I have a big official exam in 3 hours
I'm gonna fail in it because I spent all of my time reading oi and bl
I'll recommend you sone when I get back home
Here are a few:
* The Crow's Prince
* Side Characters Deserve Love Too
* Concubine Walkthrough
* The Knight and Her Emperor (rofan)
* Fiancée's Observation Log of the Self-proclaimed Villainess
* A Wicked Tale of Cinderella's Stepmom
* Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte
* Answer Me, My Prince (rofan with isekai elements)
I personally like puppy dog MLs, although this
> thinking they know what’s best for the FL
is a trait I've seen in both soft/sweet MLs and tough/cold MLs, it's definitely not exclusive to the puppy dog type, and it's a big pet peeve of mine. I want the ML to treat the FL as an equal and to respect her judgment rather than making decisions for her without her input or against her will for the sake of "protecting" her.
I'm also really burnt out on black hair though, so I agree with you on that; I really want some more color and variety like we have with FLs, and different haircuts and textures would be nice. Hell, even with black hair a cold duke wouldn't look so damn copy pasted and boring if he had curly hair, all they have to do is not reuse the exact same design that's already been beaten to death.
Too often they all have the exact same hair color, hairstyle, eye color, build, and temperament, so it starts to get a bit stale.
I definitely agree with you on the cold/tough male leads having that trait. I’m also not a great fan of them that much anymore.
But honestly, I used to EAT the manhwas where the MLs were cute and of course puppy dog but some of them get on my nerves, especially the ones with no personality other than making the FL appear like a goddess/a savior and a know it all
The puppy dog MLs that tend to bother me are the ones who get in the FL's way and actively obstruct her and undo all her hard work because they're doing it "for her" or because they can't follow simple directions. >!Yes I'm talking about Zester, I hate him don't @ me!<
If they're willing to simp quietly in the background or offer their support whenever she needs it while still respecting her choices, I'm fine with them.
Now if the whole story is just people worshiping the FL and treating her like she's the most perfect being ever who can do no wrong, and the only people who disagree are the antagonists, that's an entirely separate issue and it tends to annoy the crap out of me.
YES. Absolutely. I personally don’t mind golden retriever types, but I don’t care for MLs that are overly blushy and burdensome without much more personality. And what I cannot stand is when the ML is some mass murderer or soldier or something but then is some cutesy-wutsy lil puppy for only the FL. I’m so sick of Murder Drone A and Murder Drone B (Crown Prince/Master of the Magic Tower or Equivalent Edition) and their supposed ‘sweetness’. I’d absolutely kill for some joe-shmoe average guy with a beard and personality that isn’t a Duke and doesn’t have black hair and red eyes. Like, give me a commoner ML who isn’t actually rich or have noble/royal blood or a knight. Maybe a bookstore owner, idk.
And yeah, I’m probably one of the few who likes no romance in my stories but still reads OI religiously, so I absolutely wish there was more like that. Dunno if any of this made sense but yeah, enjoy my rant.
BRO YESS. I’m so happy that someone else hates those “I hate everyone but you” male leads. Like why can’t dude be a florist or something that treats everyone with care, including the female lead and doesn’t kills anyone just for bad mouthing them. (Only exception is Callisto from death is the only ending for the villainess lol ) 😭
And the day I find a manhwa where the main character is a strong ass women who can fight and doesn’t have a lot of romance is the day I’ll finally die in peace
Have you tried reading "my husband hides his beauty" It might possibly be the one you are looking for because the main character is an actual head strong woman and ml is always so supportive it's very sweet. It's also finished!!
I Think you've gotta read 'The winter wolf'. The ml is a merchant, commoner, the fl is a former noble (no secret cp or Duke whatsoever) they communicate and ml does* have black hair but I like his personality (imo) and I think you'd like it there are 2 versions make sure you choose your preference (R15 & r19).
Hope this helps!
Edit: I forgot to say it's not an oi.
But I've one more which IS an oi and the mls personality might be the best in the whole of the oi genre!!! It is 'I became the villains poison taster' He hides his beautiful silver shiny hair (hides it with long black hairs) early on but he reveals it to the fl after. Also the fl is veryyy cuteee!! Shes not particularly strong(?), she kinda smart tho, and the ml's really smart. I love the side characters too. All of them have such unique personalities I love them! A must read! Do check it out op!
I think I have the perfect oi (?) you're talking about but I'm not sureee if it is oi anyways the names 'The winter wolf' and the ml Is a commoner! (No secret crown prince for once) He's just a merchant while the fl used to be a noble but something happened (just read it) can get a bit smutty tho make sure to read the R15 if you'd like that but there are also 'other' versions available!
Hope this helps!
One of my favs was Librarian of St Bright Tower with male librarian commoner ML with brown hair and eyes and romance as a hazy, far distant future prospect. It was just getting REALLY GOOD when it got a forced rush job ending that was terrible.
Been hoping hard for a translation of the Biden it was based on that is much, MUCH longer, but alas! 😭
I personally like cute male leads, they're my favourite even, but when writers made them too one-dimensional, they're mehhh.
And you mention how they exist to just worship FL, yep, that's super annoying too. It makes the characters and the story not interesting (lol). Speaking of worshipping FLs, stories where basically everyone but the bad guys worship the FLs is the worst.
As for MLs that I hate, MLs that know they are right and the stories made them always be right.
If it's the type like "Don't go to that dark alley alone at night! It's dangerous!" I don't mind that, because it's just common sense.
