How k-dramas villainize eating disorders - video essay

[@TumblinWeeds]

Oh I would’ve liked to see more analysis on why eating disorders are villianized. My theory is that the films view it as choosing vanity over health, and that “hateful people likely hate themselves even more”. But while they villianize vanity, they also have rigid beauty standards for the protagonist they aren’t willing to give up. So rather than just being happy and healthy, she is either effortlessly pretty or she loses weight for “good” reasons like “health” or “determination” or “revenge”. Because she’s not doing it for attention, it is seen as not vain, therefore she isn’t disordered. Also, there’s the underlying idea that only “truly sick” people need therapy. “Sick” as in “crazy”. Since the protagonist isn’t crazy, she doesn’t need anything more than encouragement. Villains who are irredeemable are sent to therapy. Ultimately this mindset stems from a society that over values slimness and beauty, that also villianizes vanity, and doesn’t understand the nature of disordered eating. Almost all of them have “just eat more lol” as a solution to anorexia, although their unhealthy mindset around weight is viewed with a bit more nuance.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Your analysis is so spot on, I think you absolutely hit the nail on the head! This is the difference between a hero with an eating disorder and a villain with an eating disorder. I could not have worded it better!

[@dolliemollly]

seriously they literally all encourage the main character to get better (eating one snack) but i feel like the whole time there energy also is so condiscending like "dont gain it back though you wouldnt want to be like betty that was hot but is not" its so disingenuous.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

@@dolliemollly yeah, literally. don't be fat, but also don't be skinny, have some confidence, but not too much. Be pretty but in a natural way where you don't know you are pretty. You need to eat with love and eat a lot, but also don't be fat and don't have an eating disorder!

[@TuningAnApple]

Ah, yeah. Their approach to gaining weight is so unhealthy too. When people were harping on Sunmi for being too skinny, some of her fans defense was that she felt like shit when she was gaining weight. Which she did by forcing herself to eat burgers and junk food to gain weight. ANYONE would feel like shit trying to gain weight that way. And now they just say she is "naturally skinny" because the weight gain was bad for her.

[@theinvisiblegirl2501]

@@TuningAnApple omg, ppl can only think in extremes. i beg someone to introduce tdee to korean dieters

[@bunnywavyxx9524]

I love My ID is Gangnam Beauty in the way they portrayed Sua. They showed both layers of bulimia; the desirability, the pretty privilege, the better treatment, but then the other side: the desperate, despairing loneliness.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yes! By far the most nuanced portrayal of EDs, quite complex!

[@starr2870]

yes i think the slight juxtaposition between the two characters was really interesting, thats why i always really enjoyed the show, because both characters were going through similar issues and how regardless about how they look they couldnt be completely happy without the issues they put themselves through!

[@RH-xp7ju]

Yes, I didn’t really like the kdrama but the story revolving around Sua, the “villain” was top tier.

[@ponferada]

@@RH-xp7ju Yeah, even the acting of the leads made it hard to watch, but I kept watching because of Sua

[@sakuranovaryan9261]

Yes exactly. I love how they don't demonize sua. Even tho the things she did were wrong they humanize her. And show the protagonists flaws as well. For example how mirae used to rate others.

[@boring6203]

I remember watching weightlifting fairy Kim boo joo when I was suffering from anorexia. I remember that during one scene the doctor told her "You are 1.75m tall and weigh 58kg, which means you are overweight" I was shocked because not only was her BMI about 18 but if she lost even 3 kilos she would literally be underweight! It hurt me a lot too and made me think that I was fat when I wasn't, I was literally underweight…

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yes! I intentionally left any weight numbers out of the video, but the numbers all these TV-shows mention as "overweight" for all these tall women are absolutely insane. She is not only tall and not overweight, she is also a competitive weightlifter who has a lot of muscle. Hearing that kind of stuff always makes me think "wait, if she is fat, then what am I?!". This show is directly contributing to viewer's eating disorders

[@pinkpurpleblackyellow]

The thing from Korean entertainment that i notice is that everyone (especially female) with weight above 45-46 kg are considered fat. I see many articles about female idols get criticism about their weight even tho it's still under 60kg. That's how f up their beauty standard is.

[@BurnTheTeddy]

Im only a few cm taller than that an I weight 70kgs lmao Id be considered so fat in Korea

[@mira.r]

​@@pinkpurpleblackyellow it's not even just korea honestly. I'm Vietnamese and my friend is very insecure about herself. she's very tall for her age (almost 170cm) and she weighs like 53kg give or take and she's always talking about how fat and overweight and ugly she is. it really just makes me so sad to see her like. I've been friends with her for over a year and I've repeatedly told her that she's actually quite underweight and she looks completely fine and beautiful and that she shouldn't force herself to stay so skinny. but everything I've ever said has never gotten through her and the friends in our group and classmates don't directly support her weight obsession but they never oppose it either. just an extra tidbit of information, the role models and body icons she looks up to see the ultra-skinny and anorexic models from the early 2000s.

[@Widdekuu91]

Call me a paranoid person, because maybe I am, but I saw several fetishes in that tiny scene. I saw him putting his hand under her shirt, without properly lifting it up. Maybe that was to not-show-her-stomach, but it made it more intimate that way, not professional. Then, she sortof strains, as if in embarrassed shock (or as if he touched her somewhere) and then when he starts making those repetitite movements with the item, they focus on her feet in tiny white anklesocks. I mean, again, call me paranoid, but that seems like they tried everything to turn it from a normal, professional scene (whereas the wider angle would've been used) into a sortof.. "oohh no what are you doing to me, look at my feet' scene.

[@Alloy-p3u]

I would like K dramas to address alcoholism, the leads esp female leads drink like there's no tomorrow and not the least bit affected by it healthwise and even when they're affected, they continue to drink and nothing bad happens to them 🤷‍♀️

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

OMG, you are reading my mind! I wanted to make a similar video essay about alcoholism, but I am having a lot of difficulty finding k-dramas where the topic is actually discussed in any meaningful way, 99% of the time the just drink and it is never commented on. I want to make this video essay, I just don't know which k-dramas it could possibly be about...

[@Alloy-p3u]

​@@kdramaresearchinstitute You're right, they never address the issue, the leads getting wasted is used as a ploy for comedy or for some romantic get together. Recently I saw Bora Deborah, the heroine gets sick and is diagnosed with alcoholic gastritis, but the next episode she gets drunk and wasted again, and seen drinking in other episode too (although moderately) with no consequences While I enjoyed the show, I didn't like that part

[@gg-nr3bx]

it's the problem with drinking culture being so normalized...like i find it interesting how idols are restricted to have such "clean images" yet no one minds when they go on variety shows and get drunk. alcohol can be really dangerous, yet it's so normal to see in kdramas that people OVER-drink

[@teenieweeniemimie]

Saw somewhere that apparently the drinking culture is so common in south korea so I doubt they'd see things from a different perspective sadly

[@soop670]

weight lifting fairy unintentionally touched on the gross standards in terms of diet and weight classes in competitive sport. As someone that did very competitive sports at points in my life I do know the reality of high level sport and competition culture. It lead many people, guys and girls, to have body dysmorphia and disorded eating habits. It's too bad the writers and producers didn't care enough to not condone that culture and those standards set for athletes. (This has to do with sports that base pools about weight classes and stress importance on muscle mass ie. boxing, mma, rugby).

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yeah I feel like they wanted to handle this topic, but also didn't comment on it. They clearly showed what kind of expectations various competitive sports have and how they are constantly weighed, but the writers didn't come to any conclusions about it and only one character got real consequences from it, like it's ok that everyone else's body get surveilled this way. The first person who ever commented on my body was my gymnastics trainer, I still have quite a vivid memory of it.

