Poor Vivi

where's the fun if all the ML are perfect? I prefer it when they're trash and then get recycled

Sure, it is no fun if the ML is "too perfect", but sometimes I hope they don't always end up together romantically after that kind of treatment.

what's the difference between that and reality? Stories like these are made for that kind of happy ending, coz irl it will never work, and sometimes the people in those characters irl wished for a happy ending instead of regrets and what ifs, why do you think stories exist? if a story is rational it will not make sense, why not just read non fiction

The problem is that you can literally count on your fingers the number of stories where they don’t end up together. Most of the time, no matter how terrible the relationship is, they eventually end up together anyway. So sometimes we actually want to see a story where they don’t end up together. We’re tired of seeing the same “they overcome everything and end up together” ending every single time.

And honestly, it’s almost always the ML who is trash in this genre. Like, 90% of the time, that’s the stereotype we get. So why are you insisting that he has to be trash too? Aren’t there any other ways to write an ML besides making him toxic, abusive, or an asshole? We’ve seen that trope enough already. Sometimes it’s actually refreshing to have an ML who isn’t a walking red flag.

If the ML in this manhwa is a red flag to you, then your standards are way too high. Even in fiction there should be some borderline from fantasy, 90% of real existing men are trash, we shouldn't make our hopes up to an unbelievable level and ask for a perfect man in stories.
Anyways, the ml in this manhwa is a green forest compared to all of historical fantasy manhwa ml's population, if he's a red flag to you, you might as well not read a story and just write your own.
As for me, I really prefer red flags than green flags, green flag just do whatever you want, provide for you, protect you, basically a slave at your mercy- too boring. I want a man with his own opinion and independent life away from fl (not the kind of man who acts like the world revolves around you) and doesn't just bend when you ask for it but have his own conviction that would rather break than bend.
But that's actually much high standard so it's impossible to find.
This turned into a rant hahahaha. Anyways, I hope you get my point

The thing is, whenever they write a trash ML, they somehow also have to make the FL unbelievably dumb so she can keep bending backward for all his whims. Even if the characters have their disagreements, the story almost always finds a way to make them end up together, no matter how manipulative or horrible the ML was.

And it’s not like every green-flag ML is some guy who bends backward for the FL either. I genuinely think you haven’t read enough well-written green-flag characters if that’s what you think they are. A green flag can have his own opinions, boundaries, convictions, ambitions, and an independent life. He can disagree with the FL and still not treat her like shit.

Honestly, I think people have just normalized red flags so much that basic respect and healthy communication now get interpreted as “submissive” or “boring.” My standards aren’t that high; the standards for MLs have just been lowered so much that anything remotely healthy starts looking unrealistic.anyways I get ur point

You're probably also right. We just have different perspective and preferences. And honestly I havent really read any good stories with nice green flags.
The guy is "puppy like" and the fl is overbearing, they call the guy green flag. Or if the guy is spineless, poor, practicaly a slave to the fl, they call it green flag. So annoying.
Can't there be a story where the fl and ml are in actual equal relationship? Like the kdrama couples in "Happiness" or "Alchemy of Souls" those are what I know proper green flags tho Alchemy of souls ml is questionable I think it's pretty realistic good kind of guy