So far, I have seen at least four older woman-younger guy romance Asian dramas. Three are J-doramas–Maho no Jouken (Forbidden Love), Kimi wa Petto and Anego; and one Korean –My name is Kim Sam Soon. The J-doramas really played up the age difference since the gap is really wide, as in 8-10 years. In KSS, the woman was just four years older. Kimi wa Petto is light comedy drama, where the women are tall, beautiful, successful career women, graduate of so-called “elite” universities, but unskilful or lacking in love, and they usually become obsessed (or desperate) about getting married when they reach the age of around 32 years.
In Maho, the woman was only 26, but the guy, her student, was only 17 yrs, a minor, so there is a deeper societal abberration here than in Anego and KWP, where the guys are in their early 20s, and have finished compulsory schooling already. In Anego, Jin Akanishi is the young guy in love with his older officemate. Jin is a famous Johnny’s Entertainment talent and also a member of the boy band KAT TUN. In KWP, the young guy was played by Matsumoto Jun, also with Johnny’s and member of the popular boy band ARASHI.
I have yet to see a May-December romance where the guy would be older than the woman, except for one Korean drama-Sweet Eighteen; but this didn’t play on the older guy’s weakenesses but rather focused on the younger girl’s immaturity. Looking at it both ways, the Asian dramas I have seen so far played on the women’s limitations rather than the guy’s. Is this a reflection of these countries current society’s thinking?
In the Philippines, although I am not updated on the movie-drama scene, I would think that there are more May-December movies where the guys are older than the women.
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