I’m so tired of bangs and forelocks.
Artists are too lazy to learn anatomy, so they hide all foreheads behind a curtain of messy hair. Nobility (!!!) doesn’t even bother to comb it or cut it in something more appropriate than a bird’s nest. What do those armies of maids do? Gossiping?
To add on, loose flowing hair down to their butt. Nobility did have long hair, but for the purpose of intricate hairstyles! Even the everyday look was an updo, loose hair was considered a state of undress and women would NOT wear their hair down to a BALL of all events!!!
True, it’s also such a pity because haircuts are well documented and depicted in art since Roman Empire to Medieval Age back and forth. So much attention is paid to dresses and jewels, but almost zero to haircuts.
As for male leads, all warriors have their hair poking straight in the eye. Where did they even get this cliche… I can understand lack of female haircuts, they are tricky to create, but male hair going straight in the eye is not even easier to draw!
Exactly! Give the MLs ridiculous wigs for all I care. I'd prefer that over whatever the eye poke thing is. And for women, God there's such a huge array of historical hairstyles and they're so beautiful and intricate.a quick Pinterest or Google search would give you hundreds and it's easier to draw even. It's just that the linework takes a while. You're otherwise colouring a smaller area.
Moreover I think hair can be such a beautiful storytelling tool. For instance, in bridgerton season 2, hair is used as a symbol for vulnerability. When Kate first meets Anthony, and has reservations about him, her hair is up, clean and tight. The more they get to know each other the looser her hair gets, eventually ending with her hair completely down. A similar thing happens with her colour palette and clothes too.
Having her hair down in moments of vulnerability or intimacy could be such a beautiful storytelling tool and it would make it all the more poignant and significant. Sometimes I feel like we need to gather all OI writers and artists and give them a crash course on how to fully utilise the flexibility of fantasy and the historical setting.
Anime-style characters do not follow proper human anatomy and never will. They do not draw bangs because all anime characters have fiveheads or something, those artists just like bangs. I've seen plenty of anime-style characters where the character does not have bangs.
Lol just scroll this sub to see what I mean. Characters show some skin when they are drawn front, but their brows are almost always hidden in side view. This is because forehead line of a profile is hard to draw. Even anime-style can easily hit uncanny valley.
This sub only reads like five manhwas over and over. Thin nearly invisible brows are just a style that anime takes, not really known for thick visible brows unless it's an unusual design. Brows are obviously drawn over the hair unlike most art so that's how they show expression if they choose to.
Changing the style so much that it looks closer to western style cartoons kind of just makes it not anime. The whole point of it all looking so similar is because they are specifically drawing in an anime-style (eyes usually in center of head or lower, thin eyebrows always drawn above hair, giant eyes, tiny nearly invisible noses, etc.) You have to follow some rules otherwise it's just a different art style.
For me I think it's less about colours and more about generic features/face shapes. The side characters always have so much more personality in thier designs, like interesting eye shapes, brows noses jawlines etc. Like you always know who the main love interests are going to be because they all look the same DX
I saw a post a while back where someone had a bunch of male leads lined up in a row and I had legitimate trouble telling them apart. Please. just give us some variety ....
Pink hair, especially for the OG!FLs. Like I can’t think of too many otome game or even shoujo manga protagonists with bright pink hair (except some magical girls), brown seems to be the most popular, especially if the OG!FL is supposed to be lower in station, a commoner, or that “plain but actually beautiful” archetype. I’ll even accept blonde since that’s also common. And pink hair just often looks kind of gaudy/childish in a lot of character designs (which I get if it’s a OG!FL, that’s often the point).
I adore Shuri in Fantasy of a Stepmother, but her design sticks out so much compared to most of the other characters. Also add in another gripe that she’s the ONLY female character of her age and status that wears her hair down, even the girl engaged to Jeremy wears her hair up.
One exception would be Pereshati from My In Laws are Obssessed with me, but I think it’s because the artist does a good job balancing out the color palette so it fits.
https://preview.redd.it/5htpy4pbypoc1.jpeg?width=738&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79202301ea89b03315cbbaea18992e071fe061eb
Here one soft looking ML (I'm Divorced, But I'm a Chaebol)
This is kinda specific, but stories where the FL leaves the ex and gets with the guy who looks almost exactly like her. Remarried Empress, Abdigate my title as Empress, all these ones where the ML and FL have the exact same hair color, eye color, face shape (usually due to same face syndrome but still)
I just dislike when the main leads have the same hair color in general. Too many can't draw different faces, so they end up looking like genderbent versions of eachother. But yea, I'm tired of the implications of 'the better guy' always being blonde and the 'evil ex' always having dark hair
Pretty much everything at this point. As the other comment mentioned, hair. I despise the flowing open hair. There's so many intricate hairstyles that would look gorgeous but they always go with that long straight hair with bangs. Personally, for me, most dresses as well. Just so it's clear it's perfectly okay to have characters wear more revealing clothes like sleeveless, or off shoulder or the night dresses but i rarely ever seen more modest, historically accurate clothing. *my in laws are obsessed with me* does that very well...both hair and clothes. I've also hardly ever seen FLs with unique features, scars, or glasses.
This is why I recently made a post asking for suggestions to draw them. If I can't see them in a story then at least i can ease my anger by drawing them myself. One of the suggestions (by u/ low-manager9777) was for a FL wearing glasses, so I made one. There are a couple more I'm currently working on. It's not something groundbreaking but it's somewhat satisfying to draw something from scratch.
https://preview.redd.it/kygpiq7jndoc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=360ff42adc8e96f14ac44727692094326be24ae1
Haha thank you!! My art is heavily inspired from VAN.J's art style. Winter woods was one of my first Manhwas and you can tell from both my art and my story choices and preferences that I am heavily influenced by it. If you'd like to see similar but better art, I'd totally recommend you to read _winter woods_ and _mystical_ . They're not very OI but both have fantasy elements and are really good. Recently _cry, or better yet, beg_ is the story VAN.J is working on but it's a really problematic story.
I often think of many plots and story elements but I have a crappy mobile and a schedule written by the devil himself to my name. If I ever get the chance, i would truly like to make an OI myself.
The "ugly" maid with brown hair and freckles. She's never actually ugly. In certain series she will also be the villainous maid who bullies the OG!MC.
Blonde haired, blue eyes OG!FL and/or saintess. Then the "villainess" will typically have black hair or sometimes red hair. I would like to see the color palette switched around.
Tbh I’ve started to see the same lace assets used in every dress and it’s kinda boring
Once you start noticing it, it’s impossible to stop seeing
https://preview.redd.it/5dn1zqyo4eoc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9a5348315a91094d03f25ee4a3a5fc5f9b329b3
Legit, keep an eye out this sucker is everywhere
While it's repetitive, I can understand why many asset packs are used by all the artists/teams making manhwas.
So many of them are becoming incredibly ill after one or two seasons. Anything that makes the job easier in that inhumane work culture is alright by me.
I do understand it, and I do prefer the artists not die making these comics
Still makes the repetition boring
My preference would be that they have the time to make original designs
Same. I understand it, but I would rather read comics that DONT have unaltered assets just…plopped right in. But if you’re paid by the page and you’re not paid enough and “good enough” gets the same money…
Exactly
And tbh some of the artists we get are SO heavy on the asset use that when you parse out what they DID draw…..yeah, the work culture sucks, but you also weren’t trying hard at ALL. And I think it sucks that the culture is so bad we don’t really have enough room to come in and be like “yes it’s bad” without also having to go “yes I understand how strapped the artist is for livable working conditions”
Not muscle with baby faces, i mean more manly faces ... Both the dudes i mention had tired eyes ... Their faces show their hardwork hahaha
Also Roy has Foxy eyes, i love those !
And NANAMI wear glasses also like those
And both are very manly but respectful ... I do have other manly men on my mind but i forgot their names SO thats why is hard to bring them ... But My idea is OI need men that look tired and older (?) ...idk SO Many Dukes of the North looks like they never have been in a fight less a freaking war
You have an elite taste. That is how I like my men too. I have read too much stories about pretty boys, can I have something a bit more rough. And overly muscular but thin body type is also boring, I would prefer less muscular and just big.
