Issue Focus

K-Rom-Com’s Comeback: Why Light & Sweet Is Winning Again

This article signals a clear market shift: audiences fatigued by dark, hyper-realistic dramas are returning to light,

fast-paced romantic comedies—an insight that helps content exporters forecast global demand for comfort-viewing

K-romance formats.

♦  9% Ratings Prove Old-School Romance Still Works

      • SBS’s “Would you Marry Me?” closed at 9.1% nationwide, outperforming competitors like tvN’s

          “Typhoon Family” by leaning into familiar rom-com

      • The drama revived early-2000s-style romantic storytelling through fake marriage setups, opposites-attract chemistry,

          and sealed happy endings

♦  Netflix Loves Clichés (When Done Right)

      • SBS’s new rom-com “Dynamite Kiss” hit 6.3% by episode 4 while debuting at No.3 globally on Netflix,

          proving classic tropes still drive international traction

      • The show delivers gold-spoon hero meets Cinderella dynamics with an earlyepisode kiss that accelerates

          emotional payoff

♦  Audiences Are Exhausted—Literally

      • Viewers are flooding comment sections with pleas for dopamine, no more suffocating plots, signaling fatigue

          with intense genres

      • Heavy titles like “As You Stood By” and “Dear X” left audiences emotionally drained, making rom-coms

          the antidote viewers actively seek for stress relief

♦  Even A-Listers Want Fun Again

      • Top actors are selecting rom-coms for their next projects, citing the need for lighter, age-appropriate

          roles after emotionally taxing works

      • Industry insiders note Korean drama history follows cyclical patterns—romance, thriller, fantasy rotating in waves

Source

Yonhap News Agency (2025.11.23)

https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20251123015500005