Cha Eun-woo: The Charming Byronic Hero from K-Dramas

The apathetic Byronic heroes are typically egotistical, savvy, and erudite. But they have a way to offset their entitlement complex—an elusive charm.

These individuals, who get their moniker from the English Romantic poet Lord Byron, have scars and a sense of loneliness underlying their outward displays of haughtiness, scorn, and control. They have the potential to be resentful or bitter, but they can also fall deeply in love. The traits of a Byronic hero are, in my eyes, closest to some of the most memorable characters of Cha Eun-woo (Astro) in K-dramas, though their manifestations are a little subtle considering Cha is also the dreamy romantic hero. Thus, the characters’ regret, complexities, troubled pasts, melancholy, and seclusion are all present, barring their self-destructiveness and knack of retribution.

Bear in mind that Byronic heroes, regardless of what wrong they may do, are always for the better.

A lot like the iconic Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, Cha Eun-woo’s portrayals’ charm resonates on a distinct level. In My ID is Gangnam Beauty, his hit K-drama from 2018, Cha plays Do Kyung-seok, an intriguing college student with riches and brains who, despite good looks, is emotionally scarred from a difficult upbringing. He may come across as aloof and uncaring since he doesn’t give a damn what other people think, but he is not entirely heartless. Specifically, he is hailed for being attractive, while he has zero regard for physical appeal.

Kyung-seok heals Kang Mi-rae’s (Im Soo-hyang) wounds and heals his own in the process after she is ridiculed for having plastic surgery. He shares Darcy’s narcissistic tendencies, lack of social grace, and detachment, yet he also accomplishes the greater good like Darcy by embracing Mi-rae and giving her the deepest love.

Cha’s Yi Rim (Prince Dowon) comes across as something of a Byronic hero in Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019). With his unique mental and physical charisma, Yi Rim is the center of attention across circles. On a personal level, though, he has a hard time being himself, whose existence is spent in extreme solitude, wrought with hopelessness. Yi Rim, the first son of deposed King Huiyeong Yi Gyeom, is the legitimate successor to the kingdom, yet he writes romance novels under the alias “Maehwa” in stealth while ignorant of his lineage.

In 2020, the idol-actor reprised his role as a Byronic hero in the romantic comedy coming-of-age popular K-drama True Beauty. He struck us as Saebom High School’s hot Lee Su-ho. His obscured, rocky past—”that accident” he holds himself responsible for—which, if shown, could bring him more losses—left him feeling dismissive, discouraged, and disillusioned time and time again. He is not only the most brilliant in his class but also very desirable. But he’s become a reclusive young man who disregards scrutiny over the awful thing that happened a year ago, together with his chaotic family.

Love usually has to do with Byronic heroes, and True Beauty is no exception, as Su-ho pairs up with Lim Ju-kyung (Mun Ka-young), who endures pain from others and is frowned upon by her family for her unattractiveness. She finds a remedy in online tutorial videos, whereby she learns how to apply makeup. Her makeover is effective in that she becomes famous at her new school overnight. Su-ho, meanwhile, sees through her façade and is drawn to her true self.

I think Cha Eun-woo’s entire demeanor exudes an air of remoteness that makes him a great fit for Byronic roles. Albeit in extremely small treatments, his latest image in the rom-com fantasy K-drama A Good Day to Be a Dog also reveals Byronic behaviors. In the story, Cha is math teacher Jin Seo-won, a dog-phobic guy who, by coincidence, gets a kiss from Han Hae-na (Park Gyu-young), a colleague embroiled in a family jinx that, after her first kiss, she would turn into a dog. Since that comes to pass, Hae-na must kiss Seo-won again to evade the curse.

Seo-won is slightly Byronic due to his past trauma, which renders him a recluse. He ruminates on it until he encounters Hae-na, who lets him overcome the issue and arise as a generous and honest man.