One thing that put me off from romance dramas back then wasn’t just how toxic the male leads were, but also how shameless the female leads were in letting some asshole walk all over them. It’s really sad that so many young girls were exposed to that kind of nonsense, learning that it’s somehow okay if their partner is a complete asshole.
This is why so many young women end up in abusive relationships—because the media romanticizes toxic behavior and presents it as normal, when in reality, it’s horrible and should never be tolerated.
That’s why the male lead in When the Camellia Blooms feels like such a breath of fresh air. The female lead isn’t a conventional heroine—she’s a single mother living in a society that doesn’t tolerate people like her. The male lead doesn’t give a single damn and treats her with the respect she deserves. On top of that, he’s genuinely kind and helps anyone in need.
Interestingly, he’s the kind of guy who would usually be cast as the second lead in older dramas like Playful Kiss. I wouldn’t say the male lead in Playful Kiss was a complete green flag, but at least he genuinely liked her and treated her decently.
Secret Garden is another example of this problem. Kim Eun-sook, who wrote the masterpiece Mr. Sunshine, also wrote Secret Garden, where she tried to make the main character strong but repeatedly relied on a toxic, asshole male lead. She didn’t repeat this in Heirs, but even there, she excused a second lead who honestly should have been in jail—yet somehow, he got a happy ending just because his family was “bad.”
The worst male lead was from Boys Over Flowers: a rich, violent asshole who set up the female lead to be raped. I hated him. Ewww.
I’m so glad K-drama writers have mostly moved on from this nonsense.
Limetest Checklist for a Perfect Green Flag Male Lead (MC):
-
Respectful to the Female Lead
-
Kind and Supportive
-
Emotionally Mature
-
Patient and Understanding
-
Reliable and Trustworthy
-
Shows Vulnerability
Here are a few male leads who, in my opinion, fit this checklist:
Lee Jun Ho – Extraordinary Attorney Woo
This guy is precious. The way he acts like a puppy when the female lead doesn’t recognize his feelings—completely wrapped up in her wholehearted affection—is so heartwarming. Like how can you not swoon when he looks at you like this.
Ryan Gold – Her Private Life
At first, I thought he was a cold asshole, but surprisingly, he’s ride or die—even when I felt the female lead didn’t deserve such adoration.
Park Dong Man – Fight for My Way
I think of Park Dong Man as someone you’d expect to be a delinquent but who turns out to be the best man you’ll ever know. I really love how he and the female lead show so much respect for each other.
Choi Kang So – Strongest Deliveryman
The female lead acts like a jerk while the male lead is incredibly altruistic and works extremely hard to start a delivery app business. He’s really an inspiration and quite underrated. I thought this drama represented everything a startup wished to be.
Gwang Sik – When Life Gives You Tangerines
I don’t think there’s a male lead who loves as deeply and purely as Gwang Sik. Both he and the female lead sacrificed their dreams for their children, but Gwang Sik stayed by her side when she pushed everyone else away—he knew she needed someone, and he was just there. It breaks my heart that his children acted as if he held them back. Gwang Sik gave everything! He is the greatest father a man can be. I believe the children realize this too as they grow up. He is one in million and imo sets bar way too high.
Baek Ijin - Twenty Five, Twenty One
Out of all the male leads listed here, I feel Moon Ji Woong is the one who I think is a realistically selfless person —probably because I’ve known men like him in real life. He’s incredibly mature, kind but not overly so, genuinely into the female lead, yet not afraid to let her go without any bitterness.
Hong Du Sik - Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
While I do think he’s a nice person, what appeals to me most is his charisma and resourcefulness—he’s the kind of guy who can be annoying and admirable at the same time. He’s tenacious to the point where you can’t help but respect him. Even though he’s kind, he doesn’t hesitate to call you out on your bullshit. He’ll flat-out tell you that you suck, and you’ll begrudgingly agree—not because he’s self-righteous, but because he’s just too cool to be wrong.
0 Comments