Top 10 most virulent cases of Second Lead Syndrome

486 January 31, 2017April 6, 2017

by DB Staff

javabeans: Second leaaaaaaads! Where would we be without them?

girlfriday: Happier, probably.

javabeans: But also maybe more bored? Because c’mon, a well-placed second lead (and his unrequited love for the heroine) can provide a certain crackle to a juicy romance, even if sometimes that crackle often comes with big booming pain.

girlfriday: I just mean I’d probably be happier, because I often ship the wrong guy and then end up in a puddle of my own misguided tears. But dramas would be nowhere without second leads. Not all dramas need to have love triangles, but so many dramas do, and when they’re great, they can really drive a romance and make us feel for all the parties involved. It just makes sense that in order to have an effective love triangle, you need a really compelling second lead who has a shot at winning.

javabeans: Of course, this whole concept of “winning” is its own can of worms, since many of these effective second lead stories often present him as the perfect man, the one the heroine really deserves, instead of that mean ol’ hero who always makes her cry. It drives home the idea that nobody “deserves” a person’s love over anybody else, not when love isn’t a quid-pro-quo transaction, but damn if the shows don’t know how to dig that knife of injustice into our hearts with that extra twist.

girlfriday: That twist is mean, but clearly it works, because I’m such a sucker for the pining unrequited love.

javabeans: What’s funny about this phenomenon (which we’ve long been calling Second Lead Syndrome, because it is practically diagnosable at this point) is that half the time I’m convinced that I’m immune to its effects, remembering all the fantastic OTP’s I’ve never once betrayed. Then I remember all the doomed supporting lead romances that broke my heart and there I go, cursing the dramaland fates that make second leads so goddamned appealing.

girlfriday: It really only takes one to make you think that there’s suddenly something wrong with the universe, for not letting the second lead get the girl this time. Even if you’ve watched hundreds of dramas and never cared about a second lead once, there will suddenly be one who steals your heart and leads you to cry foul over the main loveline.

javabeans: Second Lead Syndrome is such a fixture in love stories these days that our Top Ten list had to narrow down the criteria, otherwise our shortlist would have been a hundred names long. In keeping with the theme, our choices were limited to the second leads whose love stories brought us the most pain or gave us the most grief.

girlfriday: Yes, the ones where we were cursing writers. And then of course second lead syndrome leads to shipping wars, which is a whole other dimension of pain.

javabeans: Oh my god, shipping wars. What a way to take your private agony, pour a ton of salt into the gaping wounds, and magnify them for the world to pick at. Why, whyyyyyy? Why do we do this to ourselves, and why do we never learn?

girlfriday: I DON’T KNOW. But I think it’s true that we never learn, because every other year when another Answer Me series comes out, I want to hide in a hole until the war is over and call my mommy to come pick me up.

javabeans: I like my second lead romances a little toothless, myself, because I want to feel pity and sympathy for the poor guy but not actually feel torn up inside about shipping the wrong person with the heroine. Because even when you like Mr. Second Lead better, 99.99% of the time, we all know she’ll end up with the hero instead. (And 0.01% of the time, we cry for days and write angsty lists about it.)

girlfriday: Cue list!

1. Answer Me 1994 (2013)

javabeans: Answer Me 1994 inflicted some serious raw wounds in my heart over its second lead arc, pains I’ve been keeping deep in repression ever since the drama ended, and I have this post to thank for dredging up all those terrible, agonizing, glorious feelings for Chilbongie and the love he was never destined to have. Of course, it wasn’t purely my fault for picking the wrong guy—not when the show did everything in its power to lead us astray, giving us actual hope that he wasn’t, in fact, the doomed second fiddle. That fakeout was part of the reason I felt so viscerally hurt when my ship crashed and burned: Answer Me’s writer understood dramaland’s cliches and rhythms so well that she was able to masterfully circumvent expectations (in a way I don’t think any other writer has been able to do regarding romance). Usually we know who’s getting the girl and who’s getting left in the dust, but 1994 faked us out brilliantly by giving the second lead the hero treatment, keeping the OTP in the shadows while building up the sweet, devoted, puppy-doggish Chilbongie as our heroine’s potential future husband. By the time the realization of the OTP’s direction hit, those of us on Team Chilbongie were already in too deep to get out without suffering damage. I could accept and appreciate Oppa ultimately being the husband, but it was the path to that end that did me in. And as an extra-salty kicker, the fanwars that sprung up over the two ships felt particularly vicious and mean-spirited, so invested did everyone feel in their particular team. This is the drama that made me swear off all future Answer Me seasons for good… and based on good ol’ Number 2 below, it’s a decision I’ve never regretted. Never say I don’t learn anything!

2. Answer Me 1988 (2015-16)

girlfriday: Apparently some of us don’t learn, because even after suffering through the agony of rooting for Chilbongie, I found myself back here, thinking that this time I’d play it safe and be on the right team. The obvious team. The one that wouldn’t make me cry. I had a plan and everything! Of all the installments of the Answer Me franchise, this one really set us up for the ultimate fakeout. Honestly, I never thought in a million years that Ryu Joon-yeol wouldn’t get the girl. He was the classic drama hero through and through, as the prickly boy next door who kept his feelings close to the vest while our heroine flailed over her adorable crush on him. I didn’t even spend the drama feeling bad for him like a regular second lead, because it seemed like such a foregone conclusion that he’d be the heroine’s husband in the future that viewers invented a term for it, which translates to “Obviously Future Husband Ryu Joon-yeol.” Instead, I spent the drama having (totally unnecessary) second lead sympathy pangs for quiet Park Bo-gum, because he was just like Chilbongie, and surely doomed to break my heart. Surely! This was a case where I loved both boys, but just fell for the trap of expecting characters to follow the archetypes we’d seen in drama after drama, which of course the writer played up for maximum twistiness. I might even consider it clever, if not for the fact that Ryu Joon-yeol cut my heart out and left it on a restaurant table sometime in the early ‘90s, next to the confession he gave and then took back. On the upside, I no longer feel feelings.

