Korean Manhwa/Webtoon Recommendation List (Romance-Fantasy Genre)
I recently got into the romance-fantasy (rofan) genre of Korean manhwa/webtoons and wanted to make a recommendation list about it. This is a recommendation list but I want to briefly talk about some newly released rofan manhwa that I really liked.
(My recommendation list will be divided into different categories so you'll be able to understand what kind of stories they are...)
So recently, I got into these newly released rofan manhwas:
The Wicked Ladies in Waiting
The Promise Isn't Mine
Turning the Mad Dog into a Genteel Lord
Fallen to Paradise
I Swear We're Just Friends
Please Don’t Reply!
High Society
The Wicked Ladies in Waiting
Yulia, who was born an orphan, was killed in exchange for falling in love with the Young Master of the Marjoram Family and was left on a snowy mountain. But when she opened her eyes, at the same location as any other day, she was rescued by the Commander of the Imperial Army, Carus. She was hit by a curse of being unable to die, and this is now her 8th life. After realizing that she would be stuck in the loop forever if she didn't take down the Marquis, she became a servant (2nd prince's lady-in-waiting) within the Palace to utilize the Royal Family’s power to demolish the Marjoram Family in her 8th life.
I really love both the FL and the ML here. At first, the ML was suspicious of her when she revealed the truth to him in her 8th life that she had regressed back to the past 8 times, and each and every time she died in various ways, she encountered the ML and he somehow always tried to save her each and every life (even though he doesn't have the memories of his previous 7 lives like the FL). To make him believe her, she offered him help by predicting some future events that were going to occur later on because she had already seen or known about those events from her previous 7 lives. In this way, the FL saved the ML and his comrades' lives in this 8th life, and because of that the ML believed her regression story and offered to help her lifetime. Their relationship progressed well from suspicious strangers to trustful allies. Although we haven't seen much of them yet, I'm still waiting for some romance and fluff to happen in their relationship. The 2nd prince whom she works for and the 1st lady-in-waiting who is her colleague are also interesting characters and have immediately become the FL's good friends and strong allies just like the ML.
The FL is strong, smart, and lovable, and the whole revenge plot is really interesting. You would love to see her succeed in her missions.
Highly recommend this manhwa/webtoon.
The Promise Isn't Mine
When her twin sister Leyla, the Holy Maiden, suddenly disappears one day, the ordinary Elena finds herself having to marry Crown Prince Kyle, a man infamous for his ruthlessness, in her stead. After a dreadful marriage ceremony, Kyle demands that a certain promise be fulfilled, to Elena’s confusion.
Elena and Kyle are actually childhood sweethearts btw. They've both been in love with each other since their younger days. The ML immediately realized who she was, but she didn't recognize him; although she does vaguely remember him from her past, but doesn't know that the man she married is the same boy from her teenage days. I can't wait for her to realize who he actually is; that he's her childhood sweetheart.
Also, it's kinda funny how the ML and FL look like Iske and Ruby from "How To Win Over My Husband". However, this ML is a whole lot different from Iske since the ML is genuinely nice, kind, and caring towards the FL from day one. And not to mention that he's still in love with her and immediately recognizes her after meeting her so many years later again.
Highly recommend this series.
Turning the Mad Dog into a Genteel Lord
Diarin, a priestess without any noteworthy family background or connections, always gets the toughest assignments. So when her boss tells her to help Ceres, a war hero, reintegrate into society, she decides to stop being a pushover and get as much as she can out of it, including a juicy promotion. But upon reaching Ceres’ manor, she’s greeted by a growling hound instead of a human. Tasked with the impossible job of turning the mad dog into a proper gentleman, she dedicates herself to caring for him. But his unexpected obsession with her was never part of her plan.
This one is my No. 1 personal favorite at the current moment!! You can tell by the pictures how funny and hilarious this series is. I won't tell you guys anything more. Just go and read this one as quick as possible!!
STRONGLY recommend this series!!!
Fallen to Paradise
Ange, the daughter of Duke Glaster, believes her life is all planned out as she is set to marry Philip Cardiner, the rightful heir to the throne. However, her plans are disrupted when Philip's brother, William Cardiner, schemes against him and removes him from the line of succession. In order to secure his power, William forces Ange to marry Aiden Fitzroy, an illegitimate child born between the emperor and a commoner. Will Ange learn to love the humble stranger she was forced to marry?
Another hilarious yet very cute manhwa!! At first, the FL didn't like the fact that she was getting married off to the illegitimate son of the emperor and that the ML lived in the countryside and was also a farmer. The ML also found her a nuisance in the beginning because of her whining and throwing tantrums, but as time went on and they started to understand each other, they began to fight less and tried to get along. Romance also started to blossom between the two as they went on with their lives in the countryside on the farm by planting crops and vegetables and raising cows and pigs.
