Love is complicated, especially when problematic behavior goes unnoticed for too long. From manipulation to insensitivity, this behavior is best dealt with quickly in real life, but not necessarily for the sake of a compelling story. That's why, while most romance webtoons are full of heartfelt love, some leads find themselves in situations that are less than ideal.
Lead characters who are kind and genuine often struggle to see when other characters are taking advantage of them -- red flags that may be obvious to readers. Keeping these leads in the dark for the sake of drama around whether they will figure it out for themselves is what keeps fans coming back, though. Here are just a few of the most problematic love interests that Webtoon has to offer.
Mr. Kagaya - Before We Knew It
Kano is a 26-year-old editor who loves books, especially the ones written by her favorite author, Mr. Kagaya. Working at Green Books, the editor-in-chief suddenly assigns her to be Kagaya's editor, who's a celebrity author and playboy known to use his personal experiences with women in his novels to make bestsellers. When Kano first introduces herself to him, he stares at her and says he has no physical attraction to her at all.
Taking advantage of the fact she used to be his fan, he later manipulates her feelings by teasing and flirting with her. Kano's only romantic experiences have been fictional ones she read in books, so she doesn't know how to navigate her blossoming feelings for Kagaya. As their relationship gradually becomes romantic and physical, she wants to believe his feelings for her are genuine. He strings her along until she finally admits she's in love with him, only for him to tell her he slept with another woman and that she's too much for him.
Seungwoo - The Makeup Remover
While the male lead in The Makeup Remover, Yuseong, is a fan-favorite on Webtoon, Yeseul has a crush on Seungwoo instead, who's her popular and handsome classmate in the photography department. Yeseul takes an incredible photo on Seungwoo's camera, which their photography professor later discovers and praises Seungwoo by telling him it was his best photo yet and hanging it up in his office. Instead of Seungwoo explaining the mix-up and admitting that Yeseul actually took the photo, he takes credit for it and intentionally hides it from Yeseul.
Knowing that Yeseul likes him, Seungwoo asks her out and toys with whether or not it's a date, enjoying how this flusters Yeseul. While they're out, he tells Yeseul it's better to hide your struggles because people only love the beautiful and good parts of a person. Seungwoo also admits that he likes the way Yeseul cares about every little thing he says or does, revealing his narcissistic personality.
Aiden - The Newlywed Diary of a Witch and a Dragon
Aiden Winters is a rare black dragon who has unrivaled magic power and strength in The Newlywed Diary of a Witch and a Dragon. However, black dragons are known for being selfish and impulsive, which often causes Aiden to make poor decisions without regarding the feelings of others. When Wendy and Aiden first get together, Wendy feels guilty for sleeping with the newbie and tells him she'll do anything he wants to make up for the incident. Aiden takes advantage of this opportunity and tells her to marry him, which is entrapment.
Aiden uses crocodile tears to get his way, pretending to be sensitive and naïve in front of Wendy when he's actually cold and calculating. He hides the fact that he's a dragon from her until they're about to get married, revealing a mountain of secrets and deceit that goes back to when they were children. If this isn't bad enough, Aiden gives Wendy his dragon heart without her permission, which makes her no longer human. Although Aiden truly loves and cares for Wendy, his selfish and manipulative actions are an issue.
Mr. Lee - She Would Never Know
In She Would Never Know, Songa secretly dates her boss, Mr. Lee, while working at Klar Cosmetics in Seoul. After dating Mr. Lee in secret for several years, Songa wants to go public with their relationship despite his continued hesitation. Hyeonseung, her junior marketer, discovers that Mr. Lee is engaged to be married to another woman and tells Songa. After finding out he's been cheating and was never planning on marrying her, Songa retaliates by breaking up with Mr. Lee and getting into a fake relationship with Hyeonseung.
Mr. Lee relentlessly pursues her and tries to win her back, accusing her of easily walking away from their relationship while denying and showing no remorse for his own wrongdoings. He goes as far as showing up at Songa's apartment at night and holding her by the wrist, refusing to let go until Hyeonseung intervenes. Mr. Lee even exploits his managerial power to keep her and Hyeonseung apart, reassigning him to a new department.
Wurin - To You Who Swallowed a Star
Jiu and Wurin are best friends who grew up together in To You Who Swallowed a Star. As they both try to understand their developing relationship as they grow older, Wurin displays selfish and insensitive behavior that goes unnoticed. Wurin gets into a relationship with another girl at their high school without telling Jiu, which blindsides her when she finds out from another classmate.
Wurin gets into the relationship only to make Jiu jealous, disregarding his girlfriend's genuine feelings for him and soon breaks up with her because she's too clingy. This manipulative behavior works, causing Jiu to realize her jealousy and romantic feelings for Wurin. Wurin also acts coldly toward Jiu whenever she's busy taking care of the neighborhood children instead of spending time with him, growing angry and jealous despite her performing a good deed.
