I've just finished a book called Babe In Boyland, which has one of my favourite plot devices ever. The one where the girl has to dress up as a boy for some reason. Of course, the funny thing is, I never noticed how much I actually loved this until last year when a slew of dramas came out with the same premise. So I started a little Tumblog (handsome girls and pretty boys) on this.

Well, let me count the ways where this plot device has occurred and I went - oh, must read/must watch!

Do you know Mulan? The filial gal who goes to war in her father's place - I always go - must watch!!! My favourite is Vicky Zhao Wei teaming up with the handsome Chen Kun, which in turn took the first place from the Mainland drama series with Anita Yuen (whom I totally adore) and Zhao Wen-zuo. I even hunted down and bought a book called Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey, which is a sort of retelling. 

Then there's Georgette Heyer, whom I love and have read many of her books - her Regency girls like the 'medieval' Chinese ones can't go gallivanting around as themselves. Leonie (These Old Shades) and Penelope (The Corinthian) are as feisty as they make them.

Louis Cha's girls that wander in the martial arts world sometimes dress like boys, but his men too dress like women. In Chinese opera, the norm in the past was an all male cast, anyway as the same with the stage.

Did I mention manga like Ouran and HanaKimi? And their adaptations into dramas and anime ... hoy, I collect them. (Although the Ouran drama still lies untouched on my growing stack of unwatched and to-watch DVDs). Despite other people's opinions, I like both Maki Horikita and Ella Chen in their roles, albeit for different reasons.

Talking about dramas, how can we not mention the three Korean dramas that I rewatched so many, many times - Coffee Prince, Sungkyunkwan Scandal and He's Beautiful? All which were not only great because of the romance but the ensemble cast.

And ... I need not mention Shakespeare and the various other retellings, people.

So, we can now gather that I really like this sort of story. So I sort of mentioned this to a close friend that I'm reading (now done) Babe In Boyland, which has this plot device that I really like. And guess what she says, errrmm, you know if you were not married, people would think that you're homosexual. Oh dear, excuse me, I have nothing against homosexuality but ... just because ...?! I was rendered speechless.

So, you can't like yuri or yaoi, too? Does that mean that if I like to read manga like Drops of God - I'm an alcoholic? Ok bad example.

But simply I love it. You know they always portray underdog male characters as poor and whatnot, but at the end, he's a true hero because he did something etc. I just like this sort of plot device because the girl gets to be the hero and the underdog the boot. Especially when the guys are clueless and confused, and you as the audience/reader is sniffing or mumbling in your tears - wait till you find out how cool she is. Damn ... the girl is always the character we want to be - who is painfully tomboyish without much of a figure but nice.

Anyway, I really was stunned. Yet, I can see her point. Although I don't necessary agree - it's a free world, I'll like what I like, so shut up. And I'm not afraid to say I like it even if people would get the wrong idea. Geee ... would you please get a brain?

BTW, Babe in Boyland - to me marks the return of the romantic comedy in teen books, straighforward fun and lightheartedness. So there.