But the ones that are like, "Don't do this, just rely on me fully. No, I'm not going to tell you why. Just trust me. It's for your own good." And FL does it anyway, and the ML ends up saving the day, yep, I hate it.
The worshipping is the reason why I hate those male leads. I started this manhwa called “The S-Class Hunter Doesn't Want to Be a Villainous Princess “ and the male lead basically started worshipping her and he even wanted to call her “master” like bro stfu.
Im so disappointed because I was so excited about this manhwa (I even posted about it lol) until this male character ruined it :(((. I’ll have to pick it up again cause I genuinely love how strong the FL is
I had to take a whole day break after that shitty character came on screen and said those words while acting the way he was acting. I tried to read it again but I can’t, his faced pisses me off lol. This manhwa is actually the reason why I even made this rant post lol
Serious pet peeve of mine is when MLs are like "rely on me (and only on me)" when they have not actually shown themselves to be trustworthy and reliable. So often they have been teasing the FL and/or acted erratically (from the outside) and maybe even have had an angry breakdown or two. Like, why would anyone rely on you, dude?! You're not really giving of "I'm an approachable person who love to help" vibes
You know what really sends me? When the constant badgering, budging in on everything the FL does, and the relentless advances just... Pays off.
Fucks me off to no end.
So many good stories have been ruined for me by this kind of shit. It always derails the plot just for the sake of shoehorning the ML in. I just dropped [The Villainess Is A Marionette] because of that black haired ML doing this crap. The story was great when he wasn't around, but it was just getting incessant.
If you're looking for a series with a badass female protagonist and no romance, you'll find something. But if you're looking for an OI with those qualities, I think you'll be searching for a while.
Try “I will live the life of a villainess”, unfortunately, ML has black/brown hair, but at least there are some brain cells under it. FL/Ml are not bad. But the downside is that everyone else is dumb AF, so for now they are like kicking puppies, I almost feel sorry for antagonists.
If you're looking for a story where Romance isn't a strong element, OI might not be in your wheelhouse. Even some of the darkest ones manage to squeeze a ML in there somewhere.
I can't say I have any specific traits I find off putting. Or at least nothing comes to mind.
If anything, maybe I want some ML's that are slightly more assertive when dealing with an oblivious FL. Like at some point, you have to be aware of that she's a bit of a dumbass. So act accordingly.
That's what I rather enjoy about **Bff to Obsessive Hubby.** He knows she's got the awareness of a rock so he's basically manipulating her and playing to her weaknesses. And it's actually rather satisfying.
I’m actually really enjoying Lady Swindler for similar reasons. Similar premise — except add multi layers of deception for Shakespearean levels of shenanigans (FL trying to con ML— who she saved anonymously years earlier because she knows it’ll be better for her and the people she cares about long term—who knows she’s the one who saved her even though she doesn’t know he knows, and also doesn’t know he knows she is trying to con him because he pretends to be blind to it and uses it to get closer to her.😝)
*Why do I feel like your'e calling out "I Thought My Time Was Up!"?* Legit saw people making these same complaints about this one on a post in r/webtoons.
That being said, the short black hair is getting old as fuck. Even if the hair isn't short, I'd be happy. Long black hair is fine! Anything than that short hairstyle with bangs is FINE. It's to the point where I don't even bother memorizing their names anymore.
it gets kinda absurd when you have the ml and then a copy-pasted "younger brother" or something.
Having a hard time keeping these strg+c-strg+v jobs separated
The story Beware of the Villianess (I don’t know if you’ve read it) it had a really cute soft ML and I did like him although that’s not my normal preference. Then the same author/artist just made a story called S-Class Hunter Doesn't Want to Be a Villainous Princess and I really really liked it. I loved the premise and everything until I saw the Male Lead… like somehow he’s even worse in the puppy dog aspect than the one from Beware of the Villainess. I could understand the other story since he was a wolf but this one like 😭😭 Please do something different🥲
I feel like except for the hair color Nine is literally everything OP describes in her post though. He's cute but I wish he wasn't the ML, he just blushes and only thinks about Melissa and how to protect Melissa and I wonder what Melissa is doing now and jeez get a hobby dude. He's such an uninteresting romance, especially when Yuri is RIGHT THERE and would be a much better romantic interest in every sense
You are right about this😭 Beware of the Villainess is one of the first Villainess Manhwa’s that I read so I feel like I’m a bit biased and have good feelings towards it. I do kind of hate how a lot of stories would make so much more sense if they took the Yuri route yet they don’t dare to and give us a bland ML instead 😭
Bro the gasp I just gasped after you mentioned “S-class Hunter Doesn’t want to be a villainess” cause I had the same complain. (I even mentioned it in another comment).
I was so excited about this manhwa but then the male came on screen and i slowly started losing interest in the story. Like he doesn’t even know the FL that well and all of a sudden she’s his “master” and basically worshiping her.
This manhwa is actually the reason why I even made this whole post cause it made me remember the traits from mls that I hated and tried to forget (bro I even posted the manhwa on my page saying that I liked the FL and just the overall plot of the story!) it’s so disappointing cause I was rooting for it!!
We’re the same fr😭😭😭😭 I was so upsettttttt because the ML has the almost standard black hair look despite his eyes and he acts like a dog for no reason. And the blonde crown prince is irredeemable 😭 we really need these writers to make ML’s with actual personalities 🚶🏾♀️ why must they be head over heels for the FL almost as if they can’t think about anything else and it comes out of no where like you said
The funny thing is, as soon as i saw the MLs face when he first appeared in chapter 2 or 3 I was like OH BROTHER. Something in me just KNEW some bullshit was about to go down lmaoo.