[@soop670]

​@@mannikka through years of having gymnast friends I've definitely heard some horror stories about the behaviours and environments that surround it, especially when it came to the aesthetics of the athletes. But I'm glad to hear you got out before things became really bad for you. My personal experience and the experience I saw firsthand was in rugby and various kinds of contact sports like wrestling. Wrestling in particular was rampant with teenage boys cutting down excessively on weight in order to be the biggest in a pool of guys smaller than you, instead of being the smallest in a pool of athletes with more mass comparatively. Lots of water "cleanses" and fasting was promoted to many of the guys I knew that were in lower weight classes despite them having to train for hours on end. Both during practice and in their own time. I watched dudes create an incredibly warped sense of self because of coaches that couldn't care less about their athletes mental or physical health. Seeing weight lifting fairy kinda just wave a carrot in front of the audience and then immediately throw it in the trash was annoying but not surprising.

[@icingcake]

Doesn’t even have to be competitive level 😂 - lots of TikTok’s about body dysmorphia from just going to the gym - never seen so many guys body checking themselves so hard….

[@emmmanueeel]

@@icingcake High standards about what kind of body we should have is everywhere. Going to the gym or not is not going to change much of it about body dysmorphia, except if the person can better themselve throught the weight training.

[@soop670]

@@icingcake ohmygod yeah, we are in such an awful era of how people use the gym. It is still very misunderstood by many people that are convinced their incredibly high standards for themselves are healthy. I remember coming across some really good videos about how many guys refuse to see their unhealthy workout regimen as genuinely harmful or even a form of self harm, because they are so convinced their motivations of having to look perfect are helping them.

[@freespiritdamsel]

I had the exact opinion with the Oh My Venus. I was appalled at watching that drama because I felt the male lead is an example of a toxic guy women should stay away from.

[@luiysia]

these dramas are propaganda to get women to accept toxic men

[@tatertots43]

me with every kdrama

[@cherishoneal9108]

Most of the male leads are portrayed as tools.

[@cherishoneal9108]

@@thebadseeds most of the male leads I’ve watched appear to be mean. Closed off, spontaneous and pretentious. First impressions are off. The second male lead is usually the nice guy. It takes time for the male lead to warm up and confess his love. I’ve seen this with Boys over Flowers, Secret Garden, my lovely Kim Sam Soon, Holo Love. Not all of the dramas, but that’s the usual trope with male leads.

[@cherishoneal9108]

@@thebadseeds I wouldn’t say boring. I would say the second male lead makes the main male character want the female lead more. Makes more tension. I feel like the male lead is based off Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice.

[@vintagejanejane]

Omg, why is there so much weigh loss product placement in the k-dramas? Really good video, thank you for making it!

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Very unethical!

[@bubblegum-cf4zo]

because being thin is the beauty standard in korea and a lot of people in korea going on terrible diets and consume diet pills to get to their ideal weight (usually around 40 kg) which is really sad :(.. these shows know they will profit from promoting them

[@minaisfab17]

There's a lot that kind of weight loss product sponsorships by idols and random korean youtubers

[@starr2870]

@@bubblegum-cf4zo its honestly so frustrating and irritating when a show covers a serious issue then adds a random product placement that is the complete opposite their message? liike its actually so awful

[@olblue3478]

Coz being fat is ugly

[@lovechafes]

Im absolutely stunned that soo ah taking diet pills was ad placement Thats absolutely sinister. Shes basically participating in self harm when she consumes them.

[@follilolli5648]

No for real, when I saw that I was so taken aback, like how are you advertising weight loss pills that an eating disordered person is taking?? That's like showing a character with a drinking and driving problem and advertising the bottle they use to drink while doing it. Sick.

[@rumple503]

I watched Oh My Venus, having no idea what it was about and honestly? Till this day is the one show I don't recommend people to watch and I regret wasting my time on it. It's shocking that everyone behaved like she was obese and that scene in the end where she tells her husband she's pregnant and he basically cares about her looks made me so upset that I couldn't even be like "ohhh, happy ending"

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yes, people keep talking about how cute the romance is, but it really isnt! Oh my Venus did not age well, there is so much fatphobia!

[@farziafardus9752]

Ikr especially the your body is for me line like the hell that's her body and you have no control or entitlement over it.

[@ОльгаАнохина-щ6ц]

Actually, in the end I was on hubby's side. It wasn't "omg, you looks awful now when you gain you weight back", it was about health and risks during pregnancy. She gained in two months more that women usually gain throughout pregnancy (and even more). Everyone is individual but gaining like 20 kg in two months is dangerous, just as losing them in short time. I know many women who gained about 15-20 kg closer to 9th month and could barely walk, and what she'll be like? Saying it was because of babies is just an excuse, her babies were less than 500 g then I'm saying it as a woman who isn't obsessed with weight and diets

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

@@ОльгаАнохина-щ6ц Yeah, but she also first lost this amount of weight in around 2-3 months. My point is the weightless was unhealthy and unsustainable, which is why she gained it all back in such a short time, her body just went back to where it was as soon as she went off her extreme diet.

[@ОльгаАнохина-щ6ц]

@@kdramaresearchinstitute yes, I agree. People should lose this weight during years to keep result Still, it doesn't make her situation healthy in the end. I only saw people disgusted with his reaction and no one who thinks that he could be right. Though he sounded rude, he had a point. But viewers just labeled him a fatshamer and used her pregnancy as an excuse without thinking about the reasons

[@marsaaas]

In My id is a Gangnam Beauty Female lead and her best friends always drinks some juice(?) specifically made to get skinnier. I HATED THAT PRODUCT PLACEMENT BECAUSE IN THIS DRAMA THEY SHOULD'VE NOT DO IT AT ALL SPECIFICALLY

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yes, thank you for pointing this out, there was literally ANOTHER diet drink product placement, like wtf, why would they take that sponsorship?!

[@marsaaas]

best friend*

[@marsaaas]

​​@@kdramaresearchinstituteeah like OH DRUGS ARE BAD DONT TAKE THEM TO GET SKINNIER AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE ITS OKAY TO DRINK SOME SHITTY STUFF TO GET SKINNIER? when both girl lead and her best friend are both SKINNY ALREADY there is healthy ways to loose or to gain weight!! thank you for the video. I forgot that I loved Oh My Venus. When that series came and now I feel really bad... As an actor I would not take such roles as Male lead especially but if I remember he is a really nice and kind gentleman in real life sorry if something in my comments is not clear but I hope you can understand me I don't really know English and did not use translator so mb did many mistakes

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

@@marsaaas don't apologize for your English :) And about feeling bad for liking something almost 10 years ago.. When Oh My Venus came out, people were not talking about eating disorders and body positivity like they do now - at that time this was the normal way to depict these topics and Oh My Venus was considered a good k-drama. I did not watch it in 2015, I am looking it at it from todays perspective. I used to really like the japanese writer Haruki Murakami, and thought his books were so cool - but now reading them years later again, I just think they are so sexist, I have not noticed it at that time. We all grow and change and have different perspectives as we grow older, that is a good thing :)

[@megurem4935]

I was just coming to comment this exact thing, it was one of first media where i was exposed to disordered eating and i learnt a lot from it but that juice thing put me off soo much!!

[@pillbugm8914]

I think I've spent a lot of time looking through Western and Eastern popular media, and unfortunately as an Asian I have to say that Asians still have a pretty toxic relationship with weight. Not that it's so much better in the West, but I've definitely seen more widespread acceptance and normalization of different body types in Western entertainers and more awareness of what should and shouldn't be said when it comes to weight. A lot of Eastern popular media will proudly promote harmful eating habits and unrealistic expectations without realising or, quite frankly, caring about the harm that they are doing.

