My public service announcement of the day.
Stay calm, stay safe, everyone! And stay bitchy!!
****************
All the talk about Yoo Yeon Sook, his Chilbongie character from “Reply 1994” and Goo Dongmae character from “Mr Sunshine” reminded me of second lead syndrome.
What can I do? I’m still rooting for the guy.
Do you covet any second male (or female) leads? Here are the second male leads whom I would have wanted getting the girl.
1. Jung Yong-hwa in “You’re Beautiful”
Just watch his phone date with Park Shin Hye. It’s on Youtube.
The male lead guy was just too emo and tsundere. (He’s guy on the left with the eyeliner.)
To get over my Second Lead Syndrome, I had to watch him in “Heartstrings.” He was cast again with the same girl, Park Shin Hye.
2. Prince Yul from “Goong”
What can I say? I’m a chocolate monster, so I fell for him when he gave the Princess chocolate.
And I fell for him again when he rescued her from kneeling down all day in punishment.
3. Jung Il-woo from “Moon Embracing the Sun”
I know he had zero chance against Kim Soo-Hyun but I like him more because he accept his fate, death.
I like second male leads who lose and bow out graciously to the male lead. (Ahem. Ji Zheng in “Dr. Cutie” is a good one, too.) Their dignity validates my Second Lead Syndrome.
4. Jang Dong Yoon from “A Poem Crap a Day”
The director is #ForeverBanned.
Kdrama where he finally got the girl? “The Tale of Nokdu.”
Who could forget this?
And this goodbye scene?
And this dance move?
Gifs courtesy of weeguttersnipe’s tumblr
BTW, agdr03, did you see the bts of this one? I never thought she’d tease him like this. She must feel comfortable around him. I doubt she’d joke around with Taec (they were on “Bring it on, Ghost”) or Dojoon (they were on “Radio Romance”) like this. She was assuming that he wouldn’t take her jokes seriously and that he wouldn’t come on to her after the show, so she could be flirty. (haha! She could be wishful thinking, too, for all we know….)
This kdrama would have been better without the whole crazy King/Daddy side plot. It overwhelmed the whole story.
5. Wendy from “Peter Pan”
Did you know that she didn’t end up with Peter Pan???
She grew up while Peter Pan remained…Peter Pan. That’s a moral lesson for us, bitches.
Peter ended up marrying her daughter (or was it her granddaughter?) Moira.
6. Laurie from “The Little Women”
I watched “The Little Women” (2020) and it all came back to me.
The first time I ever felt this Second Male Syndrome was reading about Laurie in “The Little Women.” Up to this day, I don’t understand and I vehemently disagree with her decision to reject Laurie.
And to fall for that old, (poor!) crusty whatever-his-name-is when there was devoted Laurie right beside her.
My favorite moments of Jo and Laurie in the movie.
Their first meeting.
Just goofing around.
At the beach.
When he tried to sneak a kiss.
His proposal was sad.
Laurie’s rejection taught me that “tragic” doesn’t always have to mean death, bloodshed, and mayhem. Sometimes it can just mean desperate and unrequited.
I’m ready for another one of Yoo Yeon Seok’s failed romances. I’ll just think of him as another Laurie.
Little Women – Winona Ryder as Jo is the version I watched. I was so frustrated with her when she rejected Laurie then
Siwon in She Was Pretty
Park Hyung Sik in Hwarang
But then there are also second leads stealing from first lead that i wished male lead gets the girl.
Shinee’s Minho in Beacuse This Is my First Time. kom Min Jae got Park Seo Dam
Well…😡TKL
😂😂😂
Second female lead syndrome here !
Shinning Inheritance and My Fair Lady.
These two dramas put Moon Chae Woon in the same situation. For years, she’s only had eyes for her “Oppa”, a dumb guy who doesn’t notice anything. But who suddenly chooses the female lead, actresses who are certainly talented, but not pretty.
However, at that time, Moon Chae Woon was divinely beautiful !!!
Doctor Stranger.
An ugly lead actress in a cold and ambiguous character. After years of separation, she comes back to the Male Lead. And the screenplay is very doubtful about her sincerity.
Meanwhile, the Male Lead makes (involuntarily ?) fall in love with him the sublime Kang So-Ra ! A sentimental story much more credible than that of the female lead.
Re. Doctor Stranger
Did you mean to say the Male lead didn’t fall for Kang Sora? He chose Jin Se Yeon?