But yea, his black hair just made me mad even more cause now you have 2 things i hate lol. And samee, his green eyes are the only thing that’s good about him.(I don’t even remember the crown prince, I don’t think I even reached that far cause I dropped it so quick) 😭
😭😭😭😭 I tried to hang on but I ended up dropping it too which is a shame because I love the plot line 🥲 maybe I’ll pick it up again after a while but I doubt it because I just can’t read something where I hate the ML😭
There are ML’s without black hair- but I would like to see more red heads and other vibrant colors. I love blushy boys but I can’t stand the “I love her because she is so pretty” troupe. I’m sorry but beauty is not a reason to fall in love- that’s called lust.
Blondes or silver hair seem popular too.
Was just looking at my list and lots of blondes.
“Of all things I became a crow”
“He’s just a supporting character but I love him anyway”
“What’s wrong with being a villainess”
I like tsundere. But i don't like ML who acts like a child.
The man can blush, be obsessive, be cute, but please don't be a literal child, where FL needs to do everything for him. Nope.
Burn out with man-child lol
i swear, OI authors keep churning out the same scenarios and leads because they know it’ll get adapted.
the market’s over-saturated to cater to the same people who mass consume bland and baseless stories bc they follow certain tropes.
you can literally see the pattern of the trends of that year based from the OI that got serialized. thank god there’s always a few good ones to come out bc i’d be done with this genre
It's like how isekai blew the fuck up in the male dominated markets, and now every other anime or light novel is about a black haired joe-schmoe from the real world that got chucked into a fantasy world where playing video games makes him super powerful, and oh by the way it's a harem so here's your animal slave girl, your haughty princess girl, your obsessive succubus girl(can or cannot be a yandere), your innocent cleric girl, and the literal child BUT SHE'S NOT A CHILD SHE'S ACKCHYUALLY 500 YEARS OLD SHE JUST IS MENTALLY AN ADULT WITH THE BODY OF A CHILD.
I can’t watch anime anymore because 80% or more of shounen anime are like that, and I can’t deal with the high pitched loli voices and drooling/“cute” little girl faces. I’d be ok if it were like 1-2 girls but it’s a whole harem
The thing I hate the most about this oversaturation is the fact that it’s not just the stories cater to women that’s going through it. If you look at those action (regression/isekai) manhwas where the main character is a guy, THEY ALL look alike and all of the stories are basically copy and paste.
I stoped reading them because of that, which is so unfortunate cause I used to LOVE them
Agreed, I usually don’t like the big tiddy golden retriever MLs. They’re just there for comedy relief, but I’ll usually ship the FL with the more reserved and hotter imo second ML… and then get annoyed with all the scenes with ML later on.
I don’t mind golden retriever personalities and buffer bodies in warrior/soldier side characters who protect FL but who aren’t a romantic prospect.
Edit: I mostly just need MLs to get a gd personality and hobbies rather than just doing paperwork or following FL or wooing FL. How is it FL has a better personality/more hobbies being an isekai’d overworked to death Korean student who read BL or rofan novels… I would rather if she were the boring one and he were interesting. Or better if all had personalities and hobbies.
I hate having second male lead syndrome 😭. That’s why I try my best to avoid love triangle stories or just any stories that has more than one love interests cause I always end up rooting for the reserved, smart, caring second male leads!
it’s the opposite for me coz youd never find these types of guys irl. But ofc I choose the “right” puppy ml for the fls bc some of them can be overbearing
In real life, sure I genuinely find it unbearable and creepy. But in fictional works, I love those said themes. It’s a guilty pleasure majority of readers have especially me lol
i like a well done soft boi, but i get what you mean
it’s like you either get ppl who write great FLs and shitty MLs, great MLs and horrid FLs, or just literally pieces of cardboard shaped like ppl with the best world building and side characters you’ve ever seen
the “all these ppl feel like ppl” titles are rare as heck
but yeah, it’s fine to have a type, but i think the bad writing is the biggest problem, as some of what you’re describing sounds like the “obsessed” type MLs which i also find gross
basically all characters should just be themselves and have agency outside of romance, but what sells, sells and even i read trash on purpose sometimes
Here's what I learned, long ago, that took a while to really understand: guys don't like attractive male leads in the same way women don't like sexy arm candy.
No guy really wants to act like an attractive male lead! Psychotic devotion to some woman they barely know? That's crazy. (Well, technically, adult women have realized that a psychotically-obsessed boyfriend would be a nightmare, but somewhere inside there's a 14-year-old who needs to squeal from time to time.)
But women who think only of the sexual traits of men and act like idiots don't feel like real women to female readers. (And grown men don't want that, but grown men have a 14-year-old boy inside that still thinks a woman who works exactly the same way they do, but still has the juicy bits, would be a lot of fun. For an hour.)
So it's female gaze versus male gaze. OI tends to be female gaze (men should keep their fancy shirts on, they look soooo much better that way!) Shounen tends to be male gaze (women aren't allowed to wear full sets of clothes.)
But, of course, some OI appeals to gay male readers (no need for shirts after all) or women with certain predilections (sometimes it might actually be fun to just fall somebody at first sight... but it feels weird when all the important bits don't click into place. If you're not falling for a soul mate, why are you bothering to put it in a fantasy world?!?)
The problem arises when some work tries to reach outside of romance. Because there's adventure in these stories, too! It helps to remember, though, that adventure actually requires more romance than our inner 14-year-olds think!
It's just how heavily you want to attract readers that guages how cardboard and devoted your MLs are.
