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Common Tropes Done Right

Webtoon: My In-Laws are Obsessed with Me

Seeing the same tropes over, and over, and OVER again can get pretty boring. However, taking those common tropes and using them right or even giving them a little bit of a twist is the best.

Take, for example, the Webtoon "My In-Laws are Obsessed with Me," where a lot of the tropes you see in Rofan Webtoons are present. There is a Cold Duke of the North and a contract marriage. As someone who is tired of Cold Dukes of the North**™**, I really like how the ML is portrayed here. He has an ACTUAL reason for why he is cold (and it's one of the reasons I absolutely adore this series).

Even towards the end of the contract, the FL is still unsure if she wants to annul it. Even the FL's pink hair and the ML's red eyes are explained!

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Useless Love Triangle

Positive example: Our Secret Alliance

Keyword: USELESS because love triangles, as overused as they are, can still be good. Unfortunately, most of the time this trope is used, it's just to create cheap drama and make the FL look good. I'm tired of Webtoons where a second ML is added just to make him suffer or where he has no personality besides being obsessed with the FL. And let's be honest, how likely is it that a person would have more than one person interested in them to such a degree (even one is unrealistic, but you get the point). I know it's fiction and supposed to be a self-insert, but it doesn't make me hate it any less.

The best portrayal of love triangles I've come across on the platform award goes to.... "Romance 101"! The second lead actually has his own problems and life outside the FL and the whole thing ends well without ill feelings. "Our Secret Alliance" is also good for this since the triangle ends early on.

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Healthy and Realistic Communication

Gourmet Hound portrays this pretty well

Miscommunication is going to be the end of me. A little bit is fine, but it's so annoying when everything is going fine, and then BAM, miscommunication barges right in and overstays its welcome. Do MLs (or FLs too) just see that everything is going well and decide to ruin it because they feel like it, or because "I don't deserve to be loved," after they've already had a whole conversation about it? Make it make sense.

I love when the leads actually talk out their problems, respect each other, and listen to each other. It's boring if everything happens smoothly with no problem, and it's only realistic that there would be some conflict. However, especially with adult leads, the conflict should be resolved maturely. Although not a romance Webtoon, I must praise "Gourmet Hound" for the excellent communication between the two leads; they respect each other and LISTEN to each other.

Dislike:

Extreme Obsessiveness

https://preview.redd.it/kb1okepbusfh1.png?width=408&format=png&auto=webp&s=1b6e05f90b3fac2ff452ae281e40a4b12e2a4e00

Images from \"Romance 101\"

I just hate when a lead is just too obsessive of their partner. It gets framed as romantic, but it really is just unhealthy behaviour and stems from mental health issues. Just a talk about business matters with someone else would make them jealous; that's a HUGE red flag. It's not cute that they want their partner all to themselves and won't let them hang out with friends or do anything. It's straight-up abuse.

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Something Besides Romance

Webtoon: See You in My 19th Life

It's no fun when the only plot-line is the romance. This is why romance sub-plots can be miles better than the romance in romance-centred Webtoons. "A Good Day to be a Dog" has supernatural elements and drama that make the story more interesting; the same can be said for the author's other work "See You in my 19th Life" where they handle the FLs memories from previous past lives that bother her and confuse her.

Dislike:

Random Obstacles

\"Happily Ever Afterwards\" unfortunately places multiple obstacles in bad spots

I just hate when the author places random obstacles such as a war with like three chapters left just to add conflict for the sake of it. Do we seriously need that when the Webtoon is almost done? One moment they're "I love you Aerilina" and the next, the FL gets kidnapped and the ML is off to some random war with no previous warning (ahem ahem, "Happily Ever Afterwards", ahem ahem)

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Conflict Done Right

The main characters from the third season (Fall) of \"Seasons of Blossom\"

Conflict is normal; it even arguably makes a story better, but that's only if it's not dragged out and is handled well. It's crucial that when conflict is added to a story, it is only added at the time and doesn't take too long to get resolved. The third season of "Seasons of Blossom" does this well, in my opinion.

Dislike:

The Going Abroad and Time Skip Tropes

Image from \"Operation True Love\", a Webtoon that features BOTH of these tropes

Those usually just add unnecessary drama and just look dumb. Why would they still be hung up on each other after 10 years when they were in high school? (I haven't even read Operation True Love, but I have become somewhat of an expert, thanks to this sub, and I think it makes no sense at all)

It really sucks to read a Webtoon and enjoy it, then get hit with the cursed time skip and/or separation. Unfortunately, they place them far into the story at the end. Feels like lazy writing.

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Caring MLs

Oh Hyeondo from Selfish Romance

I don't really like when the MLs are too cold or keep making the FLs suffer, and it's excused because they're traumatized. Trauma is not a valid excuse to make someone's life miserable. Again, this is only bad when it's framed as good or fine because they "love the FL in their own way". I also hate when they are rude to everyone except the FL.

MLs that are caring and treat the FL well are the best. Cold leads are super overrated; we need more leads like Hyeondo from "Selfish Romance" and Yuyeon from "Romance 101" that remember the important little details and are warm-hearted.

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Obliviousness to the Point of Being Dumb

Unrelated image from \"Romance 101\"

"He said he likes me... he must mean as a friend, right?"