3. Boys Before Flowers (2009)

javabeans: This drama was practically designed around Second Lead Syndrome, and judging from the sea of tears shed by the sinking ship (the better to float it with?), it utilized it mighty effectively. This drama offered a textbook case of how being a “better” man doesn’t entitle anybody to anybody else’s heart, and second lead Ji-hoo was established as pretty much all of the good things that leading man Jun-pyo wasn’t: thoughtful, kind, gentle, calm, mature. The drama went so far as to declare Ji-hoo the heroine’s soulmate—platonically, of course—and she forged a friendship with him immediately; her relationship with him was as easy as her relationship with the hero was perpetually turbulent, as though two kindred souls need no time deciding that they’re simpatico. Even when the main romance was in full swing, it was often Ji-hoo who understood her thoughts and concerns better than the guy she’d chosen, and to underscore his general decency, he often helped smooth the bumps in their relationship even as he was pining for her heart himself. It was enough to make you figure, Well, if she has this perfect sunbae dying to be with her and still picks the volatile, immature, jealous other dude, then I guess it really is love! Sadly for second leads of dramaland, being Mr. Perfect is no longer enough for true love. Tough crowd!

4. Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010)

HeadsNo2: There’s something tragic and swoony about the second lead who is the heroine’s constant but silent protector, operating behind the scenes while being hopelessly in love with her. Maybe the appeal of the second lead is the doomed nature of it, the fact that they Can Never Be, even though in Sungkyunkwan Scandal, I really, really wanted them to be. I wanted them to be so badly that my bones will be found on their sunken ship years from now.

In many ways, Moon Jae-shin was the typical hero character—dark, handsome, deep, and a bit of a bad boy. He was the rebel who discovered our heroine’s crossdressing secret and went to any lengths to protect her, all without her knowing. Who wouldn’t want a guardian with that soul-stealing gaze? The way he looked at her with all that hopeless devotion broke my heart, especially since she remained mostly unaware of everything he did for her. It wasn’t easy to protect her secret in an academy full of men, but watching him try, whether by stopping others from discovering her bathing or by wriggling his way in between her and the lead while sleeping was half the fun of the show. Okay, that and the fact that he got a mad case of the hiccups whenever he became romantically aware of her. That was always adorable. *hic*

5. Heirs (2013)

girlfriday: Trying to argue Lee Min-ho vs. Kim Woo-bin in Heirs is a little bit like judging the heights of acorns, as they were both punks in a school full of rich entitled punks. I couldn’t tell you that Kim Woo-bin’s brash high school tyrant was a good person, but I can tell you that I found him more compelling than our hero, whose wardrobe often had more personality than he did.

I guess I have a big soft spot for the thorny teenage rebel who lashes out because he’s harboring so much inner pain. This guy totally deserved to go to jail for half the things he did in the drama, but I was surprised that I often cared more about his character development than anyone else. I couldn’t believe that he thought tormenting a girl and bullying her publicly was the best way to get her attention—like pulling a girl’s pigtails, but in a violent, criminal fashion. But then when he started following her around and trying to do nice things for her (and failing miserably, as being nice is a behavior he actually had to learn for the first time), I found myself moved by his tiny steps toward humanity. He seemed so starved for friendship and love, and even though he always went about asking for it in the wrongest way possible, I really wanted him to get his happy ending.

6. You’re Beautiful (2009)

HeadsNo2: The force was so strong with this second lead ship that it almost felt like fanservice when another drama (You’ve Fallen For Me) later cast the two actors as romantic leads, which at least soothed those fans who’d been heartbroken by the lack of a happy ending for Shin-woo and Mi-nyeo. In You’re Beautiful, which also featured a second lead intent on protecting the heroine’s crossdressing secret in silence, Shin-woo stole hearts by just being there for our heroine as she tried to navigate the world of boy bands—a far cry from her previous calling as a nun. His approach toward looking after the naive and adorably childlike heroine was the completely opposite of the hero, who fit the cold-on-the-outside-squishy-on-the-inside mold to a tee. Perhaps this personality divide is a large reason for the fandom divide between the two love interests, since both extremes were available to root for, even if we all know one of those sides was futile. Despite knowing the secret of her true identity, Shin-woo formed a friendship with the heroine and treated her as one of the boys, and always made sure to be available to step in to help her, whether she knew it or not—whether it was providing a shoulder to sleep on, carrying heavy equipment for her, or bearing the fact that she liked his bandmate more than him. Such is the fate of doomed second leads, sigh.

7. Who Are You—School 2015 (2015)

girlfriday: This one still makes me so mad! I’m not often confused about why a heroine chooses the leading man, since there’s usually enough in the drama to back the OTP when all is said and done, but in Who Are You—School 2015, I actually had a hard time understanding her choice. It was a case where I had to chalk it up to something she had seen in Nam Joo-hyuk’s character offscreen, because it wasn’t a thing I felt and could relate to. It didn’t help that second lead Yook Sung-jae had a very natural rapport with her, making all their scenes sparkle with warmth, or that he was so adorable about his puppy crush on her. He was the first person to recognize the heroine for herself and not her twin sister, the one who protected her from being found out as an imposter, and the first person to call her by her real name—something that genuinely moved me, and made me think that he was the only person who saw the real her. In a story all about finding the courage to live as herself, that mattered to me a great deal. When unni came back, it provided us with the perfect solution—two happy endings!—but they sank two ships instead. Why? Why would they do that? Why would anyone do that on purpose? Clearly I’m still not over it. I will never be over it!

8. Chuno (2010)

HeadsNo2: You know that love triangle that still gives you goosebumps, where just thinking of it makes you want to rewatch an entire show all over again? Chuno was that show for me, with its epic scope and equally epic love story at its center: a slave hunter, destined to hunt down the love of his life, who had once been a slave in his household. And while you desperately wanted him to find the love of his life, said love was completely oblivious to his undying devotion. An interesting thing happened as the show went on, when we began to realize that the hero wouldn’t reach her in time—she had, at that point, fallen for another man, a fellow slave on the run who had once been a deeply principled general. It was impossible not to fall for this classically heroic character, the direct antithesis to what antihero Dae-gil had become, even though the conflict of loving both characters at once (and wanting them both to get what they wanted, which was unfortunately mutually exclusive) was torture of the best kind. Her love story with the former general had a depth of feeling in a stoic and understated sort of way, until the pairing felt natural, even under their unnatural circumstances. And when the heroine eventually reunited with her first love, we saw a rare case of the second lead’s virtues winning out, which was a rewarding and bittersweet experience all at once. I’m still so torn!