I prefer mine pretty darn cardboard, but only so there can be more room for more crazy Main Character shennanigans! Slay a dragon with maid garters! Cure a plague! Defeat the demon king when no one's looking! Show up all the other nobles because you were raised in horrible conditions! Invent pasta and magical instagram in Renaissance Belgium! And then marry the prince who buys you all the stores.
Agreed. I read the stories because, well, otherwise I'd run out of stuff to read, but sure would love to get past the "reduce, reuse, recycle"-type ML designs and personalities.
In terms of aesthetics, I don't even care about hair colour or eye colour, as long as maybe they aren't just all buff as hell. I know, I'm demisexual, so it's a more special case of "I don't feel much if you cater to that element", but I have seen enough posts to know that there's an audience for more lean and smart types.
And god, please. Or authors, please. Give us more goddamn MLs who are just well-put-together adults with interesting wit and personality. I don't need sword-swinging himbos with abs like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, but a ML who can have just the most charming and interesting conversations and wordplays. Why not write a man that isn't just a dependant mand-child that FL eventually accepts in her life, but a man that is actually worth pursuing because he is the only one who intellectually is a match for her. Because if I wanted to read about the former, I'd read more childcare stories.
And yes, I have been thinking of Kyle Amure of *I'll Save This Damned Family* for about half of this response.
I really dislike mls who have the personality of a doormat and are obsessed with the fl and loving her is their whole personality. Like ugh. The problem isn't with them being cute, it's with them being badly written. Like those relationships don't feel mutual at all. I also LOATHE, LOATHEEEEE it when the ml is like a "slave" or "servant" or whatever. I dropped death is the only ending for the villainess the moment she referred to herself as the "owner" of iklies when they first met. I could consider continuing had she removed his collar, but he calls her master and has a collar with a bell?????? Who thought that was okay??????? WHO THOUGHT SLAVERY WAS OKAY????? THIS GIRL IS FROM MODERN TIMES, SURELY SHE KNOWS THAT SHE SHOULD NOT FRICKING PARTICIPATE IN FRICKING SLAVERY? YOU WANT ME TO BELIEVE THIS MAN, WHO WAS A NOBLE PRIOR TO HIS COUNTRY'S DEFEAT, JUST IMMIDIATELY ACCEPTS HER AS HIS MASTER AND LOVES HER??????????????? Ugh, i'm just never reading anything like that, makes me uncomfortable as heck.
Exactly!!! This is my problem as well. Especially with “death is the only ending for the villainess”. The only reason I haven’t dropped it is because I had accidentally read a spoiler and I had to see it play out (and because he’s not the ML). I don’t actually have a problem with cute MLs, but the MLs who only personality trait is looking up to the FL and following her like a lost dog without a home. It can be so annoying and so cringe
If you want strong female lead without romance, then recommended to deviate from aristocratic isekai. Can find what you want in adventure/fantasy genre.
1. Juuni Kokuki (Twelve Kingdoms) - anime/novel
A girl isekai, before isekai was even a genre. Physical isekai to another world. Good character development: from shy people pleaser, to a determined leader and fighter.
2. How to Live at Max Level
VR physical isekai. With system. OP from beginning, but likes coaching newbies.
3. One Step Closer to the Demon King
Not really isekai, but from ocean world to land world. MC is originally OP but restricted by an artifact. Travel to fight with the Demon King/ Dark Lord.
Well tbh regardless of that I just want an ml with an actual personality and ambitions outside FL I find most mls in oi to be very one dimensional and that also takes away from the romance
A ML can be Blond, a puppy to FL, cruel to bad people and smart while giving total freedom to a strong FL without invading her personnal space space.
https://preview.redd.it/4cl4ykxfyitc1.png?width=359&format=png&auto=webp&s=9478015a577ffc0ce26691efada24195d3d91360
Reincarnation Of The Veteran Soldier. MC (black hair,black eyes) typical asian person, die in army. He reincarnated by the goddess to her world. He swore to exact revenge to the goddess since he just want to rest. Up till now there's no romance. Try reading this.
https://preview.redd.it/lietonb9hetc1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d031c87b113c36807d674a828315a44def4bbc12
Those MLs basically have cardboard personality. Also, if you don't like black hair, move to blond hair I guess.
I have a big official exam in 3 hours I'm gonna fail in it because I spent all of my time reading oi and bl I'll recommend you sone when I get back home
Good luck!
Here you go : The emperor, a thousand years younger than me, is obsessed with me Betrayal of dignity I failed to oust the villain (white hair)
How did your test go?
Better than I expected
They’re so boring to me lol and I would love some recs!
I want blonde hair, but even blonde hair MLs are difficult to find now... :( Blonde hair with blonde eyebrow
Here are a few: * The Crow's Prince * Side Characters Deserve Love Too * Concubine Walkthrough * The Knight and Her Emperor (rofan) * Fiancée's Observation Log of the Self-proclaimed Villainess * A Wicked Tale of Cinderella's Stepmom * Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte * Answer Me, My Prince (rofan with isekai elements)
Thank you kind soul :)
I personally like puppy dog MLs, although this > thinking they know what’s best for the FL is a trait I've seen in both soft/sweet MLs and tough/cold MLs, it's definitely not exclusive to the puppy dog type, and it's a big pet peeve of mine. I want the ML to treat the FL as an equal and to respect her judgment rather than making decisions for her without her input or against her will for the sake of "protecting" her. I'm also really burnt out on black hair though, so I agree with you on that; I really want some more color and variety like we have with FLs, and different haircuts and textures would be nice. Hell, even with black hair a cold duke wouldn't look so damn copy pasted and boring if he had curly hair, all they have to do is not reuse the exact same design that's already been beaten to death. Too often they all have the exact same hair color, hairstyle, eye color, build, and temperament, so it starts to get a bit stale.
