History Main / SingleGirlSeeksMostPopularGuy

* Played straight in ''Film/ACinderellaStory''. [[CoolLoser Supposedly dorky]] and [[HollywoodHomely unattractive]] Sam (Hilary Duff in a baseball cap) likes the BigManOnCampus and quarterback.

* 'Manga/CharismaDoll'': Sara likes Hayase, who's the most popular guy. He's also a huge pop star, so that's why he's so popular. He actually likes Sara's alter ego popstar personality Sala.

* From ''Series/RobinHood'', half the outlaws have a crush on [[TheScrappy Kate]], but she only has eyes for RobinHood.

* ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', in all incarnations, features this, though Link Larkin is genuinely nice in the end and it doesn't take a makeover to get him to notice Tracy.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Violet has a crush on Tony Rydinger, a popular student at their middle school. After the drama of Tony's memory wipe in the [[WesternAnimation/Incredibles2 sequel]], they finally get together at the end of the sequel.

* [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in ''Literature/{{Carrie}}'', where it does ''not'' end well for anybody involved.

* Genderbent-flipped for "John" and Sarah in ''Literature/IAmNumberFour''

* Spinelli for T.J. in ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'', as hinted in a few episodes. Various episodes show that he likes her as well.
* Riley for Johnny in ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements'', on {{Yandere}} levels.

Frequently shows up alongside ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe. Sometimes overlaps with GiveGeeksAChance. See also GirlNextDoorTurnedSuperstar, which is when a guy longs for a girl he used to know who has become famous.

* Extremely common in {{shojo}} anime and manga. Some examples:
** In ''Manga/CharismaDoll'', Sara likes Hayase, who's the most popular guy. He's also a huge pop star, so that's why he's so popular. He actually likes Sara's alter ego popstar personality Sala.
** Most of [[Manga/FruitsBasket Tohru's]] homeroom think this is going on between her and the very popular Yuki. [[BetterAsFriends It isn't]]. Played with in the end, as he does hook up with the shy and usually-overlooked Machi, but he is the one who falls for her first.
** In ''Himekei Doll'', Ayumu is obsessed with Renji, who's not only popular but a fashion designer as well.
** In ''{{Manga/ION}}'', Ion has a huge crush on the most popular guy and StudentCouncilPresident, Koki.
** Sadako likes Kazehaya in ''Manga/KimiNiTodoke''. This is actually played with in the series because her love is requited by him, but ''because'' she's a loner.
*** For an added bonus, he fell for her first and is genuinely a nice guy who wants her to be happy. When she stops being a loner, he's a little sad she's not just his anymore but overlooks his desires for her happiness. Cue "Aaaww."
** In ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'', Lucia is involved with Kaito, a local surfing celebrity with hordes of fangirls.
** In ''Manga/ShugoChara'', heroine Amu has a crush on the school's resident ChickMagnet, Tadase, [[spoiler: which he eventually reciprocates. She still ends up with [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys bad boy]] Ikuto anyway.]]
** ''Manga/SugarSugarRune'' has Chocolat paired up with Pierre, the prettiest and most popular boy in school, although theirs is a weird case because a) she initially dislikes him and soon finds out that [[DatingCatwoman he's her enemy]], and b) at first she's only pursuing him so that she can [[PlotCoupon take his heart]], which would kill him.
** In ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'', Ichigo has a crush on Aoyama, the popular KendoTeamCaptain (sort of the Japanese equivalent of the football quarterback) and they start dating partway through the series.
* In ''Manga/BlueFlag'', Kuze is attracted to Mita, a very friendly and popular baseball player. She asks Ichinose, the main character and childhood friend of Mita to help her get Mita's attention. Little do either Kuze or Ichinose know that [[spoiler:Mita is actually gay and crushing on Ichinose.]]

* In a {{shonen}} example, Sakura of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has an infatuation with Sasuke, which is one of her defining traits, particularly at the beginning. It is also totally unrequited, with Sasuke often calling Sakura out for being average. Of course, this is often PlayedForLaughs, as almost every girl in ''Naruto'' (except [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan Hinata]]) is obsessed with Sasuke, particularly while they're still in the Academy. The competition over Sasuke has had such results as ending friendships, causing fights in classrooms, and trampling innocent bystanders.
** Later is played for more tragedy, as Sakura's specific case is actually a {{deconstruction}} of AllGirlsWantBadBoys. [[spoiler:Ultimately she still marries him and has a daughter with him anyway.]]

Related to "ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe" if the guy decides to GiveGeeksAChance. See also GirlNextDoorTurnedSuperstar, which is when a guy longs for a girl he used to know who has become famous.

* ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'': Gabriella towards Troy, though she's not actually interested in his popularity. She falls for him when they meet on vacation and doesn't discover he's the 'most popular guy' until later on. In fact, she's noticeably put off when he acts like a jerk to please his friends and tells him she prefers the real him instead of the BigManOnCampus everyone else sees. It also helps that Troy is smitten with her from the get-go, (even though she's a ShrinkingViolet / HollywoodNerd that ''doesn't'' undergo a makeover) and they single-handily demolish the school's social structure.

