10 Best Enemies To Lovers Manhwa (2024)

While manhwa are often full of many common tropes, one that never fails to hit the mark is the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. Despite seeming unrealistic, the enemies-to-lovers trope has stood the test of time from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to various modern-day stories, and it isn't hard to see why. The trope not only allows a manhwa to better flesh out its characters and their emotions, but also properly lay out the development of their affection for one another.

Simply put, as opposed to having two characters simply fall in love, the enemies-to-lovers trope forces them to acknowledge the qualities they admire in one another, which eventually helps them see past their initial judgement and hatred. As such, when the characters do finally acknowledge their love the payoff is much more satisfying. Over the years, many romance manhwa have incorporated the popular enemies-to-lovers trope, but only few have managed to make the most of it.

15 Adonis is an Underrated Classic

Based on the web novel by Hye-dol

Adonis, also known as Reminescence Adonis puts an interesting spin on the enemies-to-lovers trope. Ianna, an expert swordfighter, has already spent one lifetime being Arhad's enemy. Her only goal was to best him in battle but she fails to accomplish even this. Though Ianna claims she has no regrets, as she teeters on the brink of death, she hopes that she can be reborn as Arhad's knight and ally instead of his enemy in her next life. Fortunately, Ianna's dying wish is heard, and she finds herself in the body of her younger self when she opens her eyes.

Though Adonis does take its sweet time with the romance, the series' engaging characters that more than make up for the slow burn. The deep, almost obsessive love that eventually develops between Arhad and Ianna also offers plenty of payoff, making this series an absolute must read especially for fans of historical romance manhwa.

14 Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom Is an Evil Stepmother Redemption

Written by Iru and Illustrated by Mo9Rang

An especially impressive take on the Snow White fairy tale, Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom is a saccharine and wholesome redemption story for Abigail Freidkin, the iconic evil stepmother. It's essentially a blend of isekai and enemies to lovers, where Baekhap Lee, an overworked children's fashion designer, dies from overwork and reincarnates as Abigail. She quickly embarks on a quest to dote on her daughter, Princess Blanche, while evading icy-cool tensions with her estranged, hostile husband, Sabrian.

Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom is loaded with endearing quirks, such as Abigail's unique villainess quality, where she smiles an inherently malevolent smile even when happy, bewildering her servants and husband. Yet, she muscles through it due to her adoration for her daughter. All the while, Sabrian's hostilities include sabotaging Abigail's gifts for Blanche, believing them to be ill-intentioned, yet maintaining a mere distance from her without outright divorcing or showing intentions to remarry, stoking immediate anticipation for sparks to begin flying between them.

13 Revenge Wedding's Main Leads Have the Best Chemistry

Based on the web novel by Byul Satang Yang and illustrated by SaRyong

Revenge Wedding may not be a classic enemies-to-lovers story, but it does hit all the necessary notes to appeal to fans of the trope. The story centers around Mercadia Sasha who one day finds herself kidnapped and abandoned on an island with the Empire's infamous war hero, Demetriu Cyprosa. Forced to marry each other and spend a month on a desolate island together, Mercadia and Demetriu couldn't be more different, which leads to many quarrels between the two.

Mercadia is a social butterfly in every sense of the word, not to mention vain, stubborn, and hilariously petty, while Demetriu is renowned as a massive jerk and a brutal warrior. As such, Mercadia and Demetriu are often at odds with each other, which only makes their journey from reluctant newlyweds to lovers all the more enthralling. Despite their initial incompatibility, Mercadia and Demetriu turn out to be the perfect fit for each other as they eventually stop denying the amazing chemistry between them.

12 I'll Save This Damned Family's Leads Engage in a Battle of Wits

Written by Munirang and illustrated by NU

I'll Save This Damned Family takes off when Yeonwoo is reincarnated into the world of a novel called the Ocerian Chronicles after being brutally murdered in her previous life. Here, she finds herself in the body of Tara Elias, the reclusive, incompetent fifth daughter of Count Elias who has spent the last seven years holed up in her room. While Tara wants nothing more than a peaceful life in the countryside, House Elias is fated for complete destruction when the King chooses his heir. Thus, Tara makes it her mission to ensure the Elias family survives the political upheaval and prevent her own beheading.

As Tara makes her way back into noble society she find herself constantly crossing paths with Prince Kyle, the king's illegitimate son. Kyle is intelligent, perceptive, incredibly scheming and always one step ahead of Tara leading to the two developing quite a unique respectful rivalry very quickly. Despite his initial impression of Tara, Prince Kyle recognizes Tara's potential and takes an interest in her which eventually grows into a romantic attraction. Though the relationship between Tara and Kyle progresses at a slow pace, their witty interactions make their romantic arc all the more satisfying.

11 Not Your Typical Reincarnation Story Lives Up to Its Title

Based on the web novel by Lemon Frog and illustrated by A-jin

Not Your Typical Reincarnation Story centers around Choi Suna a regular woman who is one day transported into a novel as the villainess Edith Rigelhof. Edith is known as a spy and seductress and her family holds little respect in high society. The story takes off when Edith's family marries her off to the cold, younger son of the Rudwick family with the goal of acquiring sensitive information through Edith.