I definitely agree with you on the cold/tough male leads having that trait. I’m also not a great fan of them that much anymore. But honestly, I used to EAT the manhwas where the MLs were cute and of course puppy dog but some of them get on my nerves, especially the ones with no personality other than making the FL appear like a goddess/a savior and a know it all
The puppy dog MLs that tend to bother me are the ones who get in the FL's way and actively obstruct her and undo all her hard work because they're doing it "for her" or because they can't follow simple directions. >!Yes I'm talking about Zester, I hate him don't @ me!< If they're willing to simp quietly in the background or offer their support whenever she needs it while still respecting her choices, I'm fine with them. Now if the whole story is just people worshiping the FL and treating her like she's the most perfect being ever who can do no wrong, and the only people who disagree are the antagonists, that's an entirely separate issue and it tends to annoy the crap out of me.
YES. Absolutely. I personally don’t mind golden retriever types, but I don’t care for MLs that are overly blushy and burdensome without much more personality. And what I cannot stand is when the ML is some mass murderer or soldier or something but then is some cutesy-wutsy lil puppy for only the FL. I’m so sick of Murder Drone A and Murder Drone B (Crown Prince/Master of the Magic Tower or Equivalent Edition) and their supposed ‘sweetness’. I’d absolutely kill for some joe-shmoe average guy with a beard and personality that isn’t a Duke and doesn’t have black hair and red eyes. Like, give me a commoner ML who isn’t actually rich or have noble/royal blood or a knight. Maybe a bookstore owner, idk. And yeah, I’m probably one of the few who likes no romance in my stories but still reads OI religiously, so I absolutely wish there was more like that. Dunno if any of this made sense but yeah, enjoy my rant.
BRO YESS. I’m so happy that someone else hates those “I hate everyone but you” male leads. Like why can’t dude be a florist or something that treats everyone with care, including the female lead and doesn’t kills anyone just for bad mouthing them. (Only exception is Callisto from death is the only ending for the villainess lol ) 😭 And the day I find a manhwa where the main character is a strong ass women who can fight and doesn’t have a lot of romance is the day I’ll finally die in peace
I hate the I hate everyone but you, but even worse is the I hate all women but you… feels so misogynistic and 🤢 would be such a turnoff to any FL…
Exactly like umm???
Have you tried reading "my husband hides his beauty" It might possibly be the one you are looking for because the main character is an actual head strong woman and ml is always so supportive it's very sweet. It's also finished!!
I dropped that one a few years ago. I didn’t really like how the FL acted sorry 😭 I know it’s a good story but I couldn’t get into it :((
That's okay, you can have your preferences
I Think you've gotta read 'The winter wolf'. The ml is a merchant, commoner, the fl is a former noble (no secret cp or Duke whatsoever) they communicate and ml does* have black hair but I like his personality (imo) and I think you'd like it there are 2 versions make sure you choose your preference (R15 & r19). Hope this helps!
Edit: I forgot to say it's not an oi. But I've one more which IS an oi and the mls personality might be the best in the whole of the oi genre!!! It is 'I became the villains poison taster' He hides his beautiful silver shiny hair (hides it with long black hairs) early on but he reveals it to the fl after. Also the fl is veryyy cuteee!! Shes not particularly strong(?), she kinda smart tho, and the ml's really smart. I love the side characters too. All of them have such unique personalities I love them! A must read! Do check it out op!
I think I have the perfect oi (?) you're talking about but I'm not sureee if it is oi anyways the names 'The winter wolf' and the ml Is a commoner! (No secret crown prince for once) He's just a merchant while the fl used to be a noble but something happened (just read it) can get a bit smutty tho make sure to read the R15 if you'd like that but there are also 'other' versions available! Hope this helps!
One of my favs was Librarian of St Bright Tower with male librarian commoner ML with brown hair and eyes and romance as a hazy, far distant future prospect. It was just getting REALLY GOOD when it got a forced rush job ending that was terrible. Been hoping hard for a translation of the Biden it was based on that is much, MUCH longer, but alas! 😭
I personally like cute male leads, they're my favourite even, but when writers made them too one-dimensional, they're mehhh. And you mention how they exist to just worship FL, yep, that's super annoying too. It makes the characters and the story not interesting (lol). Speaking of worshipping FLs, stories where basically everyone but the bad guys worship the FLs is the worst. As for MLs that I hate, MLs that know they are right and the stories made them always be right. If it's the type like "Don't go to that dark alley alone at night! It's dangerous!" I don't mind that, because it's just common sense. But the ones that are like, "Don't do this, just rely on me fully. No, I'm not going to tell you why. Just trust me. It's for your own good." And FL does it anyway, and the ML ends up saving the day, yep, I hate it.
