Let's talk about the Second Male Lead Syndrome.
So what do we know about the 2nd ML so far?According to the crowdsourced website Urban Dictionary, Second Lead Syndrome is when "you start to ship the female lead with the second male lead” or “when you like the second male lead more than the male lead".
He is usually an important Supporting Character / Free Emotional Support + a potential Love-Interest for the Heroine and a rival for the Leading Man competing for the 'prize/trophy'.
In many Shoujo, Josei, Rofan Novels, Telenovelas, Melodramas or any Soap Operatic Plots the Romance Authors very too often feature a potential healthier better option for the struggling suffering Female Lead.
But as we all know no matter how well he treats and respect the FL, he never gets the Special Girl.
His main purpose is to make the Female Protagonist very desirable for the public and to make the Asshole Male Lead Manchild more jealous + making him realize the worth of his mistreated woman. Difficult People want always what they can't have.
A cheap cliché love triangle about some Useless Damsel Girl or Girlboss Bitch that confirms her obvious hidden genius/talent, beauty, popularity and high value.
The Sub Male Lead will always lose against the True Male Lead that is favoured by the narrative.
It's kinda ironic that the FL always choose the Problematic Chauvenistic Man who looked down on her over someone with a benevolent soul who already accepted her the way she is.......Types Of Jealous Boyfriends In Kdramas Part-1 || Cute,Creepy, Funny ♡ (MY GOD; THEY ARE ALL THE SAME TYPE!)
Articles:
Diagnosed with Second Male Lead Syndrome
https://mydramalist.com/list/32AwAjOL
Most Painful Second Lead Syndrome
https://mydramalist.com/list/4a6ENG21
10 K-Drama Second Leads We Still Root For
https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/entertainment/10-k-drama-second-leads-we-still-root-for
14 K-Dramas That Will Make Your Heart Ache With Second Lead Syndrome
https://elle.com.sg/2021/07/29/k-dramas-that-will-make-your-heart-ache-with-second-lead-syndrome/
Soompi & Viki Staff Talk: Which K-Drama Character Gave You Second Male Lead Syndrome?
https://www.soompi.com/article/1539...-character-gave-you-second-male-lead-syndromeI really get tired of hearing this common popular saying:
"The (Toxic) Male Lead is for the Female Lead and the (Precious) Second Male Lead is for the Fans/Audience."
Bridgerton - JUST MARRY THE DAMN PRINCE!!!!!
7 Lessons Feminists Should Take From Bridgerton by The Financial Diet
@friimunya8488
“Never settle for a guy who only hangs out with you at home”. Period.
@lucilasandoval3084
Yes MARRY THE NICE PRINCE, they were compatible, wanted the same things out of life and she goes with the emotionally unavailable f*ckboy... loving the vibes of the new filming space btw
@misspiggy1517
The duke was one big flag. Yo, when he tells you he's not into marriage and kids, believe him and move on. And brother wanting to marry Daphe off to some creepy dude and scaring off all potential suitors? Wow, I don't wish to have such brother to anyone( Also, I'm so happy that you watch Karolina's videos too. She's amazing)
Here is the very quintessential Second Male Lead:
Rui Hanazawa
https://boysoverflowers.fandom.com/wiki/Rui_HanazawaAnd the quintessential Very Toxic Problematic Super Rich Jerk Male Lead who always deserves the NOT LIKE THE OTHER GIRLS FL:
Tsukasa Domyoji
https://boysoverflowers.fandom.com/wiki/Tsukasa_Domyoji
Note: Second Male Lead Rui Hanazawa is far less harmful and more friendlier + reasonable than Male Lead Tsukasa Domyoji but he still also an elitist ass who participated in lots of humiliating bullying and didn't care about the victims of his group F4 who are not the Shoujo Heroine Tsukushi Makino. Just like the ML he needs a special girl/woman that can heal him...Here is a very funny video by Korean Cosmic why it sucks to suffer under Second Male Lead Syndrome
EVERY KDRAMA 2ND MALE LEAD EVER
Korean Comic Stand Up Clips - 24.05.2021 #kdrama #comedy #sketch
It sums up pretty much what is like to be the 2nd ML.
@vedikasharma1063
"I m going to be crying but in the arms of the male lead" so accurate
@stormrobinson5318
“This is k-drama , not Alabama” I swear that line got me dead
@theirbrotherhoodandfriends6101
the male lead: is actually a narcissist. the female lead: i'll pretend i didn't see that as well as all the kindness and efforts of the second male lead.
