Is it just me? Or, are we seeing an uptick in posts critical of female leads being the focus of the narrative, with male leads supporting them in their journeys?
I’ve seen a few recent posts and comments asking in different ways cdramas have gone too far in having the female lead’s strengths, hero’s journey, or recovery from trauma as dominant focus with male leads being supportive, patient or just understanding.
Some posts are even framing their criticism in super pejorative language, arguing that MLs are ‘simps’ or ‘whipped’*. Yikes!
The seemingly sudden wave of such posts and comments in recent weeks makes me wonder if there’s an agenda behind some of them.
I find it strange that they are effectively criticizing male actors for taking roles where the ML is supportive of a strong FL or where the FL is effectively the principal character even if there is a romantic sub element. Would we criticize a female actor for being the one female main cast in a cohort of male characters or for being just the sister or female friend in a ‘brothers in arms’ narrative?
Objectively, there are still a preponderance of action, thriller, adventure, wuxia, and team-up shows with a male principal character, a group of male supporters and just one female main cast for representation and/or some ‘love interest.’
Why then are there so many posts recently complaining that cdramas are offering positive FLs and striving against misogyny? Why complain that women are given their own stories from their perspectives, especially when they are stories of the struggles that women have to endure or overcome?
Stories that focus on a woman’s heroic journey, especially when a male romantic interest is supportive of her journey and development don’t mean that the ML is less or deserving of disrespect.
Stories where a woman’s past traumatic experiences are obstacles to a romantic relationship shouldn’t be interpreted more negatively than the frequent portrayals (and flashbacks) of male leads’ formative traumas.
I really loathe such a characterization/description. It really feels like it’s coming out of American online bro culture. It makes me wonder whether there’s a risk that as cdramas become more popular with North American audiences, some of the ‘culture war’ debates will make for divisive conversations among international cdrama fans.
Fortunately, cdramas are made first for the mainland Chinese audience not international fans, but it may affect what’s available to those of us who rely on international streamers.
For me, one of the things that is most appealing about cdramas at the moment is that it gets me entirely away from the seeming backlash against strong female leads in American entertainment and especially the tradwife stuff percolating up from the United States. I hear that from others here as well.
*the particularly offensive word choices ‘whipped’ and ‘simp’ are ones that I never heard until I attended graduate school in the United States (many years ago now). They shocked me then, and I still find them so. ‘Ball and chain’ to describe committed relationships was another one. I was genuinely taken aback that my male student colleagues saw any commitment, cooperation or support in a romantic relationship as a loss of self, of being demasculinized by giving any power in a romantic relationship to their female partner. Is this really the way cdrama fans here see MLs who genuinely, patiently and tenderly for a woman?