[@beelzemobabbity]

Ive heard, especially in korea dieting culture is huge. It’s impossible to go a day without hearing someone talking about dieting, or how they’re gaining weight. Or taking weight loss supplements

[@foofung9961]

The fat culture in the west is a problem. It just pisses me off that you'll only refer to underweight eating habits as harmful but never the overweight ones.

[@beelzemobabbity]

@@foofung9961 we do. But we also dont call people who aren’t overweight, (aka a lot of the “fatsuits” in these shows) fat. Eating a lot, or being chubby arent bad things. When people are obese of course we talk about it.

[@skylerallen5869]

​@@beelzemobabbity right

[@DL-idk]

@@foofung9961 because this is commenting on a video talking about problematic diet culture in k-drama. There are lots of videos talking about weight problems in western countries, and I haven't seen any comment talking about diet problem in eastern countries under those. I don't see any problem with that. So why should it be a problem vise versa? Because the west is more important than the east and that's why you can ignore the east but never ever the west? Idk. You make your own case

[@markalexander3659]

"that she probably cannot even digest" - YES! You are the first person to get this particular thing right! I was bulimic (well, anorexia binge-purge type) for many years and eventually I found that I couldn't digest food even if I wanted to. Like even if I tried to eat something small and light, it would sit heavy in my stomach and I'd vomit against my will (like when you're sick with food poisoning or something) and it would up up completely undigested, sometimes more than 24 hours after I'd eaten it. I had to be an inpatient and start with Ensure drinks and then very liquidy clear soups etc and gradually build my diet up to being able eat normal foods again.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yes, none of these ED movies and TV shows ever mention the side effects and what it does to your body. Makes me think that the writers don't have any experience with an ED or didn't do that much research. I hope you are doing better now!

[@markalexander3659]

@@kdramaresearchinstitute I am doing better, thanks! A little of 4 years ED free 😁

[@joseabey3455]

but speak for yourself na also the girl took a tiny bit of a cheescake

[@markalexander3659]

@@joseabey3455 cheesecake is very rich and heavy. Even a few bites would probably be enough to make her (involuntarily) throw up. The inability to digest is complete as in nothing solid even in teeny amounts can be digested.

[@manahilfatima3738]

But without fibre a person would become constipated

[@andrearmz2522]

Eating disorders have come such a long way, and I'm so glad that people are starting to view weight as a complex topic, worthy of our empathy, and still there is such a long way to go, it stresses me out that being fat is considered something to make fun of, especially because the parents that call their kids names or constantly remind them that they are not skinny never have any consequences (as someone who still lives with parents like that, it's terrible), like the mom in Boys Over Flowers. Also, I had never considered the product placement of weird weight loss products in kdramas that try to talk about that very same topic. Amazing video!

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

It has been brought to my attention that there is actually one more diet product placement in My ID is Gangnam Beauty - the main character's bestie drinks some diet juice, I thought it was the same diet pill that Sua takes, but it seems to be a different product. The producers want a pat on the back for making a show that says "dieting bad", but only want the most attractive and tall actors to play these roles and advertise weight loss products...

[@pebble8031]

Ikr, I was so pissed off when Tomorrow pulled the story of how his sister used to suddenly binge due to stress and was bullied for gaining it all and just turned into a condescending session. They could've just hinted her working on it and taken advantage of the nature of the story lines in drama, and given it an open ending. Letting us assume that she's slowly working on it The only thing I liked is them showing the bigger woman didnt care about the stupid comments at all and was happy in her own body

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

It was unnecessary for the plot. I think they added it to show that RowoonSs character can relate to her ED, but he is already written like a character who is kind and feels empathy, the didn't need to include the sisters weight gain subplot

[@celery8059]

Sooah is so fucking relatable. Reducing a person to their appearance has horrible consequences, I really think she was a well written villainess that shows a level of awareness of how Korean beauty standards can create a “Marylin and Jackie” kind of misogyny that realizes itself in both men and women.

[@태이씨]

Tomorrow is such a pain! It approaches every s++cide attempt well, but when it comes to resolution they all just say "tomorrow it'll be better", "you shouldn't treat urself like that", etc. I was watching the drama in some borderline mood, and it didn't make me feel better at all because all they showed is tone deaf phrases that every other uneducated person tells. The writers are just incompetent to talk about those issues. Compare that to the recent "daily Dose of Sunshine" - it deals with mental illnesses brilliantly!

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

1000% agree! Tomorrow never mentions therapy or any actual solutions for the people to improve their lives, all the protagonists offer are platitudes and move on! But Daily Dose of Sunshine actually talks about the topic with so much nuance. Not only do they say "you should go to therapy", they actually show the whole healing process and destigmatize it. Such a good show!

[@farziafardus9752]

As someone who had an eating disorder , I am glad that you made this video and that people are talking about it . I had an eating disorder for almost 3 years because my family and classmates used to bully me for my weight , this lead to my eating disorder and low self-esteem but I am recovering slowly . I know how it feels when you get compliment for losing weight you wanna lose more even though your underweight , you fish for those compliments and want more.

[@sillycatsayshi]

i was once bullied for my weight too and ik how hopeless it can feel :/ i hope you continue your healing journey safely and i wish the best for you. remember healing is not linear and you're worth much more then your weight sweetie!! don't give up you got this ┏⁠(⁠＾⁠0⁠＾⁠)⁠┛

[@farziafardus9752]

@@sillycatsayshi I am so sorry that you had to go through that. Thank you so much sweetie , I hope that you also know that you are a beautiful person and yes I know my worth now.

[@ilincabogza]

Good luck on your healing journey! A happy and beautiful life awaits you! Never forget how strong and beautiful you are!!

[@farziafardus9752]

@@ilincabogza Thank you very much

[@wayomono5507]

The same goes with IU's character in Dream high drama. She was fat and because she wanted the love of her classmate, she looses weight in a short time and suddenly he falls in love with her. And there's this constantly thing about talking about not eating and skipping meals as something you rather do if you want your crush's attention.

[@reaganfields]

i just started dream high and OMG i was so shocked?! that was honestly heart breaking to watch. the way the teachers AND jason wrote her off because of her weight?

[@Taradays]

it unsettles me in Hotel Dela Luna how much IU's character loves food. I mean not judging at all. But it must be hard for Korean actors and talent to have such roles.

[@angel127_]

@@Taradaysreminds me of jeanette mccurdy who played Sam in both icarly and Sam and Cat, she was incredibly underweight and anorexic yet her character’s whole personality was that she loved to eat

[@lazzzyyyme9170]

I lived in Korea for a few years and it was shocking to me how normalized disorderd eating was.. 1 meal a day.. skipping meals/eating 500 kcal during the week and then BAM chicken and beer, lots of alcohol and `bad food´ on the weekends, then again diet pills etc. and low calorie foods for a few days... I know this also happens in other countries but there you might encounter genuine concern for your wellbeinng whereas in Korea you will be told that you lack mental stength, that you don´t try hard enough..

[@Itbunnygirl]

If binge eating was a country:

[@maggotmaiden]

I want to say its not just K-dramas that portray EDs horrible but tv in general. Having an ed isn't linear infact most of the time its considered a symptom of a more cripling mental illness like, depression, schizophrenia, bpd etc. And in alot of the times people don't have and ed because they want to b loose weight sometimes people just have terrible eating patternsthey need to fix to be normal ( not saying thats not common). Also on tv i noticed they seem to forget about physical problems that come with it like heart palpitations, trouble breathing and chest pains even having trouble walking

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yes, they always gloss over the health consequences in ED media and make it look like a cute diet that went too far!

[@esavvysavokiii1277]

I'm so glad you brought up the weight loss pill product placement in My ID is Gangnam Beauty. The original webtoon obviously didn't have that, and I can't imagine the horror the author must have experienced to find out this product placement was a thing in the adaptation of this work. It's ridiculous. They should have just shown some generic diet pills to get their point across instead of advertising.

[@maigokonekochan]

Also another aspect to point out (at least from what I've seen so far?) is how this is only aimed towards/about women while making the male protagonist seem like a life saver when he's a rude bully who doesn't have any respect.

[@chasebarber10]

I didnt even realize it was a real product placement. Disgusting

[@solar6284]

Probably has a lot to do with how hyper capitalist S. Korea is. S. Korea has a unique, condensed history of its fast track towards becoming a first world supergiant economy. This has come with many setbacks; their bodies have become so commodified. And unfortunately the body standards on men and women being super tiny/super fit due to diet culture is the result of it. Everyone is racing to be the most beautiful and marketable that they destroy their bodies. Myself included (I'm Chinese), but I also acknowledge how important it is to combat these pervasive systems. You would never catch me dead defending body shaming or eating disorders. There is too much hatred in that way of thinking, we should try to be better than that.

[@beepboop9373]

I also feel like there was a common theme on the main lead seemingly eating huge amounts of food yet being stick thin and this being a good quality, which is highly unlikely and impossible unless youre tzuyang lol

[@markalexander3659]

The suddenly-better-with-3-days-in hospital/therapy reminds me of the WESTERN trope in movies and books where the main character always make a friend who is much worse than they are, then their friends died from their ED and main character immediately completely recovers

[@missdiorfairy]

I haven't even watched the video but I just want to say thank you for not showing any throwing up scenes, I have emetophobia and I really appreciate you being considerate. Most people don't understand so I get jumpscared, thank you!

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yeah, same, I hate seeing it. Some of these k-dramas do have these scenes, but I don't think it is necessary to show them. I didn't make this video to trigger viewers, I wanted this channel to be a safe and chill space where we can critically discuss these topics in a non stressful way :)

[@lilianwatson4434]

What is interesting is that bulimics are consistently shown to be skinny and pretty, but that's not real, I have bulimia, and it causes me to be so bloated; my legs, arms, stomach, and face are much more bloated than ever...

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

This 100%! They kinda glamorize EDs that way, as if it was a lifehack to look thin and pretty, when in reality it is self harm with grave consequences! I hope you are kind to your body today

[@MaddieKove]

I loved the story line of the "mean" girl in Weightlifting Fairy. I related to her a lot and loved the final moment where she just lets the baton(idk what it's called) drop.

[@anaispersephone6041]

I might have to rewatch Oh My Venus because I didn't see it that way. It's been 8 years since I watched it, but it's always good to watch it from a new perspective.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

You'll be villainized for being "vain" if you have try to lose weight. But you are also expected to meet absurdly high standards of beauty. Lose-lose. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[@brigc7755]

Honestly I really do like how Tomorrow handled the topic, but since they only have one episode per person, I guess they had to wrap it up somehow, which is sad because the rest of the episode was really good! AMAZING video btw!!!

[@Maya-fx8ls]

Honestly I hated how they portrayed rarely portrayed the suicidal people getting therapy. It was just the main lead sweet talking to them and done! Suddenly the people aren't suicidal! Lol Plus how they portrayed the concept of hell and how people who took their own lives will go to "hell" and stuff. It was a weird ride for me

[@deletedchannelCH]

In the Catholic religion as they do practice it in Korea, killing yourself is one of the biggest sins. Though I believe it is removed from the Roman Catholic, practicing Catholics still see it as your are condemned. Some shamans also believe they become an evil spirit out for revenage. Other shows have talked about it throughout the practicing religions in korea.

[@ChloeBx]

To everyone who has EDs, anorexia, orthodoxia, bulimia etc... i hope you will recover and you will becoming your best self ❤ you deserve to be healthy, love yourself and be happy

[@bellacalampiano58]

honestly, what ive noticed with kdramas is that they only show them chewing the food and not swallowing it. Ive only started to notice that in weightlifting fairy. And in true beauty, they'll just get a few small bites and show them preparing more the food than eating it and talking more than eating the food. I remember French eating culture being lowkey glorified (or at least by my mom and sister) because of how amazed we are that they talk more and eat less over a meal that they're supposed to have being one of their "secrets" of staying skinny.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

They also have to film the takes like 10 times, and the actors definitely have to spit everything out. You know in comparison to American media, I was actually surprised at how often people are shown eating in k-dramas. I am super used to scenes with a fully set table and the actors dont touch the food at all, just talk and then leave. K-dramas are a foodie heaven compared to that

[@Shy-xm4kn]

I’m 5’8 and 155lbs rn. I starved myself for a year (surviving on one cup of Greek yogurt, Coffee, water, and multivitamins a day and an occasional binge meal) when I was younger and got down to 129lbs. I lost my period and I wasn’t even “underweight” for my height. My skin was grey and I developed teeth problems and hair problems. I didn’t have a period for two years. I wanted to be thin at any cost. I blacked out at college. Turns out I almost died from a lack of minerals like potassium/sodium. I could have had a heart attack. I might be fat by Korean standards and chubby by American standards but I can run 5 miles on a treadmill, my hair is thick and shiny, and I have energy to do things I love.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

I hope you are doing well now! Fuck the beauty standards and the need for specific weight numbers, do what is best for you body

[@FrabbyCrabsis]

Oh my God, this was excellent - I always hated these stories, but could never articulate what exactly was wrong. Among everything else, it's the double standards! Excuse me while I go share this everywhere---

[@seekittycat]

I avoided this video cause I was scared of getting triggered but I'm so happy I watched this. Watching K-drama definitely affected my mental health even though I was just watching it to destress. I was so mad but I didn't even understand why.

[@arcco7999]

I always had a problem with Weightlifting fairy bcs, as a weightlifter myself i couldnt see Bok Jo as an overweight girl, i couldnt even see her as the strongest of them. It scares me that people actually think that a professional weightlifter could look like that (the best, wtf)

[@thaunn33]

I feel like in tomorrow kdrama,the eating disorder that his sister was added because it wants to highlight it can be in different situation and more encouraging when people around you are supportive and loving towards you .The girl that has ed currently didn't have anyone around her to talk about or vent as his siter has heartwarming family around her.Yep that is my opinion.I do respect yours too.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

That is a really good point, it makes sense :)

[@akiko7298]

I think that was mainly the point of the whole series: to show people in many situations that they aren't alone and can find help if they reach out. And to teach people what can be signs of someone struggling.

[@lauravargasdesouza]

For weightlifiting fairy is pretty accurate in both the « dirty-bulking » obsession with over eating and the gymnast binge cycles

[@Averyr91]

I always thought it was weird how Korean games, webtoons, and Tv shows all randomly threw in shit about working out and eating less etc when it was completely unrelated. And how OBSESSED the characters were with not eating

[@cleverjade巧玉]

This is why My ID is Gangnam Beauty is one of my fav kdramas

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yes, it tackles so many topics! It is about EDs, about beauty standards, about misogyny and the male lead is quite a feminist ally

[@hanni.i0i]

watching my id is gangnam beauty actually started my ed because i saw how it worked and how i almost could relate to sua how beauty automatically meant to be skinny im finally healing but even always watching kpop idols like wonyoung trigger it sometimes..its not even their fault its just i watch and take in the wrong info sometimes

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Glad you are healing, I can totally relate to comparing yourself to actors, musicians and models, in a world that demands us to look perfect but in an effortless way. Another one I hate seeing is the trope when a character is called ugly or overweight who is played by a gorgeous conventionally attractive actress, always makes me think "wait if she is ugly, then what am I ?!"

[@anacrea3931]

Really interesting video. My heart breaks for anyone with thyroid disease watching Oh My Venus. The message to push yourself to the edge to lose weight that you have BECAUSE OF YOUR DISEASE plus the insinuation that the disease is your fault? Something very wrong there. Also, I'd love to know wtf happened to my dog for her to get hypothyroidism in that case!