@pazongthor8211
IM DYING. "What are you going to do? Cry in the rain again? You think I didn't see that when I was making out with the main lead?" I CANT-
@user-eo2th2lf6f
I usually always root for the second male lead and get my heartbroken
@jannat_bhyn4490
"I'm so flattered!... but your 2nd male lead I think you should know your place" HAD ME IN TEARS
@cipher_13
Female lead be like: Even if I meet the 1st male in the last 10 mins of the last episode then also it's going to be a love at first sight for both us and we'll fall in love and live together happily ever after....The Dumb Female Main Character really takes the 2nd ML for granted. It is often the case that she either treats him like sh*t, is very ignorant of his romantic feelings for her or can't imagine to be with someone that unconditionally kind, gentle & supportive in a loving healthy relationship.
How many times have we seen the 2nd ML getting friendzoned by the FL.....?!It's always have to be the Bryonic Hero.
The one who is so bored & sad, brooding, cold, emotionally unavailable, full of rage, has parental issues and is an immature misogynistic manchild with a superiority complex and a very grandios mission.
The stupid FL can't help it but to love, take care of and reform this kind of man.
And she probably always want to choose the Bad f*ck Boy over the Genuine Real Mature Nice Guy because the one who is depicted as the Leading Man is usually the most powerful, richtest, popular or hottest Elite Heartthrob Husband Material in the whole (Fantasy) Romance World.
She the typical Fairytale Heroine can't be satisfied with a man who isn't on top of the world or doesn't own one the highest position in high society.
And even if the 2nd ML has officially the highest rank in a monarchy or is equally famous as the ML, he would be too perfect and boring for our romantic FMC.KDRAMA SECOND MALE LEADS That GET THE GIRL
Kdrama Love triangle is an element that never fails to make us groan in pain. And most often, us viewers are left distraught with a handsome, charming, and kind-hearted second male lead left alone without love. Think of Cheese In The Trap’s Baek In Ho, Boys Over Flowers’ Yoon Ji Hoo, True Beauty’s Han Seo Jun, and many, many more - all perfect boyfriend materials that lost out to the male lead. But what if the table turns for once, and the male lead is the one to lose?
@mumtahanadider7958
FUN FACT : when the female lead chooses the 2nd ML he becomes the male lead and the og ML becomes the 2nd ML. Hence ,we yet again suffer from second male lead syndrom
Some Rofan examples I still remember:
2nd MLs who are not good enough for the FL because they are either poorer, less powerful, less handsome and less talented + special than the ML:Some of them are done very dirty and some of them just came out of nowhere and their presence were unnecessary.
- May I Ask For One Final Thing?
- Welcome to Sylvia's Garden
- The Newlywed Diary of a Witch and a Dragon
- Flowers Are Flowers, Leaves Are Leaves / Bloom of Vengeance
- I Got Pregnant with the Tyrant's Child
- I Raised an Obsessive Servant
- Ashtarte
- Sigrid
- Elskar
- Belle and The Beast
- My Ray of Hope
- Doctor Elise
- Reminiscence Adonis
- As You Wish, Prince
- I Choose the Emperor Ending
- My Lord, the Wolf Queen
- I Failed To Abandon The Villain
- I Tamed The Tyrant and Ran Away
- The Tyrant's First Love
- The Lady and The Beast
- Queen Cecia's Shorts
- He’s Not Just a Pretty Face
- The Abandoned Empress
- I Don't Want To Be Empress
- The duch*ess' Lewd Invitation
- Everything Was A Mistake,
- I'm Divorced, But I'm a Chaebol
- I Politely Decline The Male Lead
- I'm Living with my Mother-in-law
- Since When Were You The Villain?
- The Justice of Villainous Woman
- Shadowless Night
- The Elegant Sea of Savagery
- The Price of Breaking Up
- The Tyrant Wants To Live Honestly
- The Maid With A Dictator On A Leash
- The Grand duch*ess of the North Was Secretly a Villainess
- Devil Brings Up a Lady / The Devil Raises a Lady
- How to Clear a Dating Sim as a Side Character
- Death Is The Only Ending For The Villainess
- The Stereotypical Life of a Reincarnated Lady
- I Became the Villainess in an Anticlimactic Novel
- The Second Male Lead is Actually a Girl
- The Heroine Had an Affair with My Fiance
- I Thought It Was a Common Isekai Story
- The Runaway Lead Lives Next Door
- Materialistic Princess
- The Wicked Sacrifice's Happy Marriage - Waking up After 8 Years, She's Not Used to the Duke's, Her Former Guard's, Doting!
