In this blog post, we’ll take a step-by-step look at how the romantic comedy genre internalizes a male-centered perspective, using representative works as examples.

Romantic Comedies and Their Historical Background

Romantic comedies are a genre that many audiences enjoy without feeling any pressure. In fact, a 2004 survey of moviegoers in Seoul found that romance and melodrama were the most preferred genres (19.7% of respondents in Seoul). However, behind their simple and relatable narrative structures lies an invisible gendered perspective.
The lineage of romantic comedies, which originated from screwball comedies, originally featured strong-willed female characters. However, as men returned to their families after the war, women’s social status and narratives were reshaped. Women, who had needed to be independent and resilient during wartime, no longer emphasized their independence as prominently as before due to the men’s return.
These social changes also influenced the genre’s conflict structure. Whereas men and women in screwball comedies clashed as equals, their dynamics gradually shifted toward reaffirming traditional gender roles, and the tendency for female characters in romantic comedies to appear passive and submissive became more pronounced.

The Subtle and Dangerous Influence of Romantic Comedies: Pretty Woman

“Pretty Woman” is widely regarded as a quintessential romantic comedy. The film opens with the line, “Welcome to Hollywood. Everyone who comes to Hollywood has a dream. What’s yours?”—a theme that runs throughout the entire film. Vivian (Julia Roberts) reveals her dream as being rescued by a “prince on a white horse,” symbolically embodying the female fantasy.
The encounter between Edward (Richard Gere) and Vivian typifies the differences in class and status. The setup—a charming businessman and a cheap call girl—initially seems like nothing more than a plot where two people from different worlds become entangled through curiosity, but the film soon reconstructs Vivian through a male gaze.
The scene where Edward drapes a garment over Vivian as she first enters the hotel carries more significance than mere “manners toward a woman.” It can be interpreted as an act intended to preserve his own dignity by covering a woman’s revealing attire, and the subsequent process—in which Vivian’s clothing and makeup change to suit Edward, altering the way others perceive her—blatantly reveals how the camera judges a character’s worth based on appearance.
Vivian’s rise in social status and the romantic conclusion are a reenactment of the Cinderella myth. The film strongly illustrates a structure in which female desire is commercially exploited, yet that desire is ultimately fulfilled only through the arrival of a man. This narrative has been repeated in many subsequent dramas and films, with the core idea being that “a woman’s success is completed by a man.”

A Bookstore Owner’s Rise to Fame? No, the Story of a Top Star’s Retirement: Notting Hill

“Notting Hill” begins with a different scene setup from “Pretty Woman” right from the start. The story unfolds when William (Hugh Grant), the owner of a small travel bookstore in the countryside, and Anna (Julia Roberts), a world-famous star, meet by chance. While class differences still exist, the film is notable for reversing the traditional gender roles.
Early on, Anna is portrayed as bold while William is timid, offering a different kind of enjoyment from the typical romantic comedy. However, as the story progresses, there are moments when both characters revert to their traditional gender roles. For example, when Anna is accused of pornography, she becomes vulnerable in the face of social pressure, and William once again assumes the masculine role of protecting her.
While the film’s ending can be interpreted in various ways, there are scenes that suggest Anna ultimately chose a domestic life over a career in show business. Through the film’s award ceremony scene and scenes hinting at pregnancy, it is possible to interpret that Anna has entered a different life trajectory—one centered on her union with a man—rather than continuing her life as an actress.
In other words, while in ‘Pretty Woman’ a woman is pulled up into the upper class, in ‘Notting Hill’ a famous actress comes down to the level of an ordinary family. Both cases imply that a woman’s position is defined by her relationship with a man.
On the other hand, if the film had chosen an ending where Anna continued her life as a celebrity and William supported her from behind the scenes, the meaning of the narrative as perceived by the audience would have been significantly different. This possibility itself prompts us to question what is considered the standard ending.

“I’m Sorry, Gyeonwoo—Am I a Woman Who Can’t Help Herself?”: My Sassy Girl

“My Sassy Girl” subverts audience expectations in a different way from the previous two films. In this film, the subversion of the female character is even more pronounced. She (Jeon Ji-hyun) differs from the conventional female archetype from her very first appearance: she causes a commotion on the subway while drunk and even lets a stranger carry her on his back—behaviors that reject the traditional passive female archetype.
Gyeon-woo (Cha Tae-hyun) is subverted in many ways compared to the traditional male archetype. Scenes where he gets slapped by her, loses every time they compete in sports, and makes a fool of himself to meet her demands reveal a subversion of traditional masculinity. This setup provides the audience with both a sense of liberation and laughter.
However, toward the end of the film, her “eccentricity” is explained as vulnerability stemming from the wounds of a past relationship, effectively reverting her to an “ordinary woman.” Ultimately, the sense of liberation the audience initially felt can turn into a sense of betrayal, and the film culminates in an ending where the problem is resolved within the male protagonist’s embrace.
In short, while “My Sassy Girl” provided a subversive thrill in the beginning, its conclusion is no different from the typical ending where the male protagonist takes the lead in resolving the problem and the woman is returned to her “proper place.” In this regard, it leaves the audience—especially female viewers—with mixed feelings.

The Romantic Comedies We’ve Examined and Their Endings

The common thread observed across these three films is clear. Romantic comedies use social status or personality differences as sources of conflict and conclude with the couple overcoming those conflicts through love. However, the methods used to resolve these conflicts and the direction of the endings mostly reflect a male-centered perspective.
In ‘Pretty Woman’, the woman achieves social mobility through the man’s wealth and status, while ‘Notting Hill’ concludes with the star returning to family life. ‘My Sassy Girl’ depicts initial rebellion, but ultimately the man resolves the issues, and the woman returns to her original place. Although all three works feature different narrative variations, the outcome of their endings is largely the same.
Romantic comedies offer love, hope, and laughter. At the same time, because they are the genre enjoyed by the largest audience, the unconscious messages they convey carry significant cultural influence. Therefore, we must not merely consume this genre as a sweet escape but critically examine what worldviews and gender roles it reproduces.
In conclusion, romantic comedies often conceal subtle gender norms behind their familiarity and entertainment value. To fully appreciate this genre, we must cultivate the habit of not only savoring the sweetness of a happy ending but also discerning the perspectives and underlying assumptions embedded within it.