[@animalgacha9154]

If eating disorders where solved as easy as in tomorrow then no-one would die from it

[@lvlyflrs3736]

It is absolutely uncomfortable and disgusting to watch kdramas portray disorders, sexism, and fatphobia as romantic.

[@badlilthang2]

I actually didn't notice the weight lost product plug ins.. really iffy this video was really well made!!

[@Winterisnicee]

As i only have experience with these two i will only comment on these: My mom has that condition from Oh my venus (i am not sure how to write it) And it is completely normal to exercise a lot and do extremely restrictivr diet and loose weight quickly and binge after, iam not sure how i vould explain but in some way it is realistic. From the 2 drama i can tell you that recovery from eds at least for me, it was like a switch from 2-3 days, i just snapped and ate all i wanted and stopped my bad habits. I know for most people it is not like that at all but a really lucky case, i just wanted to share my personal experience with anorexia (wich was mild)

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

I am really glad you were able to recover quickly! Thank you for your comment, I guess these can be realistic depictions that people can relate to :)

[@alisyathahira6675]

@@kdramaresearchinstitutefor me recovery took several years even though the peak of my ed only lasted a couple months (because i was being threatened to be taken to the hospital). it took me more than a year to even be able to eat half of a small sized meal, so i guess it is just different for everybody

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

@@alisyathahira6675 It is sooo different for everyone! Sending you love, hope you are better now

[@Winterisnicee]

@@kdramaresearchinstitute Thank you for understanding my point of view. I apreciate it.

[@DanielleFreeman-im1yj]

Also when you're doing intense exercising, you want to make sure you eat a bunch of good carbs about 1 to 2 hours before you workout. Carbs are the fuel your body needs to fuel your workout! After you're done working out, you want to eat a snack loaded with proteins! Proteins are what your body needs rebuild your muscles after you're done working out!

[@kendratsou5636]

13:00 lmao when two friends hold the manager down so that the other can slap him

[@YumikoMayamine]

This video was really well made ! I didn't my ED triggered. I grew up with anime and drama later on life and it made me hate my body even when I wasn't overweight like now. Standards in Japan and Korea are so bad for women...

[@user-ys9zq2mn2r]

I watched the first three dramas years ago and I did not understand that they both had eating disorders (main lead and side character). Especially in WFKBJ, I think Bok joo's disordered eating is written to seem as normal which is why I did not catch that when I watched it.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yeah, its like everyone expects women to always be losing weight, so it isn't even noticable unless the disordered eating is extreme!

[@brookb5890]

I think for kdramas to start depicting ED's realistically, they'd have to first stop forcing them on their stars. These stars (men included) are literally starving for years. The reason "healthy" food is depicted as being a starvation diet is because that's exactly what it is and what the industry idealizes. Honestly, I think the "foodie" dramas are more insidious because of how they depict the characters' relationships with food despite the fact that there were most definitely spit-takes for every bite. One of my absolute favorite dramas was My Lovely Sam Soon, but I've been super nervous about revisiting it because I remember that the main lead was depicted as overweight. She definitely wasn't, she's just a "korean midsize" (meaning she undoubtedly would still wear a size small in American clothing brands). I remember really enjoying the story and the romance, and I don't want to rewatch it and be faced with more double standards about food and weight and the morality these dramas often assign to those two things.

[@iknowimgaywhenisaythisbut1369]

I'm ashamed to admit that because of the bathroom scene in My ID is Gangnam Beauty, I learned how to throw up and ended up having bulimia for 5 years. I'm doing well now and 1 year clean :))

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Glad you are doing better now, take care of yourself :)

[@nadithyaweerasinghe6741]

that's a great accomplishment

[@ChloeBx]

Congratulations on your path towards your best healthy self ❤ keep going

[@FionaMarie1234]

Eatting disorders are a contagion. Girls mainly learn from tv or friends. Me too. I’m recovered from bulimia.

[@kekele5597]

Oh my what … They should really be careful about this kind of scenes, I guess a lot of people did that too. I’m so sorry for you, I hope you’re okay

[@aaaaaavib]

This video helped me so much. I'm in recovery from an ed and i've seen all these kdramas (my id, kim bok joo and oh my venus before it and tomorrow after my ed) and this video made me think a lot about my experience watching them. When I saw my id, kim bok joo and oh my venus i confess that the portrait of eds and the discussions about weight and behavior around food didn't affect me at all. ( I was too young I guess and, for example, just now I realized how problematic is Oh My Venus). But damnnn i tried watching Tomorrow and it was a disaster: i couldn't barely finish watching the episode 7 because it looked like, to me, sooo wrong the way they deal with the ed, it made me pissed and i haven't realized WHY until now - until i saw this video and watch somebody talking about it, verbalizing what i couldn't This video is so rich and bring several important discussions and i dunno i just wanted to sincerely thanks about the content

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Thank you for watching, your comment means a lot :) I hope you are doing well in your recovery ⭐

[@zvezdoblyat]

Gymnasts being forced to be skinny? Ive never heard of that before... you want to eat and workout so you have energy to to a routine with power. How will you do that without food?

[@turner15]

I think for gymnasts there is a specific weight range that gives you the best amount of force distribution when your doing flips and stuff. Especially a bunch in a row. Kind of like a seesaw?

[@moorhexe1400]

there's this one documentary about eating disorders in the climbing scene that has quite a lot of views. i thought professional athletes would have a balanced diet (that may be leaning into an ed because you have to watch it so much, esp. with nutrients and stuff) that isn't as restrictive and focused or obsessed on nutritional value but turns out that's not what it is. it's like that in ballet too and i imagine it's the same with gymnasts

[@emiliavachon]

Unfortunately, it’s seen as having power without being “overweight.” Rhythmic gymnastics, which is the type in WLFKBJ, is also more about dance/less focused on power than “regular” gymnastics so there’s even more pressure to be skinny and lose weight. Hope that helps!

[@IshtarNike]

I dunno if they're forced to be skinny but I reckon they probably are pressured to avoid being too "thick" in terms of body fat. So while they may be encouraged to eat well, getting too much fat over the muscles may be considered poor form, like in bodybuilding.

[@IsoraBEinfinity]

I'm just waiting for a show (especially american) to actually say that eating healthy food in even large proportions is fine, not eating the bad food in large proportions and eating a tiny salad and most of the problems will go away. I think thats what weight loss is evolving into these days. Eating the best type of food for the human body and never getting guilt because you eat good food anyway. Just speaking from personal experience.

[@mintozaki7661]

Oh my venus was testing my patience every episode and the ending just pmo so much the male lead is a freak

[@jesspk9515]

Another bad thing that I noticed in a lot of things is thst after the recovery from these things, in the end the person dealing with the disordered eating is still skinny. I think that is pretty problematic and very sad to see how that message can effect viewers.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Yes totally!

[@christine9122]

Thank you for raising this topic. Not everyone may agree, but this issue MUST be changed in Korea and other countries. Or it should be focused with the mental health of person in mind.

[@yourwife1111]

Ok, I kind of love that the villain in Tomorrow gets a diarrhea curse that made me smile

[@dianavoit6312]

Спасибо за интересное видео. Но я думаю, что на самом деле даже если в корейских дорамах и меняется слегка отношение к диетам ,булемии, анорексии и т.д., то общественное мнение всё равно считает, что все, а особенно девушки должны быть очень - очень худенькими . А если недостаточно худенький, то - неудачник. Очень показательно, что в двух из перечисленных дорам ,главные мужские роли исполняют айдолы Cha Eun woo (Astro) и Rowoon (SF9),вижуалы из популярных мужских групп, оба очень высокие и худенькие, которые со времени стажировки и после дебюта строго контролируются со стороны своих фирм ( что и сколько едят ,сколько весят), точно также как гимнастки из дорамы Фея тяжёлой атлетики.... А есть дорамы, где поднимаются проблемы питания парней?

