What is so appealing about a romance between a rich, smart guy and a poor female lead?

May 14, 2023 04:33 am

once in a blue moon I do like to binge watch a trashy romcom with the above mentioned dynamic but I have never been able to understand why they are so popular… the male lead is almost always better than our female lead whether it’s the looks or the social status or the brains and more often than out its all three of these things.For a change they don’t make the female leads as dumb and clumsy and ”unattractive” as back in the day but it remains the same more or less and everybody devours it up. Oh and our guy also has to have a tragic past storyso our female lead can fix him.

From the upcoming ones even the king the land seems to have the same thing; crazy rich, probably smart guy and a sunshine female lead who belongs to a lower status quo and will land an ordinary job but she will be very content with it. Not looking down at those occupations at all but can we for once have them start on an equal footing?

so if anyone has any recommendations where both the leads are equally smart and are rivals of sorts i.e., business rivals, I would be really grateful!

Teaa

May 14, 2023 06:21 am

I think rich man- poor woman dynamic is so famous (although cliche now) because as u mentioned too it’s the status-quo. Although in the recent years there’s been a lot of efforts promoting feminism and equality between men and women but the traditional image is that the man is stronger/smarter and provides for the woman. I came across this question when I searched for Goblin on google

So that pretty much explains that it’s the traditional approach towards any love story claiming the man to be powerful and woman to be vulnerable. I’m not sure if rich man- poor woman tag is unpopular now coz I’ve been away from dramas for a while now but I’ve been seeing a lot more titles with modern story lines

Here are some of the dramas I know that don’t align with the above dynamic

Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu

The Beauty Inside (the drama)

It’s okay to not be okay

Barcelone: A love untold

My strange Hero

Suspicious partner

The romance of Tiger and Rose

The Tale of Nokdu

Youth Should be early

Czakhareina

May 14, 2023 08:26 am

Wanna add to above comment.

Romcom's primary audience is women, and that cliche of rich man poor-woman is the Cinderella fairy tale cliche. It caters to the notion of being a damsel in distress rescued by a prince/knight and shining armour. But with the caveat of being 'good' and having the princess life as reward. The moral of being even if poor as long as 1 kind and good, you can be rewarded.

Additionally the fixing or rescuing of guy is another fairy tale straight out of Beauty and the beast scenario. It's that thought process of being the savior of soul of damaged guy (physically and emotionally). Its that women's mothering/nursing thing. That is why most women are attracted to bad boys where damaged people that need fixing can be healed by love.

It really is changing little by little...

As for suggetions, try: