https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282773553

Boys Over Flowers: Korean Soap Opera and the Blossoming of a

New Masculinity

Article · September 2015

DOI: 10.18278/pcr.26.2.1

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2

Popular Culture Review – Volume 26, Number 2 – Summer 2015

W hen it premiered on South Korean television in 2009, the Korean drama (or “K-drama”) Boys Over Flowers became a ratings sensation, mostly among females between their mid-teens to thirties

(AGB Neilsen Media Research, n.d.). Originally a Japanese manga (comic book), the Korean television version became the third iteration of the story of teenage love and romance, following Taiwanese and Japanese television versions. Boys Over FlowersVHUYHVDVRQHRIWKHPDMRUVWDUWLQJLQÀXHQFHVRI the kkonminamRU³ÀRZHUER´FUD]H-XQJ,QLWVOLWHUDOWUDQVODWLRQkkot PHDQV³ÀRZHU´ZKLOHminam means “handsome man.” Merged together, these WHUPV FUHDWH ³ÀRZHU ER´ 0DOLDQJND 4XDOLWLHV RI WKH kkonminam are frequently linked to characters in Japanese manga stories of teenage schoolgirls and their romantic relationships with their bishonen (“beautiful ER´ERIULHQGV-XQJ([WHQGLQJEHRQG MXVW.RUHDRQHFDQ¿QG HYLGHQFHRIDVWURQJUHFHSWLRQRIWKH³ÀRZHUER´FUD]HJOREDOOYLDZHEVLWHV such as YouTube, ViiKii, and Dramabean (Jung, 2010).

6HWDWWKH¿FWLRQDOSUHVWLJLRXV6KLQKZD+LJK6FKRRODVRUWRI³+DUYDUG´ of South Korea for the country’s richest and most elite children, Boys Over Flowers follows the trials and tribulations a clique of boys who “rule the school” and the young working-class girl named Jan Di who becomes a transforming force in their lives. The narrative of Boys Over Flowers centers on the themes of love and friendship as experienced by Jan Di, her best friend, and the group of four Shinwa male students known as the “F4,” or Flower 4 (Boys Over Flowers, n.d.). Jung (2010) noted that Boys Over Flowers is a retelling of the classic fairy tale Cinderella, with the addition of a love triangle and emphasis on materialism.

5HJDUGLQJWKHPHDQLQJRIWKHSKUDVH³ERVRYHUÀRZHUV´WKHRULJLQDO Japanese title, Hana Yori Dango, literally translates as “dumplings rather than >RYHU@ÀRZHUV´-XQJD-DSDQHVHSURYHUELQVSLUHGEIDPLOLHVJRLQJ to festivals that celebrated HanamiWKHYLHZLQJRIFKHUUEORVVRPÀRZHUV when they enjoyed eating sweet dumplings more than viewing the blossoming RIWKHFKHUUWUHHV6RVQRVNL,QD¿JXUDWLYHVHQVHhana yori dango means that one should enjoy and aspire to attain tangible happiness rather

Colby MiyoseA and Erika EngstromA

Boys Over Flowers: Korean Soap Opera and the

Blossoming of a New Masculinity

A University of Nevada, Las Vegas

3

Colby Miyose and Erika Engstrom

than aesthetics (Jung, 2010). From this idea, the creator of the manga series replaced the literal meaning of the word dango from “dumplings” to mean “boy,” resulting in the adage that women should choose men for their character rather than for their looks (Jung, 2010).

This study investigates how the popular Korean version of Boys Over Flowers offers portrayals of both hegemonic and counterhegemonic PDVFXOLQLW DQG KRZ WKLV SDUWLFXODU PDVV PHGLD WH[W WUHDWV DQG UHGH¿QHV culturally held notions of masculinity within the Korean culture (though still connected through a historically common original culture prior to the separation into north and south, “Korea” hereafter refers to South Korea). $WH[WXDODQDOVLV LGHQWL¿HVRYHUDUFKLQJWKHPHVWKDWDSSHDU LQFKDUDFWHUV¶ storylines and portrayals, which, taken together, evidences how this K-drama offers a new version of masculinity that challenges traditional masculinity and recasts the “ideal guy” for its mostly female audience.

Hegemonic Masculinity in Korean Culture Garde (2003) suggests that Western hegemonic masculinity encompasses four dominant norms featuring masculinity: power, opposition WRZDUG IHPLQLQLW GRPLQDWLRQ DQG REMHFWL¿FDWLRQ RI QDWXUH DQG WKH avoidance of emotion. Major similarities emerge when comparing hegemonic masculinities of Western societies to South Korean society, especially regarding heteronormativity and patriarchal ideology. For example, Moon (2002) noted that Confucian tradition, militarization, and compressed industrialization serve as the bases for Korean notions of masculinity. The patriarchal ideologies of Confucianism can be traced to the Sam-Kang-Oh- Ryun WKHWKUHH)XQGDPHQWDODQG)LYH0RUDO/DZVZKLFKKDVLQÀXHQFHG Korean socio-political society for most of the country’s history (Kim & Hahn, 2006); it maintains a patriarchal base of power for both the state and the family. Confucian patriarchy later transformed into modern industrialized patriarchy, which adopted the normative Western dichotomy of gender roles into its dominant gender ideology, with South Korea’s mandatory military service (due to the continued confrontation between North and South Korea), adding another element of Korean hegemonic masculinity, (Moon, 2002).