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Я думаю что меняется отношение к психическим заболеваниям и психотерапии а не к стандартам красоты. За последние несколько лет появилось больше дорам в которых главные герои ходят к психиатру (к примеру Mad for each other). Главный герой в сериале должен рассказывать о том что диета не нужна и внешность не главное, но играть этого героя должен вижуал айдол. А "толстую" героиню должна играть высокая актриса с модельной фигурой. Продюсеры дорамы могут себя по плечу похлопать за то что смело заявили что диеты это зло, при этом не меняя стандарты красоты в индустрии. Они могли бы могли не заставлять актрис худеть или давать роли более крупным актрисам, но они боятся потерять деньги и получить критику. Актеров мужчин которые толстые (по стандартам индустрии, в реальности это обычный вес) есть несколько. Их вес в сериалах упоминается, но им никто не рассказывает о диетах (такие герои есть в All of us are dead, Save me, Fight for my way). Есть короткий фильм об анорексии с Lee Dong Hwi под названием Method acting, но я вообще не смогла его нигде найти и не уверена что он существует. Я еще не видела ни одной дорамы в которой парень сбрасывал бы вес кроме Blueming.

[@ОльгаАнохина-щ6ц]

​@@kdramaresearchinstitute в фильме "Мужик во мне" худеет главный герой (странное название из-за сюжета про обмен телами)

[@JLDREAMS]

Allowing weight loss products in shows about eating disorders just disgusting

[@rubydoo3307]

I have a thyroid issue and you can't fix it in a few months, it takes years. It's so dangerous to tell people that there's a magic way to lose weight when you have a thyroid or any other hormone issues. Your body is already doing its best to keep you alive, and chronic illness is no simple matter.

[@scarlettyoung4744]

its honestly so disgusting how a "fat suit" is even a thing. like someones body is a costume? also i haven't watched most of the video yet haha so I'm not sure if this is mentioned but the media in general, and the general public, view eating disorders as this vanity based extreme diet - a diet gone wrong, which could not be further from the truth. it's almost NEVER portrayed as a mental illness. it also is not caused by beauty standards and the media. it's not CAUSED by those things. there's so so much people get wrong about it. i know in korea they don't take these things so seriously as they're literally promoted to an extreme but people need to stop writing about things they don't know about 😭 if you want real depictions to be portrayed rather than a stereotype, cite your sources. have people with experience on the team to help depict it for you. write from real experiences.

[@tuesdaywithjisoo8395]

The first Girls boyfriend is so annoying istg. "Your hyper thyroidism is your fault" tf?

[@mariaeduardacarrijodecastr8256]

The drama Angel’s last mission: love also talks about EDs, and it even shows the scar! Not many people talk about it though

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

That one is still on my to-watch list!

[@IsabellaCoelho]

I'll talk about it, cause I think its important to mention it: From someone who suffered from ED for more than 10 years, I must say: shows have the duty to portrait this issues with lots of care, not showing "how to do it" and giving emphasis on the consequences. *I've learnt in tv shows how to "pretend" eating and to how to cover it up* . It's been 7/8 years since I've got better. But even tho, yesterday after "eating more than I should", I've thought about it. It's like some evil little voice saying " _do it, just today, its okay_ ". I'm stronger now, and told to myself: its okay, its just fries. Just don't overdue it next time. I still have severe gastric problems today, also super sensitive (and weak) teeth and more... Consequences don't easily go away. I've done psychological therapy and also have a diet plan (made by a doctor), I've learnt that its okay to eat fries, but I can't eat it everyday. Its not okay to eat everything in my fridge when no one is around, but I must eat something even when no one is around. Its complicated, but its not impossible. Oh, and leave tiktok/insta. Ain't no good for you 😂

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

I am glad you are doing better now, stay strong!

[@IsabellaCoelho]

@@kdramaresearchinstitute tks I appreciate 🙏 ❤

[@Elpidamel]

Also in angel's last mission love. The side character had bullimia and she was also at potrayed more like a bad character but changed like sua at the end.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Oh i haven't watched that one yet, gonna check it out!

[@Elpidamel]

@@kdramaresearchinstitute 👍

[@nanazp8534]

Great analyses!Thanks for your efforts👍

[@hel2727]

this is just so sad. the whole diet culture in south korea is so very toxic too. well, not just in south korea, of course. I wish that can change, even if very slowly.

[@Anni-cz4gk]

I literally watched all of these and I don't even watch K Dramas that much. But apparently when I do, the ones where someone has an ED appeal to me the most....

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

It's a fascinating topic that a lot of people relate to or are curious about, so it's not surprising

[@y0ud0ntknwm3]

@@kdramaresearchinstitute in the last part of the video with tomorrow you said that the kdrama showed "the scar" but what is that? whats the scar?

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

@@y0ud0ntknwm3 It is called "Russel's sign", it is a scar that people with bulimia get on their hand, it comes from repeatedly using the hand to make yourself throw up, it has a very distinct shape and it the character on Tomorrow has it

[@KaidaLis]

For me, there were cute moments in Weightlifting Fairy with the romance, although it was a little strained on her part, but I couldn't fully get into it or enjoy it because of how ridiculous the idea was of Bok Joo really being this tiny girl with almost no muscle. It was just so unrealistic and I couldn't take the story seriously because of it, especially since it's loosely based off of a real person and her body is absolutely nothing like the actress that plays her.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

OMG, yes, I have seen the woman who the story is based is. Visually Lee Sung Kyung was a weird casting choice for that role, as if there are no actresses in a bigger body who could portray a funny weightlifter. She did play that role well though, she is great actress. But the dissonance between how the actress looks and how everyone around her describes her body is weird!

[@hhh1234h]

What the heck… making an entire drama showing how hard and damaging it is to have an ed and then doing a product placement for diet pills is insane…

[@thatonegirlie-lz]

Thank God I was not the only person who felt uncomfortable when watching all these dramas. Like there are so many dramas where an overweight female lead gets attention after losing a lot of weight in a month😭

[@solithedreamer]

i was never able to finish Venus or Weightlifting fairy, i couldn't stand it...

[@DanielleFreeman-im1yj]

As someone who is very health conscious, here is a tip for those trying to lose weight. Do NOT starve yourself. Cutting off calories will only make your body want to hang onto fat even more. Will you lose weight? Yes, but your body will also try to gain back the weight at any chance because it's preparing for your next time "calories are scarce." Also, if you really are hungry, eat! The trick is to stop eating when you're full. Whenever ever you are hungry, try to focus on eating slower, smaller portion sizes, and eating healthier foods.

[@Nightymoon501]

Agreed! i used to eat only one proper meal during the day which resulted in snacking and weight gain. When i started eating more proper meals durring the day i automatically stopped snacking and lost weight

[@LaCréé.e]

Calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight tho. Either someone has to increase their physical activity or to reduce the amount of calories they take in. But calorie deficit doesn't necessarily means unhealthy.

[@luanasilva7341]

The problem is: the kpop body and the 2000s model body is not a natural average level of skinny it is always slightly underweight. A very small percentage of people can actually weigh this little healthily, we are made to have a certain shape, and healthy shape is not always slim hourglass... Poeple with ED are often poeple who weren't even overweight or chubby when they started do diet. And don't think we are that delusional to not know many of the implications poeple mentions but it such a strong urge, such unexplainable disgust at our own body meat... The hole is so much deeper and more complex than that... Another that I believe leads to disconfort with weigh that is not often mentioned is the over vigilance over womans body, combined with our adoration for it ,(we, like humans, don't love the male as much) and puberty. A combination, woman's body tender to go through bigger differences we are more flacid, we stretch more during puberty, envolve less muscles, tend to envolve more hips body fat, ass, are more prone to hormonal issues and there is pregnancy, so is way to easy to say goodbye to whatever shape we are used to be comfortable in. Than there is over sexualization, many woman with curvy bodies have this complain, whatever they is Automatically perceived as more sensual, even if they wear simples cloths their body shape will be more prominent, and the problem isn't the sexualization itself, is not being able to turn it of, almost never, whether is desired or not. And there's puberty, about the time our body starts to gain more fat, I believe is not spoken enough how puberty, especially how the reaction to tenage girls puberty affects their mental health.