* In ''Series/{{Unfabulous}}'', Addy has a crush on Jake, the coolest guy at school. It comes as a shock to everyone when [[BigManOnCampus he]] and [[HollywoodNerd she]] actually end up dating.

* Played with in different ways in ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'' regarding all of the protagonist’s classmates, minus Johanna:
** Deconstructed with Lauren. A big reason that Lauren goes to the lengths she does to date the protagonist is because he’s so popular - and she wants the respect that comes with popularity.
** Subverted with Morgan. She affectionately calls the protagonist “Goldenboy,” but she doesn’t care at all about his popularity - only his humanity.
** Double subverted with Amy. She doesn’t really care about the protagonist’s skiing ability, but once he starts getting dating success, Amy starts to see him as a way to explore her own sexuality.
--->'''Amy:''' I wouldn’t be a gamer if I minded a player.
** Zigzagged with Rachel. She doesn’t care about the protagonist’s skiing fame, but sees her ex as familiar, and finds his changes in outlook since the avalanche as refreshing. However, she’s concerned for a time that he might have had a more active sex life than she has since their breakup.

Related to "ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe" if the guy decides to GiveGeeksAChance.

** [[TheEeyore Ishigami]] ends up falling for Tsubame despite the two of them literally being on opposite ends of the PopularityFoodChain (she's one of the three {{School Idol}}s and he's a pariah due to an incident in middle school). He never had any intention of pursuing her due to knowing that she was completely out of his league, but Kaguya makes it her mission to help him win her affections [[ShipperWithAnAgenda in the hopes going through the effort would improve his self-confidence]].
** Apparently, this is also the case with Shirogane, a working-class citizen and one of the "impurities" among Shuchi'in students, pursuing Kaguya, a wealthy girl who is heir to the powerful Shinomiya Group. His constant efforts to defend his first place in examinations and earn distinction as the StudentCouncilPresident are all done in hopes of being able to stand on an equal footing with Kaguya.

There's something about the BigManOnCampus that drives all the girls wild... even the ones that know he is ''sooo'' out of their league. If the dorky girl wants the most popular guy at school, it usually ends in one of two ways: either the two end up together, or she finds out that he's actually a huge jerk. Sometimes all it takes is [[BeautifulAllAlong a makeover]] to get the guy to notice the girl. If he ends up returning her feelings, often his ex-girlfriend the AlphaBitch will get [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]]. [[WhatDoesHeSeeInHer Classmates will wonder what the quarterback is doing with the nerd]]. This version is common WishFulfillment often seen in shows aimed at tweens and in {{chick flick}}s. If it doesn't work out between them, expect there to be AnAesop, usually something like [[BeYourself "Don't change yourself for a jerk"]] or "Popularity isn't everything".

** Played straight with [[{{AlphaBitch}} Sharpay]]. She's obsessed with making them East High's 'primo girl and guy' and goes to near sexual-harassment levels to win him over. Add in that Troy [[{{BrokenAce}} carries a lot of insecurity about being defined only as the popular, basketball guy]] and it gets worrying.

* Carter, in ''Film/PrincessProtectionProgram'', had a crush on Donny since third grade. Everyone who knows her, even her enemies, knows about it. At the dance, when SheCleansUpNicely and he finally notices her, she turns him down flat. "Before I put on this dress, you couldn't even remember my ''name''." (She's right. His inability to remember her name was actually a running gag throughout the movie.)

* In Manga/ToiletBoundHanakoKun, Nene has a crush on upperclassman Teru Minamoto that she later realizes is mostly due to his popularity and status as StudentCouncilPresident.

** In ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'', Ichigo has a crush on Aoyama, the popular KendoTeamCaptain (sort of the Japanese equivalent of the football quarterback) and they start dating partway through the series.

** Sadako likes Kazehaya in ''Manga/KimiNiTodoke''. This is actually played with in the series because her love is requited by him, but ''because'' she's a loner.
*** For an added bonus, he fell for her first and is genuinely a nice guy who wants her to be happy. When she stops being a loner, he's a little sad she's not just his anymore but overlooks his desires for her happiness. Cue "Aaaww."
** In ''Manga/ShugoChara'', heroine Amu has a crush on the school's resident ChickMagnet, Tadase, [[spoiler: which he eventually reciprocates. She still ends up with [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys bad boy]] Ikuto anyway.]]
** In ''{{Manga/ION}}'', Ion has a huge crush on the most popular guy and StudentCouncilPresident, Koki.
** In ''Himekei Doll'', Ayumu is obsessed with Renji, who's not only popular but a fashion designer as well.
* In a {{shonen}} example, Sakura of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', has an infatuation with Sasuke, which is one of her defining traits, particularly at the beginning. It is also totally unrequited, with Sasuke often calling Sakura out for being average. Of course, this is often PlayedForLaughs, as almost every girl in ''Naruto'' (except [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan Hinata]]) is obsessed with Sasuke, particularly while they're still in the Academy. The competition over Sasuke has had such results as ending friendships, causing fights in classrooms, and trampling innocent bystanders.
** Later is played for more tragedy, as Sakura's specific case is actually a {{deconstruction}} of AllGirlsWantBadBoys. [[spoiler:Ultimately she still marries him and has a daughter with him anyway.]]