However, Suna knows how the story goes and that she is destined to be killed by her husband and thus begins doing everything in her power to avoid her fate. Against all odds, a romance begins to blossom between Edith and Killian Rudwick despite him initially despising her to the point of contempt. Edith and Killian's relationship has all the makings of an exciting enemies-to-lovers romance and while the series seems ridden with clichés at first, it eventually does live up to its title with some ingenious plot twists.

10 How to Win My Husband Over Examines Difficult Topics of Trauma

Based on the Novel by Spice&Kitty, Illustrated by SIRU

A challenging villainess isekai read, How to Win My Husband Over, talks about the reincarnated Rudbeckia de Borgia, whose traumatic past and present give her challenges to overcome in her new daily life. After a plane crash claims her former life, the protagonist finds herself as the villainess of a historical novel, eventually meant to die to her husband, Iske van Omerta. With a dangerous social landscape and a lethal future, Rudbeckia must navigate this difficult new reality in an especially high-stakes enemies to lovers manhwa, with her life in the balance.

Readers will find this series challenging, especially with how Rudbeckia continues to endure this troubling behavior. The story is presented more aggressively yet more fully in the light novel. At the same time, the manhwa is naturally a strong example of the flexibility of otome isekai series for exploring a broad array of relationships that's also excellent territory for an engaging and complicated enemies to lovers scenario.

9 The Reason for the Twin Lady's Disguise Is a Smash Hit Japanese Webtoon

Created by Amamiya Ley and Illustrated by MONA

While the series recently made its way west with Webtoon, The Reason for the Twin Lady's Disguise also has 90 million views in Japan, as a recent example of the country's cultural exports expanding into Korean-style manhwa. It's a familiar premise, with gender bender, reverse harem, and enemies to lovers manhwa tropes in play. Still, it resonates with enough readers to get a respectable 8.62 rating on the Webtoon platform. It's not a game-changing story, yet its artwork and characters are entertaining and familiar, a signal of Japan getting a foothold in the industry.

Linali Lowreis is the protagonist who narrowly escapes the grisly fate of her family, being sent to the past where she can try and prevent this calamity from happening. Soon, however, fate drives her brother to attending the School of Poltis, a source of Linali's immense regret as he's sent there only to be relentlessly bullied. Instead, she opts to go there in his place, adopting a new identity and the challenges accompanying it.

8 Iseop's Romance is an Exciting Office Romance

Based on the web novel by Anna Kim and illustrated by 248

Iseop's Romance is among the few romance manhwa that offers a male perspective, centering around Tae Iseop, the successor to a massive conglomerate called TK Group. Tae Iseop had worked hard to maintain his perfect image and was used to being the best at everything. Winning first place was always a given, that is until Iseop encountered Kang Min-young, a model employee in every sense of the word.

Iseop and Min-young both joined the company at the same time ten years ago, and he has disliked her ever since, which only adds to his surprise when she is assigned to be his Executive Assistant. Though Min-young is also put off by his personality, she cannot ignore Iseop's handsome looks, and as time passes she begins to see a different side to him. Against all odds, Iseop too begins to develop an attachment to Min-young and thus takes off their exciting story full of angst, denial, attraction, and everything else one could ever want from an enemies-to-lovers manhwa.

7 Til Debt Do Us Part is a Charming Romantic Comedy

Written by flowbee and illustrated by janggreen

Til Debt Do Us Part, also known as A Bittersweet Couple, takes off when Shin Subin encounters her old friend Ji Yejun after ten long years, who asks her to marry him as repayment for the money he lent her years ago. Despite her mother's efforts to set her up, Subin has no interest in marrying, least of all Yejun, who has hated her since elementary school. However, Yejun proposes a purely contractual marriage, offering to pay off all her debts if she stays married to him for just a year, allowing him to claim his rightful share of his inheritance.

Yejun considers Subin as the ideal candidate due to their impersonal relationship and though Subin initially has her doubts, she eventually agrees to the arrangement. From clashing personalities, intertwined childhood backstories, a contractual marriage, and the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, Til Debt Do Us Part has everything one could desire from an adorable romantic comedy.

6 What's Wrong With Secretary Kim?

Created by Kim Myeong-mi, Based on the Novel by Jung Kyung-yoon

This manhwa bears many hallmarks of a K-drama, making it all the juicier that a television series was created based on What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? in 2018. The series follows a rich, handsome, narcissistic boss, Lee Young-joon, whose gifted and beautiful secretary, Kim Mi-so, tries to resign from his company after nine successful years. Young-joon's emerging feelings make this potential departure unbearable, so he tries to change Mi-so's mind, with the plot reminding viewers quickly that she's the only one who can handle Young-joon's behavior.

The plot beats are familiar to any K-drama enthusiast. As demonstrated by the even more recent contemporary examples like King the Land and its subsequent manhwa adaptation, it resonate with the readers. Young-joon's relationship with Mi-so is complicated and loaded with surprising history, and his troublesome personality has layers that peel away as the story wears on, revealing past traumas. However, the strong appeal of What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? is its execution, romantic chemistry, and a sustainably satisfying 98-chapter run.

