Sooooo like... what's been going on lately?
Like, is this a new trend? Every single title I read has the same comments. Love triangle or not, romance or not. I think it's a little beyond SML syndrome at this point.
It's more like SML derangement syndrome. It doesn't matter if the manhwa has 10 or 100 chapters. Or if the manhwa even has an SML, people WILL find another guy and WILL be in those comments swearing up and down that they're a better choice for the FL over the ML.
I'm not new to this. I've read a lot of old shoujo and older webtoons. Second, Third, Fourth MLs are not out of the ordinary for me. But this recent wave of toxic attachment to every male character that isn't the ML is a little weird. It almost feels like people are venting their own relationship frustrations on the characters. Like they wish they had an SML in their own life to save them from their current partner or mediocrity.
There are also a lot of double standards at play. If the SML is older and has more experience with women, the comments will praise it as a positive thing. But if the ML is older or has more experience with women, those same commenters will slut-shame the character and will deem it as a negative thing. If the SML has a toxic ex or a stalker, the comments will pity the character and will justify the FL getting dragged into the mess. But if the ML has literally ANY previous relationship issues, again, "he has too much baggage," "girl, he's not worth it," blah blah blah. Final example, if the SML has family issues or trauma, they pity him, say that the FL supporting him is positive and builds their relationship, but if it's the ML with those same issues, it's dragging the FL down, the FL is not the ML's therapist or babysitter, etc.
It's also not lost on me that every single ML is deemed as ugly, when they literally have the same exact face as the second ML minus the hair dye 😂✌️
I cringe so much reading the same comment over and over and over again. Like a recent manhwa I picked up, "Hate Girl" is the newest victim. The manhwa has 10 chapters; we barely know anything about the ML or the SML, but people are in those comments acting like it's chapter 130 of OTL already. Don't even get me started on TikTok or X. Reddit has been the only platform where I see less of this behavior. I'm honestly confused by this growing wave over the last few years (I think this started on the B website).
Anyway, what do you guys think? Am I crazy? Or do I have a point?