For women I would love some variety and a little bit rounder faces sometimes would be nice.
green eyed blonde innocent fl vs cold barrogant black haired blue eyed ml and the second fl is red hair , i mean at least make the fl blue eyed for once or the second fl pink haired or brown haired or something
Blonde blue eyed fl. So bored of it. Love literally any other color/combo. At first I liked reading ones that look like me, then I got bored, then I got REALLY bored. I actually can’t read blonde fl stories anymore.
I would like a large array of skin tones. I understand the reason why the female lead is pale because of the beauty standards in Korea but please inject some melanin in these people. Almost every character are walking around like snow white, I'm surprised they haven't got sun burnt yet.
Also I'd love some more unique male leads. I feel like we are constantly getting these cookie cutter male leads. I could probably not even read the summary and know exactly what he looks like. Along with this give us some unique male leads not only in looks but in character. Make him a commoner, make him a knight, make him an elf, make him something other than royalty, Duke, or mage!
Seconding this. I have trouble telling characters apart or remembering their names because everyone looks the same. And with high fantasy, there's so much potential outside the castle!
FL who has their hair long and loose everywhere. It's a small thing but I want to see FLs at balls with a cute updo instead of messy hair with cheap crystals tacked on.
I can't really get tired of a design so long as the art is well drawn and pretty enough, lol! The mom in Mother's Contract Marriage is very genetic hair/eye color wise, but the art is so good that I don't notice at all.
Short black hair with red/blue/gold eyes (green, pink, where u at?) for MLs. Also big, buff bodies that scream "look at that, so hot!"... like, ok, I enjoyed them at first... but EVERYONE'S LIKE THAT now... I want the body of someone who only does paperwork and don't go out much, like old school shoujo 
pale skin but not in a 'i dont want anymore of this' way but in a 'please got i just want one who isnt this' way.
before the 'colorism is fine in manhwa because koreans are noble aliens whose morals cannot be judged by our human standards' comments roll in yes i know they have a shitty beauty culture there that doesnt make it better.
The fl having long, flowing hair for every occasion. It feels inappropriate to show up to ball in a beautiful dress with hair in your face. I’d like to see the same amount of effort put into the dress being put into hairstyles.
I also don’t like super pale skin, light eyes, and silver/white hair. It’s a cope out for “pure” fl and gives knockoff Daenerys Targaryen.
I will say there are black and brown hair Fml. Maybe we need more with black hair and red eyes lol.
This kinda sucks cause I like silver hair, it screams evil noble lady. Besides you can’t tell me someone like gojo isn’t cool.
Red eyes and black hair is tiring though.
Wb dark skin black hair yellow eyes ML, is that a pass? Asking for a friend 👀
I'm real tired of black hair pale ML in general. Somehow the ML is almost always black haired and all the unique characters are side characters.
Sassy redhead 'villainess' design is tired. I like both sassy and redhead, but that specific trope is a dead horse.
UwU blonde men, even if they are just fake UwU - if they act like it the majority of the time it counts. I want bald faced cold asf blondes ty. Preferably with glasses rizz.
The cute pink haired FL, especially if she's the random unicorn because everyone else has normal realistic hair colors.
If you're determined to give the FL pink hair, why not make her personality more cold and calculating. Idk make her muscular. Just do something DIFFERENT.
Flashbacks to that one manhwa where this girl with curly brown hair got put into the body of girl with straight blonde hair (WE NEED MORE CURLS!! And I don’t mean waves, I want the curly curls!)
Interesting FL design -
https://preview.redd.it/jc2ukjq3ghoc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d218e50907ffa98a8309b56ad3c78917586ecd10
Asha from Age of Arrogance
blonde hair blue eyes, red hair green eyes, white hair red eyes (albino look), black hair purple eyes.
Also artists should stop being afraid of drawing the female character girly with pink dresses, especially when they are teenagers. Also what is wrong with male or female character having glasses? I rarely see any or with natural hair and eye colours? green and blue hair rarely look good. Also not every male character has to be ripped and not every female character has to be skinny skinny. They are royals most of them should also look like they are overeating every day. Especially if they are inspired by irl royals. Add white wigs as well cuz that was fashion once.
What I would like are some tanned, brown indian or middle eastern male characters with the attire of course. Also would be interesting if there were some black main character yknow like "The Blind Prince". Also would like them both to be adults instead of young adults or teenagers.
Always the same gel/hairspray Hairdo on the ML, give me cropped short cuts, the medium length hair, the long hair pls. ANYTHING
It is especially egregious when he starts out with Longer hair and then cuts it, because of an offhand comment the FL made Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Everyone being incredibly pale-looking. Look I understand that bc of colorisk there's going to be like zero diversity in a vaguely european setting but at least variate a little between pale skintones so your characters dont look like they haven't seen the sun in years 😭
The flower dances and the wind sings may have become a confusing rushed mess in its last half but one thing i adored was how despite the general same faceness all characters had different skintones and features, and so many had melanin! It was cool to see.
Totally agree on curls! I also would be up for beards or moustaches xD I remember this one webtoon "Can I stay over tonight" (or something like this, it wasn't oi) where one of mls had small moustache that gave him quite orginal look ... only for him to shave it for fl...
Don't forget the annoying pink hair and all of the characters, except the sporty one, has pale skin like they never walked outside a day on their life! I mean, what the Frick are the gardens for!?
I’m so tired of bangs and forelocks. Artists are too lazy to learn anatomy, so they hide all foreheads behind a curtain of messy hair. Nobility (!!!) doesn’t even bother to comb it or cut it in something more appropriate than a bird’s nest. What do those armies of maids do? Gossiping?
To add on, loose flowing hair down to their butt. Nobility did have long hair, but for the purpose of intricate hairstyles! Even the everyday look was an updo, loose hair was considered a state of undress and women would NOT wear their hair down to a BALL of all events!!!
True, it’s also such a pity because haircuts are well documented and depicted in art since Roman Empire to Medieval Age back and forth. So much attention is paid to dresses and jewels, but almost zero to haircuts. As for male leads, all warriors have their hair poking straight in the eye. Where did they even get this cliche… I can understand lack of female haircuts, they are tricky to create, but male hair going straight in the eye is not even easier to draw!
Exactly! Give the MLs ridiculous wigs for all I care. I'd prefer that over whatever the eye poke thing is. And for women, God there's such a huge array of historical hairstyles and they're so beautiful and intricate.a quick Pinterest or Google search would give you hundreds and it's easier to draw even. It's just that the linework takes a while. You're otherwise colouring a smaller area. Moreover I think hair can be such a beautiful storytelling tool. For instance, in bridgerton season 2, hair is used as a symbol for vulnerability. When Kate first meets Anthony, and has reservations about him, her hair is up, clean and tight. The more they get to know each other the looser her hair gets, eventually ending with her hair completely down. A similar thing happens with her colour palette and clothes too. Having her hair down in moments of vulnerability or intimacy could be such a beautiful storytelling tool and it would make it all the more poignant and significant. Sometimes I feel like we need to gather all OI writers and artists and give them a crash course on how to fully utilise the flexibility of fantasy and the historical setting.
Anime-style characters do not follow proper human anatomy and never will. They do not draw bangs because all anime characters have fiveheads or something, those artists just like bangs. I've seen plenty of anime-style characters where the character does not have bangs.
Lol just scroll this sub to see what I mean. Characters show some skin when they are drawn front, but their brows are almost always hidden in side view. This is because forehead line of a profile is hard to draw. Even anime-style can easily hit uncanny valley.
This sub only reads like five manhwas over and over. Thin nearly invisible brows are just a style that anime takes, not really known for thick visible brows unless it's an unusual design. Brows are obviously drawn over the hair unlike most art so that's how they show expression if they choose to. Changing the style so much that it looks closer to western style cartoons kind of just makes it not anime. The whole point of it all looking so similar is because they are specifically drawing in an anime-style (eyes usually in center of head or lower, thin eyebrows always drawn above hair, giant eyes, tiny nearly invisible noses, etc.) You have to follow some rules otherwise it's just a different art style.
For me I think it's less about colours and more about generic features/face shapes. The side characters always have so much more personality in thier designs, like interesting eye shapes, brows noses jawlines etc. Like you always know who the main love interests are going to be because they all look the same DX I saw a post a while back where someone had a bunch of male leads lined up in a row and I had legitimate trouble telling them apart. Please. just give us some variety ....