What? I don’t get that. I don’t get what the directors see in JSY. She’s bland. I tried to like her in “Grand Prince” and “Queen: Love and War” but her blank face and blank eyes were stressful to watch.
Kang Sora is 100x a better actress.
Shhh…Don’t let nrllee see this. She’s JSY’s #1 antifan.
School 2015 for sure, I can’t believe she chose Yi An over Tae Kwang
packmule3.
At the end: There is a suspenseful scene when the female lead is about to fall into a river, and Lee Jong Suk is holding her by the hand. A suspense scene that had the opposite effect. I felt like shouting, “Yeah, drop her, and go meet Kang So Ra!” Finally, he gets shot and they both fall into the water, left for dead. Poor Kang So Ra is mourning his passing. Finally, a senseless twist, with no explanation. In the end, they survived and ended up together. Final detail to get finished : Kang So Ra takes the hand of the second male lead, who was running after her during all the drama. Note that for this part, it might please the ladies here, because the second male lead was good (but often annoying).
During the drama, there were very good scenes between Lee Jong Suk and Kang So Ran, you could feel the tension and attraction. This drama is bad anyway on the whole.
I don’t like that actress at all. The first time I saw her was in the very good drama “Bridal Mask”. I liked the second female lead a lot better, prettier. And especially because of the scenes with good attractive tension.
In Joseon Gunman, the female lead was ugly, and I also preferred the second female lead. Same thing, good scenes with good tension. The second female lead was unlucky because her father was one of the villains of the drama, but she was sincere.
Finally Rooftop Prince. Still the same. The female lead is a good actress, but has something repulsive about her, and the second female lead is just as good an actress, but she’s pretty. However, she’s the worst bitch I’ve ever seen in a drama. So morally, it’s kind of creepy to like her better. She’s really vicious and does a lot of bad things. But I like this kind of character enough, she wants the male lead at any cost. Great passionate devotion. She’ll end up beautifully heartbroken, giving very good nervous breakdown scenes.
Cheese in the trap : webtoon and drama I never liked the ML. His way to do things always made the FL lonely. I never understand why she fell in love with him. She was really herself with the second lead.
You’re Beautiful : I agree the second lead was nice and he knew her true identity and helped her in silence.
It was the same in Sungkyunkwan Scandal. First, Yoo Ah In was a way better actor than Micky Yoochun and his character was more interesting, he had a connection with all the mystery.
School 2015 : The ML (Nam Joo Hyuk) should have kept loving the tough twin instead to fall in love with the nice one who had a better relationship with the second lead.
@Packmule3, agreed that the worst main lead travesty ever was Professor Baer, or whatever his name was, instead of Laurie. I read the sequels to Little Women and I never got happier with that decision.
All the ones I was going to mention have been mentioned: She was Pretty, Sungkyung Scandal, Hwarang.
@Sayaris, I disagree re the webtoon for Cheese. I thought the webtoon did a much better job of showing the main leads having a good time and the things they had in common. That was one of my frustrations with the drama (which I watched before reading the webtoon).
But interestingly both Jo in Little Women and the girl Seol in Cheese rejected the fun, funny, brotherly and more equal partner for one she could look up to.
I’m not sure this was the wrong choice. I married my Inho, Laurie type, a gorgeous actor, but not an egghead like me. It’s hard to say it was an unsuccessful marriage since it lasted almost 25 years, but that disparity did play an unhappy role in our break up. Maybe the writers know something we don’t!
My #1 SLS Playful Kiss
Sorry but I wanted Female Lead to stop her toxic, dysfunctional, “romance” with Male lead and accept the love and emotional support of the Second male lead. He was just so sweet and treated her like gold in complete opposite to male lead who continuously emotinally abused the female lead and treated her like dirt for the entire drama, including even on their honeymoon.
Otherwise, for me it’s not so much that female lead chooses male lead. What I hate is when dramas do not give a great second lead their own “happy ending”. It can be as short as just briefly showing them meeting Ms. (or Mr.) Right. Or at least showing them as accepted, moving on,and in a positive state. This is my biggest complaint with the Reply series that I have watched. The second leads were never shown to have found other people or content. No, we see them alone and lonely, still regretting.
I actually avoid dramas and books with love triangles because I end up feeling the second lead needs their own love story at the end (after the main leads ride off together into the sunset)! I liked the second lead in She Was Pretty more than PSJ. Same goes for Sungkyunkwan Scandal.
