[비즈한국] In the past, "damsel in distress" characters were ubiquitous in popular culture. Female protagonists often appeared as passive figures causing trouble for others in the plot, unable to grow or succeed without the help of a prickly genius male lead or a "prince charming" who had it all. However, the tide has completely turned over the last few years. The public now cheers for strong female characters, often referred to as "Girl Crush." Recently popular SBS034120 drama 'One the Woman' and Netflix original 'My Name' feature Jo Yeon-joo (Lee Ha-nee) and Yoon Ji-woo (Han So-hee), respectively, as part of this shift—drawing particular attention for showcasing female-led action sequences, which are rare in Korea.
First, let's look at Jo Yeon-joo from 'One the Woman.' A Seoul National University graduate and prosecutor who passed the bar exam, Yeon-joo appears as an "ace of corrupt prosecutors," utilizing powerful connections and receiving "sponsorships." It is refreshing enough that a female prosecutor is neither an incompetent rookie nor a growing character who causes trouble, but rather one who engages in corruption for her own purposes. Furthermore, as the only daughter of a gang leader, she possesses immense athletic ability and martial arts skills. After losing her memory in a car accident while investigating, she ends up living as Kang Mi-na, a conglomerate heiress of the Hanju Group who looks exactly like her. This identity swap is a recipe for non-stop laughter.
Even though she tries to live quietly as the obedient daughter-in-law of a wealthy family, her body's instincts take over at times. She doesn't just block the insults of her in-laws, who try to bully her in foreign languages, by fluently speaking English, French, and Vietnamese; she also roars back at them without hesitation when they try to intimidate her. When her father-in-law yells at her to be quiet, her retort—"Does the person who yells the loudest always win? This isn't a gambling den, why are you suddenly screaming? Oh, you scared me!"—while shouting back twice as loud, surely gave more than a few viewers a strange sense of catharsis. Seeing her defend herself with her own two arms and legs instead of getting hit, falling down, or being kidnapped when attacked provides a refreshing thrill.
Yoon Ji-woo of 'My Name' is an "undercover" operative who joins the gang her father was part of to avenge his murder, learning how to kill before infiltrating the police force. As she risks her life to avenge her father, Ji-woo is in an extreme situation where she is "willing to become a monster." Although she was a 17-year-old high school student who won awards for her unique athletic ability, killing someone is a completely different matter. To achieve this, she enters the "Dongcheon faction" and learns to strike at opponents' vital points while surrounded by men. While she did receive one-on-one training from boss Choi Mu-jin (Park Hee-soon), the scene where she enters the Dongcheon training camp and defeats all the men inside is something not easily seen.
Looking back, Cha Eun-jin (Shin Eun-kyung) from the 2001 movie 'My Wife is a Gangster' seems similar, or perhaps O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) from 'Kill Bill.' Yoon Ji-woo in 'My Name' overcomes physical limitations with desperate vengefulness and diligent effort to reach her goal. Even when she infiltrates the police as Oh Hye-jin, there isn't much resistance to the fact that she is a woman. When she is assigned to the narcotics squad, her senior colleague Jeon Pil-do (Ahn Bo-hyun) protests to his superior, asking, "Do you expect me to carry her on my back?" but once he sees her skills, the "because she's a woman" talk disappears.
'One the Woman' and 'My Name' are difficult to compare on the same footing. One is a terrestrial broadcast drama aimed at domestic viewers, while the other is a Netflix drama aimed at a global audience. One is a genre that focuses entirely on comedy, as suggested by the slogan "A comedy-buster about the double life of a 100% rogue female prosecutor who enters a villainous conglomerate family," while the other is a crime action noir genre with the slogan, "It's fine to become a monster. I will be the one to kill you." The commonalities are that they feature a female lead, both Lee Ha-nee and Han So-hee are taking on their first sole lead roles, and both actresses perform refreshing action sequences. Because the genres differ, the nature and mood of the action are also different, but the effort put in by both actresses is clearly visible.
Lee Ha-nee, who is adept at using her body through Taekwondo, scuba diving, and Pilates, displays the action skills accumulated through previous works like 'Extreme Job' and months of training at an action school. Her popularity is rising daily, as she combines refreshing action using her tall stature with a willingness to let go of her image for comedic effect. The same goes for Han So-hee, one of the most prominent actresses in her 20s. After rising to stardom as the "other woman" in 'The World of the Married,' Han So-hee gained 10kg for 'My Name,' appearing in a "bulked-up" state and focusing on action with almost no makeup, barely even using lip balm. Seeing her brutal, beast-like action makes one realize the sheer determination of this actress.
Not every female lead in popular culture can be a strong, independent "Girl Crush." Just as people in reality are all different—good, bad, brave, or cowardly, regardless of gender—characters in movies or dramas have roles assigned according to the narrative. However, because there has been a long-standing convention of pairing capable male leads with "Candy-type" or "damsel-in-distress" female characters, the public is cheering for these "Girl Crush" leads that have been rare until now. The best-case scenario would be for male and female characters to appear in balanced, realistic ways so that the term "Girl Crush" becomes unnecessary, but for now, it's okay to enjoy this trend. I look forward to the next projects from Lee Ha-nee and Han So-hee, who are shining within this trend.
Who is the author, Jung Soo-jin?
I have covered and written about films, travel, and popular culture while working for various magazines. I don’t want to fall behind on trends, but I’ve become an old-school person who predicts nothing but clichés while watching the latest dramas. I am currently drifting through the vast world of OTT platforms, trying to regain my sense of the times, and my current wish is for a unified OTT subscription package.