9. Autumn Fairy Tale (2000)

HeadsNo2: I watched Autumn Fairy Tale retroactively after embarking on a Won Bin marathon, which is relatively easy since we’re going on seven years since he’s been in anything (Just be in a movie, Oppa! Any movie. Please?), so admittedly I saw the show through a slightly different lens than viewers who caught the original run. But both then and now, Won Bin’s character fits the bill of the the quintessential aggressive second lead, playing second fiddle to the perfect and amazing hero and definitely not taking it well.

So maybe he could sometimes veer toward the dangerous, with loads of wrist-grabbing and trapping the heroine against walls, but the shows of aggression and tears were just his way of saying that he loved the heroine, even when he was sometimes kind of maybe demanding that she love him back. I’m realizing now that he doesn’t sound quite so good on paper, but he was oddly captivating in the show, and you wanted him to get the girl because he wanted it so very badly. All my memories of him in Autumn Fairy Tale involve angry tears, low growling, and him trying to buy her love with all his money, but he was such a driving force for the show that I couldn’t help but continue to watch for him. He never stood a chance, and that was part of the angst of it—but like all melodramas of that period, we got to enjoy his paaaaain, which there was never any shortage of. Were we all masochists back then? Are we still, and is that why we fall in love with second leads?

10. My Girl (2005-6)

javabeans: Ah, what a throwback to the early days of Hallyu. My Girl certainly wasn’t the first trendy rom-com to invoke Second Lead Syndrome, but its fanbase’s reaction to its passionate second lead (thanks, Lee Jun-ki!) felt unusually strong for the time, and crested just as the first wave of Hallyu was really taking off and popularizing Second Lead Syndrome as a phenomenon. I confess to never succumbing to the second lead’s pull in this drama (I was loyal to our OTP, through and through), but I couldn’t leave My Girl off this list—not when Team Lee Jun-ki’s vehement and impassioned embrace of his character and doomed ship were so strong that I was amazed and a little bewildered by it. Granted, a large part of that appeal came from the actor more than the character, who was, on paper, familiar stuff: the nice, friendly guy who befriends the heroine when the hero doesn’t appreciate her. Even though I didn’t feel its thrall, I had to acknowledge that it was a powerful force, driven by the fire-versus-ice contrast between him and his hero best friend. Moreover, his pushiness was balanced by his basic good nature, offering us a welcome new development in the trajectory of the aggressive second lead—he felt emotions strongly, but took them out mostly on himself, rather than imposing them on a heroine who didn’t want them. It was a refreshing display of an ever-slightly-more-evolved Second Lead, and I’ll always remember him (and his mad elfin-fairy hair!) fondly.

486

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101 Christy

January 31, 2017 at 9:37 AM

She Was Pretty?

Choi Siwon's quirkiness made me fall for him so hard and left me so depressed when he didn't get with the first lead. ;_; Ah, well, more of him for me, right?

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Gidget

January 31, 2017 at 1:26 PM

Despite my endless love for the lead, in this case I totally agree !

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ar

January 31, 2017 at 5:34 PM

I was hoping he would get with Hari and the 4 of them can do road trips together jamming out to FinKL songs!

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102 simplemaine

January 31, 2017 at 10:18 AM

Might say this top 10 List is so "on-point" that I can say I've felt that SLS in 50% of the listed second leads here. Might I add as well - I've never watched Answer Me 1994 as I've been always in doubt I'll like the premise of its plot but because of this list, I would love to give it a try and break my heart over Chilbongie's unrequited love. Be prepared, my dear weak heart. BE PREPARED.

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103 alwaesboo

January 31, 2017 at 10:37 AM

I used to think I always rooted for the right person until...
the Answer Me series - 1994 and 1988
and I NEVER LEARN.

you girls put it out perfectly. thank you.
So glad I'm not the only one hahahaha

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alwaesboo

January 31, 2017 at 10:39 AM

Also. Nice throwback to My Girl. Hahahaha probably my 3rd or 4th drama that got me hooked onto the kdrama scene. hahahaha #curlyhairedleedongwook

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104 Jiji

January 31, 2017 at 10:50 AM

Re: BOF. Sorry, no. It was always and forever Gu Jun Pyo. Ji Hoo was a wooden post with a really annoying haircut.

And remember he picked the model over the heroine until the model dumped him and the heroine moved on to his BEST FRIEND. Seriously, dude. Who does that?

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MollyP

January 31, 2017 at 12:15 PM

BOF was my first Korean drama, and I am so proud of myself for not falling in the Ji Hoo trap that I felt a lot of people did, even though i was a complete newbie and the Kdrama magic should have drowned me. But I held firm. it was always Gu Jun Pyo!

Ji Hoo was just *makes dismissive sound*. The soulmate angle was so much better in the J drama. I just didn't buy it at all.

So in conclusion, i totally agree with you.

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Jiji

January 31, 2017 at 12:31 PM

YES!

It was my first KDrama too and I was completely unfamiliar with the J-version AND K-Drama tropes. I just assumed in the beginning that JiHoo was the lead and Jun Pyo was the hot, jerky nemesis, kind of like James Spader in Pretty in Pink. I remember thinking halfway through the second episode, "Gee, this show would be so much better if she ended up with GJP, because that other guy is just boring."

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MollyP

January 31, 2017 at 12:34 PM

I genuinely don't get people who find Ji Hoo 'mysterious' or 'charming'. he was just flat for me!

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105 Aigoooo

January 31, 2017 at 10:58 AM

I think the one that made me mad the most was School 2015. It was not because of the decision but because a happy ending for everyone involved was a lay up for the writer being that we are dealing with twin heroines. One heroine two guys, you know someone will lose, but TWO heroines and two guys? Come on!

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106 bbstl

January 31, 2017 at 11:37 AM

I must have lived in a lucky bubble when it came to RM88 because I read that the PD said it wasn't going to be about the husband hunt like the previous two shows. I believed it, and I watched the show that way even while reading the comment wars raging. Taekie vs Jung Hwan, I didn't care, for all I knew there would be a twist and she'd marry the joker guy. The show ended up being all about the families for me and it's a warm memory I cherish. What a relief!

