Endgame Pairing is Not Obvious
Stories where the endgame pairing isn't the usual "met as children and loved forever" - the leads have romantic relationships and even marriage with someone else first, the love triangle looks like it could go either way, SML has traits of a ML, or the endgame ML has traits of a SML. Also includes those rare instances where the SML actually gets the girl.
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1. 24 Hours Love
Thai Drama - 2024, 4 episodes
FL has an ex girlfriend
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2. A Mai Cong Jun
Chinese Drama - 2024, 36 episodes
FL does not end up with ML despite it indicating that way for most of the drama. The ending is open, but appears to be interpreted as the FL choosing the SML.
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3. A River Runs Through It
Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes
ML has the traits of a SML, and FL loves someone else for a long time first
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4. A River Runs Through It Special
Chinese Special - 2021, 10 episodes
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5. After Breaking Up, I Will Return to the Wealthy Family and Become a Daughter
Chinese Drama - 2024, 100 episodes
FL has an ex
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6. Ban Sheng Fu Qi Zhong Cheng Mo Lu
Chinese Drama - 2024, 60 episodes
FL was married in her first life, and loves another in her second life
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7. Beside You
Thai Drama - 2024, 3 episodes
ML has a boyfriend when it begins, and it's unclear at first who he'll end up with
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8. Bon Appetit
Korean Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
ML has an ex boyfriend
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9. Choice Husband
Chinese Drama - 2023, 30 episodes
At different points in the drama, FL marries the ML and the SML. When she learns she's pregnant, she's unsure who is the father. She eventually ends up with the ML who is the father of her child.
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10. Click Your Heart
Korean Drama - 2016, 7 episodes
all the SMLs get the girl ;)
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11. Colourful Bone
Chinese Drama - 2017, 54 episodes
heavy love triangle, FL has the childhood connection trope with the SML
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12. Cupid of Chou Dynasty
Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
ML is atypical, has traits of a SML or supporting character
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13. Dan Qin Ma Ma De Xing Fu Mi Ma
Chinese Drama - 2024, 100 episodes
FL has an ex
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14. Dear Mayang Street
Chinese Drama - 2020, 37 episodes
SML gets the girl
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15. Deep Love Love Again
Chinese Drama - 2024, 22 episodes
FL has an ex husband
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16. Di Jia Qian Jin
Chinese Drama - 2024, 40 episodes
FL was married
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17. Dr. Cutie
Chinese Drama - 2020, 28 episodes
heavy love triangle, FL is much closer to SML at first
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18. Evening Star for You
Chinese Drama - 2024, 100 episodes
FL has an ex
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19. Every You, Every Me
Thai Drama - 2024, 8 episodes
ML has an ex boyfriend
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20. Ex Deadly Mirror
Chinese Drama - 2024, 20 episodes
FL has a long term boyfriend at the beginning. By the end, it appears that she's starting a relationship with her friend, the SML.
