Asian Addicts Anonymous

If you are a fan of one of the more classic and funny plot lines in dramas, gender bending (AKA dressing up and pretending to be the opposite sex) then here are some dramas that are right up your alley.

Japanese

• Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (For You In Full Blossom / Hana Kimi) – Based on the popular manga, this drama follows Ashiya Mizuki as she transfers to an all-boy school in order to meet her favorite high jumper, Sano Izumi, and to make up for their previous meeting which left Sano injured.
• Mendol – Starring members of Japanese group AKB48, this drama follows Wakamatsu Asahi, Kawachi Nami, and Otawa Hinata as they struggle to break into the entertainment world. When they witness a crime, they cross dress as males and are discovered by a president looking for the ultimate “ikemen,” thus they begin their journey to fame as male idols.

Korean

• The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince – Follows the escapades of the androgynous Go Eun Chan (female) who is constantly mistaken as a male. In order to earn money, Eun Chan poses as a boy and goes to work for Choi Han Kyul who is inexplicably drawn to this hardworking youth.
• You’re Beautiful – Follows Go Mi Nyul, an aspiring nun, who takes the place of her twin brother Go Mi Nam when his plastic surgery goes awry and joins the popular idol group A.N.Jell. Misunderstandings abound between her and lead singer Hwang Tae Kyung.

Chinese Drama

• My Bratty Princess – This drama follows the exploits of self proclaimed gangster Xiao Long Xia (really a female princess, Situ Jing) as his life becomes entangled with that of politics due to his relationship with his sworn brothers Bai Yun and Yin Kuang.

There is a Taiwanese version of Hana Kimi starring Ella Chen, Jiro Wang and Wu Chun, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch it yet since I really love the Japanese version. I am sure there are more gender bending dramas out there – I think there are a lot of gender bending in Chinese and more historical dramas, but these are five of the best (or should I say the best of what I have actually watched myself). They are highly entertaining and definitely worth watching. Although, in some you wonder how they could honestly mistake the cross dressing girl as a guy. In Mendol and You’re Beautiful, there are times when you have to point out the chest is there, the curves are there, how dumb can the other people be? But still, they are great dramas.

I especially like how Hana Kimi and The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince address the more serious side when a few characters start questioning their sexuality and struggle with the decision to pursue the “same sex” romance or give it up. Coffee Prince delves into this much more seriously and deeply than Hana Kimi, but it is nice to see the issue addressed (no matter how lightly) and to show that love can transcend gender/sex.

Also good to note: Notice how basically all of these dramas are GIRLS cross-dressing as GUYS? It’s not impossible to find the reverse, but I have yet to come across a drama where you see a guy cross-dressing as a girl being a key point in the plot.