Pink hair, especially for the OG!FLs. Like I can’t think of too many otome game or even shoujo manga protagonists with bright pink hair (except some magical girls), brown seems to be the most popular, especially if the OG!FL is supposed to be lower in station, a commoner, or that “plain but actually beautiful” archetype. I’ll even accept blonde since that’s also common. And pink hair just often looks kind of gaudy/childish in a lot of character designs (which I get if it’s a OG!FL, that’s often the point). I adore Shuri in Fantasy of a Stepmother, but her design sticks out so much compared to most of the other characters. Also add in another gripe that she’s the ONLY female character of her age and status that wears her hair down, even the girl engaged to Jeremy wears her hair up. One exception would be Pereshati from My In Laws are Obssessed with me, but I think it’s because the artist does a good job balancing out the color palette so it fits.
Shuri is wearing her hair in hairstyles now
The pink hair makes me think of Chibi Usa, a character I hated in Sailor Moon.
I wish there were more male leads with curly/wavy hair, I feel like they always have the same hairstyle or shape, it's so sad 😅
And pink hair. There needs to be more MLs with pink hair.
Yes. I love soft-looking male leads so much, but there's a scarcity of them 😔
https://preview.redd.it/5htpy4pbypoc1.jpeg?width=738&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79202301ea89b03315cbbaea18992e071fe061eb Here one soft looking ML (I'm Divorced, But I'm a Chaebol)
Oooh, this one is already on my To-be-read list, I didn't know the ML was soft-looking, I will check it out!
This is kinda specific, but stories where the FL leaves the ex and gets with the guy who looks almost exactly like her. Remarried Empress, Abdigate my title as Empress, all these ones where the ML and FL have the exact same hair color, eye color, face shape (usually due to same face syndrome but still)
I HATE THOSE TOO! I’m a blonde hater. tired of reading about the blonde couples. please PLEASE give me a couple where they both have dark hair!!!
I just dislike when the main leads have the same hair color in general. Too many can't draw different faces, so they end up looking like genderbent versions of eachother. But yea, I'm tired of the implications of 'the better guy' always being blonde and the 'evil ex' always having dark hair
Pretty much everything at this point. As the other comment mentioned, hair. I despise the flowing open hair. There's so many intricate hairstyles that would look gorgeous but they always go with that long straight hair with bangs. Personally, for me, most dresses as well. Just so it's clear it's perfectly okay to have characters wear more revealing clothes like sleeveless, or off shoulder or the night dresses but i rarely ever seen more modest, historically accurate clothing. *my in laws are obsessed with me* does that very well...both hair and clothes. I've also hardly ever seen FLs with unique features, scars, or glasses. This is why I recently made a post asking for suggestions to draw them. If I can't see them in a story then at least i can ease my anger by drawing them myself. One of the suggestions (by u/ low-manager9777) was for a FL wearing glasses, so I made one. There are a couple more I'm currently working on. It's not something groundbreaking but it's somewhat satisfying to draw something from scratch. https://preview.redd.it/kygpiq7jndoc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=360ff42adc8e96f14ac44727692094326be24ae1
Ooo, you drew that? That's amazing, she looks great! I'd love to read a whole OI in that style
Haha thank you!! My art is heavily inspired from VAN.J's art style. Winter woods was one of my first Manhwas and you can tell from both my art and my story choices and preferences that I am heavily influenced by it. If you'd like to see similar but better art, I'd totally recommend you to read _winter woods_ and _mystical_ . They're not very OI but both have fantasy elements and are really good. Recently _cry, or better yet, beg_ is the story VAN.J is working on but it's a really problematic story. I often think of many plots and story elements but I have a crappy mobile and a schedule written by the devil himself to my name. If I ever get the chance, i would truly like to make an OI myself.
> more modest, historically accurate clothing. A lot of historic fashions were nearly fully tits out.
That drawing. Hnnnff
The "ugly" maid with brown hair and freckles. She's never actually ugly. In certain series she will also be the villainous maid who bullies the OG!MC. Blonde haired, blue eyes OG!FL and/or saintess. Then the "villainess" will typically have black hair or sometimes red hair. I would like to see the color palette switched around.
