Female Leads Who Fall in Love More Than Once

This list contains dramas in which the female lead has more than one FULLY REALIZED romantic arc. I love it when stories allow a female lead to display attraction towards more than one man or fall in love outside of the end-game pairing. Instead of a simplistic love triangle, wherein the 2nd male lead is window dressing or his feelings are unilaterally rejected, these complex love triangles illustrate the different varieties of love (juvenile vs. mature, manipulative vs. upfront, idealized vs. grounded) and reinforce characterization, as we see the heroine's choice in partners reflect her choice in maturity, personal goals, or core moral values.

To fit on this list, the FL must be active and self-aware in TWO relationships, for example:

she has a first love or childhood sweetheart who is NOT the ML
she intends to marry a man who is NOT the ML
one ML offers her romantic fulfillment while the other ML offers her power/revenge/influence -- she ends up experiencing both (i.e., harem dramas)
circumstances pair her with one partner before she becomes independent and chooses another partner for herself (i.e., isekai / parallel or fictional world settings)
she is happily married, engaged, or committed to the 2nd ML, before falling in love with the ML
the ML is a roommate or friend while the FL enthusiastically dates others
the immortal FL falls in love more than once over the course of her lifetime
the FL falls in love with different incarnations of the same soul
the FL reincarnates and chooses a different partner than she did in the previous lifetime

To fit on this list, the female lead's relationship with the "other" character must be emotionally reciprocal. For instance, if the FL ogles the 2nd ML's body yet remains exclusively devoted to the 1st ML, it isn't enough.

Elsa Mae Mae Abr 16, 2022

50 Titles 1 Love

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1. Amor Eterno

Chinese Drama - 2017, 58 episodes

10

the FL has a juvenile love affair before meeting the ML as an adult
2. Alquimia das Almas

Korean Drama - 2022, 20 episodes

9.5

the FL has a childhood sweetheart before meeting the ML as an adult
3. Apostando Alto

Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes

9.0

the FL has a childhood sweetheart before meeting the ML as an adult
4. A Lenda de Fuyao

Chinese Drama - 2018, 66 episodes

the FL intends to marry her childhood sweetheart when she meets the ML
5. Adeus, Minha Princesa: Versão do Diretor

Chinese Drama - 2019, 55 episodes

9.5

the FL is trying to elope with the man she loves when she meets the ML
6. A Filha do Fogo

Chinese Drama - 2018, 52 episodes

6.5

the FL is trying to win back the love of her fiancé/childhood sweetheart when she meets the ML
note: so much ableism!
7. Selo do Amor

Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes

9.0

the FL purposes marriage to someone else after meeting the ML (xianxia / reincarnation premise)
8. A Mulher do Rei

Chinese Drama - 2017, 48 episodes

8.0

the FL is in a long-established relationship with the man she loves when the emperor ML interferes and insists she accompany him instead
9. Imperatriz Ki

Korean Drama - 2013, 51 episodes

10

the FL is in a long-established relationship with the man she loves when the emperor ML interferes and insists she accompany him instead
10. Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan

Chinese Drama - 2012, 76 episodes

the concubine FL has a forbidden lover while navigating her feelings for her husband, the emperor
11. História do Palácio Yanxi

Chinese Drama - 2018, 70 episodes

the concubine FL has a forbidden lover before developing feelings for her husband, the emperor
12. Você é Meu Pet

Japanese Drama - 2017, 16 episodes

7.5

the FL dates someone else while living with the ML
13. Primeira Vez Amor

Korean Drama - 2019, 8 episodes

9.0

the FL dates someone else while living with the ML
14. A História de Ming Lan

Chinese Drama - 2018, 78 episodes

10

the FL is in love with someone else while the ML pursues her
15. Foi-se Com a Chuva

Chinese Drama - 2023, 37 episodes

7.0

the FL is in love with someone else while the ML pursues her
16. Amor melhor que Imortalidade

Chinese Drama - 2019, 40 episodes

5.5

the FL pursues someone else while the ML pursues her
17. F4 Tailândia: Meninos Antes de Flores

Thai Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

the FL has a crush on someone else while the ML pursues her
18. Jardim de Meteoros

Chinese Drama - 2018, 50 episodes

the FL has a crush on someone else while the ML pursues her
19. Meninos Antes de Flores

Korean Drama - 2009, 25 episodes

6.0

the FL has a crush on someone else while the ML pursues her
20. Amor Entre Uma Fada e um Demónio

Chinese Drama - 2022, 36 episodes

the FL is infatuated with someone else while she meets & befriends the ML
21. Você gosta de Brahms?