As for Little Women, I’ve already shared my opinion on this in another post. I felt sorry for Laurie but I never thought he was the right one for Jo. Jo has purpose and determination to make it work as a writer, while Laurie just wiles away his time with no purpose in life. They were more of brother-sister than romantic partners. The professor’s character wasn’t fleshed out enough, so I have no opinion on whether he was right for Jo or not, but I do feel Laurie wasn’t the right one.
“Otherwise, for me it’s not so much that female lead chooses male lead. What I hate is when dramas do not give a great second lead their own “happy ending”. It can be as short as just briefly showing them meeting Ms. (or Mr.) Right. Or at least showing them as accepted, moving on,and in a positive state. This is my biggest complaint with the Reply series that I have watched. The second leads were never shown to have found other people or content. No, we see them alone and lonely, still regretting.”
@Table122000: My sentiments exactly 🙌 Couldn’t have put it better.
Playful Kiss?
But the 2nd male lead there got his own girl in the end!
She’s a rich British/American/some foreigner/exchange student/blonde girl who’s fanatically in love with the 2nd male lead. He definitely married up. ⬆️
She was much better than that obsessive, dimwitted female lead.
😂
They even honeymooned in her country.
Playful Kiss = Mischievous Kiss = It Started with a Kiss 👎🤮
So far, I’ve seen the Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean and Thai versions. The Thai, if I remember correctly, toned down the guy’s rudeness and cruelty. He was also given a more credible reason for disliking the girl…a back story.
There’s another version out on Netflix. It’s a Chinese one. I’ll have to see if the story’s been updated.
The Taiwanese “It Started with a Kiss” is the main reason I don’t trust Taiwanese dramas. They always pair the ugly actresses with good-looking actors to make the social and class divide between the hero and heroine even wider. 😂
@pm3
Yes, the 2nd male lead did get his own “happy ending” in Playful Kiss which in my mind is the Only redeeming feature of that drama. However, I still wanted the FL to Not end up with the male lead in that drama and be with 2nd male lead. It’s a very rare case for me of true SLS where I feel that the second lead absolutley should have been chosen over main lead. Usually, I’m OK with ML/FL pairings and just want happy ending for second leads.
I’ve been encouraged by others to check out the other versions, especially the Thai one. I decided to watch the Thai version because I love the main lead actors. There were some very nice changes and the ML isn’t quite as much of an asshole, but he still was enough of one for me to like 2nd male lead more and to be rooting for him. For NF, If it’s Miss In Kiss, that’s actually Taiwan remake. Yes, they remake it again after only 10 years from Ariel Lin version. Taiwan also in same year make a movie version with Darren Wang and I think Jelly Lin.
I still don’t understand the fascination with this manga story. But then, I like Boys Over Flowers and will watch all the versions of that. To each their own.
@Phoenix- Yes, great minds thinking alike on this issue!
Ah, the Second Lead Syndrome. It has to be one of the most enduring kdrama tropes. My first Second Lead Syndrome was Moon Jae Shin from Sungkyunkwan Scandal. He had it all: messy hair, killer archery skills,a scholarly intellect, and, most importantly, he loved the heroine for who she was. I felt that in was unfair for him not to get the girl. At least Yoo Ah In got the girl in Secret Love Affair and Chicago Typewriter (well, sort of…)
Speaking of Chicago Typewriter, I do have a soft spot for the Second lead, the ghostwriting ghost writer played by Go Kyung Pyo.
The Second lead of She Was Pretty is another character I felt was treated unfairly by the drama goddess writernim.
Gu Dong Mae from Mr. Sunshine is another memorable Second Lead. For some reason I don’t think he should have ended with the main heroine. I think Hina was the one for him.
And let’s not forget Kim Hee Seong, also from Mr. Sunshine. I never knew that there was such a thing like Third lead Syndrome, until I had a soft spot for him.
Some memorable female Second leads:
Seol Hwa from The Slave Hunters – she was so spunky, resilient and street smart, yet so heart-breakingly loyal. I felt she was the right girl for the tragic male lead, because she loved him for who he was, a cynic with a wounded heart.
Ueno Rie from Bridal mask is another Second female lead I felt was much more interesting than the main hero’s love interest. She also loved the main character for who he was.