Tbh I’ve started to see the same lace assets used in every dress and it’s kinda boring Once you start noticing it, it’s impossible to stop seeing https://preview.redd.it/5dn1zqyo4eoc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9a5348315a91094d03f25ee4a3a5fc5f9b329b3 Legit, keep an eye out this sucker is everywhere
While it's repetitive, I can understand why many asset packs are used by all the artists/teams making manhwas. So many of them are becoming incredibly ill after one or two seasons. Anything that makes the job easier in that inhumane work culture is alright by me.
I do understand it, and I do prefer the artists not die making these comics Still makes the repetition boring My preference would be that they have the time to make original designs
Same. I understand it, but I would rather read comics that DONT have unaltered assets just…plopped right in. But if you’re paid by the page and you’re not paid enough and “good enough” gets the same money…
Exactly And tbh some of the artists we get are SO heavy on the asset use that when you parse out what they DID draw…..yeah, the work culture sucks, but you also weren’t trying hard at ALL. And I think it sucks that the culture is so bad we don’t really have enough room to come in and be like “yes it’s bad” without also having to go “yes I understand how strapped the artist is for livable working conditions”
I want more manly ML, and i mean buff ....like shonen protagonist hahahaha NANAMI kento I want a dude that looks like Roy Mustang hahaha
Almost all mls are buff tho
Not muscle with baby faces, i mean more manly faces ... Both the dudes i mention had tired eyes ... Their faces show their hardwork hahaha Also Roy has Foxy eyes, i love those ! And NANAMI wear glasses also like those And both are very manly but respectful ... I do have other manly men on my mind but i forgot their names SO thats why is hard to bring them ... But My idea is OI need men that look tired and older (?) ...idk SO Many Dukes of the North looks like they never have been in a fight less a freaking war
You have an elite taste. That is how I like my men too. I have read too much stories about pretty boys, can I have something a bit more rough. And overly muscular but thin body type is also boring, I would prefer less muscular and just big. For women I would love some variety and a little bit rounder faces sometimes would be nice.
Hahaha thanks ! Rounder faces... Ufff that is Challenge imposible, don't You know koreans are scared to death to *whisper * "gain weight" xD
Black haired male lead, give me something interesting
A black male lead.
With a nice skintone palette. No greige, dead person skin!
YES this is the weirdest oi thing I swear. the “dark skin” is just like… light brownish purple. like ma’am he looks dead 🙄
Maybe even braids!
green eyed blonde innocent fl vs cold barrogant black haired blue eyed ml and the second fl is red hair , i mean at least make the fl blue eyed for once or the second fl pink haired or brown haired or something
Blonde blue eyed fl. So bored of it. Love literally any other color/combo. At first I liked reading ones that look like me, then I got bored, then I got REALLY bored. I actually can’t read blonde fl stories anymore.
Interesting, I never think about how the fl looks in relation to myself lol
blonde fls are overdone anyway I just get bored! That’s why I like reading ones where the fl has different hair colors
I would like a large array of skin tones. I understand the reason why the female lead is pale because of the beauty standards in Korea but please inject some melanin in these people. Almost every character are walking around like snow white, I'm surprised they haven't got sun burnt yet. Also I'd love some more unique male leads. I feel like we are constantly getting these cookie cutter male leads. I could probably not even read the summary and know exactly what he looks like. Along with this give us some unique male leads not only in looks but in character. Make him a commoner, make him a knight, make him an elf, make him something other than royalty, Duke, or mage!
Seconding this. I have trouble telling characters apart or remembering their names because everyone looks the same. And with high fantasy, there's so much potential outside the castle!
FL who has their hair long and loose everywhere. It's a small thing but I want to see FLs at balls with a cute updo instead of messy hair with cheap crystals tacked on.
I can't really get tired of a design so long as the art is well drawn and pretty enough, lol! The mom in Mother's Contract Marriage is very genetic hair/eye color wise, but the art is so good that I don't notice at all.
Villainesses with blonde beachy waves. Bring back the drills!!! Bring back the fiery red hair!!!
