Being the Beloved One in Japanese, Korean, and Western Dramas

Sauron, Lord of Mordor, spent most of his power forging the One Ring. It could bewitch hearts and magnify greed, leaving anyone who wore it with a pathological obsession.

Who could have guessed that the Ring would turn into a beautiful man!

He has a particularly irresistible allure for villains. He can always disguise himself as seemingly harmless prey, patiently waiting for the so-called hunter to take the bait.

The Lord of the Rings: A beauty born from the Ring bewitches a host of heroes. His master smiles smugly, unaware of how infatuated he looks whenever he gazes at the Ring.

A Song of Ice and Fire: The Mad King Targaryen forcibly marries a beauty. The noble lords gossip, until they see the new queen at a tourney and fall silent. When the Mad King is slain, the usurpers turn their attention to the late king's widow.

The Godfather: Don Vito Corleone had a wild youth. Years later, on his youngest daughter's wedding day, his rebellious youngest son brings home his lover. But all Don can see is the handsome former lover he hasn't laid eyes on in years.

Boys' Love 2: Xinmi grew up with Lu Huayuan, the domineering son of a financial tycoon, and Shuisheng, sensitive and insecure. When Xinmi falls in love with a transfer student, his childhood friends get jealous.

Elite: Las Encinas, a school for Spanish aristocrats, welcomes its first working-class transfer students. No one expects one of them to haunt their dreams.

The King of Pigs: The new transfer student in Class 5, Grade 2, at Sinseok Middle School catches the attention of bullying gang leaders Kim Jong-bin, Kang Min, and the others, giving Hwang Gyeong-min and the rest of the bullied students a chance to catch their breath.

Reader's Guide:

1. As everyone knows, melodramas are all about tangled relationships among the rich and famous, and Western melodramas are even more tangled. All the romances get thrown into one big pot.

2. Men and women alike love the Ring. Who could possibly not love the Ring?

3. The Godfather world has major changes. All four father-and-son characters have one-sided feelings.

Theme: Good and evil are always repaid in kind.