K-Dramas Where The Popular Boy Falls For The Unpopular Girl: From 'Tempted' To 'The Heirs' And More

Thanks to their fluttery storylines, Korean dramas are a major guilty pleasure for many. Here are some K-dramas where the popular boy falls for the unpopular girl, which you will surely love.

By Medha Sengupta Last Updated: Dec 8, 2023 | 17:28:22 IST

The Hallyu wave is steadily taking over the world, be it their popular music, dance performances or content. Korean dramas have, over the years, captured the hearts of their viewers and turned them into professional bingers, and why not? They provide genre variation like no other, be it thriller, romance, horror, mystery and more. 

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Thanks to its variety of options, picking a drama to watch may sometimes become challenging. Here we are to ease out that issue and bring you drama recommendations where the popular male lead falls for the not-so-popular female lead. Don't we all dream of a love story like that? 

Also Read: 10 Women-Centric Korean Dramas With Strong And Inspiring Female Leads: From 'Mother' To 'Queenmaker'

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#1. Tempted 

This 2018 drama was a massive hit, owing to its complex relationship dynamics amidst its main leads. Starring Woo Do-Hwan, Mun Ga Young and Joy in the lead roles, the story follows the life of a billionaire heir, 'Woo Do-hwan', who bets with his friends that he will woo and make a college girl, 'Eun Tae-hee' fall in love with him. The story gets further interesting when the truth unfolds, and the situation gets out of hand.

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#2. Love Alarm

The drama has broken several hearts as the girl did not end up with the popular guy but with the second lead. In the drama, a popular campus heartthrob, 'Hwang Sun-oh' falls in love with not so popular, 'Kim Jo-jo'. However, another student, 'Lee Hye-yeong', who is 'Hwang Sun-oh's best friend, also falls for 'Kim Jo-jo'. In this drama, a love application controls and detects everyone's emotions, but 'Kim Jo-jo' decides to break the loop and determine her love life on her own.

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Suggested Read: Top 10 Korean Dramas To Watch When You Are Feeling Low: 'Business Proposal' To 'Boys Over Flowers'

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#3. Boys Over Flowers

Boys Over Flowers is a popular drama that is adaptated from the Japanese Manga of the same name. The story follows the life of 'Geum Jan-di' who hails from a financially backward family. She gets a chance to attend the elite school for the high society on scholarship. There, she encounters a group of four rich and gorgeous students. She at first is at loggerheads with them but later they form an ally. Soon, love blooms between 'Gu Jun-Pyo' and 'Geum Jan-di'. However, the duo faces a lot of hardships before getting their happy ending.

#4. The Heirs

The popular drama stars Korean superstar, Lee Min Ho in lead roles opposite Park Shin Hye. 'Kim Tan' (Lee Min-ho) is a wealthy Korean conglomerate's heir who falls in love with his housemaid's daughter, 'Cha Eun-sang'. The plot thickens when another conglomerate heir, 'Choi Young-do' falls for 'Cha Eun'. The Heirs is a classic Cinderella retelling with added high school drama. 

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#5. Uncontrollably Fond

How can one miss out on a superstar-common girl love story when talking about a popular boy falling for an unpopular girl? 'Shin Joon Young' and 'Noh Eul' are star-crossed childhood lovers who meet again in their late 20s. This time around, 'Shin Joon' is a famous actor, and 'Noh Eul' is a struggling camerawoman. Irrespective of their differences, the duo fall in love, but destiny has some other plans for them as 'Shin Joon' gets diagnosed with cancer.

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#6. Shooting Stars

This is the story of popular actor, 'Gong Tae Sung' and his publicist, 'Oh Han Byul'. The two can't stand each other's presence yet are weirdly attracted and get jealous whenever someone else tries to get close to the supposed nemesis. The story then goes back to their college life, revealing that they have liked each other ever since. However, their past demons and crazy fans come in the way of their happily ever after.  

Recommended Read:  Webtoon-Inspired Korean Dramas That Are A Must Watch: From 'True Beauty' To 'Nevertheless'

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#7. True Beauty

True Beauty follows the life of 'Lim Ju-Kyung', a high school student who is very insecure about her looks because she was constantly bullied for her appearance in her last school. As 'Lim Ju Kyung' shifts to a new school, she masters the art of makeup and uses it to conceal her real face everyday to school. Gradually, she gains popularity in her new school and even befriends the campus heartthrobs, 'Lee Su-ho' and 'Han Seo-jun'. Both of them eventually fall in love with her.

#8. Nevertheless

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Nevertheless, is the most sensual watch of 2022 and was revolutionary pathbreaker in K-dramas. The story revolves around 'Park Jae-eon' and 'Yoo Na-bi', two undergraduate students who view love from inverse perspectives. 'Na-bi' has a negative impression of love after being betrayed by her ex. 'Jae-eon' is a charming individual who prefers flings and no string-attached partnerships because of his commitment issues. 'Jae-eon's nonchalant charisma makes him the most desirable man on the campus, but the heartthrob is clasped in 'Na-bi's charm.

These Korean dramas will surely uplift your mood and transport you into a different fairyland. Let us know which of these K-dramas you have watched. 

Next Read: K-Dramas With An Enemies-To-Lovers Trope That Will Keep You Hooked Over The Weekend

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