And let’s not forget poor motherless Hina from Mr. Sunshine. I felt so bad for her. I thought it was very sad that nobody was in love with her…
Now that I listed some of my favorite Second leads (both male and female), I realized that they have one thing in common. They were not childhood friends with the objects of their affection (except Gu Dong Mae), and loved the other person for who they were. It is kind of unfair for the kdrama writers to place so much importance on the first love and childhood sweetheart, and ignore a different kind of love, more flawed, maybe, but still deeply moving.
Speaking of Yoo Yeon Seok, I read somewhere that his girlfriend broke up with him while he was serving in the military.
But his character in Romantic Doctor did get the girl. I have not seen Warm and Cozy. Does he get the girl in that drama?
In Warm and Cozy, YYS got the girl. 🙂
It’s “Fall in Love at First Kiss.” It’s Taiwanese, too? hahaha. It’s “fated” for me, then.
In Playful Kiss, at some point (was it when she ran away?), I stopped caring about the Female Lead. As far as I’m concerned, if she can’t see that the male lead is a jerk, then that’s her problem. She made her bed; she can go and lie in it.
But the second male lead deserved happiness somewhere else. Thank goodness he ended up with a girl who was besotted with him. At least he — and his loveline — was “saved”. We gotta save who we can save from this disastrous kdrama.
But really… the 2nd male lead angst in this Playful Kiss was only a secondary (and a minor) concern to me.
I don’t know (and don’t care really) about other people’s fascination with this manga. But I’ve been curious to see when the screenwriters will finally get “woke” and adapt or revise the manga’s premise to fit modern sensibilities.
That’s MY real reason for watching the adaptations and different versions. I want to know who (and from country) will finally see how utterly wrong the premise of this story is: a handsome, smart, popular guy bullies stupid, ugly, socially-inferior female AND she ACCEPTS it.
Good grief!
I don’t watch the adaptations for romance (or what passes off as romance). I’m watching to see if a screenwriter will finally get it and be gutsy enough to say, “Fuck this shit! The heroine doesn’t deserve this!” and rewrite, subvert or upend the plot.
And so far…nope. Nada. No sign of enlightenment yet.
The closest one, as I said, is the Thai version. Although the details are vague to me now, I do remember that the script had given the guy a reason for acting cold towards the girl. He didn’t diss her because she was stupid, ugly, social outcast, miserable being. He was retaliating or avenging something that he mistakenly thought the girl did. (Did it have something to do with her killing a cat?? I wish I remember now….)
I thought THAT was an improvement from the overt misogyny in the Playful Kiss, It Started with a Kiss and Mischievous Kiss. He distanced himself from her because she was a mean individual, not because she was a mentally deficient, physically unattractive, or social awkward female.
Hmmm… Maybe I should watch this “Fall in Love at First Kiss” and give Taiwanese drama a second chance after 10 years.
As for Reply 1988, the second lead there was at peace with his lot. I don’t understand his fangirls really. He opted not to have another love and he preferred to have a military career. What’s wrong with that? Not everybody wants to have a wife and 2.5 babies. I say, Bravo! I think the fangirls missed that memo because they skipped the last episode.
For the women, I had a big second lead syndrom in IRIS. Kim So Yeon as badass North Korean spy was really great and she spent more with the ML.
@Barbrey> I didn’t like the ML in Cheese in the trap because everytime the FL affronted people alone. He acted behind the scene. Even in the webtoon, the FL gave me the impression she was trying to be somone else with him.
Sayaris, I also liked the second female lead in IRIS. Thank you for bringing her up.
PM3, I agree with you on Jung Hwan in Reply 1988. He did not get the girl, but that development did not feel unfair, no matter how heartbreaking it was for him. He realized his mistake. I like to imagine that he learned from it.
Yes. I almost fell for Yoo Ah In in “Sungkyunkwan Scandal.” I like a rebel and I liked that he was risking his life while all those scholars were safely ensconced in Sungkyunkwan. But I couldn’t stand his hair. That’s my OCD speaking. I could imagine myself suffocating to death with the stink of his hair.
Also, Yoo Ah In was a better actor than that scandal-ridden Park Yoochun. Ugh. PYC is the reason I can’t rewatch Sungkyungkwan Scandal and Rooftop Prince. lol.
Same with Go Kyung Pyo in Chicago Typewriter. I liked him better than Yoo Ah In’s character. I bailed out when I sensed that Yoo Ah In was going to get the girl. Not that I cared about the girl, anyway. I didn’t find her attractive. So with Go Kyung Pyo out of the running, there was no point in me staying and reviewing the show.
