A Tentative Survey of Drama Heroes

A Tentative Survey of Drama Heroes

From shazz22pedia, the Daydreamer's encyclopedia

A Drama hero (sometimes rendered Dramatic hero) is a type of stock character possessing extraordinary looks and is sure to win. They are not to be confused with main male lead or male protagonist, though in most cases they are same. A female drama hero is sometimes called a Drama heroine (also rendered Dramatic heroine).

By most definitions, characters do not strictly require noble characteristics to be deemed Drama heroes as long as they are on the winning side.

Common Traits

Many drama hero characters display the following traits:

Traumatizing Past:

When people find themselves suddenly in danger, sometimes they are overcome with feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. These events are called traumatic experiences. Most of the drama heroes live a life busy dealing with or overcoming their horrible past.

Some common traumatic experiences in dramas include being physically attacked, being in a serious accident, being in combat, being sexually assaulted, being in a fire or a disaster, parent’s death or separation from them. After traumatic experiences Drama heroes may have problems (or skills; it’s dramaland, don’t look for plausible reasoning) that they didn't have before the event.

Such traumatic events make them next day’s drama heroes.

Extraordinary Looks

Drama hero looks vary widely; superhuman strength, the ability to rise above the normal (height wise), chocolate abs, and silky smooth skin are all common. Hardship in daily life such as bankruptcy and empty stomach cannot be an excuse to look inappropriate. If you are a drama hero you are expected to look good even in the hospitals, whether you’re there for the dying or you are the one who’s dying.

A Strong Moral Code

Most drama heroes display strong moral code including a willingness to risk one's own safety in the service of good without expectation of reward. Their social services include playing soccer with children in street buying kids ice creams, helping old ladies and giving piggyback rides to drunk people.

‘Without expectation of reward’ part though is slightly questionable when it’s the female lead on the receiving end of the service, one can’t deny ulterior motives getting involved in such scenarios.

A rare event of giving piggyback ride to an old drunk man (p.s He does have an ulterior motive here as the old man is the father of the girl he loved)…………… and also I confess my ulterior motive is to use my crush Kim Jae Wook’s pic even when he is not the hero in Mary Stayed Out All Night :D

A Motivation

Drama heroes are often motivated, a motivation such as a sense of responsibility (e.g. Serizawa Naoto, Maou), a personal vendetta against criminals (e.g. Kang Ma Roo, Innocent Man), to achieve lifelong goal (Ban Shogo, Bambino) or to prove himself worthy of someone’s expectations/recognition (e.g. Hyuga Toru, Rich Man, Poor Woman).

A Secret Identity

A secret identity that protects the Drama hero's friends and family from becoming targets of his enemies, or to protect themselves from getting arrested by the police, or getting caught by the opposition. There are also the ones whose true identities are common public knowledge.

And keeping identity secret is not a tough job in dramaland. Everybody turns a blind eye if a drama hero’s in disguise.

A Supporting Cast

A supporting cast of recurring characters, including the hero's friends, co-workers and/or love interests, who may or may not know of the Drama hero's secret identity. Often the hero's personal relationships are complicated by this dual life, a common theme in Makjang and detective stories in particular.

In rom-coms or other genres, where Drama heroes tend to have no secret identity, supporting casts are often hero’s friends and family who are there to maintain the flow of the story.

The Opposition

The opposition consisting of enemies that he fights consistently till the end of the drama. In some cases drama heroes begin by fighting secondary or tertiary opposition before primary villain surface in their respective storylines. Often Drama heroes have an archenemy who is especially threatening. Often a nemesis is a drama hero's family member such as step mother or step siblings. Often the enemy has the same love interest as the hero.

Types of Drama Heroes

Though it is fairly impossible to fit every drama hero into a stereotype, but drama heroes tend to follow few established patterns most of the times. Some common types that often appear are:

1. Bad Boy Hero

The Bad Boy hero is in a league of his own. More heroines and viewers have fallen for the Bad Boy than any other hero. He is the ultimate rebel: mysterious, seemingly indifferent, and hard to get. He starts off behaving badly and unrepentant. His inner good is revealed however due to the actions of the heroine or circumstances that force the Bad Boy to become the knight in shining armor.