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thelady

February 3, 2017 at 1:13 PM

smart move, the best way to enjoy Reply 1988 is not to get involved with the shipping

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107 youcallitwinter

January 31, 2017 at 11:49 AM

In Reply 1988 they actually rectified something that I hated about Reply 1994. R94 absolutely destroyed me, but I agree that there was never any concrete sign that Na-jung and Chilbongie were endgame. Or, in fact, that Na-jung ever had feelings for Chilbongie at all. In the end, we all just wanted what he wanted. But what I really disliked in R94 was better explained by Junghwan in R88:

"But fate and timing aren’t just coincidences that find you. They’re moments like miracles, that arise out of choices made because of ardent desire. Surrender and decision, without hesitation—that is what makes timing. He was more ardent, and I should’ve had more courage. It wasn’t the red lights, nor the timing that was bad… but the countless times I hesitated."

In R94, it was Chilbongie who had the right timing; who tried, who didn't hesitate, who met Na-jung at promised locations, who was there when she needed him, who made decisions. Trash oppa's entire storyline with Na-jung was about him being a good person but always missing the right time. That she still adored him and loved him was in spite of that. There was literally nothing he could do, no promise he could break, no moment he could miss that would make her change her mind. And, while that may not necessarily be an unrealistic love story, for me, that wasn't a good narrative. There was no doubt that Na-jung only loved Trash oppa, but the show utterly failed to convince me of why, beyond just because she always had. Reply 1988 hurt me equally badly and I still mourn Junghwan, but I believe him when he says his hesitations cost him his love. Duk-seon had been open to him, had been waiting for him, at one point, but he took too long. That is what I love about Reply 1988 though it broke my heart, it shows that it's possible to not be in stasis. To wait, yes, but also move on. As opposed to a monolithic love that nothing can change, Reply 1988 showed that people grow up to want different things, that circumstances can change, that love can change, that you can change. You don't always have to be stuck in the limbo of your first love (as in the case with many kdramas). I will always appreciate that about it.

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starswillshine

February 1, 2017 at 4:05 AM

The reason why Chilbong lost put despite fulfilling all the requirements to succeed was because he wasn't even competing on the same equal ground. Najung already liked Trash way before she knew Chilbong. We all thought that Chilbong was able to change her heart but I guessed her love for Trash was far too strong for Chilbong to make her heart waver. The scriptwriter probably ran out of conflicts in the middle and ended up making Najung not rejecting Chilbong firmly and making Trash hesitate for so long. Chilbong was then made into this perfect human being that was just there, every single time and took on every single opportunity. If Najung knew Trash the same time as she knew Chilbong, I believed Chilbong would win, just like Taek, who took on every opportunity to show his love.

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108 Oppyjcw

January 31, 2017 at 11:51 AM

honestly am never a fan of love triangle, which is the best thing ever for me in healer, that i will always love it. i don't mostly care about second leads but sch 2015 tore me up am still angry with the writer, she just ruin it, i also like TTBY

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ar

January 31, 2017 at 5:32 PM

I feel like love triangles are unrealistic and sort of lazy storytelling. And it almost always sacrifices the second female lead to the green eyed curse. Even when I encounter one in a real life, it's happened to a friend of a friend.

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109 Brittany

January 31, 2017 at 11:58 AM

Perfect list

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110 MollyP

January 31, 2017 at 12:10 PM

Its been 6 years and Im still not over Moon Jae Shin. I don't think I will ever be. He is possibly number 1 in my favourite drama guys ever. Well at least he got Yeorim!

R88 was the story of all the families. I will forever have a Jung Hwan shaped hole in my heart but he most certainly was not the second lead! Thankfully i never finished R94, it just didn't compel me like R97 did (still my favourite, but only just, and the most uplifting, even though the relationships are as strong in R88). I always enjoy it when they mislead you and the guy, who you consider to be the second, actually gets the girl (think Dream High), but not in this case. Poor Jung Hwan.

And what about Si won in She Was Pretty? And JUNG IL WOO in the The Moon that Embraces the Sun (never finished the drama, but JIW should ALWAYS get the girl. ALWAYS).

Its not even on yet but I'm certain Ji Soo will destroy me in Strong Woman. Whatever was left behind after Moon Jae Shine and Jung Hwan steam rolled over my heart, will be incinerated.

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Gabobobobo

February 1, 2017 at 8:25 AM

Ah, Moon Jae-shin. My heart hurts every time I watch him stares longingly to her. Shipping him so hard with Yeorim, though. This character has made me a big fan of Yoo Ah In.

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111 purpleowl

January 31, 2017 at 12:21 PM

Chilbong - my first full fledged SLS!
I was so confused by the New Year's Kiss and I still don't remember when I realized Trash & Na-Jung weren't related.

Jung Hwan
I believed the producers when they said we wouldn't be husband hunting. And I felt like Bo Gum was too big a name to be ignored. Plus, I can't abide by people who don't confess. I was pissed as all get out at him by his '90s confession.
Though he was the perfect male first lead so I think of R88 as more of a SL gets the girl - like Dream High.

Ji Hoo
I hated him the moment he stopped to attempted rape ... to accuse her of giving him the wrong recipe. I grew to like him over time but never wanted her to choose him. Until, Go Jun Pyo went away for years and I was like you didn't fall for Ji Hoon? Okay, then.

Haven't seen SKKS.

Young Do
Even though KWB was my acting bias at the time, I never forgot his opening scene and the level of psycho he was. I'm glad he gained humanity and the "I can't heal your scars because I don't even know my own" line will live with me forever. But I didn't ship it.

Shi Woo
Hated him as well. I was cool with him and a bit sad until that creepy fall date. Can't feel bad for someone who choose not to confess.
I did watch Heartstrings to see them together but more the actors and their chemistry than the characters.
My SLS from YaB snuck up on me - Jeremy
I didn't know I had SLS until he sung on the bus and I felt like crying.

Tae-Gwang
I still think they used his popularity to make it seem like YSJ was lead until ep 15 and they already had the audience locked in to watched the finale. Forget the tormented soul/chemistry, he had too much screen time and noticed Eunbi quicker hand anyone else.
Either they changed their mind or lied.

I haven't seen the last 3.

*so I hate 3 of the most common SLS
Agree with 2
And feel 1 doesn't really count.

Pretty good.

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MollyP

January 31, 2017 at 12:25 PM

Get on SKKS now. I promise you won't regret it. The bromance is enough to make you squeal!

