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Dramas where ML falls first, but not too fast?

Bubblegum20

Heey! Pls read until the end^^

I am searching for dramas where the ML obiously falls in love first but like... not too fast? 

I literally hate the tag "Love at first sight" and I also hate it, when the ML is already in love in the first couple of episodes. I don´t want to watch a drama where the ML knows the FL from their past and was already in love with her since then. I am totally fine with it, when they don´t recognize each other and hate each other at the beginning or something. 

I loved The Romance of Tiger and Rose, but he was in love with her within the first 3 episodes... 

PLEASE! I love it when the ML falls in love first but NOT in the first episodes! Can´t he just slowly fall in love with her?

Other important things:

  • No weak/dumb FL
  • No big age gap (Especially older woman/younger man)
  • No Medical dramas
  • Couple ends up near the end, if not, then there should be a Secondary couple (If this point is not fulfilled, you can still recommend me the drama, but please write it behind)

Bonuses:

  • Oblivious FL when it comes to love/affection from the ML
  • Not too many episodes
  • Young characters/Young cast
  • No SML, the SML ends up with a different girl or he is a jerk
  • Secondary couple/Multiple couples
  • Jealous Male Lead
  • Enemies to Friends to Lovers/Friends to Lovers

Examples:

Any country is welcome!

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Czakhareina
  • Lovely Us
  • Love in Sandstorm
  • Glorious Day
  • First Half of My Life (separated in the end of the drama still waiting for season 2 airing for their continued love story)
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Bubblegum20
 Czakhareina:
  • Lovely Us
  • Love in Sandstorm
  • Glorious Day
  • First Half of My Life (separated in the end of the drama still waiting for season 2 airing for their continued love story)

Thank you! Lovely Us looks really interesting.

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AH
  • Accidentally in Love - I can't remember exactly when they get together / if it was in the middle or closer to the end. Ticks all of your main boxes but not all of your bonus boxes. 
 Bubblegum20:
if not, then there should be a Secondary couple
  • Mr. Queen - There's a bit of a secondary couple, mostly for comic relief. IMO the ML doesn't end up with the "FL" he fell in love with and instead gets together with her in the middle of the drama, but some viewers would disagree with me on this and say that he ends up with the FL in the last episode.
 Bubblegum20:
I am totally fine with it, when they don´t recognize each other and hate each other at the beginning or something. 
  • Thirty But Seventeen
  • The Smile Has Left Your Eyes - The ML is somewhat drawn to the FL from the get go, but not in love with her from the beginning. He dates her friend for a bit and then they get together in the middle of the drama. There's a bit of second coupleness with the FL's adoptive brother and his colleague, but not much.
 Bubblegum20:
(If this point is not fulfilled, you can still recommend me the drama, but please write it behind)
  • The Story of Ming Lan - Might be too many episodes for you. They get together in the middle of a 78 episode drama. The ML falls first but definitely not early on. There are secondary couples (mainly the SML and his wife as far as I can recall) but not in a big way.
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Bubblegum20
 AH :
Accidentally in Love - I can't remember exactly when they get together / if it was in the middle or closer to the end. Ticks all of your main boxes but not all of your bonus boxes. 

Thank you again for your great recommendations :)

I already watched Accidentally in Love and they fell in love too quickly for my taste, but I still quite enjoyed that drama^^

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Marine

I like this trope of love feeling “earned” & right when it finally comes too but surprisingly can’t think of many examples. My absolute favorite that this trope revolves around is actually Pacey & Joey in Dawson’s Creek but that’s not what’s being asked for. 

I def second The Story of Minglan. Although it does have a ton of episodes the romance really is full and their story is really complex and complete, as both individuals and a couple. It’s one of those where you really get that meant to be feeling even if it’s not portrayed as such (bc it doesn’t have to be). This is ultimately a story of growth and love of all kinds though so while it is centered around the main couple as individuals & a couple it still features a ton of different amazing characters as not purely a romance.

I think a lot of the cross dressing dramas feature this trope (not all equally well but u know) like Coffee Prince & Sungkyunkwan Scandal, wherein the leads spend a lot of time together so you understand why they fell for each other without initial interest. I do think the time they fell was rly close though so I’m not sure it features enough of that ‘male lead falls first’ distinction you want.