- It Was Love at First Sight, Mr. Villain! / Undercover Princess
- I Was A Fan Of Second Male Lead, But Male Lead Followed Me
- There Are Too Many Second Male Leads!
2nd MLs becoming the ML because the transmigrated FL is either a huge devoted fan of his or has great sympathy for him:
서브남주가 주인공? 내 최애캐를 지켜라ㅣ서브병 치료 웹툰 추천
- Side Story (Novel)
- I'll Protect the 2nd ML's Love
- I Picked Up a Second Lead After the Ending
- The Lady's Butler
- For My Derelict Favorite
- I Didn't Mean to Seduce the Male Lead!
- He's a Supporting Character but I Love Him Anyway
- It's Been A While Since the Original Novel was Completed / Long After the Ending
- I Am The Commander Of The Second Male Lead’s Knights
- The Obessesive Second Male Lead Has Gone Wild
22.06.2022 #후회남웹툰 #집착광공 #후회남
00:25 버려진 나의 최애를 위하여 (For My Derelict Favorite)
01:57 집착 서브 남주를 키웠습니다 (My Ray of Hope)
03:24 엔딩 후 서브남을 주웠다 (Happily Ever Afterwards)Special Mention:
Insufferable 2nd MLs:
- What Happens When the Second Male Lead Powers Up / When the Third Wheel Strikes Back (Nobody can leave the Isekai Central Protagonist regardless of his original role alone.)
And sometimes the Sub ML is depicted as an bigger asshole to make the already sh*tty or dubious ML the lesser evil / better choice...
- The Tragedy of the Villainess
- I’m the Wife of the Yandere Second Male Lead
- Regrets Of A Second Male Lead
2nd MLs that are in a way worse than the ML:
- Shadow Queen
- The Lady Wants To Rest
- I'm the Ex-Girlfriend of a Soldier
- I Don't Love You Anymore
- Priscilla's Marriage Request
- The Villain Discovered My Identity
- The Raven duch*ess
- The Tragedy of the Villainess
- I Treated The Mastermind And Ran Away
- I Don’t Need a Trashy Sub-Male Lead
- Marilyn Likes Lariensa Too Much!
- The Villainess Lives Twice
- Resigning as the Villainess
- Charming and the Beast
- A Saint Who Was Adopted by the Grand Duke
- My Body Has Been Possessed by Someone
- I am the Male Lead's Ex-Girlfriend
- The Price of Breaking Up
- I Became the Ugly Lady
- Untouchable / Solitary Lady
- It's Okay Even Without A Male Lead
- I'm a Martial Art Villainess, but I'm the Strongest!
- When I Reincarnated, I Was Doted on by the Demon King
- Wendy The Florist
- Hello, I'm the Gardener!
- I Thought It Was Time!
- The Villain's Match Is Too Perfect
- Don’t Mess With My Duke Dubless!
- Bring The Love - The Lady of the Hildebrandt Family
- I Became a Sitter for the Obsessive Villains
- I've Reincarnated into a Handmaiden!
- The Banished Villainess! Living the Leisurely Life of a Nun Making Revolutionary Church Food
I have the theory that a 2nd Sub ML only gets introduced so we can see two shiny hunky boys/men catfighting over a girl.The Lady and the Beast Ch.71
The Villain Discovered My Identity Ch.14
I’m a Villainess, Can I Die? Ch.56See AlsoSUPERMAN: 5 Things We Learned From The First Wave Of Set Photos - Possible SPOILERSThe Most Anticipated Anime of Summer 2024A nuisance drone keeps spying on me - am I allowed to shoot it?To Live is to Dream (Sinnoh Pokemon Trainer Quest)I Met the Male Lead in Prison (2nd ML is her adoptive villainous Brother.....)
The Fake Was Thrown Away Ch.20
Don't Call Javotte an Evil Stepsister Ch.9 + Ch.25
Personally I don't want to see characters with the Second Male Lead Syndrome anymore.
This trope is just too frustrating and makes the FL Heroine only looks bad.
Rania want to QT and your crush like this.