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112 earthna

January 31, 2017 at 12:25 PM

Chilbong is the first one who came to mind as soon as I read the title and as expected, he's on the top of the list. I still remember how much it ruined people after the ship sank. Luckily, I was aboard the right ship from the beginning. I wasn't so lucky with 88 though. I was SO SURE it would be Jungpal ;A;

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113 monologue

January 31, 2017 at 12:43 PM

I think my most gut wrenching ones have been BOF and who are you (2013). Kim Jae Wook was amazing there TT

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114 mariazzang

January 31, 2017 at 12:44 PM

Eonamryu. 어남류. 어차피 남편은 류준열.
My heart still bleeds for Junghwan.

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115 SR

January 31, 2017 at 12:45 PM

Have only watched 6 dramas on the list and my only SLS is Chilbongie. Crash and burn. Never really care for second lead as they are usually too kind and not as interesting as the male lead.

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116 Sarai

January 31, 2017 at 12:58 PM

THIS. IS. PERFECT.

"Trying to argue Lee Min-ho vs. Kim Woo-bin in Heirs is a little bit like judging the heights of acorns, as they were both punks in a school full of rich entitled punks. I couldn’t tell you that Kim Woo-bin’s brash high school tyrant was a good person, but I can tell you that I found him more compelling than our hero, whose wardrobe often had more personality than he did."

ROTFL!
*cheers* !!! Yes, yes, yes! Actually tearing up I'm laughing so hard! These ladies are brilliant!
Dying of hysterics. Y'all are the best.

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117 An

January 31, 2017 at 1:04 PM

I have only two dramas on this list..

Ok, so I don't want to dig up old wounds but AM1988 is the only drama where I was emotionally invested in the Second lead (it feels weird to even call him 2nd lead..).

And then there's School:2015, I still have no clue why that drama was the way it was... I'm still annoyed whenever I remember. It took Weightlifting Fairy to make me forget the aftertaste of Nam Joo Hyuk.

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118 Hawon

January 31, 2017 at 1:25 PM

SUNKYUNKWAN SCANDAL!!!!! NOOOOOOOO MU HEART STILL HURTS

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119 Shahirah

January 31, 2017 at 1:31 PM

And just like that, my wound breaks open & bleeds love profusely for Moon Jae-Shin again. Still bitter about the fact that the writers didn't give his character a chance to confess his true feelings to the heroine even until the end.

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120 shai

January 31, 2017 at 1:54 PM

Sure, being on the chilbong ship devastated me and made me really angry but I was still able to watch the ending and get over it somehow. But, Junghwan..... Just the most bitter feelings took over me after that fake out. It was a cruel, cruel way of showing how junghwan was left on the sidelines, that joke confession, him coming just a few minutes later to DS than taek. Just everything.. was so heart wrenching and heart breaking. I don't think I will EVER watch that ending because it shows his unrequited love in the cruelest way, with no solace in the end by showing how he is doing in the future. If he is even happy or not. I'm definitely not watching the new reply series no matter the temptation. That kind of fake outs are just not that worth it tbh.

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blnmom

January 31, 2017 at 7:44 PM

Oh gosh, me too, I was never so mad at a kdrama as when Junghwan said 'just kidding' after that confession. I didn't care much who ended up with Deoksun, but that confession felt like it was just pure trolling by the writer. Ugh.

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121 mary

January 31, 2017 at 2:38 PM

This list ;____;

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122 WishfulToki

January 31, 2017 at 2:47 PM

I haven't seen some of these so I scrolled quickly, so as to not majorly spoil them for myself.

Chuno though - I realised halfway through that Jang Hyuk was the main lead lol! I had been rooting for Oh Ji Ho as General Tae Ha and was afraid my ship would sink. Therefore I didn't suffer that awful angst of despairing with Dae Gil. I mostly wanted him to find himself and his humanity again, so I only realised I loved him at the very end. That was shock. RIP Dae Gil.

Closest to SLS I've been is Empress Ki, had me wavering between two ships late in the game, but I was team Wang Yu until all hope was killed.

Oh yeah, Queen Seon Duk. I never liked Bidam, I was all for Yushin Rang.

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WishfulToki

January 31, 2017 at 2:47 PM

Whoops, messed up the bold in my previous post!

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123 mariazzang

January 31, 2017 at 3:01 PM

I like that I can find solace here on Dramabeans when I read their posts and the comments from readers. I'm glad somebody else felt the same way as I did when my OTP crashed and burned and somebody also couldn't finish a drama because the ending was too heartbreaking to watch. The world may be going crazy but this is proof that even though we may not know each other well, we still have similarities that we can find in each other. We are not much different from each other after all.

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124 Gil

January 31, 2017 at 3:03 PM

You're Beautiful was my first KDrama. I actually started watching by accident and then totally got pulled in. I kept waiting for the second lead to turn around and become a jerk when he realized he could never have her. When the show ended with him remaining there for her and kind and essentially happy for her... I was flabbergasted. Completely shocked. I don't think I'd ever seen anything like that before. Because I was used to American entertainment.

Aaaaaand I was hooked on KDramas.

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125 Gianne

January 31, 2017 at 3:45 PM

I'm never going to be over School 2015. Taekwang and Eunbi should've been end game! I know some people are on the "respect Eunbi's choices" ship, but come on guys. She's a character. Her only feelings are the ones the writer chose to give her. The narrative was so weighted in Taekwang's favor, plus when sis came back, we had a chance for a win-win scenario. The fact that they chose not to go with that still baffles me.

I sank with my Chilbong ship as well. I knew it was futile from the beginning but I still wanted it to happen anyway.

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endo

January 31, 2017 at 4:56 PM

Yes. And this list reminded me of how broken hearted i am for TW. Lol.

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126 carpetfibers

January 31, 2017 at 4:10 PM

I wonder what the reverse to this would be, for those few shows where the writers changed course to make the second lead the first lead, like in How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor.

As wonderful as Park Shi Hoo is, I liked the original direction the story took with pairing Bae Doo Nae's character with Kim Seung Woo-- she was the catalyst to his growth and improvement as a person, and his love for her was so genuine!

I feel like I need to re-watch it now.

I wonder how Que Sera Sera plays into SLS-- does that sort of relationship even count? And I suppose the second lead did get the girl, briefly, and then 'lost her' for very real reasons.

