We love ourselves a strong female lead, but what about the female leads who are completely unhinged? They don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of them and just do their thing. If you’re in the mood for some chaos but still want a good romance story, these recommendations are for you. These are ranked from my overall personal favorites.
11
Beware the Villainess
Summary: This one is a nice read if you mainly care about a badass female lead, fun expressions, dorky characters, and an interesting fantasy world. If romance is what you’re after, this isn’t the right pick. There is a bit of romance toward the end, but it’s slow and honestly not very satisfying. It is a great pick if you are in the mood for a Romance Manhwa with a strong female lead.
You should read if:
- you’re here for fresh meme-worthy panels to add to your collection
- you don’t mind secretly wishing the story leaned toward Yuri
- you love reading a Romance Comedy Manhwa where the women save themselves and don’t rely on the ML whatsoever
10
Until the Tragic Male Lead Walks Again
Summary: Our FL Lamille tries to prevent Roel from becoming the story’s villain by marrying him – although he rejects her countless times. He sits in a wheelchair and doesn’t want to burden anyone. But thanks to Lamille who really is completely unhinged, she manages to win him over. It is a short and wholesome Romance Manhwa, but unfortunately the ending is very rushed. The novel had way more chapters, but the Manhwa ended early. There is no official statement about why it was cut short, but there are rumors that it was axed. A real pity.
You should read if you:
- like when the male lead is the shy and timid one for a change
- don’t mind when the story basically ends, just when they kiss for the first time
- love when the FL has a supportive family for a change
9
My Aggravating Sovereign
Summary and Review: My Aggravating Sovereign is a story about a king and his bodyguard, who is also our female lead. To be fair the ML is way more unhinged than the FL but she matches his energy quite often and that makes their dynamic hilarious. Even after reading more than 80 chapters the chaos is more prominent than the story. Of course there’s a plot, but there is no clear goal they like to achieve. The series follows their everyday life and their efforts to keep the kingdom safe. It is fun and refreshing, but don’t expect it to blow your mind.
You should read if you:
- don’t mind when the ML is extremely pushy. He announces their engagement without talking to her. Touches her constantly and just does as he pleases
- like it when the protagonists touch each other a lot
- love when the ML changes appearances throughout the story
8
Vows and Vendettas
Premise and Review: Vows and Vendettas is not an OI or a historical, but it has a supernatural element: our FL Arasilla has a prophetic dream where her sister ends up dead after marrying our ML Demian Vandermeer. So she marries him in her stead. He is a knight, she is a mage, and because they are sworn enemies in this world, there is A LOT of bickering. When it comes to unhingedness, Arasilla really is top tier. She doesn’t let anyone walk all over her and just does as she pleases (sometimes even a bit too much).
You should read if you:
- love when the main couple bickers a lot
- don’t mind when the FL can be a bit insensitive. Sure, their dynamic is funny, but the ML is traumatized and has trouble when anyone touches him, so her approach can be a bit much
- like when couples who bicker and seem like enemies still have each other’s backs
7
Happily Ever Afterwards
Summary: Peony, our female lead, gets reincarnated as a side character who rooted for the second male lead of the novel. Although he “has his flaws,” to put it mildly, she believes in his good heart and tries to persuade him to start a relationship with her. It’s a fun read – but only if you don’t expect relationship advice or take it too seriously. He treats her very badly for a large portion of the chapters, and she can be quite pushy, refusing to take no for an answer. The FL really is a force to be reckoned with.
You should check it out if you:
- like when the ML is the one to get courted for a change
- don’t mind when the male lead allegedly loves someone else
- love reading a story with many memeable panels and protagonists with a common eye and hair color for a change
6
You Think It’s Easy Rewriting a Story
Summary and Review: It looks like a classic OI – and it is – but the storytelling still feels fresh. Our FL doesn’t care AT ALL what anyone thinks, if that means she can fulfill her goal. I mean, in the first chapters, she tries everything in her power to make the duke change his mind about their engagement. She eats with her hands and licks the plate and, behold (so scandalous), even licks her fingers afterward. High society apparently could never. Our FL keeps this kind of energy up, although she only pulls out her unhingedness when it comes to her enemies. And fortunately, the duke pretty quickly isn’t one of them anymore.