[@NomadicWanderer11]

I should have added more to my comment. You’re right! Everyone’s body will naturally want to be a different weight and shape. What is considered a healthy “weight” for person A will not necessarily be the same be the same for person B. The goal should NEVER to be “skinny” or to be a certain size. The goal should ALWAYS to be healthy!

[@illadss]

My anorexia vanished completely after your amazing tips, thank you very much.

[@Rese_AA]

Someone already mentioned angel's last mission, but Heartstrings also has the antagonist being bulimic. 8n the end she becomes nive and "recovers", bit then it's pushed onto her sister (her condition is caused by her mom micromanaging her life, including diet). Yeah, antagonist with eds have been a thing in kdramas for a very long time

[@Ariarth]

It always made me so upset that the main character in weighlifting fairy has no muscles and is skinny as a stick. It could have been an opportunity to show a woman with a body type other than the extremely limited socially acceptable one in korea as beautiful and desirable, but no

[@smciuha3254]

As someone who used to practice gymnastics. It is very true how eating disorders are pushed on the girls even the weighing. In Margarita Mamuns documentary she talks about it and its very sad

[@AirAnimeAngel]

I do talk about this from time to time,and even bring up the topic of Weightlifting Fairy not looking anything close to how a female protagonist for such role should look,but I guess there`s a lot of nostalgia for these dramas. Although,diet culture is still a thing in the West,I feel like it`s addressed much more frequently and with a bigger and more detailed scope in general. This alone would lead to future generations` better understanding of eating disorders and warning signs. Comparatively,weight alone is treated still as something very shallow and a way to fit in,while negation of serious consequences is treated as normal. But with how harsh standards have been and are,the only way I can honestly see issues of this type being discussed in a drama,is if a western project with such themes becomes mega popular there. I think the form`s been decided too harshly and narrowly to really be discussed and popularized domestically.

[@bangtannarmysi3719]

I am still searching for a kdrama with an actual fat women in it being the protagonist, not losing weight, resolving her issues around her body and finding love not despite her looks. There isn't any western shows like this if you know any please tell me, with actual fat women though not a skinny girl with chubby cheeks

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

You and me both. I am not sure this is going to happen anytime soon in k-dramas!

[@watermerlyn]

about weightlifting fairy.. I'll admit that some of the diet advice the coaches give her isnt completely accurate but forcing her to eat makes sense considering she's a weightlifter.. I've been in situations like that myself where I've had to eat even though I was full to be able to put on muscle.. and in the context of the show she was trying to move to a higher weight class so she needed to put on weight fast.. it can be quite difficult to put on weight since she has a lot of muscle and her metabolism will be higher from that muscle mass and all her exercise.. so her eating habits aren't really "questionable".. as for the ex girlfriend yes she does display dangerous habits but the whole point of her character was to comment on the danger of these habits and how they can be life threatening... also i never thought that the male lead calling her chubbs was particularly a problem.. it didn't seem to come from a bad place and bok joo's feelings didn't seem to be genuinely hurt.. rather she seemed to recognise the nickname as just teasing.. i don't think this show intended to promote ideal eating habits from the beginning since all the characters are atheletes and their habits and diets *will* be shaped by the sport they play and how they train...

[@khushijoshi9920]

Amazing video nice to see some video essays analyzing kdrama and their tropes for an English speaking audience 👏👏👏

[@ratking927]

It SO dangerous when shows portray bulimia as being an effective but unhealthy method. In reality, it doesn’t work. Your body absorbs calories too quickly. You can’t stop a mentally ill person by telling them they’re unhealthy. You have to use their logic against them if you truly want to save them. I developed bulimia from watching shows like this and others in my life. I stopped immediately after I found out it does nothing but destroy your teeth and your stomach. Not once did I question myself when I thought it was working. I know anecdotal evidence isn’t evidence but I’m really, very passionate about better depictions of this in media that show how damaging it is to your body. That not only is it unhealthy, but it’s ineffective. The easiest sustainable way to lose weight is the healthy way.

[@brandylarsson978]

It absolutely can be effective. Yes, it's unhealthy and bad for you but to lie and say it doesn't work doesn't help anyone. If you get like most(or all) of it up within like 30 minutes there's no way you body is absorbing that because the food literally hasn't been in your body long enough for that process to take place. For me my bulimia was highly addicting BECAUSE it worked. People spread this lie and I understand why but it's just not true scientifically. Your second paragraph also doesn't make any sense. "Telling someone with bulimia that they should stop because it's unhealthy doesn't work" and then at the bottom of that same paragraph you're listing negative health effects from purging....like that's the same thing

[@ratking927]

@@brandylarsson978 Some people gain weight while bulimic. You can’t possibly isolate all the factors that went into how you were living your life that caused weight loss. My point was that it’s easier to just do consistent weight training or get on blood sugar meds than throw up within 20 minutes of every meal. The stress from that can literally cause weight gain. And that absolutely is not anecdotal. Telling someone they’re unhealthy can encourage EDs in some people. It lets them know it’s working. Telling someone it doesn’t work and then telling them the warnings is completely different.

[@brandylarsson978]

@@ratking927 @ratking927 Never said you were lying just that you're wrong and I have nothing against you I just don't like it when people spread misinformation. You can't absorb calories you haven't digested. And yes you CAN gain weight while bulimic but that doesn't mean that it's guaranteed. "You can't possibly isolate all the factors[...] that caused weightloss" CICO babbbbyyy, I was burning more than I took in, so yes it was the bulimia because when I stopped I gained. That's why it was so hard to stop. Bulimia is bad enough as is, I don't see why lying to people is necessary

[@ethangrant8736]

Telling someone with bullimia that they look terrible and that it won’t work isn’t going to help

[@Onceadive]

Sometimes when I watch chinese dramas (the modern ones not old ) they bring up weight dieting and stuff casually emphasising that being over 45 kg is bad and stuff I personally didn’t experience much insecurities abt my weight so I shouldn’t be the judge here but I still find it very uncomfortable

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

And it's always 45 for some reason, regardless of height!

[@Onceadive]

@@kdramaresearchinstitute Yeah it’s crazy

[@somebody3453]

great video essay!

[@LuciferYuna]

Definitely one of the main reasons I stopped watching Kdrama and also would never consider moving to an Asian country. I absolutely dislike the whole portray of humans in Kdramas. Always looking perfect. Styled and healthy hair, full done make up, bright and smooth skin, highly fashion aware like expensive clothes. Even when the roles are supposed to be poor or went through some traumatic event, they still look excellent. I hate this normalisation of underweight bodies, everyone dieting and starving themselves like crazy, having plastic surgery and telling each other how to look and be perfect, because looking like this dumb ideal is believed to be the only acceptable. Let alone how females talk to each other, how families talk to each other, no regards towards someones feelings whatsoever. And then always everyone drinking like crazy, as if it was the most normal thing to do. In general the romantisation of getting wasted, someone being drunk and someone else taking care of them, telling each other how they feel blah blah is probably in every drama there is. I am not saying Kdramas or Asian dramas in general are bad. But those things are almost in every Kdrama the same and it promotes the most harming things without caring one bit about the consequences. I think that is simply wrong, esspecially because many young people watch those shows and it’s almost inevitable of being affected by it in some way or another. And this makes me mad. Im really asking myself if this society will ever change. Until now I don’t see it doing that, even with all the Western influence. I dont want to open a discussion here, just wanted to get my opinion out of the system where people can maybe understand. So please just let it be if you don’t agree :)

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

I really wish k-dramas would critically unpack these topics and not just repeat these themes as a given and normalize all these things! There have been more k-dramas in the last couple of years that subvert the tropes and critisize the societal norms in a critical way (for example the show D.P.), but the progress is pretty slow. I also agree with your point of depiction of alcoholism, I was planning to make a video essay about alcoholism and drinking culture in k-dramas, but I literally have never seen a k-drama that calls a character out or admits they have alcoholism, instead of making it a cute scene that helps move the plot along!