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21. Ex's Revenge
Chinese Drama - 2022, 20 episodes
FL is engaged to someone else at the beginning
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22. Faith
Korean Drama - 2012, 24 episodes
ML had a former first love who he planned to marry until she died
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23. First Choice
Chinese Drama - 2024, 20 episodes
ML has a fiancée
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24. Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
FL has the childhood connection trope and expectations of marriage with the SML
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25. Forget You Remember Love
Chinese Drama - 2020, 38 episodes
ML has a fiancée
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26. Fu Liu Nian
Chinese Drama - 2022, 30 episodes
ML has traits of a SML, and FL marries someone else first
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27. Gang Qu Xiao Ba Wang Shi Lian Ai Nao
Chinese Drama - 2024, 95 episodes
FL has an ex who was her first love
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28. Golden Spirit: Joseon Marriage Prohibition
Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes
heavy love triangle, FL is initially engaged to the SML
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29. Gui Zhong Mi You
Chinese Drama - 2023, 20 episodes
FL is married to someone else at the beginning
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30. Gun and Rose
Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes
SML has the childhood connection and an engagement with the FL
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31. Handsome Siblings
Chinese Drama - 2020, 44 episodes
love triangle in which the FL initially meets, loves and has a stronger connection with one of the MLs, but ultimately ends up with the other
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32. Happy Merry Ending
Korean Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
ML is still broken hearted over his ex boyfriend
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33. He He You Ming
Chinese Drama - 2024, 87 episodes
FL has an ex fiancée
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34. Heartbeat
Chinese Drama - 2023, 20 episodes
FL has the past connection and first love with the SML (and actually only approaches the ML because she wrongfully believes he has the SML's heart transplanted into him)
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35. Heartbeat Deviation
Chinese Drama - 2024, 99 episodes
FL is engaged to someone else at the beginning
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36. Hello, My Shining Love
Chinese Drama - 2022, 43 episodes
ML has an ex girlfriend
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37. Hidden Marriage Love
Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes
FL is married to someone else at the beginning, love triangle
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38. His and Her Secrets
Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes
FL is married to someone else at the beginning
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39. Hua Yan Jie
Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes
FL has an engagement with the SML, ML has traits of a SML
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40. Huang Fei Wei He Na Yang
Chinese Drama - 2023, 32 episodes
FL is married to someone else at the beginning
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41. Hundred Days Bride
Chinese Drama - 2023, 30 episodes
SML gets the girl
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42. Jie Jie Wen Wo
Chinese Drama - 2024, 77 episodes
FL is divorced
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43. Jin Ji De Fu Ren
Chinese Drama - 2024, 21 episodes
FL has a different boyfriend at the beginning
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44. Kimi Wa Petto
Japanese Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
heavy love triangle that leans toward the SML who the FL is dating
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45. Kurosaki-kun no Iinari ni Nante Naranai
Japanese Special - 2015, 2 episodes
heavy love triangle, ML is atypical protagonist
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46. Long Premeditated Love
Chinese Special - 2024, 6 episodes
FL has an ex
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47. Lost You Forever Season 2
Chinese Drama - 2024, 23 episodes
heavy reverse harem, 3rdML gets the girl
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48. Love Better Than Immortality
Chinese Drama - 2019, 40 episodes
ML has traits of a SML, SML has the ML traits and the FL is much more drawn to him at first
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49. Love Is Gone
Chinese Drama - 2024, 30 episodes
FL is divorced and there's a love triangle between her ex husband and the man she eventually marries
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50. Love Under The Stars
Chinese Drama - 2022, 26 episodes
FL is engaged to someone else at the beginning
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51. Lovely Swords Girl
Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
heavy love triangle, SLS
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52. Lovers
Korean Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
FL is in love with someone else at the beginning
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53. Maids
Korean Drama - 2014, 20 episodes
love triangle, FL is initially engaged and nearly married to the SML
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54. Marry My Husband
Korean Drama - 2024, 16 episodes
FL is married to someone else at the beginning
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55. Master Devil Do Not Kiss Me
Chinese Drama - 2017, 23 episodes
ML has an ex girlfriend who is his first love
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56. Master Devil Do Not Kiss Me 2
Chinese Drama - 2017, 23 episodes
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57. MBTI Love
Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes
FL has an ex boyfriend
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58. Mei Ren Mou
Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes
FL was married
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59. Mei Ren Mou Lu
Chinese Drama - 2023, 20 episodes
love triangle, ML has a much smaller role than SML
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60. Miss Fox
Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
FL is dating someone else at the beginning
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61. Miss Jiang's Counterattack
Chinese Drama - 2024, 67 episodes
FL was married
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62. Mood of the Day
Korean Movie - 2016
FL has a boyfriend and starts an affair with the ML
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63. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Korean Drama - 2016, 20 episodes
heavy reverse harem, FL eventually ends up the SML for the remainder of her life in the past, despite still being in love with the ML and having his child
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64. Mortal Housewife
Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
FL is married for most of the drama but ends up with the SML
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65. Mountains and Ocean
Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
FL loves SML for most of the drama, ML has traits of a SML
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66. Mr. Cool
Chinese Drama - 2021, 32 episodes
FL is dating someone else at the beginning
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67. My Boss
Chinese Drama - 2024, 80 episodes
FL was married
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68. My Dearest Part 2
Korean Drama - 2023, 11 episodes
FL marries another man but ultimately ends up with the ML.