I would recommend Go Ahead but then again he does fall super quickly. It doesn’t feel reasonless or unearned so you might still enjoy it.

Maybe My Princess & Marriage, Not Dating too. I’m not sure how much of a distinction in time you want between how the leads fall so they might not completely fit.

Also I def +1 Glorious Day, male lead def falls first & it happens after time spent together but not like an excessive amount.

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Bubblegum20
 Marine:
I like this trope of love feeling “earned” & right when it finally comes too but surprisingly can’t think of many examples. My absolute favorite that this trope revolves around is actually Pacey & Joey in Dawson’s Creek but that’s not what’s being asked for. 

Thank you, I really like it a lot more, when they start to know each other and maybe even just be friends in the beginning but slowly the ML realizes that he actually has some different feelings for her but she still keeps thinking of him as just a friend/partner etc. 

And then she also slowly realizes that she might have some feelings for him. 

It is just more relatable for me. I just can more relate to a person, that falls in love with a close friend or somthing, than a person that just falls head over heels for a person they just met. Or falls in love for a person because of like the minimalist reasons (Oh wow, she looks cute when she smiles, I think I´m in love) -.-

Thank you for all the requests! :)

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AH
 Marine:
My absolute favorite that this trope revolves around is actually Pacey & Joey in Dawson’s Creek

Girl YES!

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Marine
 AH :

Girl YES!

The BLUEPRINT, Pacey & Joey forever & ever & ever ~

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RSB

Maybe you should look into the friends to lovers trope more! Often those types of romances feature the "slowly realizing that you love all the little things about them" feel. 

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RSB

Along those lines I'd say the Reply series works, like Reply 1997...

I second Marine on the gender bender trope, often that leads to the ML falling slowly because he doesn't realize that he thinks of the FL as a romantic prospect. Love in the Moonlight or The King's Affection might hit the spot for you

School 2017 takes its time developing the romance, I don't think any of the characters admit to themselves that they're in love until fairly far into the story

Finally since you noted Romance of the Tiger and Rose, Love Like the Galaxy has a similar feel (and same FL) though it's more serious and definitely has a more slowburn romance

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Bubblegum20
 recipe_stealin_bish:

Maybe you should look into the friends to lovers trope more! Often those types of romances feature the "slowly realizing that you love all the little things about them" feel. 

thank you. I actually like friends to lovers but the problem with this trope for me is, that it's not slow enough, they already liked each other in the past or they don't do it the way I really wanted them to. 

But I will try out your recommendations, thank you!^^

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Marine
 recipe_stealin_bish:

Along those lines I'd say the Reply series works, like Reply 1997...

I second Marine on the gender bender trope, often that leads to the ML falling slowly because he doesn't realize that he thinks of the FL as a romantic prospect. Love in the Moonlight or The King's Affection might hit the spot for you

School 2017 takes its time developing the romance, I don't think any of the characters admit to themselves that they're in love until fairly far into the story

Finally since you noted Romance of the Tiger and Rose, Love Like the Galaxy has a similar feel (and same FL) though it's more serious and definitely has a more slowburn romance

Reply 1997 is literally my favourite drama of all time but there is not a single moment in the whole thing where Yoon Yoon Jae isn’t in love with Siwon ? but talking about this makes me want to rewatch it lol

If we’re on the subject of the Reply series, the closest one to fit this trope is probably 1994? Maybe 1988 but not for the husband, for the other candidate.

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Bubblegum20
 Marine:
Reply 1997 is literally my favourite drama of all time but there is not a single moment in the whole thing where Yoon Yoon Jae isn’t in love with Siwon ? but talking about this makes me want to rewatch it lol

If we’re on the subject of the Reply series, the closest one to fit this trope is probably 1994? Maybe 1988 but not for the husband, for the other candidate.

Thank youu! :)

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RSB

I've been watching Crash Course in Romance and I think it fits your specs. They both fall slowly, he falls first. He doesn't even begin to fall until about ep 7. 

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