IDEA 1: Re-examine the Best Friend role.
What's worse than being the villaness or protagonist in a show? Being the Best friend that is required to agree with everything the protagonist does.

- The best friend gets minimum agency
- They have to agree with everything that their friend says even if the friend is making rotten decisions such as chasing a cold-hearted abusive guy that bullies them and there is a sweet Second Lead right there.
- They have to be an expert at relationships

Even though they are their best friend, they have to listen to "I have a friend" stories.

Chinese shows

- They are often stuck with overly lazy, overly destructive bumbling types for love interests, that they must put up with who are, if not a goofy character, straight up abusive that the MFL "rescues" (white the MFL's reltionship is marginally better I think it might be fun to have an actual relationship expert with real relationship advice go up against a plot where she has to give bad relationship advice such as "Get back with him." "But you like him."

- In Japanese shows, the character isn't allowed to change. They just nod, say yes, and blindly tell them words such as, "But you like him" and give measures of, "How do you know you like him?" But there are always thin expertise in those shows about relationships.

- Korean shows the best friend doesn't have a life outside of their best friend unless they are a love interest. No character arc. Forgettable a lot of the time. And often a "sex expert" compared to the female lead. Flip it.

If the Best friend isn't supportive, they are left to "take the guy from the Main female Lead" and thus become the "betrayer Best friend." If the Best friend gives good advice, they are destined to be forgotten. If they give bad advice, then the audience is meant to mock them and hate them.

Given the trend of Isekai, can the Best friend character who is FORCED to be supportive through the protag's often terrible and more terrible decisions to bossy love interest/fluffy-brain woman be turned around? Can that character say no to the chain of bad decisions and bail the protag and themselves out of the worst fate imaginable? Can you subvert the tropes around the Best Friend character? Is the Best Friend destined to be forgotten after the show is over with no life of their own?

And please pass the basic feminism tests: Mako Mori (has a goal other than romance), Bechdel (2 named women talk about something other than men) and Sexy Lamp (The character has agency and isn't there to be sexy). Be a good way to highlight feminism and question the genre.

IDEA 2: Secretly Masochist Emperor (Short drama series)

Chinese drama scenario: The emperor is a strict man by day, even a little sadistic to his courtiers, but when he meets a woman in the streets and gets hit hard/knocked to the ground, he finds that he has a masochistic side and *likes* it. This woman ends up being his wife, and seems docile, even subserviant by day, but by night becomes a dominatrix for the Emperor's own pleasure.

Real masochists often have to make a lot of decisions by day, so find it relaxing to be a masochist at night... so it's not far off. Both parties would have to consent, but the catch is being found out he has this kink as the Emperor would be awkward, no? Especially if he's pushed with concubines, etc who think he likes demure women.

I should note that sadomasichism is not all sexually explicit. It can be simple as someone makes orders and the other obeys. It can be bondage. It doesn't have to include hitting, etc, so one could get around some of the restrictions.

Probably would have to be a short series. I should note that usually with Sadomasichism, they figure out what the other likes slowly, plan it out slowly, try it out slowly, and then figure out a "big fantasy session". (which can be played out in the drama.) The Emperor's name (Maybe Kingdom too) probably should be fictional to get around censors... but it might be fun to play with.

Thematically can play with what is consent and power? with touches of feminism.

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