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69. My Handsome Husband
Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes
FL is married and divorced from someone else at the beginning
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70. My Wednesday
Thai Drama - 2024, 4 episodes
FL has an ex girlfriend
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71. My Youth
Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
FL has a long time crush on the SML
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72. Night of Love With You
Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
ML has traits of a SML/secondary villain
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73. Ning An Ru Meng
Chinese Drama - 2023, 38 episodes
heavy reverse harem, FL is in love with someone else for a long time, ML is an atypical protagonist
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74. Ocean Like Me
Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
ML has an ex boyfriend
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75. Only Friends
Thai Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
everyone is involved with or in love with everyone, endgame is not clear until the very end
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76. Orange Soda
Chinese Drama - 2024, 20 episodes
SML gets the girl
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77. Pachinko
Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
SML gets the girl, FL is in love with and pregnant by the ML at the beginning
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78. Perfect Marriage Revenge
Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
FL is married to someone else at the beginning
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79. Please Be Coquettish with Me
Chinese Drama - 2024, 101 episodes
FL has an ex fiancée
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80. Princess Agents
Chinese Drama - 2017, 67 episodes
love triangle, SML is given scenes/tropes with the FL commonly given to the ML
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81. Princess Silver
Chinese Drama - 2019, 58 episodes
ML is FL's second love, and she marries someone else before ultimately ending up with the ML
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82. Qian Fu! Wo You 200 Jin Chou Hen Xiang Gen Ni Suan Suan
Chinese Drama - 2024, 80 episodes
FL has an ex husband
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83. Qian Jin Nan Tao
Chinese Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
FL has a stronger connection with the SML at first, love triangle
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84. Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People
Korean Drama - 2017, 30 episodes
ML is in love with someone else for a long time first, FL has traits of a SFL at first
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85. Renascence
Chinese Drama - 2020, 36 episodes
FL is married to someone else at the beginning, ML has traits of a SML
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86. Rinko san wa Shite Mitai
Japanese Drama - 2021, 8 episodes
heavy love triangle that could go either way
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87. Romantiek is een bonusboek
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
FL is divorced
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88. Ruo Shen Qing Wu Yang
Chinese Drama - 2024, 86 episodes
FL is divorced
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89. Say You Love Me
Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes
ML has a first love who returns
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90. Sea You Soon
Thai Drama - 2024, 4 episodes
FL has a girlfriend in the beginning
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91. Seen from a Distance, Green Spring
Korean Drama - 2021, 12 episodes
FL is in love with her childhood friend at the beginning, then meets and falls in love with the ML, and then the childhood friend falls in love with her. She ends up with the ML.
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92. Shan Shan Lai Chi De Ni
Chinese Drama - 2023, 15 episodes
FL has a boyfriend and is pregnant by him, ML has a fiancée, but they end up together
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93. Shao Ye Yu Wo De Luo Man Shi
Chinese Drama - 2020, 32 episodes
heavy love triangle that leans more toward the SML who the FL likes first
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94. She Came out of the Abyss
Chinese Drama - 2024, 78 episodes
FL has an ex fiancée
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95. Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart
Thai Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
ML had an ex-girlfriend he's still heartbroken over
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96. Stealing Beauty
Chinese Drama - 2024, 82 episodes
FL has a fiancée and becomes ML's mistress
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97. Strobe Edge
Japanese Movie - 2015
ML is in love with another woman at first
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98. Stunner
Chinese Drama - 2023, 95 episodes
FL has an ex fiancée
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99. Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka
Japanese Drama - 2024, 10 episodes
ML's ex-boyfriend returns and for a while it's uncertain which of the two men he'll choose
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100. Tempt at Every Step
Chinese Drama - 2024, 65 episodes
FL has an ex fiancée