Looking for drama like It's Okay That is love

Hi,

I am looking for drama like It's Okay That Is Love.  I have watched Kill Me Heal Me, even though i really loved it, it was not the type i was looking for.

To open more what i want from drama:

I am looking for a drama with strong female lead(Not pyshical strength. I liked that how she is very smart, independent and not submissive), unique feeling( I don't know if i can describe it well but,It felt like listening Indie music after listening lots of pop music. I did not feel like watching a normal k-drama.) and good, non-cliche plot.

One Million Yen Girl
You're All Surrounded
Marriage, Not Dating
Hotel King
In time with you

I have watched neither, but I remember that along with It's Okay That Is Love, Heart to Heart was another of the healing trend dramas. Everyone was talking about how sweet and quaint Heart to Heart was. I can't tell about the strength of the female lead since I haven't watched it, but I'm pretty sure it's one of the dramas out there with the most obvious indie feel to it, since it seems that was actually part of its concept.

I second I Hear Your Voice for the female lead. I absolutely loved it, but on the other hand I don't think it quite meets the indie vibe you're talking about. It's one of those dramas that feels very glossy on the contrary.

I'm not so sure, but maybe Secret Garden? It has become a classic. The female lead is definitely the strong type, and if I remember correctly, the drama sometimes had this kind of cozy, comfortable, cute atmosphere going on. I wouldn't quite say indie though.

Oh My Ghostess had an indie vibe (and the music added to that), but the plot is a bit unusual: the female lead starts out meek, and gets possessed by an outrageous and very direct ghost. The drama is pretty much split half and half between both characters which both evolve and are very attaching, and the female lead ends up being confident. So she isn't strong from the start, though this drama shows her journey to it.

Reply 1997, Reply 1997, Reply 1997! Though it essentially takes place in highschool, and also a little 8 years later during adulthood, the female lead is always one of the most consistent, strong and relatable characters I have come across. Though she isn't "smart" as in "knowledgeable", she is "smart" in the way that she is very coherent and capable, and as an adult, despite having been a bad student, she strives in a job that corresponds well to her quirks. This drama really does feel indie too since it really is: this is one of the first cable drama successes, and it was a huge surprise to everyone that it was such a success despite a pretty unknown cast. I loved this drama, and plenty of others did :^)

P.S: though in none of the above I talk about the romance aspect since you don't really address that in your requests, I believe you are looking for something that is romantic -- all of these have great and very central love stories!

Good luck!

Hi

I know what you mean. I am frequently bored by the stereotypical female leads passive, submissive and often downright dumb behaviour. Even though there are quite a few dramas with more multi-facetted female characters (still not enough in my opinion) few can compare to ‘It’s okay, it’s love.’ It had a great story that kept you on your toes, a witty script, a superb supporting cast with fleshed out characters, an excellent lead couple with sizzling chemistry and to top it all a fitting soundtrack and beautiful cinematography. But most importantly, at least in my opinion was that, unlike in most Korean fare, not only was the female lead strong yet vulnerable, the relationship was depicted in a more realistic way including physical intimacy as part and parcel of a relationship between a man and a woman and in which both are consenting and active participants. I have to admit, whenever I see one of those typical scenes where a woman / girl when kissed turns into an inanimate plank, I just want to scream.  

So bearing in mind that no one suggestion can match ‘It’s okay, that’s love’ on all levels; I would like to second some of the above suggestions, namely

Marriage Not Dating  - (strong-ish female, good chemistry, funny, lots of skin ship)
Producers - (strong female, in fact the lead actress is Gong Hyo Jin, good script but somewhat misleading story)
Heart to Heart - (strong female despite agoraphobia, great chemistry, lots of skin ship, mental health issues also play a part)
Oh my Ghostess  - (one strong one less strong female who learn from each other, lots of hilarious skin ship with the male being at the receiving end)
Coffee Prince  - (strongish female, very funny with nice skin ship and good chemistry)  

There are a few more dramas with strong female leads not mentioned above. Whilst they may not fit all of your criteria and in fact you may dislike some, I personally recommend the following depending on what genre you are in the mood for.  

Queen Seon Deok (super strong female, historical drama)
Arang and the Magistrate (sassy, funny historical fusion)
Painter of the Wind (bitter sweet and beautiful historical romance) 
Sungkyunkwan Scandal (cross-dressing, hilarious, second and third lead syndrome historical fusion)
Empress Ki (kick ass female lead in historical drama)
Warning: All of the above may not have a happy ending.


Secret Love Affair (older woman younger man, great music + romance)
What’s Up Fox (also a noona romance with some really funny stuff and some drama)
Witch’s Romance (mostly hilarious noona romance with great chemistry, skin ship and drama) 
I need Romance 3 (again a noona romance with sweet realistic skin ship)
Kimi Wa Petto - (another noona romance with a twist, sounds mad on paper but really enjoyable to watch + out of all the ‘older’ ladies she is by far the sexiest) Note: Most noona romance dramas tend to have strong female characters

Innocent Guy / Man - (great melodrama)
Soulmate - (just really unusual, grown up and off beat for a Korean drama)
Ex Girlfriend Club – (funny, off beat romance with great performances)
My unfortunate Boyfriend – (if you want some mindless hilarity)
The World that they live in – (probably most realistic portrayal of a relationship I have ever seen in a Korean drama)
Ho Goo’s Love – (strong independent female, unusual story, sweet)
Dal Ja’s Spring – (heroine starts of quite pathetic but grows stronger and independent, other strong female characters in support cast)
Cunning Single Lady – (strong willed lady fighting for independence mixed with fun and drama)
I Need Romance 1 + 2 – (cast consist of different women with the female lead going through some growth + lots of skin ship in comparison to your usual fare) Discovery of Romance – (strong female lead, with lots of misunderstandings, one of my faves, may be because I am the queen of misunderstanding so I can easily relate)
The Master’s Sun – (Gong Hyo Jin again plays the lead in this. I think she is one of the best leading ladies in Korea who picks her roles carefully and usually has great chemistry with her co-stars. Although on paper this sounded a bit silly to me and it has the usual rich dude fall for poor girl thing going, I totally fell in love with this drama. It is funny, dramatic and romantic with super cute skin ship and a great soundtrack.)
The Lover – (last but not least, this is off beat and totally different from any other Korean drama I have seen, with god forbid, a premarital couple living together and a potentially homosexual couple)  

Enjoy, Luna