5 Devilish Romance is an Exciting Tale of Forbidden Romance

Written by Lee Kong-joo and illustrated by White Eagle

Devilish Romance follows Sitri, a demon forced to live as a human on earth as punishment after supposedly committing a crime. Now reborn as Damon Ma, Sitri wants nothing more than to return to being a demon and vows to find a serial killer he believes is housing his idol Bael, the highest-ranked demon in Devildom. Thus, Damon becomes a Prosecuting Inspector in hopes of finding the infamous cable-tie serial killer and, hopefully even a way to return to being his former self again.

This is where Damn runs into Prosecutor Narcissa Gye, his strict boss who he hates and vows to take revenge against after suffering a great humiliation. Being the demon of betrayal, Damon plans to make Narcissa fall in love with him and then backstab her as payback. Unfortunately, Damon fails to anticipate his new feeble human heart and falls into the trap himself, falling irrevocably in love with Narcissa. Devilish Romance is equal parts charming and swoon-worthy with just enough angst and themes of forbidden love to appeal to fans of enemies-to-lovers stories.

4 Villains Are Destined to Die has Many Love Interests to Choose From

Based on the web novel by Gwon Gyeoul and illustrated by SUOL

As the title implies, Villains are Destined to Die is another fun take on the popular villainess trope but one that arguably executes it exceptionally well. The story follows Cha Siyeon who is transmigrated into a popular dating sim and the villainess of the story, Penelope Eckehart. Penelope is the adoptive daughter of the Duke and is despised and mistreated by all, including her family and the estate's servants. She constantly faces the threat of being killed when the Duke's real daughter returns and her survival hinges on accumulating affection points.

Unfortunately, this just so happens to be the "Hard Mode" of the game, and affection points are much harder to gain, which makes her slowly blossoming relationships with the male leads so much more compelling. Having died at his hands on multiple occasions before she was transported into the game, Penelope is especially cautious of the barbaric Crown Prince, setting the stage for a perfect enemies-to-lovers story between the two. While it isn't clear whether they will end up together just yet, Callisto remains a fan favorite and a front-runner in this exciting romance.

3 Goodbye, In-Law! Binds Two Enemies Together by Circ*mstance

Created by Gyogyo Park

A familiar premise makes Goodbye, In-Law! an accessible enemies-to-lovers manhwa by bringing its main characters, Haneul and Dahae, together because their siblings are getting married. However, circ*mstances soon change when a family tragedy strikes, and the pair are sent to live their past lives as high school students. Their task is simple: use the available information to try and change the trajectory of fate.

In addition to the two characters starting as enemies resenting each other over a misunderstanding, it's a beloved manhwa with strong pacing and a satisfying ending with plenty of throwbacks to its first chapters. Despite Haneul being the perceived bully, he falls pretty strongly for Dahae, a detail that makes each subsequent chapter a compelling read. Goodbye, In-Law! has excellent interactions between its two leads which will have the readers eagerly following their journey.

2 Purple Hyacinth is the Perfect Slow Burn Romance

Written by Ephemerys and illustrated by Sophism

Purple Hyacinth is set in the fictional city of Ardhalis and the story takes off when police officer Lauren Sinclair teams up with the city's most notorious assassin, Kieran White, better known as the Purple Hyacinth because of the flowers he leaves behind at every crime scene. Lauren has the peculiar ability to detect lies, leaving little room for trust between them. However, the two do share the common goal of wanting to bring down the criminal organization called the Phantom Scythe that has been terrorizing the city for a decade.

Though Purple Hyacinth is primarily a mystery series, the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance between Kieran and Lauren is one of its most engaging aspects. Kieran and Lauren's relationship is full of ups and downs, and their trust in each other is tested multiple times. But, as they continue to work together, they discover just how great of a duo they make, even growing to care for each other, making the attraction and chemistry between the two impossible to ignore.

1 Your Majesty, Please Spare Me This Time Does the Enemies-to-Lovers Trope Justice

Based on the web novel by eclair, adapted by hyeyong, and illustrated by Hayeon

Your Majesty, Please Spare Me This Time takes off when Lalliete de Bellua is reborn as her twelve-year-old self after being brutally executed by Emperor Rupert Vellelum. Given a second chance, Lalliette tries everything in her power to avoid her family's unwarranted execution and decides to suck up to the young Emperor-to-be, who is oddly going around disguised as a princess.

Lalliete loathes and despises Rupert and has trouble letting go of her bitterness even when she discovers everything she knew about her previous life was a lie and that the Emperor isn't entirely the monster she believed him to be. Despite its unoriginal premise, Your Majesty, Please Spare Me This Time hides a surprising complexity with multifaceted characters and plenty of dark plot twists. Most important of all, this manhwa is one of the few that takes the "enemies" aspect of the enemies-to-lovers trope seriously with an excruciating slow burn romance that feels earned.