Korean Drama - 2020, 16 episodes

6.0

the FL is infatuated with someone else while she meets & befriends the ML
22. As células de Yumi

Korean Drama - 2021, 14 episodes

8.5

the FL is paired with three different men: first she has a secret crush, then she enters a happy and committed relationship, and finally she's drawn into a complicated connection with a co-worker
23. Heróis de Wu Lin

Chinese Drama - 2023, 22 episodes

7.5

the immortal FL becomes romantically entangled with four different men while the ML supports her from the sidelines (amnesia premise)
24. Hotel Del Luna

Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes

the immortal FL falls in love with two different men over the course of her lifetime
25. Irmãs de mordida

Korean Drama - 2021, 10 episodes

the immortal FL falls in love with two different incarnations of the same mortal man
26. Extraordinária Você

Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes

8.0

the FL is matched with a ML by the comic, then she falls in love with someone she consciously chooses
27. Agentes da Princesa

Chinese Drama - 2017, 67 episodes

7.5

hmm, I felt the FL's feelings were slightly undefined or open-ended in this drama, but it seemed as if the slave FL falls in love with the master ML then chooses a different partner for herself once she's freed AND/OR she's in love with two men simultaneously during the second half of the show
28. Nascidos de Novo

Korean Drama - 2020, 32 episodes

4.0

okay, so this is another drama in which the FL's feelings are frustrating and ambiguous, but I think it's safe to say that the FL is in love with one man during her lifetime in the 1980s, then reincarnates and falls in love with a second man during the contemporary timeline
29. romanceD

Korean Drama - 2021, 8 episodes

8.5

the FL is in a happy and committed relationship with her college boyfriend, realizes his duplicity and ill-treatment of her, and then falls in love with the ML
30. The Moment of Meeting Again

Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes

the FL is engaged to her high school boyfriend, realizes his duplicity and ill-treatment of her, and then falls in love with the ML (time travel premise)
31. Sonho de Esplendor

Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes

the FL is in a happy and committed relationship with her longtime lover, realizes his duplicity and ill-treatment of her, and then falls in love with the ML
32. Minha Amada Eun Dong

Korean Drama - 2015, 16 episodes

7.0

the FL is in a happy and committed relationship with her husband, realizes his duplicity and ill-treatment of her, and then falls in love with her childhood sweetheart (amnesia premise)
33. Renascença

Chinese Drama - 2020, 36 episodes

the FL is in a happy and committed relationship with her husband, realizes his duplicity and ill-treatment of her, and then falls in love with the ML (transmigration premise)
34. Perdida no Tempo

Chinese Drama - 2022, 30 episodes

the FL is in a happy and committed relationship with her husband, realizes his duplicity and ill-treatment of her, and then falls in love with the ML (time travel / rebirth premise)
35. Ning An Ru Meng

Chinese Drama - 2023, 38 episodes

~ upcoming ~
this drama is postponed indefinitely, but the trailers suggest that the FL will experience love with more than one of the MLs (time travel / rebirth premise)
36. Coração Escarlate

Chinese Drama - 2011, 35 episodes

10

this drama excels in its depiction of one woman navigating different types of love - surrogate 'sibling' love, juvenile/first love, platonic devotion, and soulful passion - through her relationships with four princes
37. Amantes da Lua

Korean Drama - 2016, 20 episodes

9.5

the Korean adaptation of Scarlet Heart
38. Perdi Você Para Sempre — 1ª Temporada

Chinese Drama - 2023, 39 episodes

10

like Scarlet Heart, this drama excels in its depiction of one woman navigating different types of love with various lovers
unlike Scarlet Heart, the types of love represented are ambiguous and much more challenging to categorize, but the second half of this show hasn't aired so it might become clearer when the narrative concludes (or not! I'm fine with not!)
39. Queen Seon Duk

Korean Drama - 2009, 62 episodes
40. The Moon Bright For You

Chinese Drama - 2020, 36 episodes

7.5

the FL experiences first love with one ML, then enters a more grounded, mature, and committed relationship with the other ML
41. Balada de Outono

Chinese Drama - 2022, 34 episodes
42. Princesa Rebelde

Chinese Drama - 2021, 68 episodes
43. Nothing Gold Can Stay

Chinese Drama - 2017, 74 episodes
44. A Médica Imperial

Chinese Drama - 2016, 50 episodes
45. Sound of the Desert

Chinese Drama - 2014, 35 episodes
46. A River Runs Through It

Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes
47. The Sky of the Mad Dog Boy

Chinese Drama - 2020, 16 episodes
48. Coloque a Cabeça no Meu Ombro

Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
49. Vá em Frente

Chinese Drama - 2020, 46 episodes
50. Amor à Noite

Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes