Plot

"Divorced older woman", "ex-prostitute", and especially "rape-victim with a kid" all have the potential to generate sympathy with the public.

The girlfriend would probably have to be someone *anyone* would normally find outwardly distasteful... like bad manners, vulgar/disrespectful speech, maybe dresses and acts inappropriately during formal or solemn occasions. They could still be a good person, but just not capable of good judgment.

I was thinking for the girlfriend to have some backgrounds/circumstances problems, not behavior problems.... The kind that would make the guy's agency think : " if our rising star is found to be deeply related to someone like this things could go awry...", but in the end they could still understand. But hey thanks a lot, anything else cross your thoughts? (*˙︶˙*)☆*°

Maybe a yakuza's daughter? Lol

Maybe she comes from a bad family (with a family name known to the public). Daughter of a corrupt politician (who was caught doing something dirty) or a criminal who is, or who has spent time in jail.

A drug addict, kleptomaniac, schizophrenic, criminal, gender fluid...? Too extreme :D?

Lol I myself would never come up with gender fluid, thanks for the ideas! Www

Yakuza are actually romanticized by the public and some cases thought of as heroes in Japan (they're devilishly good at their own PR).

But what I have no knowledge of is how the actor's agency itself would react to a Yakuza connection.

Then if it made the public think that the guy's popularity and job offers are due to the fact that he has yakuza connections (even though it's not, it's because he works hard) would it leave a bad impression?

Apparently so.

It seems the Yakuza are deeply entrenched in the entertainment industry in Japan, but there have been efforts recently to clean this up. Here is a snippet from an article about a well-known star (Shinsuke Shimada) who was found to have Yakuza connections and was fired.

From Variety: ["This stirred up a media storm of speculation about Shimada’s comeback, but Watanabe explained that “the president was expressing a wish … Shimada cannot come back until society forgives him for what he did, and we do not see that happening any time soon.”

Despite stories in the tabloid weeklies detailing his long, deep relationship with the Yamaguchi-gumi — Japan’s largest and most powerful gang — Shimada has yet to be charged with a crime.]

Link: http://variety.com/2012/tv/news/yakuza-intractable-in-japan-showbiz-1118050435/

I see.... yeah come to think of it I've heard that Johnny's' might have smtg to do with them... gosh you even looked it up, thanks a real bunch!

I'm glad I was able to help a bit! I knew nothing about this before your question.

Well it depends on the place where this story is going to take place, if it is Japan, than maybe you want to do a little bit of research about "morally controversial issues in Japan", then create some sort of a scandal surrounding the girlfriend's family.
A scandal which is hunting the family generation after generation. It might be high treason, collaboration with the enemy during WWII (i.e. involvement in the bombardment of Hiroshima and Nagazaki) ... etc.
Of course it is not the younger generations' fault nor the girlfriend's fault if someone from the older generations did an unpardonable mistake but the modeling agency would fear that if the news were to leak out to the press, then it will end the young model's carrier.

If you want you can incorporate both historical facts and elements from previous work into your plot. I don't know if you've ever watched the "Grave of the Fireflies" anime movie (it is about a brother and his younger sister who try to survive alone in Kobe during the final months of WWII).

Never mind that it has been described as an anti-war movie but I know that Kobe is cherished by Japanese (so if you drop the name in, it should have a symbolic value). You could say that the girlfriend's family made fortune during that time from the sufferance of orphaned children, was known as such and condemned at the time by the press.
The girlfriend has been aware of that unsavory heritage, she condemns her great grandparents's greed and inhumanity but still she wants to have a normal life and not be punished for mistakes she didn't do. When she meets this young model, her problem becomes his also and they try to salvage their love amidst hostility and incomprehension from the others (of course, this might be too much drama but we're just brainstorming) (=・ω・=)

obviously world domination. planning the fastest walk-through? ^^

Do you want the female lead to have a scarred personality, or just be affected by bad circumstances? I the former, there's a bunch of other possibilities that I think haven't been mentioned: Perhaps she was kidnapped as a child (Fritzl-style), perhaps she accidentally caused the death of her family (fire, car accident etc). This scenario could involve a vengeful or remorseful sibling.

She might also be from a religious cult. With the right spin this could turn out real bad in the media. And it would be difficult to deny if she, or her family, had indeed been part of that group

@MOI? Urban Dictionary translates Pollito into 'Chickling'. How cute :)

Ps. Love this plot-sparring. Let's do it again :)

an ex-convict maybe
have you ever watched Ugly Alert?
It's my all time favorite k drama. The background behind the ex-convict got me really emotional and the people surrounding the couple had a hard time accepting their relationship. I totally recommend you watch it for inspiration but it is a very long drama.

*Patpatpatpatpatpatpat* thank you for letting me indulge in your fluffiness (*≧∀≦*) I was just thinking what plot would be good if I'm going to write a story about that lol

Historical....berry interesting! Thank you sooo much! I haven't watched it, but I might soon for reference, thanks! (๑•ㅂ•)و✧

Historical...... berry interesting! Nonono not too much drama, just the amount of tension I was looking for! I haven't watched it, but I might soon for reference, thanks a bunch!

Thanks a bunch for the ideas! Family affairs is always a good scandal, should've thought about it earlier! ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