I love how the FL, who was the Duke's daughter and was once the next crown princess, is now just a military officer/farmer's wife, and yeah sure, in the beginning, she used to complain about everything and anything, but she quickly went through a major character development, and now instead of whining and throwing tantrums, she tries to understand her husband and even willingly participates in the farming works. The ML was cold at first and found her annoying, but eventually he also later tried to understand her and her situation and started warming up to her.
Very cute manhwa!! Highly recommend this!!
I Swear We're Just Friends
When Rienne transfers to the elite Alena Academy, she never expects Karcion, the most popular mage in school, to recruit her into his club and she definitely doesn't think he'll fall for her! But the grumpy Karcion soon makes it clear how much he adores her, and she starts finding him too cute to ignore. Still, he's a future duke and she's a commoner, so Rienne knows his feelings won't last. Can Karcion magic his way out of the friendzone? Or will Rienne prove they're just friends after all?
A typical high school setting kinda story with enemies to lovers troupe; the only twist is that it's a historical fantasy story, not your typical modern high school romance. The FL is a cool smart girl and I loved her from the start. Meanwhile, at first, the ML is also shown to be this cool smart dude and is very popular in school but later it is revealed that he's actually a big tsundere crybaby and is very expressive when showing emotions which makes the FL want to tease him more and more whenever they interact.
Since it's a high school romance in a historical fantasy setting, it has a different spin to it and has made the read very much enjoyable which was unexpected.
Definitely check this one out! Highly recommend this series.
Please Don't Reply!
What’s worse than someone who leaves you on read? How about someone who doesn’t know when to end the conversation? Mira Hexen is cursed to always be the last one to reply for a whole year or she will be turned to stone. But that’s a bit difficult when you’re the chief of a company that produces a massively successful messaging device. Mira’s latest VIP client is Euryx Deyra, an extremely friendly duke who feels the need to respond to every little thing she says. If only she could just tell him to shut up already...!
By reading the synopsis you can already tell where this story is going. Read only 4 chapters and found it really cute, funny, and wholesome. Definitely worth checking out.
Highly recommend this as well!!
High Society
While scheming to get out of an arranged marriage, Cesare runs into Adele, a shoeshine girl from the slums. The two make a 3-month deal to help Cesare elude marriage. However, Adele is so different from the women he's met before that he can't help but be drawn to her.
Okay, so this series might not be everyone's cup of tea since the ML is a super red flag, and the FL is kinda like a doormat. Sure she fights back from time to time, but since she's under a contract with the ML and he's the Duke of a powerful ducal family, she always can't say anything she wants to him. At first, the ML didn't care that much about her and didn't see her as a woman with whom he could have a potential romantic relationship but as time went on, he fell more for her beauty and personality, but there was a problem - the ML had already introduced the FL to the high society that she was his blood-related little sister. Now how could he have a romantic relationship with his so-called "blood-related little sister"?
The thing is, the ML was trying to get out of this arranged marriage alliance that was set with this crazy woman from another powerful ducal family. But this marriage alliance was very important for political reasons and also to maintain a good relationship between those two families in the empire. But the ML didn't want to marry that crazy woman, so he found the FL (who was willing to help him out btw) on the streets one day, took her in, and used her as a shield to stay away from that marriage. How so? By offering the FL as the bride of that crazy woman's little brother. The FL would get married off to that crazy woman's brother while the ML won't have to marry that crazy woman anymore, and therefore with that, the alliance would still be made between the families without him getting married, of course. But what is he gonna do about this situation now that he's falling for the FL? Is he gonna let the FL go and let her get married to that crazy woman's little brother? Or is he gonna seduce her and make her his and only his??
The ML is super toxic and a huge red flag, but he's so fucking beautiful that I just can't, y'all!!! Like, look at his dimples OMG!!!
Although the ML is super toxic and a major scumbag at times, the story is still super engaging not gonna lie.
Highly recommend this to check it out!!
Also, here's the link to the photo gallery of Cesare Bonaparte, a toxic yet sexy and beautiful male lead - Link
Now the entire recommendation list I mentioned earlier:
Regression Genre (the FL goes back to the past):
The Fantasie of a Stepmother
The Redemption of Earl Nottingham
Marriage of Convenience
Baroness Goes on Strike
Please Marry Me Again!
June Peach
Saving My Sweetheart
My Sweet Enemy, Thy Name is Husband
I'm the Queen in This Life
I Am the Real One
The Contracted Grand Duchess
The Villainess Lives Again
The Taming of the Tyrant
Leveling Up My Husband to the Max
Why Are You Obsessed With Your Fake Wife?