You should read if you:
- love having both POVs. It constantly switches to the duke’s perspective
- like it when the main couple communicates very well. I don’t remember any frustrating misunderstandings between them
- don’t mind when the transition between them being a couple or not is pretty vague. You don’t really know where they stand, even after they confess
5
My Lucky Strike
Summary: Siru is an absolute menace. She’s loud, punches others, and wears her heart on her sleeve. She has a crush on her guy friend and ends up accidentally kissing someone. The next day at university, two guys show up with swollen lips.
My Lucky Strike stands out from the crowd, even if it isn’t flawless. The ML has a tragic backstory that wraps up way too quickly, and we barely get any lovey-dovey moments between the two of them, which makes the ending kind of mid. Still a fun ride, though. If you want to know more: What happened to My Lucky Strike?
You should read if you:
- want your stories to have a strong FL who can defend herself
- don’t mind a slightly rushed ending (and the other ML also gets brushed off in two chapters)
- like tension, because the ML just exudes it
4
Ooh Lala
Summary: Ooh La La is a hidden gem. The couple gets together in the very first chapter, and in the most unexpected way, so from there on you’re basically just watching two lovable chaos-makers go about their day. If chaotic energy is what you’re after, this one is peak. But to be fair: In Ooh La La almost everyone is unhinged but especially FL and ML.
You should check it out if you:
- are open-minded when it comes to art. It’s not your typical art style
- like when a romance manhwa has a slice-of-life feel. There’s no consistent story or central problem, just unhinged moments from their everyday life
- love when the friendship of the main couple is more important than the romance or tension
3
First Night with the Duke
Summary: Ripley probably takes the crown when it comes to unhinged FLs. I mean, she fakes being deadly injured and pulls a lot more shenanigans in order to get out of a relationship with the duke. To be honest, it’s hard watching her in the beginning. But if you can get past that, First Night With The Duke is a really fun read with good tension and a sweet second couple. It’s also one of the few Manhwa that start with a one-night stand.
You should check it out if you:
- don’t mind some questionable behavior from both main characters: the duke doesn’t take no for an answer, and Ripley avoids talking by any means
- love when the main couple has great chemistry
- like it when almost all the characters are likable – the only one likely to raise your blood pressure is probably Ripley herself
2
Villain with a crush
Summary: Our FL Rosa is extremely unhinged and chaotic, but doesn’t know it herself. Because of her absurd strength and her tendency to run away when overwhelmed, she creates so much chaos around her that she literally changes the world. Even the premise of this one is unhinged: Rosa gets saved by our ML Doryeong and falls for him instantly. Years later, she wants to give him a love letter and it goes horribly wrong. So wrong that a new supervillain, Blackdog, is born. The setup sounds chaotic, but this is one of the most wholesome and funny romance manhwas out there.
You should read if you:
- love seeing strong women who actually look strong. That’s very, very rare (To be fair, it’s not the FL, but there are plenty strong looking women)
- don’t mind that the whole premise would disappear with just a little communication, and they did the second ML dirty. He really didn’t have to have feelings for Rosa for the story to turn out exactly the same
- enjoy reading a story that feels truly unique. It’s such a breath of fresh air
1
The Crown Princess Scandal
Summary: I love The Crown Princess Scandal with all my heart, and the main reason is our FL Hwa-yeong. Although she spreads chaos, it’s not completely over the top. She’s also smart, cunning and really caring. The premise: our FL is tricked by her sister into joining a crown princess selection at the imperial palace. Determined to get disqualified, she does everything she can to fail on purpose – but her plan backfires, and she quickly becomes a favorite among the royals.
Check it out if you:
- like it when the ML falls first and is the more flustered one in the relationship
- love to feels all the feels when reading a Manhwa. You will mostly laugh, but I also cried and was mad for the FL
- don’t mind when the FL is oblivious to MLs feelings (but who can blame her, he doesn’t stop calling her goblin and stuff)