** Apparently, this is also the case with Shirogane, a working-class citizen and one of the impurities among Shuchi'in students pursuing Kaguya, a wealthy girl from the Shinomiya group. His constant attempts at defending his first place in examinations and getting elected as the StudentCouncilPresident are all done in hopes of being able to stand on an equal footing with Kaguya.

** In ''Manga/CharismaDoll'', Sara likes Hayase, who's the most popular guy. He's also a huge popstar, so that's why he's so popular. He actually likes Sara's alter ego popstar personality Sala.

*** For an added bonus, he fell for her first and is genuinely a nice guy who wants her to be happy. When she stops being a loner, he's a little sad she's not just his anymore, but overlooks his desires for her happiness. Cue "Aaaww."

** In ''Himekei Doll'', Ayumu is obsessed with Renji, who's not only popular, but a fashion designer as well.

** Apparently, this is also the case with Shirogane, a working class citizen and one of the impurities among Shuchi'in students pursuing Kaguya, a wealthy girl from the Shinomiya group. His constant attempts at defending his first place in examinations and getting elected as the StudentCouncilPresident are all done in hopes of being able to stand on an equal footing with Kaguya.

* ''Film/CantHardlyWait'': Preston has been in love with Amanda since the first day of high school but she's been dating the JerkJock all this time, until he dumps her prior to graduation. He plans on revealing his feelings for her at a graduation party.
* ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'': Gabriella towards Troy, though she's not actually interested in his popularity. She falls for him when they meet on vacation and doesn't discover he's the 'most popular guy' until later on. In fact, she's noticeably put off when he acts like a jerk to please his friends and tells him she prefers the real him instead of the BigManOnCampus everyone else see's. It also helps that Troy is smitten with her from the get-go, (even though she's a ShrinkingViolet / HollywoodNerd that ''doesn't'' undergo a makeover) and they single-handily demolish the schools social structure.
** Played straight with [[{{AlphaBitch}} Sharpay]]. She's obsessed with making them East High's 'primo girl and guy' and goes to near sexual-harassment levels to win him over. Add in that Troy [[{{BrokenAce}} carries a lot of insecurity about being defined only as the popular, basketball guy]] and its gets worrying.

** Except that Sam doesn't like Austin because everyone else does. At the beginning she seems to think he's just another [[JerkJock Jerk Jock]], and she doesn't spare him any real thought until she finds out that he's Nomad.

* ''Film/SixteenCandles'', Sam has a crush on Jake Ryan the whole movie. He's curious about her, and then comes to like her back.

* Similar to ''Film/ThirteenGoingOnThirty'', Romy of ''Film/RomyAndMichelesHighSchoolReunion'' crushed hard on the popular guy in high school who spurned her affections at the prom. At the reunion we find he's a loser unhappily married to the AlphaBitch.

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'' does this, with Rachel's crush on Finn. He seems to like her, but doesn't like that he gets ostracized by his friends for being with her.

* ''WebVideo/{{Dad}}'': Daughter's boyfriend, Griffin, is noted to be one of the most popular boys in her school. She worried about other girls also being interested in him, and went out of her way to appeal to him. They're both interested in trying to win Prom Champions.

* In ''Manga/AoNoFlag'', Kuze is attracted to Mita, a very friendly and popular baseball player. She asks Ichinose, the main character and childhood friend of Mita to help her get Mita's attention. Little do either Kuze or Ichinose know that [[spoiler:Mita is actually gay and crushing on Ichinose.]]

** Played straight with [[{{AlphaBitch}} Sharpay]]. She's obsessed with making them East High's 'primo girl and guy' and goes to near sexual-harrassment levels to win him over. Add in that Troy [[{{BrokenAce}} carries a lot of insecurity about being defined only as the popular, basketball guy]] and its gets worrying.

* Gender inverted in ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'', where [[TheEeyore Ishigami]] ends up falling for Tsubame despite the two of them literally being on opposite ends of the PopularityFoodChain (she's one of the three {{School Idol}}s and he's a pariah due to an incident in middle school). He never had any intention of pursuing her due to knowing that she was completely out of his league, but Kaguya makes it her mission to help him win her affections [[ShipperWithAnAgenda in the hopes going through the effort would improve his self-confidence]].

* ''Series/NeverHaveIEver'': Paxton is a mega hottie, and Devi is super into him. Turns out he reciprocates — sexually, at least. It's not until the end of Season 1 that he realizes his romantic feelings for her.