- Status: Completed
- Platform: Tapas
- Chapters: 150 + Bonus Episodes
- Genre: Historical Romance Manhwa
- Creators: Ko eun chae, San-ho, Gyammi, Eongsseu, EUNSAN
- Release year: 2021
- tropes: green flag ML, OtomeIsekai, stanning FL, magic users, trying to change a bad ending
- trigger warnings: Child abuse/neglect, Suicide/self-harm, brainwashing/manipulation
In my real life, I was happy fawning over Abel Louvremont, the main character of my favorite book ‘Persona.’ But after a fateful car accident, I woke up in ‘Persona,’ but when Abel is still a precious child. Now, as Aisha Heathcliff, I can fangirl adorable Abel up close, squee!! I’ll do anything I can to make sure he is taken care of and gets what he needs! And, somehow, that means I’m engaged to… his dad?!
Why I Married the Male Lead’s Dad is so good (Spoiler-free Review)
I started reading it a few years ago when it first came out in 2021 and was taken aback by the first few chapters. I read up to about chapter 80 and then let it marinate so I could binge it later. And it was finally time to reread this beautiful creation.
Aisha may seem creepy and intense in the beginning, and there are some chapters where you feel like you’re reading a novel instead of a manhwa because there are so many panels full of text explaining the worldbuilding or something else. BUT: the characters in I Married the Male Lead’s Dad are just so well written. Not a single character felt flat. The way they talk to each other feels intelligent and fresh. No stupid misunderstandings dragged out for 40 chapters. It’s such a breath of fresh air. And the story and the mystery are great too. It’s an Otome Isekai (OI) you haven’t read before. There are some unexpected twists and turns in the story that will keep you engaged till the end.
But I do think I Married the Male Lead’s Dad needs to be binged. The story is complicated and can feel convoluted at times. Some weird storytelling choices feel unnecessary, but they don’t seem too significant if you read it in one go. Thank god it recently completed.
Does I Married the Male Lead’s Dad have a happy ending?
Because the story gets dark very quickly, many readers have been asking whether I Married the Male Lead’s Dad has a happy ending. And I can tell you: yes, it does. The bonus episodes are such a treat too. So push through.
Premise and Art
The premise of I Married the Male Lead’s Dad seems silly, and the first chapters don’t represent the story at all. It starts off as a “standard” OI: Aisha gets reincarnated into a novel and stans Abel, the male lead of that novel. She is obsessed with him to the point of following him to the north. I thought it was too intense, but it dies down. Their interactions are just very sweet throughout. I promise. If you can make it through the first four or so chapters, the story will take shape.
The art starts off a bit wonky, but I still liked it from the start. And oh boy, does it get better. By chapter 40 it just keeps getting crisper.
Romance
The romance starts with a misunderstanding: when Aisha sends a gift to Abel, his father (and the ML) Hades mistakenly thinks it’s for him. He goes even further and assumes she is in love with him. Aisha doesn’t get the chance (or can’t be bothered) to correct him, and he even proudly declares that he’ll marry her. That’s their whole dynamic in the beginning, but their romance is slow and very sweet. Their first kiss is short and we have to wait a long time before they get closer, but their lovey-dovey moments are very good.
Characters and story
As I already mentioned, I love the writing in I Married the Male Lead’s Dad. The characters feel like real people with feelings. They feel like actual thinking, living beings, and the dialogue reflects that. You’ll feel your brain cells returning as you read. The main supporting character is Abel, and even he isn’t just there to be cute (although he fulfills that role too, and very well at that).
And now to the most important part: I Married the Male Lead’s Dad is NOT a happy-go-lucky reincarnation manhwa with pretty dresses and court intrigue. It’s a sad and angsty story about god, human belief, found family and sacrifice.
Hades x Aisha – the main couple
One of the best things about I Married the Male Lead’s Dad is its protagonists: Aisha and Hades. Neither of them is what they seem in the beginning. Hades is supposed to be a narcissist (I think that’s a poor translation choice in the manhwa — self-absorbed fits way better). But in reality he is the greenest forest ML ever, and you’ll come to love his self-confidence because his kindness overshadows all of it.
Aisha is a great female lead too. Her start is pretty rocky because her fangirling and her reactions can feel like a bit much at first. But I promise you, it’s only the first few chapters and then it’s nothing but wholesome. She thinks logically, she’s capable and kind, and she isn’t afraid to show her emotions. She can be selfish, but I love her as an FL. (For more unhinged FLs check out my recommendations)
Read if you…
- love romance but don’t mind it taking a backseat, because the rich backstory is what makes I Married the Male Lead’s Dad shine.
- don’t want to read stories with flat characters anymore. This one will cure your flat-dialogue fatigue.
- like it when the ML is teasing and confident and would do ANYTHING for his family.
- are in the mood for a sad and angsty story you can read in peace, knowing that it will end well.
Skip if you…
- don’t like convoluted stories. I personally think it’s interesting and well built, but it can feel like a bit much at times.
- are only in it for the butterflies. There are intimate scenes between Hades and Aisha, but they’re definitely not a priority.
- are triggered by topics around suicide. I won’t spoil too much, but it’s a huge, huge part of the story.
- got hooked by the childcare aspect. That’s only the first third of the story, and after that the focus shifts somewhere else entirely.