Moon (2002) further suggested that gender dichotomy in Korea can be traced to the idea of seonbi (the term for a Confucian scholar seeking wisdom) masculinity, from the Joseon dynasty of 1392-1910 CE. Seonbi masculinity dictates that men are not to engage in daily domestic labor, which, though absolutely necessary for the maintenance of society, is degrading and should be performed by women (Moon, 2002). Though blatantly sexist, seonbi masculinity is still regarded as an ideal model of Korean masculinity, because it represents traditional values such as virtue, faithfulness, and loyalty (Geum, 2000).

4

Counterhegemonic Masculinity: The Budding of the Kkonminam

0HGLD GHSLFWLRQV RI PDVFXOLQLW PD EH UHÀHFWLQJ WKH WUDQVIRUPLQJ gender norms that are occurring throughout various cultures, such as the introduction of the “new man” (Frederick, 2006). The “new man” persona forwards a revised masculinity that promotes traits such as being sensitive, expressive, and domestically savvy (Beyon, 2002). The metrosexual serves as another version of new masculinity; it refers to the image-conscious man who spends a considerable amount of time and resources on his appearance and lifestyle (Pompper, 2010). According to Aldrich (2004), the metrosexual is a heterosexual who is in touch with his feminine side, though others may consider him to be gay or bisexual. Merging these perspectives on masculine scripts together creates the overarching notion of “millennium masculinity,” whose major features include: (a) the pursuit of good health and appearance; (b) the absence of being a father; (c) the disassociation from violent behaviors; and (d) a personality consisting of vulnerability and incompetence (Beyon, 2002). The “new man” persona thus increasingly depends on matters of style and self- presentation, diverging from the traditional models of masculinity centered on reputation and work.

7KHFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRIWKH³ÀRZHUER´UHÀHFWVRPHZKDWWKH³PLOOHQQLXP masculinity” in Western societies. The requisite attributes of a kkonminam are: (a) girl-like pretty looks, (b) toned and hairless body, (c) a vulnerable heart, and (d) an inconsiderate and immature personality (Jung, 2010). The emergence of kkonminam parallels the changing socio-political atmosphere in South Korea following an economic downturn related to the International Monetary Fund (see Cho, 2013) and the subsequent loss of women in the Korean workforce due to ODRIIV’HFDGHVRIVLJQL¿FDQWJHQGHULQHTXDOLWLQWKHZRUNSODFHFRPELQHGZLWK the patriarchal idea that women should be secondary to men, contributed to the emergence of a softer male image (Maliangkay, 2010). This counter-hegemonic version of masculinity forwards the image of a more androgynous male, and has the potential to make the opposite sex (women) look more powerful, bringing both sexes closer to a level of egalitarianism (Maliangkay, 2010).

The kkonminam image began its popularity in the Korean entertainment industry in the late 1990s, with television commercials, dramas, and billboard advertisements featuring pretty boys with smooth skin, silky hair, and a feminine demeanor (Jung, 2010). This new vision of masculinity soon began to displace the hegemonic notion of macho, aggressive masculinity, with the Korean ³WRXJKJX´ORRNVWURQJOFRQWHVWHGEWKH³ÀRZHUER´WUHQG-XQJ7KH kkonminam syndrome has developed not because of males having become more feminized, but as a consequence of deconstructing the male/female GLFKRWRP.LP7KXVFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRIWKH³ÀRZHUER´DUHDEOHWR satisfy both feminine and masculine qualities.

Popular Culture Review

5

Textual Analysis of Boys Over Flowers The present study used textual analysis to examine the representation of masculinity and male gender roles in the Korean drama Boys Over Flowers, DYDLODEOHLQVHULDOIRUPRQOLQHDW1HWÀL[KWWSZZZQHWÀL[FRP:L0RYLH 13130?sod =search-autocomplete). An initial viewing of the series allowed for familiarization with the show’s characters and general plotlines; this was IROORZHGEDFORVHUYLHZLQJ LQZKLFKVSHFL¿FDVSHFWVRI WKHVHULHVZHUH noted, with attention paid to visuals (physical appearance and costuming, VHWWLQJV DQG DFWLYLWLHV VSHFL¿F GLDORJXH LQWHUDFWLRQV EHWZHHQ WKH PDLQ characters, and main characters with peripheral characters), and overarching storylines. Evaluated here is the composite picture that emerges regarding the portrayals of the four major male characters within the F4 group, because they are the most prevalent male characters, and they are the most important characters that form the male image in the series. The text, in terms of dialogue, imagery, and scenes, is thus assessed using the aforementioned frameworks of: (a) hegemonic Korean masculinity (based on Moon, 2002), (b) millennial masculinity, and (3) the kkonminam³ÀRZHUER´FKDUDFWHULVWLFV

The Girls and Boys of Boys Over Flowers Jan Di is a teenager who throughout the series works at multiple jobs to help her working class family to make ends meet. During Episode 1, she JRHVWRGHOLYHUODXQGUWRD6KLQKZDVWXGHQWDQG¿QGVKLPVWDQGLQJRQWKH rooftop of a building, battered and bloodied, ready to jump. This student had been tormented by the F4 for being a lower status than everyone else. As he attempts to jump, Jan Di reaches out and grabs him, ultimately saving his life. Her own life is changed dramatically when she is offered a scholarship to Shinhwa for her actions. Though the relationship between her and F4 starts out contested, she later becomes close friends with them. A love triangle develops between herself and two of the F4 members, Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo.

