are actually less safe than sharp ones.

Again, she declines his offer, saying that there’s no need for that as she’s leaving soon, now that her handbag has been found. She then discovers her Mangunrok missing.

I like the way the screenwriter used the “wound” trope to a) show that the king has become protective of her but doesn’t yet know how to appropriately channel this protectiveness, b) also show that JiYeong is gently but firmly turning down his attention, and c) segue seamlessly into the missing book.

My verdict: Purposeful trope; not a cliché

3. When he promises to find her Mangunrok for her

Typically in kdramas, when a guy makes a promise with a girl, the couple will make a “pinky swear.” I was actually expecting JiYeong to pout and stick out her pinky for that “pinky swear.”

Here, in this scene, though, the king mediates between the irate JiYeong and his Royal Secretary Im who insists that he didn’t steal her book. To me, this must be a “first” for the king: he’s trying to appease JiYeong, and just like a concerned husband, he promises her everything to find the Mangunrok for her.

I don’t think he’s been this patient and conciliatory with anybody else, and it runs counter to his image of a tyrant.

I also like when he and Sec. Im exchange knowing looks because JiYeong mentions that she needs to go back home “to the future.” They still both think that she’s a lunatic so they tacitly agree to humor her.

She then stands up and walks out the door sullenly. She sighs, and he sighs, too. This tells me that he’s unconsciously mimicking her — and this is a sign of empathy. Again, not something I expect from a tyrant.

My verdict: Purposeful trope; not a cliché

4. When he orders her to disguise herself before going to the market with him

This dress-up scene is typical in kdramas. The guy brings the girl to a fancy boutique so she can buy any dress she wants. She tries them on before him, and he approves of her choices.

I wonder if this trope originated from “Pretty Woman” starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.

I’m pretty sure that King YiHeon planned on getting her dressed up as soon as he was informed of her request for a “travel plaque” to go to the mill. For some reason, he rejects the lavender, yellow (yah! She looks like a banana), and pink-and-green hanboks. He likes her in the white-and-pink hanbok, though.

To me, this scene is a cliché. I wish there’s something more to it like he teases her about possessing such an “unattractive face” that it’s a waste dressing her up in pretty clothes.

My verdict: Kinda cliché

5. When they stroll down market street

A market scene is a must-see in Joseon romcoms. The sunny day and falling petals make this scene so corny.

However, what saves this from being a cliché is the moment when she picks up the butterfly pendant and remarks that it looks like the one hanging from Mangunrok. The viewers are getting to understand how this whole timeslip/time-travel works.

The first Mangunrok disappeared; it succeeded in doing its job of recalling JiYeong back into the Joseon era. (Remember the dedication? “My dearly beloved, if you were to read this someday, may you come back to my side.”) But now King YiHeon and JiYeong are recreating their new Mangunrok – without their awareness and knowledge. He’s again recording the dishes she’s prepared for him. She was the one who told him what to name it. And she found the pendant that was hanging from the book.
The beautiful day – with the sunshine and falling petals – is just “pathetic fallacy.” I told you all about this. A “pathetic fallacy” is a plot device used by a writer to make the weather indicate (or match) the mood of the hero and heroine. It foreshadows an important event: the recreation of Mangunrok.

My verdict: Purposeful trope; not a cliché

5. When he saves her from a motorcycle… from a handcart

Yes, this is definitely a cliché but it has to be incorporated in the scene so she can drop her flowers, and he can then help her pick them up. From there, they share an innocent moment of smudging each other’s cheeks. The point of this scene is that he loses his hoity-toity demeanor with her. She, literally, brings him down to earth.

My verdict: Yes, as a stand-alone moment, saving her from the handcart is definitely a cliché. But since one thing led to another, it’s useful trope.

6. When she gifts him with irises

There’s always a symbolic flower scene in these kdramas so I’m not shocked that there’s one here.

But the point of this scene is to show that he’s never received such a humble gift before, and he appreciates it.

Personally, I like the contrast between the ginseng and the irises. His mind is all troubled because of the trade war with the Ming envoy who demands for more ginseng (and women) as tribute. And here he is, getting a simple posy of irises from JiYeong to cure him of his headache. Two plants, two different effects.

He brings the irises back to his chambers and he waters them. I guess, it’s a first time for him, too – caring for a plant. I doubt he’ll quit his kingship to become a horticulturist but, in my opinion, it’s good for him to develop a hobby so once JiYeong has returned to the future, he’ll have something to remember her by, instead of just moping around and staring at the moon.

My verdict: Simple trope; not a cliché

Okay, I’ve reached my maximum.

I hope you’ll watch your next dramas with this understanding of tropes and clichés. Not all tropes are bad. I would say that many are necessary plot devices. It’s up to you to discern the bad ones from the good ones, and it takes mental exercise.

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Just two quick notes on the Mangunrok.

1. We saw in Episode 4 (timestamp 1:14:02) that he began drawing the food that JiYeong cooked for me. If we look at the drawings in the Original Mangunrok (OM) back in Episode 1, there were food recorded in the OM that he hadn’t tasted.

Like the “kurim buruille,” (Lol. Remember, I translated it as crème brulee.) She hasn’t served him crème brulee yet.

But there were sketches in the OM that looked familiar, e.g., the venison beef that she made via sous vide, the “beef tartare,” the “doenjang pasta” and the strainer that she used when she made the “snowflakes” for the schnitzel.

Also, there was a sketch of the pressure cooker that she’s about to order for the the upcoming cooking contest with the Ming cooks.

Anyway, the sketches tells me that in her previous timeline/timeloop, she created many (but not all) of the same dishes she’s making in THIS timeline. It’s like history is repeating (but with a few variations here and there).

2. I know in Episode 4 that King YiHeon thought the name “Mangunrok” meant “yearning for clouds.” Yes, that’s one possibility.

However, I think it’s an abbreviation for something only the two of them can understand. You see, JiYeong likes to use slang, abbreviate words, and use acronyms for common phrases.

In Episode 5, the concubine MokJu mocked her for it during the schnitzel tasting.

King: It is crunchy on the outside, but moist and chewy on the inside.
JY: Your Majesty, that’s what we call “crunch out, chewy in.”

Or “geotbasogjjol.”

MokJu then scoffed, saying that she shortened all sorts of things, unnecessarily. JiYeong defiantly retorted that she did.

JY: Yes, it’s called SAS. Shorten all Sorts.

Or “byeoldajul.”

I think King YiHeon named the book after a shortcut or abbreviation that she had used with him before she disappeared back in the future. It’s his way of remembering their brief time together so he personalized the title and the record, like a personal diary.

That’s it for now.