Good Serious Cdrama Historical w/ Warm ML

Does this exist?

Honestly, I'm a bit sick of the stoic/terrifying/general/cold male lead. I admittedly haven't seen that many, but this trope seems to be in Every. Single. One. (or at least the popular ones that I know of)

I want something different - please let me know if you know of any where the ML is kind hearted, maybe more into academics or healing - or at the very least, not stoic.

(Also, I added the "serious" to the title, because I like serious dramas with only a touch of comedy)

Joy of Life

The Untamed - there are two male leads, one is stoic the other is not

 mango sorbet is temporar:

I've also been searching for dramas of your exact description and have yet to find any that I love. here are a few that might match what you're looking for though

Sadly, I'm aware of all these. I will let you know if I find more though.

- Ming Lan is such a unique drama, though as most of the focus was on the fl and various family dramas, I kind of forgot the temperament of the ml. Though he's definitely a military person, I guess he fits. It has been many years since I saw it. 

- Secrets of the Three Kingdoms fits this to a T.  Thanks for reminding me it existed. The MLs strategy is basically to kill all his enemies with kindness. Pity this allows them to keep plotting his destruction - the drama drags, and the flaws built up so I dropped it 2/3 of the way through, but I probably wasn't forgiving enough back then. I should re-watch it, as in all the years since, I have encountered nothing quite like it. There was definitely a huge gender role reversal, as the FL was also refreshingly reserved, hard and ruthless - comments liked to criticize her, but I loved how flawed her character was. 

- Wei Young, well, I never even started this one because I just knew that I would find it frustrating. I did not pay much attention to the temperament of the ml when I made this decision though. Your review is not exactly encouraging lol so I'll stick to my original decision.

- And Oh My General... I might have dropped this on the first episode because it contained too much comedy for me to stomach, but that could have been something else, I'll have to double check. It was also many years ago.

It seems like stoicism is considered attractive and almost a requirement for MLs in historical Cdramas. I personally find this stoicism very unattractive, which is sadly ironic.

 mango sorbet is temporar:

I've had secret of three kingdoms on my ptw for awhile. I'm a bit cautious in starting it for the exact reason you mentioned. I feel like there's only so much "protagonists lose" I can take lol. the unique take on the main leads' personalities are interesting though, I might give it a try.

So I've already re-watched the first few episodes, and first off, I can't believe that I forgot about this because I'm reminded how the FL is probably one of my favourites ever, the actress is doing a phenomenal job portraying a character with so much strength and depth. Like, even if you can't finish it, it's definitely worth checking out for this reason alone. 

Also, I don't really think it's one of those "the protagonists are always losing" kind of dramas - sure, the dangers they face are very nerve-wracking and very real, and they do lose sometimes, it was more that the conflicts were drawn out because the ML, without fail, chose mercy - and so it grew a bit repetitive, because the antagonists always got back up again. But also, because the ML is such an unambitious pure-hearted angel, and cares naught for power - a win for him is no one suffering or dying. He always chooses that route when he can, so it doesn't always feel like he loses. I guess to watch and enjoy this, one must not wish him to change, as his personality is the core of this drama. So integral that it would hardly be the same story without him. He is kind of naïve, but he does grow, particularly with such a jaded FL to guide him. In a way, his kindness also manages to gradually rub off (slightly) on the FL - and that sure is heart-warming.

The first time, while I liked the ML, I think I was in the mood for a character more like the Rise of Pheonixes ML, who as you mentioned, is very, very different. That's another drama I should re-watch in order to finish, at least for the sake of seeing that marvellous beginning again.

Historical C Drama where the ML is kind hearted / not stoic ("good" and "serious" being somewhat subjective):

• +1 The Princess Wei Young - Not everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it. It's "serious" in the sense that the stakes are high (lots of life-or-death situations) but also hard to take seriously for almost the same reason (the FL seems to be framed or put in other life-threatening situations on a weekly basis). 
• +1 The Untamed
• +1 The Story of Ming Lan
• Sound of the Desert - The ML is a general, but isn't stoic or cold. He enjoys joking and flirting with the FL, and makes an effort to cheer her up when she's unhappy. The drama is "serious" in the sense that it has some political intrigue and melodrama, but at the same time the FL was partly raised by wolves...
• Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty - The ML is a friendly young prince. His older brother is much more serious / stoic. The drama is "serious" in the sense that it's a palace drama with political intrigue, battles, etc. but it also has time travel, magical amnesia and a not particularly mature FL.
• Who Rules the World - The ML is powerful and clever, but not all that cold or stoic. He has a reputation for doing good and looks out for the FL from the beginning. Some might consider it to not be all that serious a drama because it's a wuxia drama with unrealistic hidden identity tropes.
• The Blue Whisper: Part 1 - Although the ML is fairly serious for most of the drama, it's hard to hold it against him (he is held prisoner, used, threatened and betrayed). In the beginning he is fairly naive, and the reason he ends up becoming a prisoner in the first place stems from him going out of his way to save the life of a stranger.
• Arsenal Military Academy - The ML is a bit of a mess at first and sometimes has jerk tendencies, but he's not stoic and starts to look out for the FL very early on. He has a goofy side that is part flirt and part clown. This drama is "serious" in the sense that it's set during a politically fraught era and has military themes (that get more serious later on in the drama), but some might not consider it to be "serious" because of the school setting, the cross-dressing trope, or the blatant propaganda bent.