AYU Two Cents: Why Does a K-drama Lead Have to Be “Perfect-Looking”?
A recent discussion on social media about a certain actor looking “too ugly” to be the K-drama’s lead has once again brought up the all-too-familiar question: What does an actor have to look like to be worthy of the starring role?
While some viewers have commented on the actor’s appearance and argued that a K-drama lead should have more traditionally handsome or “godlike” features, others have defended him, saying that it takes more than fitting one beauty standard to be a compelling lead.
Our two cents? Not every K-drama lead has to look like they were sculpted to be perfect.
Of course, everyone has their own preferences, and there’s nothing wrong with appreciating beauty—because let’s be honest, who doesn’t?
But sometimes, it feels like we focus so much on whether an actor fits a specific beauty standard that we forget to see what they bring to the table—their talent, charm, screen presence, and the way they bring life to the character.
A lead doesn’t always have to be conventionally handsome to make us root for them. Sometimes, it’s the expressive eyes, the natural smile, the quiet confidence, or the way they bring emotion to a scene that makes a character attractive. And sometimes, an actor’s appeal grows with every episode as we get to know the character they’re playing.
Maybe K-dramas don’t need every lead to look the same. Maybe there’s room for different faces, different kinds of charm, and new ideas of what a leading man can be. And who knows? The actor you didn’t find attractive at first might end up becoming the reason you keep watching, right?
She loves music that she needs background songs 24/7. She watches TV like a dutiful binge-watcher. And she writes mostly about the music she listens to and the shows and films that she watches.