Pm3, Yoo Ah In did clean up at the end of Sungkyunkwan Scandal. I remember he looked pretty good in uniform. I am partial to rebels with long hair (only in dramas, because I don’t have to deal with smelly hair and can safely admire said hair waving gently in the breeze, haha!)
As for the other Reply show — the one with Chilbongie, was it Reply 1994? — I disliked the main lead because
a. he’s ugly. lol. I’m shallow.
b. they grew up like brothers-and-sisters. I couldn’t get past that whole incest feel of their relationship. They grew up together and were raised like siblings. Then, in the first episode, she was pulling off his underwear under the blanket. Gross. It was just too icky. So I skimmed this kdrama.
And I agree. I dislike kdrama writers’ obsession with first loves and childhood sweethearts. I understand that Korea is a relatively a small place compared to the US, and that people there aren’t as mobile as people here. But I can’t relate to that whole meeting-your-first-love-in-3rd-grade trope. I’m sure it adds to their dating stress. Instead of just starting off as friends with no expectation of marriage, everytime they mingle with somebody of the opposite sex, they’re wondering if this guy or this girl is their “fated” one. — lol. That would have driven me berserk because I was always surrounded by boys and men.
I’m with you @Snow Flower and @pm3 on Jung Hwan in Reply 1988. I was happy for him even if he didn’t get a happy ending. He did look happy and contented anyway. I’m sure later on he’d get the girl that’s meant for him.
I wanted Hina and Gu Dong Mae to end up together too in Mr Sunshine but I guess not. I thought they connected so good there.
Besides them I don’t really have a SML or SFL issues, I’m bad that way. 😂
If JW doesn’t get SH in HP, I’ll be cool with it. ☺️
😂 I’m with you on you’re reasoning here. I couldn’t get it in my head how they fight like that physically and then later on they end up being together.
I agree with @WEnchanteur regarding Kang So Ra in Doctor Stranger. I just love KSR. ☺️
As a proud resident of Shallow Island, I agree with Pm3’s assessment of Reply 1994’s male lead. I think the bad haircut just ruined the romance for me.
I can’t really remember Yoo Ah In’s hair in Sungkgung Scandal except it was long and looked, to me at least, a lot better than the main lead’s (who I find unattractive). I like longer (but not long) hair than is usual nowadays. I don’t like men to look too coiffed or as if they spend more time in front of a mirror than me. Which most of them do in this day and age. I started cdrama Under the Power and thought the second male lead was an interesting looking hunk with his longer hair and close-shaved beard/mustache – they shaved it off by the second episode and this fresh-face bland man appeared.
But there’s a difference between longer hair and clean hair. I could NEVER find Aragorn from Lord of the Rings good looking. His hair looked so greasy and made me squirm. Yet that actor’s decent looking normally.
Did anyone else feel a little bad for Go Kyung Pyo too, in Jealousy Incarnate (at least in the beginning)? Compared to Jo Jung Seok, he seemed to be treating Gong Hyo Jin with more respect… I’d thought at first that the screenwriter might just thwart all our expectations and have an unconventional female-lead-ends-up-with-second-male-lead situation. Also just wanted to say that it was kinda swoony when Go Kyung Pyo was measuring Gong Hyo Jin to fit her in a beautiful blue dress in one of their first dates.
@packmule3
I understand your weariness with this much-used “they knew each other when they were children” trope.
It makes sense, because a childhood love is pure and deep. It marks for life.
It is much too much used, and sometimes it even becomes superficial.
– In “Spring Waltz”, this theme is important because the script uses a misunderstanding about this situation. In addition, there are three whole episodes about childhood. And they are very moving episodes. In this case, it’s justified.
– In “I hear your voice”, the trope is also justified. It increases the emotional power of the story enormously. The first episode of the drama is magical.
– However, in “Jang Ok Jung”, the two future lovers meet as adults. The meeting is very beautiful, and very credible in the context of two people who don’t know each other. Unfortunately, the trope is then used when it is useless. Fortunately, it doesn’t last long. Without being sure, I think the writer was stuck. She needed to tell the story of childhood for other plots. But telling two separate childhoods would have lacked a connection.
