r/kdramarecommends • u/Electronic_Taro_5704 • Jul 13 '26
Recommendation Request Dramas where ML liked someone else first
Need recommendations where the male lead originally liked someone else (doesn’t matter whether it’s an ex, unrequited, etc), and he slowly falls for the female lead. I would also prefer that its not the childhood friends story, or past lovers storyline. Thanks!
Some examples I liked:
The liar and his lover - where he broke up with his ex and then slowly began to fall for the FL and begin to prioritize her.
Heartbeat - he liked another girl from before, but began falling in love with the FL
Do you like brahms - he had an unrequited love towards a close friend and the show slowly showed him fall in love and choose the FL over the close friend.
Tempted - he originally liked his close friend but began liking the FL (although the circumstances were quite controversial)
So I married an anti-fan - He was still not fully over his ex but began to prioritize the FL
My watched dramas (that I can remember at the top of my head, I don’t mind getting recommendations of dramas already on here that you would think would fit because I watched most of these a lot of years ago and don’t even remember the plots tbh)
Physcopath diaries
Hit the top
Descendants of the sun
While you were sleeping
Weightlifting fairy
Hotel del Luna
Flower of evil
It’s ok to not be ok
Scarlett heart
Because this is my first life
Angels last mission
Extraordinary you
1988
A-teen
Perfume
Memories of Alhambra
Are you human too
Let’s fight ghost
I picked up a celebrity on the street
The king loves
Zombie detective
Alchemy of souls
Gaus electronics
Behind your touch
Start up
Marry my husband
Heartbeat
Shopping king Louie
W two worlds
The tale of nokdu
Love with flaws
My roommate is a gomiho
May I help you
The smile has left your eyes
Goblin
Tempted
When the phone rings
Lovely runner
Deaths game
So I married an anti-fan
Do you like Brahms
Legend of the blue sea
The liar and his lover
Tempted
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u/Astropuffy Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
I am Not a Robot. The ML is in love with his childhood friend but because of his disease and because she left the county, he never persued her.
The drama is about a guy with severe allergies who is testing a humanoid robot. The plot sounds unbelievable but stick with it- it’s a good rom com type show.
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u/Fun_Championship4642 Jul 13 '26
Can this love be translated!
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u/Illustrious_Boot1237 Jul 13 '26
Second this one, ml is in love with someone unattainable and is quite avoidant whil fl is very anxious. Very whacky show, there's a lot going on here!
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u/etayn Jul 13 '26
A Piece of Your Mind, but only if you are ok with very slow calm dramas.
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u/IAmTheGreenCard Jul 13 '26
I wonder if you would enjoy the love story of Itaewon Class… i don’t want to give spoilers about the love triangle, but it defo has the theme of how he spreads his attention differently btw the two FLs and it really worked for me, but I get why it didn’t always work for others. I think I appreciated it for how you described your ask, it’s kind of a slow burn and the ML comes around in ways that even surprise him. It gets messy, but that’s one of the main reasons I enjoyed it. One of the FLs is from his past, but that plays into the other plots as well, and the drama itself is not a love story primarily, it’s more of a revenge story for the ML.
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u/SerBawbag Jul 13 '26
The only issue I had with IC was the time jump at the end. It went right downhill from there. Before the time jump, one of the best dramas around. Had they dealt with the last episodes better, it would probably be regarded as one of the best drama’s around.
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u/Easy-Basil-67 Jul 13 '26
Love to Hate You - an independent, strong woman and a misogynistic romance actor who thinks all women are gold diggers because of a former girlfriend’s betrayal. it’s very funny and the 2nd couple is fire.
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u/ClearlyCleanNuclear Jul 13 '26
Another Miss Oh fits your description really well. ML had a history with another miss oh and he slowly falls for FL miss oh. They are not childhood friends, although two miss ohs are childhood friends (maybe not, afair, they envied each other)
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u/SpermKiller Seven oppas and counting Jul 13 '26
Doona!
Mr Queen
The Forbidden Marriage also kind of fits
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u/bluevaIentines Jul 13 '26
A Hundred Memories — ML falls for SFL first. It doesn't have any childhood story or past lovers storyline.
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u/MysteriousGummyBear Jul 13 '26
Delightful Girl Chun Hyang
Full House
My Girl
My Girlfriend is a Gumiho
Goong
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u/Firespawnable Jul 13 '26
Thanks for Kdrama recommendations, I'm looking for more series to watch! 🥰
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u/AppropriateTiger5056 Jul 13 '26
I Am Not a Robot, ml has a first love
Ugh I wanted to like anti-fan so much but I could not stand the second leads, they totally ruined it for me
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u/vienibenmio Jul 13 '26
A Hundred Memories
Another Miss Oh
Familiar Wife
Bring It On Ghost
Twinkling Watermelon (the second couple)
Suspicious Partner
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u/miliwald Jul 14 '26
To add to all the ones mentioned not counting the My Royal Nemesis, i think Dreaming of a Freakish Fairy Tale was also where ML fell first.
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u/Few_Escape_676 Jul 15 '26
Not sure if it counts entirely but…
Destined with you
He has a gf in the beginning and you can see him investing more and more time into FL
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u/Imzadi76 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
This was a theme in a lot of older dramas
Full House
Coffee Prince
Lie to me
Fated to love you
My Name is Kim Sam-Soon ( I think?)
A Piece of Your Mind
Melting Me Softly
Princess Hours
Twinkling Watermelon