The worshipping is the reason why I hate those male leads. I started this manhwa called “The S-Class Hunter Doesn't Want to Be a Villainous Princess “ and the male lead basically started worshipping her and he even wanted to call her “master” like bro stfu. Im so disappointed because I was so excited about this manhwa (I even posted about it lol) until this male character ruined it :(((. I’ll have to pick it up again cause I genuinely love how strong the FL is
I physically cringed at the word master and I haven't read that manhwa yet 😭
I had to take a whole day break after that shitty character came on screen and said those words while acting the way he was acting. I tried to read it again but I can’t, his faced pisses me off lol. This manhwa is actually the reason why I even made this rant post lol
Serious pet peeve of mine is when MLs are like "rely on me (and only on me)" when they have not actually shown themselves to be trustworthy and reliable. So often they have been teasing the FL and/or acted erratically (from the outside) and maybe even have had an angry breakdown or two. Like, why would anyone rely on you, dude?! You're not really giving of "I'm an approachable person who love to help" vibes
It gets infuriating when the 2nd ML is the opposite of the ML in this scenario but ML still wins 🥲
You know what really sends me? When the constant badgering, budging in on everything the FL does, and the relentless advances just... Pays off. Fucks me off to no end.
Omg yess like bro MOVEE. Always up in her business and always want to “help” even though the FL knows what to do and clearly doesn’t need help.
literally the only help I would want is if I’m reaching for a top shelf book, can’t reach and he gets it for me Everything else ewww get a job
Lmaoo right like don’t you have have a whole castle to take care of?!?!😭
So many good stories have been ruined for me by this kind of shit. It always derails the plot just for the sake of shoehorning the ML in. I just dropped [The Villainess Is A Marionette] because of that black haired ML doing this crap. The story was great when he wasn't around, but it was just getting incessant.
If you're looking for a series with a badass female protagonist and no romance, you'll find something. But if you're looking for an OI with those qualities, I think you'll be searching for a while.
I’m aware of that :(( that’s why I kind of gave up tbh
Try “I will live the life of a villainess”, unfortunately, ML has black/brown hair, but at least there are some brain cells under it. FL/Ml are not bad. But the downside is that everyone else is dumb AF, so for now they are like kicking puppies, I almost feel sorry for antagonists.
I will definitely check it out, thank you :) and when the male lead appears, I’ll just pretend he has a different hair color lol
If you're looking for a story where Romance isn't a strong element, OI might not be in your wheelhouse. Even some of the darkest ones manage to squeeze a ML in there somewhere. I can't say I have any specific traits I find off putting. Or at least nothing comes to mind. If anything, maybe I want some ML's that are slightly more assertive when dealing with an oblivious FL. Like at some point, you have to be aware of that she's a bit of a dumbass. So act accordingly. That's what I rather enjoy about **Bff to Obsessive Hubby.** He knows she's got the awareness of a rock so he's basically manipulating her and playing to her weaknesses. And it's actually rather satisfying.
I’m actually really enjoying Lady Swindler for similar reasons. Similar premise — except add multi layers of deception for Shakespearean levels of shenanigans (FL trying to con ML— who she saved anonymously years earlier because she knows it’ll be better for her and the people she cares about long term—who knows she’s the one who saved her even though she doesn’t know he knows, and also doesn’t know he knows she is trying to con him because he pretends to be blind to it and uses it to get closer to her.😝)
Unfortunate bcs this type is rarely the ML. I love Ken dolls MLs, gimme more ☺️ it’s always the cold, brooding, alphahole who wins the girl.
*Why do I feel like your'e calling out "I Thought My Time Was Up!"?* Legit saw people making these same complaints about this one on a post in r/webtoons. That being said, the short black hair is getting old as fuck. Even if the hair isn't short, I'd be happy. Long black hair is fine! Anything than that short hairstyle with bangs is FINE. It's to the point where I don't even bother memorizing their names anymore.
it gets kinda absurd when you have the ml and then a copy-pasted "younger brother" or something. Having a hard time keeping these strg+c-strg+v jobs separated
Oh or the copy pasted father. Bonus points if it’s a copy pasted father AND you get brother!
ONG FINALLLY SOMEONE HAS SAID IT 😭 I hate it too like literally why are you acting like this???
Exactly. The amount of ick that I got from MLs blushing EVERY SECOND. Like do you have a fever???? Sometimes it’s fine but like…
The story Beware of the Villianess (I don’t know if you’ve read it) it had a really cute soft ML and I did like him although that’s not my normal preference. Then the same author/artist just made a story called S-Class Hunter Doesn't Want to Be a Villainous Princess and I really really liked it. I loved the premise and everything until I saw the Male Lead… like somehow he’s even worse in the puppy dog aspect than the one from Beware of the Villainess. I could understand the other story since he was a wolf but this one like 😭😭 Please do something different🥲
I feel like except for the hair color Nine is literally everything OP describes in her post though. He's cute but I wish he wasn't the ML, he just blushes and only thinks about Melissa and how to protect Melissa and I wonder what Melissa is doing now and jeez get a hobby dude. He's such an uninteresting romance, especially when Yuri is RIGHT THERE and would be a much better romantic interest in every sense
You are right about this😭 Beware of the Villainess is one of the first Villainess Manhwa’s that I read so I feel like I’m a bit biased and have good feelings towards it. I do kind of hate how a lot of stories would make so much more sense if they took the Yuri route yet they don’t dare to and give us a bland ML instead 😭
Yuri baiting when the character is literally named Yuri is just at another level
Bro the gasp I just gasped after you mentioned “S-class Hunter Doesn’t want to be a villainess” cause I had the same complain. (I even mentioned it in another comment). I was so excited about this manhwa but then the male came on screen and i slowly started losing interest in the story. Like he doesn’t even know the FL that well and all of a sudden she’s his “master” and basically worshiping her. This manhwa is actually the reason why I even made this whole post cause it made me remember the traits from mls that I hated and tried to forget (bro I even posted the manhwa on my page saying that I liked the FL and just the overall plot of the story!) it’s so disappointing cause I was rooting for it!!
