If a woman has a friend in a kdrama, odds are it's a man. It could be someone she has grown up with and is destined to love as was the case with Park Yoo Chun and Yoon Eun Hye in "Missing You" or it could be a childhood friend destined to become the second lead as happened to Moon Geun Young and Taecyeon in "Cinderella's Sister." But it's rarely a girl.
In real life, girls tend to be best friends with other girls. But it's not something you see often in kdramas. Dramas portraying female friendship tend to be the exception rather than the rule. If you consider some of the current popular shows, "The Master's Sun," "Two Weeks," and "Good Doctor," all the friendly relationships in or out of work situations take place between men and women.
Often the women in dramas are enemies or rivals for the affection of a man. Even sisters can be rivals as happened in "Cinderella's Sister."
But fortunately, that's not always the case. Here are a few dramas that either focus on friendships between women or have girlfriends that are important characters.
"Boys Over Flowers": While you might see this drama as being about a plucky girl and the four attractive men she defies at an upscale school, the friendship between Gu Hye Sun and Kim So Eun is a consistent thread throughout this drama. Kim's character covers for Gu, acknowledges her triumphs, and holds her hand when she is hurt. She's almost as brave as her friend and not easily impressed by the superficial.
"Personal Taste": Son Ye Jin's best friend played by Jo Eun Ji, shows up for her furniture show, listens to her cry when her boyfriend dumps her, and counsels her on accepting her apparently gay roommate, Lee Min Ho, before cooking her plenty of side dishes. Okay, Son Ye Jin does have the worst kdrama girlfriend ever, played by Wang Ji Hye, but Jo Eun Ji almost makes up for it.
"I Do I Do": Kim Sun Ah's best friend, played by Kim Hye Eun, may spend a lot of time encouraging her to get married but she remains loyal when her best friend chooses another path. And while Kim Sun Ah has to occasionally buy her cooperation with designer bags, ultimately she has her best friend's happiness at heart.
"The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry": Although most of what Park Jin Hee, Uhm Ji Won and Wang Bit Na talk about is finding love and getting married, the three women in this under-rated drama encourage and support each other in their personal and professional lives. They eat, cry and celebrate together.
Can you think of other kdramas about girl friends that we may have missed? Let us know.