Ga Eul is Jan Di’s best friend who aspires to become an elementary school teacher. After getting over her relationship with her cheating boyfriend, she soon falls for an F4 member, Yi Jeong, but the feeling is not reciprocated. In the concluding scenes of the series, four years have gone by and Yi Jeong returns to Korea and visits Ga Eul at the elementary school where she teaches. Though not shown onscreen, their becoming a couple is alluded to, hinting at a happily ever after for them. Throughout the series, Ga Eul is shown to be caring, a loyal friend to Jan Di, and a strong believer in notions RIURPDQWLFORYH$VWKHGUDPDSURJUHVVHVVKHKDVDVWURQJLQÀXHQFHRQ the “blossoming” of the object of her affection, as Yi Jeong transforms from a playboy to a more egalitarian man.

Colby Miyose and Erika Engstrom

6

The “Flower Boys”: The F4 The most prominent male character of Boys Over Flowers is the leader of F4, Jun Pyo, who is the heir to the Shinhwa Group, the most successful corporation in South Korea. Jun Pyo’s grandfather established the Shinhwa schools so that Jun Pyo had a safe environment in which to grow up and receive a high quality education from the world’s leading scholars. Jun Pyo’s physical attributes combine macho masculinity with kkonminam traits. Oftentimes he is shown shirtless, with a slim body, six-pack abs, and smooth skin. He wears clothing that would be considered in the “Beau Brummel” style: dressing elegantly, and using accessories to showcase that a person may belong to an upper, more luxurious class (Crawford, 2006). Jun Pyo displays this type RIIDVKLRQEZHDULQJÀRZHUSULQWEXWWRQGRZQVKLUWVVFDUYHVSHDFRDWVDQG tight pants, all in pastel colors. However, counter to his clotheshorse image, -XQ3RSODVUXJEGULYHVUDFHFDUVDQGSDUWLFLSDWHVLQVZRUG¿JKWLQJDW a martial arts studio. Jun Pyo appears to be high maintenance, pretentious, immature, and stuck-up in the beginning of the series, but as his relationship with female main character Jan Di progresses, his attitude slowly becomes more compassionate and caring.

Ji Hoo is another member of the F4; he is grandson to the former president of South Korea, who became a physician after his term. When he was four years old, Ji Hoo’s parents were killed in a car accident he himself instigated when he playfully covered his father’s eyes while his father was GULYLQJ3KVLFDOO-L+RRVKRZVVWURQJ³ÀRZHUER´FKDUDFWHULVWLFVKHKDV long, straight, shiny orange-dyed hair, groomed very well; and often wears vests, sweaters, scarves, and earrings, all in light pastel colors that are nearly transparent at times. Ji Hoo’s pastimes and hobbies include both masculine and feminine-typed activities. For example, when he hangs out with his F4 friends, he tends to do what they do, and has a masculine-like competitive mentality while he partakes in those activities. However, when Ji Hoo hangs out with Jan Di, he is oftentimes seen nurturing her, displaying a somewhat feminine-typed persona, such as cooking an elaborate breakfast to cheer KHUXS$W¿UVW-L+RRVKRZVFRPSDVVLRQEHFDXVHKHSLWLHG-DQ’LEXWKH later falls in love with her, creating the love triangle between him, Jan Di, and Jun Pyo. Ji Hoo’s personality is portrayed as being sincere and empathetic, TXDOLWLHV WKDW¿UVWDWWUDFWHG-DQ’L WRKLPEXW WKHLU UHODWLRQVKLSXOWLPDWHO results in a close friendship instead of a romance.

Known as the “Casanova” of F4, Yi Jeong is skilled in all areas of the ¿QHDUWVHVSHFLDOOSRWWHUDQGXVHVWKHVHVNLOOVDVDWDFWLFIRUSLFNLQJXS (or “hooking up” with) beautiful girls. His family owns the most prestigious art museum in South Korea. In terms of physical appearance, Yi Jeong wears very dark colors and a lot of tight clothing. His hair is well groomed and straightened quite frequently. He often wears scarves and ascots, along with

Popular Culture Review

7

ODYLVKORRNLQJEXWWRQGRZQYHVWV+LVERG¿JXUHLVVKRZQWREHIHPLQLQHO slim-like, but muscular at the same time, conveying a sense that men are WREH¿WEXWVWLOOKDYHPXVFOHVWREHFRQVLGHUHGPDVFXOLQH