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127 LW

January 31, 2017 at 4:28 PM

I always thought JH was holding back because he doesn't think DS is good enough. There was so many times he was put off by thinking what is lacking in her. He wouldn't even agree she is pretty at his weakest moment.Remember the drunk scene, when everybody talk about DS being pretty, he just calls them crazy. I really wonder why? Is it because he doesn't want to the girl he liked being pretty to others or he just cant be open with his friends even at his most unguarded moment? People say he hesitated because of Taekie. but even before Taekie came into the picture, JH's field was wide open. He was the only player before and after SW. He could have said why he showed up in McDonald. He just left her guessing and expecting her to come up with answers on her own. He starts pining more when he realizes someone likes her or she likes someone. If there is no one, he just goes back to dormant mode, not caring to pursue her. He is not a typical KDrama jerk.But I still hate how he always calls her ugly even though he thinks otherwise, the umpteen number of times he hurts or totally disregards DS's feeling. The moment she thinks he gave the shirt to his brother was so heartbreaking. But JH repeatedly hurt DS. Agreed! He was more concerned about Taekie. But I still didn't like how he always chose Taekie over DS even when she was hurting more.

Taekie never once ignored or hurt DS even when he stepped back for JH. He was always there as a friend. That's is also the reason why I liked Taekie. He wasn't thinking that he was going for the girl when he cancelled(HE CANCELLED!!) the match and ran to her. I am pretty sure his only thinking is that she is by herself, stood up by the jerk, not dressed up or prepared to go to the concert. His first instinct is to get to her. He knows DS is not expecting the guy and went to the concert on her own not expecing the guy to show up. But JH doesn't not know this, all he sees is the guy who is supposed to be with DS is in the cinema with another girl and DS is still waiting. He does nothing like forever. He is worse than Jenny, even she realized her love before him! Then the confession! Ugh! For a girl who bared her heart so many times, cant you just leave that as true confession? How many times he made her feel rejected? Cant he just leave the confession for what it is instead of making a joke out of it?

JH is an awesome character. I liked him as a son, brother and a friend.But he frustrated me as a guy for DS. Even if JH gets her, he will always think DS needs improvement, but Taekie thinks DS is perfect as is and cherishes her for who she is. That's why Taekie is the man for DS.

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riarallahssi

January 31, 2017 at 5:52 PM

The irony of it is that Jung Hwan reminds me so much of Yoon Jae in 97. They have the same personality! Except Yoon Jae is the more handsome one, and is the class president so he's also a bit like Sun Woo. At the onset of 1988 I thought Jung Hwan resonated Yoon Jae and Sun Woo was Yoon Jae's hyung. Anyway, Jung Hwan made the same choices as Yoon Jae did-- noble idiocy, except that a decade after Yoon Jae chose to be selfish and assert his feelings, which was right only because he was the one the girl actually picked. So ultimately, it's not a question of who's the better guy, but it is of who she loves. So, Deok Seon is the game changer, as well as Na Jung, and Shi Won. It can only boil down to who the girl loves and apparently for Deok Seon, that was Taek and I think Jung Hwan knew that before Deok Seon knew it herself. I mean sure in the beginning Deok Son was thrilled by the concept of Jung Hwan liking her but that was a bit of a self centered excitement, similar to what Shi Won felt for Yoon Jae's Hyung. In the end, Shi Won knew for herself that it's Yoon Jae for her and I think Deok Seon would have gone down the same line even if Jung Hwan would have properly confessed and asserted himself. To Jung Hwan, there's no point in confessing to a girl who he knows has loved someone else since the beginning. Deok Seon loved Taek. She took care of him even before she knew she loved him. She took care of him more than she ever cared for Sun Woo or Jung Hwan or Dong Ryong.

As for Na Jung, what breeds my angst is because there was a precise moment where Na Jung could have let herself be taken by Chil Bong. It wasn't that she never felt anything for him because I'm convinced she did. Hello to that pivotal earthquake hug scene! I was always convinced that was THE moment, but then she remained in the choice to pursue Oppa. So for 94, it wasn't just about who you feel it for but more of who you decide to be with. I will forever be annoyed with Na Jung for not choosing Chil Bong. No. I will forever be annoyed with the writers. But I guess they placed more value in the bond that Na Jung shared with Trash Oppa than in the purity of Chilbong's affections. I guess Na Jung decided that being with Oppa is what her heart truly desired. So be it. I'm never ever finishing 94.

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kireitenshi

January 31, 2017 at 9:09 PM

in my head r1994 ended at the earthquake scene. najung chose chilbong and they lived happily ever after. LOL. i'm still so bitter over this ship after all these years.

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redfox

February 1, 2017 at 1:15 AM

I believe that the way R88 played out was partly planned from the moment the producers met Bogummy and modified Taekie to be more like him, like it wasx shown in the BTS video. You can´t see him and not want everyone to protect him. So I think partly it was decided based on his own personality - and also, how Deok Sun would behave with him. It is the Bo Gum effect. and it is true, she didn´t realize right away, but she had always been all about Taek. He was her puppy since they were children. well, until he turned into a tiger, that is.

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thelady

February 3, 2017 at 1:22 PM

I agree, Deoksun just wanted someone to like her and only developed feelings for Junghwan after her friends put the idea in her head, she'd done it before. She noticed and doted on Taek from the beginning.

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128 endo

January 31, 2017 at 4:55 PM

I only had 2 SLS. It's School 2015 and Hana Yori Dango. Lol.

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129 soulgirl012

January 31, 2017 at 5:06 PM

Hm, the only 2nd leads that ever stole my heart (and coincident or not? I have ZERO interest in the main leads) were:
*Autumn's Wonbin
*Wuri's Family'S Kim Raewon
*Heir's Kim Woobin

I'm so glad my SLS list is short...

And happy tears I shed for a 2nd lead/love interest? who I rooted for who actually got the girl at the very end - Dawson's Creek's Pacey! XD

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mariazzang

February 1, 2017 at 1:12 PM

Pacey! Of course! Wow. Thinking about it now, he must be my very first 2nd lead syndrome since I watched Dawson's Creek before any kdramas.

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130 Jin

January 31, 2017 at 5:10 PM

My mom asked me yesterday to give her some supply of K-dramas. Since she already watched nearly all dramas I did, I looked at that one folder of Reply 1998 which I haven't touched (due to the tragically twisted ending of future husband that I accidentally knew while reading beanies' comments). I heard she laughed while watching ep 1, I took a peek and felt like, "Hmmm… Maybe I need to watch it". But, now, I read this SLS syndrome article and see GF's particular comment, "on the upside, I no longer feel feelings". My doubt reappears, "Should I retract before trapping myself on a future preventable heart sickness?"