[@stasiatheo]

Yes the poor characters wearing very obviously designer clothing is so bad 😭 There are definitely good shows out there but most of the popular ones are pretty bad so I’d have to agree with you.

[@krishnapriyan503]

In eccentric chef moon the fl has anorexia to the extent that she is admitted to the hospital for malnutrition cus she passed out on the street and it is shown that she just uses an iv bag through the picture where there's like several holes in her veins and it is just resolved when she eats the ml's cooking because somehow it's good enough that she can even eat food from ppl other than him with no problem in like 2 episodes

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

I heard about this one when I was researchign this video, but haven't watched this k-drama because the synopsis wasn't that interesting, so thank you for commenting this! Sounds exactly how a k-drama would resolve an anorexia plotline. Whoever wrote this has no idea what eating disorders are, I hate then they do that!

[@wandeesthoughts]

So glad I stumbled upon your channel

[@otsukaharu4501]

You can actually develop Hypothyroidism through undereating. I developed it as a result of anorexia. It can be reversed though.

[@pipo398]

Oh my Venus is absolutely disgusting, who wrote that crap

[@Hellakiddie]

This is why I don’t really care for most k dramas as I have a history with ED behavior

[@Ebbagull]

I do love Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Jo, still. And it's worlds better than most k-dramas, though I agree with your points 😊

[@T_Cup]

Agree, but given South Korea’s beauty standards, I doubt they’ll ever tackle the subject 100% honestly and convey more satisfying/realistic resolutions. That would mean addressing a larger societal issue they don’t want to change, so we’ll probably keep getting these mixed messages about health until they do. Just look at how kpop artists constantly preach about self-love while thriving in an industry where plastic surgery and extreme diets are not just standard, but required. It’s dishonest and patronizing, and yet it’s nowhere near changing. What they could change are the extremes always presented in these shows. There’s rarely a character that starts from a typical thin/fat body type who becomes mid-sized after improving their lifestyle choices, eats healthily but not strictly and lives somewhere in the middle. It’s only ever obese vs anorexic, massive amounts of food vs a spoonful of salad, militant exercise vs spending every free moment watching TV and eating takeout. Even the “masculine” weightlifters vs the “feminine” gymnasts have to be separated into these stereotypical extremes. But what makes me laugh, especially about OMV and WFKBJ (IU's character in Dream High also comes to mind), is how in some of these shows, the male leads like the female leads as they are aka "overweight". So some of the weight shaming and loss doesn't even make any sense, like SK really be confusing themselves sometimes

[@mchjsosde]

Any society can change. My country, the US, wasn't so different even 50 years ago. Lots of different factors lead us to our health culture we have today and it's far from perfect in practice and theory. There are lots of different movements and scientific breakthroughs that can attribute to progress, and Korea is in a different place from most of the western world in both of these areas.

[@aliquid2430]

I understand your point but I wouldn't say it's patronizing. In my eyes (and personal experience of having things required of me and no one else) it's more of a "take care of yourself in a way I wish I could" situation not a "do as I say not as I do" ordeal

[@T_Cup]

​@@aliquid2430 I wish I agreed with this. But given how well acquainted with their fans most popular artists are, they definitely give them specific instructions relating to their own actions and push the "I'm trying to love myself, so you should try to ly as well" and "If even someone as big as me has normal issues and can overcome them, you can to" narrative. We're talking about an industry where brand ambassadorship and being "sold out kings/queens" is huge. If just them wearing clothes gets that entire clothing line or single item to sell out worldwide, then how much more impact do their actual songs and messaging have? A lot more, and they know this

[@aliquid2430]

@@T_Cup I'm not sure if I'm reading this correctly but what I'm getting is that they're using their fame to justify their issues so to speak? As in the faux-humble behavior most celebrities have. So basically this reads like you're saying they're slowly redpilling their audience to be okay with their issues? Again I could be reading this entirely wrong or I didn't convey my own point correctly

[@T_Cup]

@@aliquid2430 I'm saying their messaging is contradictory because they don't often practice what they preach - far from it even - and they're not honest about themselves to be preaching in the first place. What are fans supposed to take away from someone who constantly sings about being perfect as they are while greatly profitting off of their image, which is due in large part to plastic surgery, extreme dieting and designer clothes and makeup, while they deny ever getting plastic surgery or starving? "I'm perfect as I am, except for my body and face and nose and jawline and hair and personality, and I should love myself regardless, but also I should change everything about myself because being over size zero is basically being obese and wearing anything other than luxury isn't cute"?

[@JustMe-12345]

Those interested in the medical stuff: Hypothyroidism: meaning your thyroid is underactive in short it regulates your energy expenditure. and it can be not working well enough (hypothyroidism) or too much (hyperthyroidism) (btw, the hormones produced there use Iodine, thats why some table salst are idolized because its very important to get it) the most common form is hashimoto thyreoditis (where auto-antibodies attacked the thyroid cells and destroyed them, thus making them unable to produce the hormones needed), these hormones (T4 and T3) are therefore low. that can cause symptoms such as always cold, tired, hard to loose weight, hair/skin/nail problems and a slow heart rate (By comparison hyperthyroidism is where too much of these hormones is produced, thus high heart rate, always feeling hot, not gaining weight, etc) and neither is the „fault“ of a person. its just kinda bad luck. (similar to type 1 diabetes, the one children get, or even allergies. its often your immune system that acts up and destroys things its not supposed to destroy) (oh and the treatment for hypothyroidism is usually giving the hormones via pills, probably what she got there… and that should help with these problems already)

[@lynou-cats]

Thank you so much for your work. I love the k-dramas' mood but damn, i cannot watch it anymore because of the ridiculousness of standards they depict. Your channel sets them right.

[@xkvmx8273]

I really enjoyed your video! Great job:)) Are you planning similiar analysis about depression? I think that it would be also an interesting topic:)

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

I have been thinking about this, might come in the future. If you are thinking of specific k-dramas for this topic let me know :)

[@xkvmx8273]

I can suggest "Lost"/ "Human Disqualification", in my opinion that's the best drama about depression that I've ever seen. In "Our Blues" one of the characters struggles with depression. There are also "My Liberation Notes" and "My Mister", where the characters are clearly depressed, but no one really points it out as an illness🤷🏻‍♀️ I think that's all I can think about for now:))

[@TJ-1234]

wait i actually really liked oh my venus but now seeing this in this diffrent light im like....wtf did i watch andhow was i completely fine with everything lmao

[@samreenasyed123]

Developing a healthy relationship with nutrient dense foods that nourish your body and mind is what is a good long term goal for overall health and fitness. You can be fit and healthy and still have some abdominal fat. That shouldn't be something we are ashamed of. Its completely normal for woman to carry some fat on their lower bellies and sometimes around their hips and thighs. People need to stop body shaming and scrutinizing appearances. If someone doesn't appreciate that you are happy and healthy where you are at then they are not someone to have around in your life.

[@kdramaresearchinstitute]

Amen!