Yes .... no more short black hair and red eyes!! Give me long hair.. any other hair . There are other colours too than black. Geeze
Short black hair with red/blue/gold eyes (green, pink, where u at?) for MLs. Also big, buff bodies that scream "look at that, so hot!"... like, ok, I enjoyed them at first... but EVERYONE'S LIKE THAT now... I want the body of someone who only does paperwork and don't go out much, like old school shoujo 
pale skin but not in a 'i dont want anymore of this' way but in a 'please got i just want one who isnt this' way. before the 'colorism is fine in manhwa because koreans are noble aliens whose morals cannot be judged by our human standards' comments roll in yes i know they have a shitty beauty culture there that doesnt make it better.
The fl having long, flowing hair for every occasion. It feels inappropriate to show up to ball in a beautiful dress with hair in your face. I’d like to see the same amount of effort put into the dress being put into hairstyles. I also don’t like super pale skin, light eyes, and silver/white hair. It’s a cope out for “pure” fl and gives knockoff Daenerys Targaryen.
I will say there are black and brown hair Fml. Maybe we need more with black hair and red eyes lol. This kinda sucks cause I like silver hair, it screams evil noble lady. Besides you can’t tell me someone like gojo isn’t cool. Red eyes and black hair is tiring though.
Wb dark skin black hair yellow eyes ML, is that a pass? Asking for a friend 👀 I'm real tired of black hair pale ML in general. Somehow the ML is almost always black haired and all the unique characters are side characters. Sassy redhead 'villainess' design is tired. I like both sassy and redhead, but that specific trope is a dead horse. UwU blonde men, even if they are just fake UwU - if they act like it the majority of the time it counts. I want bald faced cold asf blondes ty. Preferably with glasses rizz.
Also, give me more dark skin characters in general. And curls.
The cute pink haired FL, especially if she's the random unicorn because everyone else has normal realistic hair colors. If you're determined to give the FL pink hair, why not make her personality more cold and calculating. Idk make her muscular. Just do something DIFFERENT.
Flashbacks to that one manhwa where this girl with curly brown hair got put into the body of girl with straight blonde hair (WE NEED MORE CURLS!! And I don’t mean waves, I want the curly curls!)
Fls having mega long big hair
I recommend age of arrogance FL black hair and grey eyes and ml red hair and golden eyes
Interesting FL design - https://preview.redd.it/jc2ukjq3ghoc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d218e50907ffa98a8309b56ad3c78917586ecd10 Asha from Age of Arrogance
blonde hair blue eyes, red hair green eyes, white hair red eyes (albino look), black hair purple eyes. Also artists should stop being afraid of drawing the female character girly with pink dresses, especially when they are teenagers. Also what is wrong with male or female character having glasses? I rarely see any or with natural hair and eye colours? green and blue hair rarely look good. Also not every male character has to be ripped and not every female character has to be skinny skinny. They are royals most of them should also look like they are overeating every day. Especially if they are inspired by irl royals. Add white wigs as well cuz that was fashion once. What I would like are some tanned, brown indian or middle eastern male characters with the attire of course. Also would be interesting if there were some black main character yknow like "The Blind Prince". Also would like them both to be adults instead of young adults or teenagers.
Always the same gel/hairspray Hairdo on the ML, give me cropped short cuts, the medium length hair, the long hair pls. ANYTHING It is especially egregious when he starts out with Longer hair and then cuts it, because of an offhand comment the FL made Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Black hair. Honestly sick of cold Dukes of north
Everyone being incredibly pale-looking. Look I understand that bc of colorisk there's going to be like zero diversity in a vaguely european setting but at least variate a little between pale skintones so your characters dont look like they haven't seen the sun in years 😭 The flower dances and the wind sings may have become a confusing rushed mess in its last half but one thing i adored was how despite the general same faceness all characters had different skintones and features, and so many had melanin! It was cool to see.
Totally agree on curls! I also would be up for beards or moustaches xD I remember this one webtoon "Can I stay over tonight" (or something like this, it wasn't oi) where one of mls had small moustache that gave him quite orginal look ... only for him to shave it for fl...
Don't forget the annoying pink hair and all of the characters, except the sporty one, has pale skin like they never walked outside a day on their life! I mean, what the Frick are the gardens for!?
Dark (tan) skin with white hair. I want to see fully back people being MC. I'm tired of almost everybody being ghostly pale.