"She must not like me"- Said when both leads are comfortable around each other and care about each other after months.

I hate this so much. It's OK to be a little oblivious, but when time and time again proves that the extremely dense FL or ML can't pick up one obvious cues, where everyone around them can, it's just bad.

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Leads with Personality and Ambitions Outside their Romance

The FL from \"Si Bel Homme List\"

It feels like a common problem with romance leads is that they are too boring, and that's because their only goal is pursuing someone, and their personality can be condensed to liking someone. It's hard to read 100 chapters with nothing new or different happening.

Hobbies, for instance, can make a story more fun and even bring the leads closer together.

What I liked about "Si Bel Homme List" is that the FL prioritized her work and was working to be financially secure by herself, even denying the ML's offer to live comfortably without working at all.

I'm looking for Webtoons that fall into the murder mystery category.

I've been looking for Webtoons that fit the bill, but I cannot find any.

All the ones I've seen or read aren't exactly what I'm looking for. The closest ones that I've read are:

• Phantom Whispers (probably the closest. ATP I would take Webtoons with similar mystery vibes)
• Betwixt (it's not a big focus, though)
• Chasing Tails (I ended up dropping this one. It is a murder mystery, but it's more of a horror)

I'm open to Canvas Webtoons, Tapas, and manhwa not on the Webtoon English platform (I would take a manga rec if it's really good)

I would also prefer if it's a whodunnit, but anything is fine. TIA.

A Good Murder Mystery, or even better, a Whodunnit!

I would love a good murder mystery, or better yet, a whodunnit. I don't think I've ever seen a genuine whodunnit on Webtoon. Chasing Tails is the closest, but it didn't hit the spot. There was even a greenlight Webtoon that was a modern take on Sherlock Holmes that was greenlit in 2020, and it just never came out. I'll just have to stick to my Agatha Christie novels and other murder mystery novels for now.

Classic Fairytale-Inspired Stories

I'm super picky with what fantasy novels or Webtoons I read, but something about stories that take inspiration from classic fairytales just clicks with me. "Whale Star" draws parallels to The Little Mermaid, which is pretty cool. The closest I have seen is "House of Stars", but it would be cool to read a longer series that explores the fairytales more closely. What I would love is something similar to "Land of Stories," if anyone has read that. If they're inspired by the originals (the tragic ones), that would be great.

Reality Show/TV Series

I think those would be pretty fun and could make for some really good drama. It would be cool to have one that's not based on romance, however. I do like "Love in Session" though. Some of the ones I've seen didn't connect with me (Couple Breaker, Obsidian Bride)

Historically Accurate Webtoons

It would be nice to have historical Webtoons that don't turn war into a joke, downplay the aftermath and trauma of war, either. Historical fantasy settings are overdone, imo, especially when they don't delve into the history at all. There's only one that I've read and really enjoyed. And when there is an actual historical Webtoon, it's inaccurate.

Webtoons with Good Endings/Non-Rushed Endings

Oftentimes, Webtoons have rushed endings. A lot of the time it's not the author's fault since the Webtoon was cancelled or forced to end. I think sometimes Webtoon gets involved in the story too. However, there are ones that feel like the author just added extra drama at the end or made a weird plot twist at the end. Lots of Webtoons just end up having loose threads.

Stories Following Occupations that Don't have an Overpowered or Perfect MC

I just want a Webtoon following someone's job that's realistic and isn't all sunshine and rainbows, or everyone loves MC and MC can't do no wrong. Something like Dr. Frost and Muse on Fame.

Non-Cliche Thriller/Mystery Plot Twists

None of this stuff, please:

• Mental illness plot twist
• The person closest to MC/ nicest person is bad (could be done well)
• MC has amnesia, and turns out they did something bad (This one is overused, but if used correctly, it could be good)

Characters that Aren't #FFFFFF

One might wonder if they are vampires.

Black Hair isn't the ML

The classic multiple MLs situation, and no one is surprised when it's the black-haired one. Brown-haired ones aren't so common. Really, it's just a manhwa problem.

Non-Cold ML

This is pretty much an otome isekai problem, but even in other genres they're still like that. Can they just be kind or friendly from the start? Or at least care about their kids if they have any? Or at least give them a believable reason for them to be cold instead of: he's just like that, he killed all his family, or he's a war criminal (they're not even committing war crimes, yet they are called war criminals).

Detective/Spy Stories (No Romance)

I've already mentioned murder mysteries, but Webtoon doesn't have many mystery Webtoons in the first place. I would also like mystery Webtoons in general that are explicitly mystery (no romance and no supernatural). More spy stories would be cool, too.

Ordinary People in Romance

Not CEOs, royalty/nobles, or rich. No power imbalance or class difference either. Just two working-class people.

Siblings Getting Along

I'm talking about sibling dynamics where they don't want to murder each other. Fighting between siblings is normal, but a lot of the time, they don't even speak to each other and act like strangers in Webtoons. Fortunately, there's a good amount of Webtoons with normal or good sibling dynamics out there, but it would be nice to have more.

Psychology-based Webtoons or Mind Games

I want psychological thrillers that really play with your mind. Webtoons that focus on the field of psychology, such as Dr. Frost, are amazing too.