– On very rare occasions, I think it’s a shame that the trope was not used, at least to save the script. I’m thinking of “Save Me”, a highly disappointing drama compared to what it could have been. It’s the kind of drama that I sincerely would have liked. Several important mistakes, including this one: the emotional bond between the two characters is too weak, at the moment when the male lead decides to save the female lead. At the very least, the Male lead should have had a strong commitment on his side. This would have made the situation really “heartbreaking”.
@Snow Flower
Seol Hwa from The Slave Hunters.
Very often I thought this about the hero: “Stop torturing yourself, there is a kind and devoted woman, what are you waiting for to start your life again?”. However, it’s difficult to compete with Lee Dae Hee in this drama, it’s a first hurdle. Also, the character may not want a woman who loves him as he has become, precisely because he doesn’t like what he has become.
@Sayaris
IRIS.
The love story between the two main characters was strong from the start. I didn’t want the second female lead to be successful. I even feared that the hero would let himself go in a moment of abandonment. And then… Kim Tae Hee. What woman could be better? ^^
“ Shhh…Don’t let nrllee see this. She’s JSY’s #1 antifan.”
You called? 😂 I see I am in great company here. As for Dr Stranger… I have a soft spot for Park HaeJin (2ML). Why Sora decided to move on from him to have a crush on the ML is beyond me. But yes to JSY. She ruins dramas for me. Her ditziness during her interviews doesn’t help her plight. YYS I adore as well. His relatability in every character he plays is his strength. Personally for me his character in Hospital Playlist suits SongHwa best. He knew exactly what she needed at dinner even before she asked. He offered her the pain relief patch, he handed her the tissue. The other guy JungWon (? They are both JW so I get confused) who bickers with her all the time? I would say their bickering would carry into their marriage. And that’s fine if they like that sort of thing. But I prefer peace within a marriage, not constant warfare. They are both driven and very similar – both ate their noodles at the expense of everyone else…and it wasn’t the first time. They regularly did that. Both want to “win” so it would be a tumultuous relationship if they were to stay together.
@WEnchanteur: An excellent point about Daegil from The Slave Hunters. His love for Lee Da Hae is the only link to his previous life as an idealistic yangban, which explains his desperate longing for her. When he does find her, she is not the same woman from 10 years ago. Not only has she changed, she has accepted her new identity and moved on. Daegil is a tragic hero because he is unable to move on and accept what he has become. And poor Seol Hwa is left alone and heartbroken…
Save Me, another drama with a stronger Second Lead (played by Woo Do Hwan). Neither of the male leads got the girl, which was not a bad development. I thought she needed to heal after all the trauma she experienced. I can totally imagine her getting together with WDH after some healing time.
@Snow Flower
You hooked me on it. ^^
My 3 favorite scenes in the drama.
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
– The first time he recognizes her, he throws a dagger in her back. Slow motion. Lee Dae Hee turns around slightly, lost gaze. Cliffhanger!
– When he witnesses the love scene behind the paper wall. And he caresses her shadow with his hand. T T
– The two male leads are going to clash, running through the tall grass. Silence. The swords split the grass. So stylish! They jump and pass each other in false slow-motion, camera spinning. Cliffhanger!
@Snow Flower
I really can’t talk about Save Me because it would be too long and irrelevant here.
Just listen to this (with the sound at full volume for the first track):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmXd863SZmU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KItxYt_nQUY
I haven’t heard that song once in all the drama… T T
The whole soundtrack is a hit. I listen to the record while I’m working sometimes.
@WEnchanteur:
Oh, the dagger scene- filmed in slow motion from every possible angle…and the music!
The wall caressing scene – the only thing he can do for her is turn her shoes…
The fighting scenes are also beautifully choreographed and filmed – my favorite is the Jeju Island fight between Song Tae Ha and Commander Hwang (he is an antihero worthy of a separate discussion…)
To stay on topic, I can only think of two dramas in which the second lead gets the girl: The Slave Hunters and King if Baking Kim Tak Gu. Any others?
Hey hey, you’re offering me a challenge, aren’t you? 😉
Since you just gave me a Spoiler about baker Kim, I wouldn’t have any qualms about doing the same.
“A Man’s Story”.
Not only does the second lead have the girl, but he’s a psychopath.
In compensation, he’s much better looking and much smarter than the male lead.
BTW, agdr03, did you see the bts of this one?
I did too! 😉 I didn’t think KSH would be like that so yeah I am assuming that she only did this to JDY. They are so cute. Tale of Nokdu was everything on the romance side but failed on the father and son relationship big time. LOL.