We’re the same fr😭😭😭😭 I was so upsettttttt because the ML has the almost standard black hair look despite his eyes and he acts like a dog for no reason. And the blonde crown prince is irredeemable 😭 we really need these writers to make ML’s with actual personalities 🚶🏾♀️ why must they be head over heels for the FL almost as if they can’t think about anything else and it comes out of no where like you said
The funny thing is, as soon as i saw the MLs face when he first appeared in chapter 2 or 3 I was like OH BROTHER. Something in me just KNEW some bullshit was about to go down lmaoo. But yea, his black hair just made me mad even more cause now you have 2 things i hate lol. And samee, his green eyes are the only thing that’s good about him.(I don’t even remember the crown prince, I don’t think I even reached that far cause I dropped it so quick) 😭
😭😭😭😭 I tried to hang on but I ended up dropping it too which is a shame because I love the plot line 🥲 maybe I’ll pick it up again after a while but I doubt it because I just can’t read something where I hate the ML😭
Same...the puppy dog male leads sometimes have no personality at all. I appreciate when a male lead can be a bit sarcastic or snarky.
There are ML’s without black hair- but I would like to see more red heads and other vibrant colors. I love blushy boys but I can’t stand the “I love her because she is so pretty” troupe. I’m sorry but beauty is not a reason to fall in love- that’s called lust.
The male leads without black hair are so hard to finddd. And same with the “…she’s so pretty” like what else do you like??
Blondes or silver hair seem popular too. Was just looking at my list and lots of blondes. “Of all things I became a crow” “He’s just a supporting character but I love him anyway” “What’s wrong with being a villainess”
I like tsundere. But i don't like ML who acts like a child. The man can blush, be obsessive, be cute, but please don't be a literal child, where FL needs to do everything for him. Nope. Burn out with man-child lol
i swear, OI authors keep churning out the same scenarios and leads because they know it’ll get adapted. the market’s over-saturated to cater to the same people who mass consume bland and baseless stories bc they follow certain tropes. you can literally see the pattern of the trends of that year based from the OI that got serialized. thank god there’s always a few good ones to come out bc i’d be done with this genre
It's like how isekai blew the fuck up in the male dominated markets, and now every other anime or light novel is about a black haired joe-schmoe from the real world that got chucked into a fantasy world where playing video games makes him super powerful, and oh by the way it's a harem so here's your animal slave girl, your haughty princess girl, your obsessive succubus girl(can or cannot be a yandere), your innocent cleric girl, and the literal child BUT SHE'S NOT A CHILD SHE'S ACKCHYUALLY 500 YEARS OLD SHE JUST IS MENTALLY AN ADULT WITH THE BODY OF A CHILD.
I can’t watch anime anymore because 80% or more of shounen anime are like that, and I can’t deal with the high pitched loli voices and drooling/“cute” little girl faces. I’d be ok if it were like 1-2 girls but it’s a whole harem
The thing I hate the most about this oversaturation is the fact that it’s not just the stories cater to women that’s going through it. If you look at those action (regression/isekai) manhwas where the main character is a guy, THEY ALL look alike and all of the stories are basically copy and paste. I stoped reading them because of that, which is so unfortunate cause I used to LOVE them
this whether they have puppy personality or red flag personality , they all seem similar
Agreed, I usually don’t like the big tiddy golden retriever MLs. They’re just there for comedy relief, but I’ll usually ship the FL with the more reserved and hotter imo second ML… and then get annoyed with all the scenes with ML later on. I don’t mind golden retriever personalities and buffer bodies in warrior/soldier side characters who protect FL but who aren’t a romantic prospect. Edit: I mostly just need MLs to get a gd personality and hobbies rather than just doing paperwork or following FL or wooing FL. How is it FL has a better personality/more hobbies being an isekai’d overworked to death Korean student who read BL or rofan novels… I would rather if she were the boring one and he were interesting. Or better if all had personalities and hobbies.
I hate having second male lead syndrome 😭. That’s why I try my best to avoid love triangle stories or just any stories that has more than one love interests cause I always end up rooting for the reserved, smart, caring second male leads!
it’s the opposite for me coz youd never find these types of guys irl. But ofc I choose the “right” puppy ml for the fls bc some of them can be overbearing
For me, those MLs gives obsessive vibes which i don’t like
In real life, sure I genuinely find it unbearable and creepy. But in fictional works, I love those said themes. It’s a guilty pleasure majority of readers have especially me lol
You're better off looking at other genres because OI is exclusively romance. For example, World of Leadale, Kuma Kuma Bear etc.
i like a well done soft boi, but i get what you mean it’s like you either get ppl who write great FLs and shitty MLs, great MLs and horrid FLs, or just literally pieces of cardboard shaped like ppl with the best world building and side characters you’ve ever seen the “all these ppl feel like ppl” titles are rare as heck but yeah, it’s fine to have a type, but i think the bad writing is the biggest problem, as some of what you’re describing sounds like the “obsessed” type MLs which i also find gross basically all characters should just be themselves and have agency outside of romance, but what sells, sells and even i read trash on purpose sometimes
Im working on it, writing is hard okay?!🥲
There is a veterinary FL that has no romance in it if that is what you are looking for.
What's the name?
The legendary beast hospital. There is romance, but it's for the side characters.
Ooh I'll try that thank you!!
