The term Bromance, what does it mean? It is a friendship and affection for one another so deep that it can make two males seem like a couple! They are the ones who will endure hardships with you and will always have your back covered. Luckily for our fangirling hearts, some of these bromantic pairs extend their friendship in real life as well! Warning: minor spoilers ahead!
One of the top pairs for me is Kang To and Shunji! Their bromance started at a young age and transcends the political chaos of occupied Korea in the early 1900s. While one was the son of a wealthy Japanese officer, the other came from an oppressed Korean family. However, Shunnji didn't care about their differences and treated Kangto like a real brother, protecting him and even siding with him against his own family at times. To Kangto, Shunji was one of the most important people in his life even though he represented all that he was trying to fight against. This is why it made it all the more heartbreaking when their friendship shattered as political strife grew to a frightening intensity. Even at their breaking point, they could not completely hate each other.
2. School 2013 : Nam Soon & Heung-Soo
Bromance-meter: Heartstring Puller
The Nam Soon and Heung-Soo pair (BFFs in RL) will break your heart into a million pieces but glue them back together again! Their story was what the drama mainly revolved around. Both boys came from broken families and only had each other to depend on. Unfortunately, after an emotion-fueled incident, one of them committed an act that hurt the other deeply. However, true friendship never disappears. Through blood, tears, and sweat they patch up their hurts and forgive each other. Although it was a long hard road, it makes it more worthwhile and satisfying when they accept each other into their lives again at the end.
One of the best older bromance pair is Soo Hyun and Min Gi. Soo Hyun, after a tragic event, becomes orphaned and is adopted by Min Gi's family. Though traumatized for life, Min Gi accepts this new brother into his life and loves him as his real life brother. Though Soo Hyun had to put on many different masks to survive in the underworld, Min Gi knew to trust his brother even when it seemed all was lost. Min Gi was persistent and would travel to the depths of hell if it meant he could have his brother back.
Ah, as much as I love Byung-hee, it was actually the bromance between JiHyuk and Hyun Soo that moved my heart. Although Hyun Soo was part of Eye Candy, he was always jealous of the friendship between Byung-hee and Ji Hyuk. Because Hyun Soo had been close friends with Ji Hyuk before, Hyun Soo felt betrayed that he was not as close to his friend as before. It was because of Ji Hyuk that he learned how to play guitar. Ji Hyuk also loved Hyun Soo very much, protecting his friend's bleeding fingers from further harm and making the ultimate sacrifice so that Hyun Soo can continue his career. While misunderstandings caused a temporary rift between them, inevitably they would work out between themselves to achieve greater musical heights!
5. Protect the Boss: Ji hun and Moo Won
Bromance-meter: Playground Squabble
This bromance always makes me laugh! As cousins, Ji Hun and Moo Won's petty rivalry will definitely bring tears of laughter to your eyes. While as children, they grew up very close, they step on each other's toes all the time as adults. However, one can sense that they still care about each other deeply. Their fights are never fist filled brawls, but rather what you might see at a kindergarten playground. Though I've only watched half the drama, no doubtly they will eventually tread more calmly and become best bros again!
The ever-popular Boys Over Flowers have the amazing F4 friendship. Though I may not like the female lead much, I did appreciate the deep friendship between Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo. Jun Pyo is a deeply loyal friend who even remembers the wrongs he did to his friend in their childhood and constantly tries to make up for it. Ji Hoo also loves his friend and is willing to get beat up in order to patch up their friendship. Even when times got tough, Jun Pyo would rather it be Ji Hoo than anyone else to protect his girl (even up to a wedding!). These two are always making sacrifices for the other.
Ah, this delightful high school drama showcases the friendship between Shuji & Akira. Shuji lives his life using white lie after white lie while actually being really lonely on the inside. Though Akira annoys him at first, they become fast friends as they strive to improve Nobuko's self-image. Fortunately for Shuji, Akira is one of the only people he can show his true self too. Akira has a deep loyalty to his friend and does not let feelings for a girl come in between in his friendship. Surprisingly at the end, Shuji shows just how deep his friendship with Akira is by sticking with him to the end!
8. Cruel City: Doctor's Son & Soo
Bromance-Meter: Till Death Do Us Part
Though this is a still-airing drama, I adore the friendship between Doctor's Son and Soo! Starting from their prison days, Soo has stuck with Doctor's Son through thick and thin. Even though the Doctor's Son is both a drug lord and a police officer, he is willing to sacrifice his own life to save Soo's. Soo is also willing to do anything to protect Doctor's Son and listens to his every word. With the secretive nature of the characters, I hope their friendship can withstand the future reveals.
9. BuBu Jing Xin: 4th Prince & 13th Prince
Bromance-meter: Royal
This famous Chinese period drama showed the everlasting friendship between two prince brothers of the Qin Dynasty. Although from different mothers, these two princes have a strong bond between themselves and trust each other above everyone else. 4th prince is a very cold, quiet person who can be ruthless while 13th is not suited for palace life and longs to be free. They balanc each other out and support each other while politics tries to tear them apart. Even when 4th becomes the emperor, he did not wish for 13th to bow down to him.
Ah, who can forget the amazing friendship between Geol-oh and Yeo-rim. Though Geol-oh seems very cold, Yeo-rim balances him out. They have been friends for years, and Geol-oh is able to bring out the courage in him. Yeo-rim cares about Geol-oh deeply and manipulates behind the scenes when he needs to. You can see clearly how much he worries for Geol-oh's side job and Geol-oh never pushes him away even though he avoids the other scholars.
I hope there are more wonderful bromances to fangirl to about in the future!
Jang Na Ra, Park Shin Hye, Ahn Bo Hyun, and more win at the SBS Drama Awards 2024