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riarallahssi

January 31, 2017 at 5:24 PM

You may need to watch Park Bo Gum's dramas to "condition" your preferences before watching 1988. But yes, I assure you that your heart will be broken because AM writers have everything against people who choose to love silently, or because it's who they are.

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Sheriff Woody

January 31, 2017 at 7:29 PM

Go for it. Enjoy the story and the wonderful characters, the warmth of the neighbourhood, don't pick teams and don't read the recaps. You are watching few moments of the lives of the characters at different points and there are various styles of narration. Following this you won't get your heart broken.

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thelady

February 3, 2017 at 1:25 PM

just watch Reply 1988 with an open mind, don't overly focus on shipping Deokson with anyone. The story of friendship and family shouldn't be over shadowed by shipping wars.

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131 riarallahssi

January 31, 2017 at 5:22 PM

The Answer Me franchise is ruthless to second leads! I still bleed over Chilbongie every single time. I still haven't finished the last 10 something minutes of 94 and I've sworn off the entire franchise... until cable TV led me to 88. I'm half glad it did because I'm convinced Taek is the perfect redemption for Chilbongie. But Jung Hwan. Oh my God, Jung Hwan. These AM writers are ruthless! But I guess that's the point of the drama: that love can never be all good especially when it stings three. Huhuhuhu

(P.S. Do spoilers still count for posts like these?)

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132 ar

January 31, 2017 at 5:24 PM

With My Girl, I felt like it was more Lee JunKi syndrome than SLS. Was there ever a man so pretty and suave? And why the heck did I find that hairstyle attractive? And he knew how to angst and looked both manly and girly angsting.

I don't get SEcond male lead syndrome to the point where I wish the second lead was the male lead and would get the girl, but there have been many second male leads for whom I wish there was another perfect girl or guy for him...like I wish I can clone the female lead and tweak her just a bit to perfectly suit him.

I was thinking that in Answer Me 1997 for and they really did give Tae Woong a fan girl! A Shinhwa fan girl! Who is a cool doctor! HOT disbanded before I got into Koop. But Shinhwa was my jam. It was like the production was listening to me.

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bacon181

January 31, 2017 at 6:11 PM

it's not Shinhwa, it's DBSK

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ar

January 31, 2017 at 10:58 PM

You're right! I got into dbsk in college and replayed "hug" so many times (mesmerized by jaejoong and loved that horrible hair) and was into shinhwa in high school

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133 Makoto

January 31, 2017 at 5:40 PM

I had SLS for older dramas (Autumn Fairy Tales, You're Beautiful, My Girl, etc) but for the recent ones I don't think I have it anymore.
.: Reply1988
I was in Team Jungpal, but if I were Duksun I would 100% choose Taek. Duksun is an average girl just like the rest of us (or maybe only me), Jungpal never once told her that he liked her, eventhough we know he did many things that indicated his love for her but it was only him and us who know, while she didn't. He also often hesitated to take immediate action, he DID want to do it but it took him few seconds. And in those hesitant moments of him, there was Taek who did everything spontaneously. He reacted to Duksun needs almost without thinking, just did it. Jungpal's actions left girl like Duksun wondered if he really liked / loved her while Taek was just being there and she didn't need to guess. They knew each other like the palm of their hand, Judging from the past actions, Jungpal was cold, rarely told his real feeling (even to his own family), never praised her, he insulted her instead (though it was his way to compliment her, it just didn't work in real life) while Taek always adored her whatever she did and however she looked. It's like written all over his face that he liked her. Taek gave her assurance and comfort. So, Duksun chose Taek is totally makes sense for me.

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thelady

February 3, 2017 at 1:28 PM

seriously they way Taek would smile when he saw Deoksun, what girl wouldn't fall for that. To have someone happy to see you and be with you and not be afraid to show it.

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134 CoffeeMD

January 31, 2017 at 5:51 PM

You're Beautiful was the second drama I ever watched after I became kdrama addicted and I was so upset over Shi Woo's character I yelled at my cousin who was the one that recommended it to me about why she did that after I finished it! I was young and naive about drama watching. Nowadays, i decided to not watch a drama or I will drop it if I feel any sort of SLS (like if I know I like the second lead actor better) as to avoid the anger/upset. Why do that to myself? I know it will be on my mind for longer then I need it to be.

Surprisingly then with my drop rate, I have seen most of the dramas listed on this list (minus Chuno). I have also surprisingly been on the right ship for 6/9. I also got Reply 1988 wrong. I ended up not watching it real time and just followed recaps and from the recaps my sense was that it was JungHwan. Good thing I missed that boat. Alas there is SKK, where I watched it later then most people for my SJK fix and ended up loving YAI. Why i stuck with this even during the Yoochun scandal is a surprise to me. I guess I just really loved YAI and SJK's bromance and story too much to stop even when I know she was picking the wrong guy. THE WRONG GUY! lol.

As of right now I currently stopped Hwarang because I love PHS's character. I knew going in who the OTP was, I thought I would be all on board with it. I did not expect to like PHS's character. But i really did enjoy the drama. Maybe when Strong Woman Bong Soo comes out I'll start it again cause then he'll get the girl elsewhere.

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135 bacon181

January 31, 2017 at 6:10 PM

yes despite the hurt felt from second lead syndrome causing by reply 1994 and followed by 1988 (my heart broken in pieces T.T), I have the same opinion, I don't why it's not Gong Tae Kwang.

thanks for the hurt, writers-nim.
at least you are the ones who introduce these great-to-be actors and I was able to put them under my radar.

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136 Helcha

January 31, 2017 at 7:20 PM

My mom started my Kdrama addiction many years ago and one of the first dramas we watched together was Hoteliers. Bae Yong Joon was the second lead and when he left the scene there was such an uproar in Korean that they rewrote the ending so he comes back and gets the girl. He was incredible popularity back then.

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137 wackycashew

January 31, 2017 at 7:21 PM

I've watched 8/10 on this list. Will get around to My Girl sometime.

1. I was definitely on Team Chilbongie. Maybe I couldn't quite understand how she loves her oppa so much and I felt oppa was quite late in showing his feelings.

2. Both boys had my heart though I was definitely hoping Bogummy will get the girl. That confession by Yeolie really stabbed me.