Example: Jiang Meng (Devil beside you), Gu Jun Pyo (Boys over flowers), Shinagawa Daichi (Yankee-kun to Megane-chan)

2. Alpha Hero

They are the one that blew the mind of the female viewers and make them question the proficiency of their male partner. The innate leader in any situation, all look up to him and want to be him. He’s cool, confident, steady, strong, and sure. His ultimate role, in most cases, is to take care of the heroine.

Example: Kim Boong Do (Queen In Hyun’s Man), Akiyama Shinichi (LIAR GAME), Asou Haruto (1 Litre of Tears)

3. Brooding Hero

Brooding heroes are the tortured lonely types who remain tormented throughout the drama. Aloof, angry, wounded, and ultimately one of the most vulnerable heroes out there, the Brooding Hero has captured the most hearts in very recent history with Kang Ma Roo of Innocent Man.

Example: Shim Gun Wook (Bad Guy), Naruse Ryo (Maou)

4. Rogue Hero

The Rogue, who by any other time period outside of Regency, is a promiscuous cad in need of a physical. Utterly charming, completely dashing, and carelessly carefree about life and love, the Rogue is ready to live life to the fullest. Commitment is not a word in his vocabulary until the heroine sweeps into his sphere of influence.

Example: Kang Tae Joo (Que Sera Sera), Momo (Kimi wa Petto), Kang Moo Kyul (Mary Stayed Out All Night)

5. Nerd Hero

Another name for the Nerd Hero is the Beta Hero. He’s kind, sweet, and decent. He’s the best friend or the slightly awkward gentleman. The Nerd Hero almost always meets his full potential because of the heroine. He rises to the occasion… in more ways than one!

Example: Jeon Jin Ho (Personal Taste), Enomoto Kei (Kagi no Kakatta Heya), Higuya Toru (Rich man, poor woman)

6. Tycoon Hero

This hero type literally litters Harlequin presents. He can be a millionaire, billionaire, prince, sheik, or wealthy boss. Ninety percent of the time the Tycoon starts out isolated and jaded in the Drama only to wind up happy and easy-going by the end.

Example: Kim Joo Won (Secret Garden), Cha Ji Heon (Protect the Boss), Ren Guang Xi (Autumn’s Concerto)

7. Protector Hero

The Protector Hero comes in many disguises and professions, most are obvious, but some not so much. You can find him playing the role of a cop, firefighter, spy, detective, bodyguard, part of the military, etc.

Example: Sou Takakura (Tokyo Dogs), Lee Yoon Sung (City Hunter), Minakata Jin (Jin)

8. Daredevil Hero

Delinquents compose the majority of the Daredevil Heroes. They love action, they love fights, and they love thrills. Give them a damsel in distress and they’re all over that like white on rice.

Example: Chen Ling (MARS), Geom / Yong / Iljimae (ljimae), Hong Gil Dong (Hong Gil Dong)

9. Warrior Hero

The Warrior Hero, funnily enough is a very reluctant hero. He thinks himself above it all. His mission in life is to fight and protect his home, his country, and his men. Then a woman gets thrown into the mix all kinds of chaos and havoc ensure and he fights it every step of the way only to get conquered by the heroine.

Example: General Choi Young (Faith), Lee Kangto / Sato Hiroshi / Lee Young (Bridal Mask)

10. Paranormal Hero

The Paranormal Hero, when a normal man just won’t cut it the Paranormal Hero steps in prepared to win hearts and steal our very souls. He oozes sex with his otherworldly good looks and quickens our imagination with images of the extraordinary. Call him a vampire, a wizard, a lycanthrope, or any other kind of superhuman being it’s all the same to him.

Example: Choi Kang Chi (Gu Family Book), Min Tae Yeon (Vampire Prosecutor)

Please keep in mind that drama heroes are a species only found in dramaland. If one tries to find guys like them in the real world, the result will be:

Also this is a tentative survey, so the author would like to know the readers' opinions about their preferences in types of heroes with an example of their choice, if they care to be generous.

This article is indebted to the “Superhero” article on Wikipedia and lovermancepassion article. The format is borrowed but the content is different. The data presented here are all collected while day dreaming; believe at your own risk! As this is a tentative survey, the information are not solid thereby the author subjected to zero responsibilities XD