As for Cheese in the Trap, I am with @Barbrey. It was ML and Seol as end game for me. I was never a fan of Seo Kang Joon. I have always felt he was cold in reality and he can’t shake this even when he’s supposed to act warm in his characters on screen. His most recent interview in GQ magazine confirmed that for me. He’s a distant cold personality. Park HaeJin on the other hand is aloof but he is warm. There’s a difference. So he plays tsundere (this is a word I only recently discovered 😂) characters very well. Seemingly distant on the outside but warm inside.
And yes to Laurie and Jo. Their meet up behind the curtain at the ball was always my favourite. Jo trying desperately to hide the burn mark on her dress and darling Laurie who just played along and they “people watched” together away from the madding crowds. Best past time ever 😂. I think I would’ve forgiven Laurie if he married Beth (but she died 😢). Instead he went and married Amy instead? Wae??? That was even more left field than Professor Baer.
I agree with the second leads in ‘She was Pretty’ or the Chinese version ‘Pretty Li Huizhen’. The second leads were both fun, good looking, ready to do anything for their crush and NOT BORING. That is why I invited one of them to Phoenix’s party. They would be perfect guests, even with short notice. 🤩
@Fern, good on you for inviting Siwon. He actually had an interesting profession too – a reporter/photographer wasn’t he? I’m so sick of these captains of business.
@nrllee, I liked Inho fine, thought the actor was good, but shipping him with Seol misses the point of the story about a girl falling in love with a possible sociopath. Unfortunately, the show itself missed the point too in its last four or five episodes, which is my main gripe. I will have to read this GQ interview though – second time you’ve mentioned it and how unimpressed you were with Seo Kang Jun. Park Hae Jin does seem like a sweetheart in person. I like that he’s open about suffering from depression.
@Barbrey. Yes, Siwon was refreshingly not a captain of business, but reporting/editing/etc for a magazine. And that was his 2nd job. The first being the mystery author of the best-selling novels. He was secretly rich too, from his novel writing. And he gave up his precious anonymity so his friends could keep their jobs. Very cool guy, imo. I thought that the writer gave him all the best traits. He definitely deserved a secondary romance.
I’m right there with you on Little Women. No matter how many times I read it or how many adaptations I watch, I still want Laurie to end up with Jo. The 2020 movie does a great job at showing their chemistry and compatibility.
I have not yet seen any dramas where I would, in the same manner, root for the second lead to get the girl/guy. I did really enjoy and rooted for them on Sassy Girl and Cinderella and the Four Knights; but I did not enjoy the female lead on on Sassy Girl. On CLOY, while I did like the two second leads story-line (sans the end), I felt their love might have been a little rushed, so that I did not experience it as deeply.
It’s difficulty as a writer, I assume, to build a character to be loved by the audience but not enough to be kept by the main lead. The trait tends to be some unforgivable flaw, and that is not necessarily in tune with reality.
Haha. I’m still getting used to the idea that there needs to BE a second lead – male or female – in a love triangle. I get that it’s a device to increase tension, but I don’t think I’ve seen as much of it in real life or as consistently in Western dramas.
@Fern, I like a second (or third or fourth)lead only because I love it when the main lead gets jealous. My toes curl. And it’s true to life when you first are interested or dating someone: you likely aren’t the only one interested and there are likely others interested in you! But that’s where it tends to end, no? If I knew a guy was interested in someone else, I wouldn’t even let him know I was interestsd, let alone stalk him or obsess over him, and most guys I know are the same. Love triangles don’t make for great dramas, they make for lazy dramas in my opinion.
@Barbrey, I agree. That is where it did tend to end, as you say. Gosh, I don’t think I would have enjoyed the stress of major rivalry. Sometimes the rival isn’t another person, but a perspective or frame of mind, a job, a person from a prior relationship or some emotional baggage. That is harder to resolve, as there may seem to be a solution when one doesn’t exist. I like dramas that explore those other sorts of topics, rather than a standardised triangle.
You all reminded me of My Girl so I watched a couple of episodes. So many girls preferred second lead Lee Jun Ki but not me, Lee Dong Wook is just too cute. Forgot this one was Hong sisters. So smart for the first half, then it kind of dragged iirc. I loved the heroine home invading his vacation house, picking all his tangerines, then selling them to him. One of my first dramas. Those were the days when I had a myriad to binge watch, now I have to watch the currently airings.