3. I heart Jihoo sooooo much!! When I saw the other versions and read the manga, I thought that if I were the girl, I would 110% choose Jihoo over the lead since he has all the qualities that I like and would be attracted to. I always felt that it was a shame that Jihoo only realized his feelings after Jandi no longer liked him.

4. Jaeshin was very sweet, but I definitely shipped the OTP here.

5. LOL at LMH's sweaters. I didn't care much for this drama and watched it for Minhyukie. Woobinnie definitely had more charisma and I felt more drawn to his character than LMH for sure.

6. Actually loved all 3 boys in this series. I knew Yongie wouldn't get the girl, but I still felt for him.

7. This series was just all over the place and my love for Joohyukie couldn't really win me over when Sungjae was so awesome. It just ended up being really confusing why it ended the way it did.

9. Watched this one so many years ago. My love was with the OTP in this one. Still love the soundtrack by H.O.T.

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138 maknaedawn

January 31, 2017 at 7:44 PM

I rarely get second lead syndrome but the first time I encountered it was with Emergency Couple.. Chief T_T...

Then the next time was with She Was Pretty.. I dont know if it was really a SLS but I really wanted Siwon to be happy there more than the OTP. He was the only one who treated her the same even before she transformed unlike the main lead. But I guess nothing beats first love.

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139 Lin

January 31, 2017 at 7:56 PM

Oh gosh YSJ huhuhu. I hated NJY because of that drama. But don't judge me, i love him to death in WLFBJ kekeke. During school, the twins have undeniable chemistry with SJ alone, but don't know what was the writer is thinking about the ending. Don't start with me.

Haven't watched any of the Reply installment but since you've mentioned it, I'll try both some other time. Let me check if I'll have the LLS for both hihihi. But I think for sure I'll have for R88. Oot, i've watched The King already last week during my family trip in South Korea. I know I'll have a biased opinion for R88 when I watch it lols

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140 Sheriff Woody

January 31, 2017 at 8:01 PM

School 2015: EBi never showed interest in GTK romantically and she said sorry-no before EP 16. So falling for this is shippers biased opinions based on who has more interactions.

Heirs: Didn't care for any character. But YD had more development than others. What happened to the strong ES?!

Reply 1988: Taek was comfortable with DS, and it had been years since they were married, so the sass was believable, and not fake out. Anyone friends with introverts/shy people would/should know this. Besides in EP 16, he was joking with SW on who should be hyung.

My girl/ SKKS: Again only one-sided. Don't have SLS when the girl is not interested.

BOF: Read the manga, and obvious paring. Hard to develop SLS when you know the ending. But Rui was a better person.

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141 dubir

January 31, 2017 at 8:03 PM

Your Beautiful, hurt my heart so badly. I shipped that pairing so hard. I had to quit that drama because I could not bear it. . Sungkyunkwan Scandal ... I never wanted him and her to be together. Crazy horse was just too gorgeous, plus the bromance more than suffice.

Never watched the other dramas. So my heart was spared.

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142 LeenieWeenieChileBeanie

January 31, 2017 at 8:39 PM

Did anyone else ship second-lead Daniel (Choi Jin-Hyuk) in "Fated to Love You?" I totally thought he deserved the girl. As much as I normally love (love, love) Jang Huyk, the character he played in FTLY sat on my last nerve.

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143 justanotherfan

January 31, 2017 at 8:40 PM

For Female version:

1) Kang So Ra and Lee Jung Seok
- Doctors Stranger

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144 Buck

January 31, 2017 at 9:08 PM

I seldom saw a supposedly second lead male who could sustain a relationship that the main lead female needed or wanted. They were often friendzoned early and too often immature. They did not seem to offer the main female lead an alternative lifestyle to the one she was seeking.
Young Do had no idea how to be in a relationship and had nothing to offer except bullying and immature pulling of pigtails. I can't remember a time he offered any true alternative that would persuade the female lead to abandon Kim Tan.
In Cheese in the Trap the second lead male was as immature as they come and could not take care of himself much less a mature woman like Seoul. In BOF, even the grandfather told his grandson that Jan Di deserved better than him, he was too stoic and was immature in his first relationship and provided no evidence that he knew how to engage Jan Di as a woman; he and Young Do were like love sick puppies.
In My Girl, there was never even the hint of the main female lead considering the playboy friend.
So far only in Feast of the gods and goddess of marriage has the second lead proven to be the one the female lead wanted and needed in her life; of course in my opinion.

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ar

January 31, 2017 at 11:03 PM

Good point. Even if they were perfect, they are often never completely right for the heroine.

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Ga

February 1, 2017 at 12:49 AM

SLS in CITT? You mean THAT PIANO whose name is still anonymous, right?

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145 kireitenshi

January 31, 2017 at 9:16 PM

i'm sure many with disagree with this but in addition to chilbongie, i'm also adding ji dwi from hwarang. i came into the show knowing who the otp was and fully prepared to fall in love with park seo joon's character. however, obviously, things did not go as planned. it took one scene (the what happens next scene at the okta) from park hyungsik and go ara and i'm a goner.still contemplating if i should drop this one or not.

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146 newgirl

January 31, 2017 at 10:07 PM

Jb &gf -
Your comments about shipping wars gave me belly laughs. I think I woke the neighbors down the block! Thank you, I needed that!

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147 Luna

January 31, 2017 at 10:20 PM

This is probably the only list that this site has that I agree with every single choice. My heart ache, again, after reading each of these. aww why does the second lead always have to suffer *tear tear*

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148 Kyla

January 31, 2017 at 10:31 PM

I think I'm the weird one. I don't really care who ends up with who as long as no one dies at the end of the drama... :(

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149 yen

January 31, 2017 at 10:44 PM

The worst second lead syndrome that I ever had was Chilbong. I desperately wanted to believed that he was the husband for the sake of second love. Luckily in Reply 1988, I got what I wanted. I don't consider Jung Hwan as the second lead. He was the male lead because he has his own story about his family and unrequited love. That's how I at least viewed it.

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thelady

February 3, 2017 at 1:33 PM

Taek also had his own story about his family and his love.

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150 klesis

January 31, 2017 at 11:20 PM

Saw the title and realised this would beget a lot of comments on AM 1994 and AM1988. For me, the one and only SLS I had was Chilbongie. For AM1988, I was fine with anyone, never really warmed that much to Jungpal. Probably self-protective instincts after AM1994...

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