Before they began watching kdramas, non-Korean viewers may never have seen an adult give another adult a piggyback ride. But in so many kdramas and almost every romantic comedy there's at least one.
Which leads to two questions. First, why are there so many kdrama piggyback rides? And second, which are the best piggyback scenes?
Piggyback rides seem to happen for several reasons. Either a character drank so much soju that they can't walk or they've sprained their ankle. Or they have broken the heel off their shoe, sometimes on purpose. Intentional heel breaking to ask for a piggyback ride happened in "Flower Boys Next Door."
The explanation for the piggyback scene may have to do with Korean culture. In a country where people are reserved about public displays of physical affection, the piggyback ride is often the first time characters have physical contact and it brings them closer together. After that magical moment they may bicker less and like each other a little more.
What are the best piggyback scenes? That depends on your bias. But here are a few that are memorable.
"Personal Taste": The idea of being able to give a woman a piggyback implies that she is light and can easily be carried. Lee Min Ho looks none too happy when he tries to carry Son Ye Jin and she flails all over the place. But he's too nice a guy to leave her passed out on a park bench.
"My Lovely Kim Sam Soon": Hyun Bin gives Kim Sun Ah a piggyback but she swats him the whole time with her stuffed animal. And she throws up on him. And yet, it's around this time he starts to realize that he is attracted to her.
"Playful Kiss": Jung So Min really cannot drink so after having just a little rice wine, she asks Kim Hyun Joong to carry her home. But it's not as romantic as she expected. He makes fun of her accelerated heartbeat and her flat chest.
"Coffee Prince": Sometimes the girl gives the guy a piggyback, especially if she is pretending to be a guy. That's what Yoon Eun Hye did in "Coffee Prince" when Gong Yoo passes out. She's strong so she can handle it despite the fact that he is much bigger than her. Later on, when he realizes she is a girl, he gives her a piggyback ride.
"Protect The Boss" Maybe the only case of an actual man giving another man a piggyback ride takes place in "Protect The Boss," when Ji Sung carries Kim Jae Joong home and puts him to bed.
Probably the real appeal of the piggyback scene is that someone is taking care of you and making sure you are safe.
Son Ye Jin summed it up in "Personal Taste" when she said that being carried by Lee Min Ho made her think of her dad and the way he used to carry her. It made her think that he cared about her.
Do you have any favorite piggyback scenes? Let us know.