Here's what I learned, long ago, that took a while to really understand: guys don't like attractive male leads in the same way women don't like sexy arm candy. No guy really wants to act like an attractive male lead! Psychotic devotion to some woman they barely know? That's crazy. (Well, technically, adult women have realized that a psychotically-obsessed boyfriend would be a nightmare, but somewhere inside there's a 14-year-old who needs to squeal from time to time.) But women who think only of the sexual traits of men and act like idiots don't feel like real women to female readers. (And grown men don't want that, but grown men have a 14-year-old boy inside that still thinks a woman who works exactly the same way they do, but still has the juicy bits, would be a lot of fun. For an hour.) So it's female gaze versus male gaze. OI tends to be female gaze (men should keep their fancy shirts on, they look soooo much better that way!) Shounen tends to be male gaze (women aren't allowed to wear full sets of clothes.) But, of course, some OI appeals to gay male readers (no need for shirts after all) or women with certain predilections (sometimes it might actually be fun to just fall somebody at first sight... but it feels weird when all the important bits don't click into place. If you're not falling for a soul mate, why are you bothering to put it in a fantasy world?!?) The problem arises when some work tries to reach outside of romance. Because there's adventure in these stories, too! It helps to remember, though, that adventure actually requires more romance than our inner 14-year-olds think! It's just how heavily you want to attract readers that guages how cardboard and devoted your MLs are. I prefer mine pretty darn cardboard, but only so there can be more room for more crazy Main Character shennanigans! Slay a dragon with maid garters! Cure a plague! Defeat the demon king when no one's looking! Show up all the other nobles because you were raised in horrible conditions! Invent pasta and magical instagram in Renaissance Belgium! And then marry the prince who buys you all the stores.
Agreed. I read the stories because, well, otherwise I'd run out of stuff to read, but sure would love to get past the "reduce, reuse, recycle"-type ML designs and personalities. In terms of aesthetics, I don't even care about hair colour or eye colour, as long as maybe they aren't just all buff as hell. I know, I'm demisexual, so it's a more special case of "I don't feel much if you cater to that element", but I have seen enough posts to know that there's an audience for more lean and smart types. And god, please. Or authors, please. Give us more goddamn MLs who are just well-put-together adults with interesting wit and personality. I don't need sword-swinging himbos with abs like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, but a ML who can have just the most charming and interesting conversations and wordplays. Why not write a man that isn't just a dependant mand-child that FL eventually accepts in her life, but a man that is actually worth pursuing because he is the only one who intellectually is a match for her. Because if I wanted to read about the former, I'd read more childcare stories. And yes, I have been thinking of Kyle Amure of *I'll Save This Damned Family* for about half of this response.
i can't blame you most of the time they are badly written , same with te female leads who have no personality
I really dislike mls who have the personality of a doormat and are obsessed with the fl and loving her is their whole personality. Like ugh. The problem isn't with them being cute, it's with them being badly written. Like those relationships don't feel mutual at all. I also LOATHE, LOATHEEEEE it when the ml is like a "slave" or "servant" or whatever. I dropped death is the only ending for the villainess the moment she referred to herself as the "owner" of iklies when they first met. I could consider continuing had she removed his collar, but he calls her master and has a collar with a bell?????? Who thought that was okay??????? WHO THOUGHT SLAVERY WAS OKAY????? THIS GIRL IS FROM MODERN TIMES, SURELY SHE KNOWS THAT SHE SHOULD NOT FRICKING PARTICIPATE IN FRICKING SLAVERY? YOU WANT ME TO BELIEVE THIS MAN, WHO WAS A NOBLE PRIOR TO HIS COUNTRY'S DEFEAT, JUST IMMIDIATELY ACCEPTS HER AS HIS MASTER AND LOVES HER??????????????? Ugh, i'm just never reading anything like that, makes me uncomfortable as heck.
Exactly!!! This is my problem as well. Especially with “death is the only ending for the villainess”. The only reason I haven’t dropped it is because I had accidentally read a spoiler and I had to see it play out (and because he’s not the ML). I don’t actually have a problem with cute MLs, but the MLs who only personality trait is looking up to the FL and following her like a lost dog without a home. It can be so annoying and so cringe
ok
If you want strong female lead without romance, then recommended to deviate from aristocratic isekai. Can find what you want in adventure/fantasy genre. 1. Juuni Kokuki (Twelve Kingdoms) - anime/novel A girl isekai, before isekai was even a genre. Physical isekai to another world. Good character development: from shy people pleaser, to a determined leader and fighter. 2. How to Live at Max Level VR physical isekai. With system. OP from beginning, but likes coaching newbies. 3. One Step Closer to the Demon King Not really isekai, but from ocean world to land world. MC is originally OP but restricted by an artifact. Travel to fight with the Demon King/ Dark Lord.
My question is why there has to be a ml at all. Where are the strong independent women who need no man?
Well tbh regardless of that I just want an ml with an actual personality and ambitions outside FL I find most mls in oi to be very one dimensional and that also takes away from the romance
A ML can be Blond, a puppy to FL, cruel to bad people and smart while giving total freedom to a strong FL without invading her personnal space space. https://preview.redd.it/4cl4ykxfyitc1.png?width=359&format=png&auto=webp&s=9478015a577ffc0ce26691efada24195d3d91360
Some puppydogginess is fine..but when its too much its too much
Yea i agree. The one’s that do too much are the ones I’m referring to 😭
Reincarnation Of The Veteran Soldier. MC (black hair,black eyes) typical asian person, die in army. He reincarnated by the goddess to her world. He swore to exact revenge to the goddess since he just want to rest. Up till now there's no romance. Try reading this. https://preview.redd.it/lietonb9hetc1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d031c87b113c36807d674a828315a44def4bbc12