Adeline's Darkest Night
I Tamed My Ex-husband’s Mad Dog
The Empress of Ashes
The Tyrant Wants to Be Good
The Duke's Bored Daughter is My Master
Rewriting My Husband's Tragic Ending
You Mustn't, Your Majesty!
I Shall Master This Family
My In-Laws Are Obsessed With Me
The Villain’s Daughter Plans To Run Away
The Grand Duke is Mine
Seducing the Lady's Lover
The Villainess Needs Her Tyrant
Crazy Like a Fox
So I Married the Abandoned Prince
While I'm Back in Time, I'll Get My Revenge
Are We Still in Love?
I Accidentally Tamed the Duke
I’m Done Being Your Best Friend
I Tamed the Male Lead Who Tried to Kill Me
The Villainess's Road to Revenge
The Villainess Behind the Mask
The Crimson Lady
Please Obsess Over Me
Let Me Die in Peace!
Libera Me
What the Duke Picked Up in the Forest
Peony: Dreaming of the Dangerous Grand Duke
Reincarnation/Transmigration Genre (the FL is reincarnated/transmigrated into a novel/webtoon/otome game)
I Am the Villain (Sejji)
My Little Tyrant
Secret Lady
Not Your Typical Reincarnation Story
The Villainess is a Marionette
Author of My Own Destiny
Father, I Don't Want this Marriage
The Monster Male Lead Living Under My Bed
Behold the True Villainess
Beware the Villainess!
Villains are Destined to Die
I Fell Into a Reverse Harem Game!
I Met The Male Lead in Prison
An Extra Stole the Male Leads
I Will Become the Villain's Poison Taster
Elissa's Whirlwind Marriage
Fortune-Telling Lady
How to Win My Husband Over
The Villainess's Maker
Viola Tames the Duke
The Beloved Bashful Villainess
My Ray of Hope
Who Made Me a Princess?
The Heiress's Double Life
The Villainess's Blind Date Is Too Perfect
Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion
Writing My Male Lead's Happily Ever After
Villain Duke's Precious One
My Sister Picked Up the Male Lead
I Bought Land, Not a Man!
Just the Male Lead's Friend
The Villainess Flips the Script!
I Met the Male Lead in Prison
The Viridescent Tiara
Philomel the Fake
I Married the Male Lead's Dad
The Villainess's Stationery Shop
The Rules of Rose Ivy Manor
The Tyrant's Only Perfumer
Your Ultimate Love Rival
I Hold the Tyrant's Heart
I’ll Become the Heroine in This Life
I Became the Tyrant's Dishonest Adviser
Divorcing My Tyrant Husband
Contractual Marriage to a Surly Duke
It Was Love at First Sight, Mr. Villain!
Lia's Bad Ending
The Villainess Just Wants To Live In Peace!
How to Tame the Merciless Villain
Grand Duke of the North
The Monster Duke Mistook Me for His Wife
The Fake Saintess Awaits Her Exit
The Terminally Ill Villainess Refuses Adoption
Wicked No More
I Became the Young Villain’s Sister-In-Law
I Became the Villain's Mother
I Became the Mother of the Evil Male Lead
The Sea Captain's Bride
Living as the Villain’s Stepmother
The Rewards of Marriage
Flirting with The Villain's Dad
Childcare Diary With the Villain
I Became The Stepmother Of An Irrevocable Dark Family
Beloved by the Male Lead's Nephew
I Ended Up Raising the Children of the Female Lead and Male Lead
I've Become a True Villainess
I Didn't Mean to Seduce the Male Lead!
Becoming the Obsessive Male Lead's Ex-Wife
My Personal Favorite Transmigration Stories:
Kill The Villainess
Charming the Duke of the North
The Strong Empress:
Remarried Empress
I Abdicate My Title of Empress
FL as Knights:
The Age Of Arrogance
The Night Without Shadows
Runaway mothers:
How to Hide the Emperor's Child
The Vanished Duchess
Smutty or Spicy Goods:
Please Kill My Husband
Winter Wolf
Beast’s Flower
Tempting My Salvation
The Bondservant
Toxic MLs:
My Husband Who Hates Me Has Lost His Memories
Bitten By The Dog I Abandoned
The Mistress Runs Away
The Problematic Prince
Others:
I Belong to House Castielo
Obsidian Bride
It Was All a Mistake
My Secretly Hot Husband
Taming the Marquess
Royal Marriage
Lady Evony
A Royal Princess with Black Hair
When You're in Love
Raising My Fiancé with Money
Catherine's Key to a Happy Life
Lips Upon a Sword's Edge
Little Rabbit and the Big Bad Leopard
I Stan the Prince
Becoming the Lady of the Cursed Ducal House
Betrayal of Dignity
My Beloved Oppressor
Your Eternal Lies
What It Means To Be You
Lies Become You
The Psycho Duke and I
From BFF to Obsessive Hubby
I Listened to My Husband and Brought In a Lover
My Husband Changes Every Night
The Elegant Sea of Savagery
My Unexpected Marriage
Seducing the Monster Duke
The Duke's Cursed Charm
Here Comes the Silver Spoon!
I Don’t Want to Be a Lady
Married to a Duke Called Beast
I Don't Love You Anymore
Disobey The Duke If You Dare
When Fate Finds Us
Like A Wind On A Dry Branch
The Price of a Broken Engagement
My Three Tyrant Brothers
Searching for My Father
A Tipsy Marriage Proposal for the Emperor
The Villainess Empress's Attendant
Trash Will Always Be Trash
The Last Straw
Carnephelia's Curse is Never Ending
To My Husband's Mistress
Go Away, Romeo
Ones that came out this 2024, but I haven't check them out yet (but I will do it very soon...):
A Beast Swallowed by a Flower
Traces of the Moon
I Was Tricked Into a Fraudulent Marriage by the Obsessive Villain
An Unexpected Proposal
No, I Only Seduced the Princess?
Until The Real One Shows Up
I’m Unmarried With a Time-Limited Lover
The Youngest is Trying to Prevent the End of the World
Reasons for Avoiding the Perfect Guy
Confined Together with the Horror Game’s Male Lead
I Became The Tutor of The Royal Twins
Till Divorce Do Us Apart
I Thought You Were A Time-Limited Husband
Now Come and Regret
The Villainess Captured the Grand Duke
Corrupting the Heroine’s First Love
185 notes
·
View notes
The progression of the “Villainess” trope
Y'know, thinking about it, it's very ironic how a trope made to subvert one's expectations & give more depth to 1 dimensional villains in cliche novels by "humanizing" them more & providing their side of the story, eventually became oversaturated with cartoony villains & flat MCs. Thus, completely failing in its goal to "subvert expectations" as it too turned into mind numbing cliche, becoming the exact opposite of what the troupe initially aimed to achieved.
I am talking about "Villainess" series.
I remember seeing a twitter post a while back saying how a lot of the villainess stuff the authors & studios are putting out nowadays lack any sort of nuance when it comes to its characters. And how a lot authors simply switch the roles of the cast (Like: OG MC -> villain | OG villain -> MC) & call it a day. And I 100% agree with that.
This troupe kinda ended up becoming the dictionary definition of the saying, "You either die as a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become a villain” lmao
What could've been an opportunity to write nuanced villains & morally ambiguous main characters, turned EXACTLY into the cliche it was pocking fun at.
In an attempt to reveal how the MCs of your typical cliche novels can also be in the wrong at times, flaws that the story & its (in-canon) fandom may purposefully ignore, the villainess stories ended up doing EXACT SAME thing EXECPT this time it's the "villains" doing it rather than the OG FL or OG ML of the “OG novel”. In an attempt to stop cliche villains from remaining cliche, while we did ended up getting slightly more nuance for the “OG villain” characters, in the process, the OG MCs turned exactly into those flat cliche villains.
Alot of villainess series poke fun at the troupes they themself use, but not in a satirical way.
So many villainess series poke fun at the OG novels for being problematic or stupid & the fandom of said novels basically ignoring its flaws & problems, only gushing over the OG FL. Which yea, is nice & all, but y'know... that's exactly what those villainess series do too. SO MANYY of them borderline have the FLs participating in literal slavery. & More often than not have a borderline colonizer ML. Not to mention the numerous which carry weird undertones of colorism, and many such other things. All the while, the fandom of these villainess series continue to ignore their glaring problems & flaws & instead just gush over the FL and ML.
And I'm not even saying this in a hating sort of way (well, aside from the series with issues of colorism, orientalism, etc). Moreover, this is all not to say that one can not enjoy such stories, because admittedly, there is indeed fun in just reading a simple and familiar story line. But this is all more me being intrigued by this trope’s almost ironic progression as companies rush their staff to produce something which they think will be able to ride the waves of the current trends, only for the vast majority to simply drown in a sea of mediocrity (with many even being canceled due to this)
[Though I mean, something as simple as villainess tropes won’t be the only one to go through this. Like a lot of Shakespearean works, a subversion of the classics & typical troupes back then, got turned into ones of those classics and by many are now considered cliche. And that's just scrapping the bottom of the barrel!]
96 notes
·
View notes