Dramas With Little Or No Romance

sometimes we just wanna watch something that's not so romance focused, each drama in the list has a comment explaining why i put the drama in this list

INCLUDES:

  • dramas i think personally have no romance
  • dramas that only have romantic subtext but no obvious canon romantic main couple
  • dramas that have no main couple but might have romantic side couples

obviously this only includes dramas i've seen & completed so it'll continue to be updated the more i watch

note: there may be an imbalance of what country the drama is from as a lot of the korean, thai, taiwanese, & chinese dramas i've watched have a romantic plot with  heavy focus within them, so that's why there's a lot of jdramas above anything else

Lex Apr 9, 2021
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  • Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman

    101. Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman

    Japanese Drama - 2017, 12 episodes

    7.0
    • food focused
    • i don't think i noticed any romance at all tbh
  • Kashimashi Meshi

    102. Kashimashi Meshi

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes

    8.0
    • romantic sideplots but the main focus is the friendship
  • Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero

    103. Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance from what i remember
  • Keiji to Kenji, Tokidoki Hanji

    104. Keiji to Kenji, Tokidoki Hanji

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 9 episodes

    8.0
    • minor romantic sideplots that either are unrequited or are from guest characters
  • Keishicho Outsider

    105. Keishicho Outsider

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 9 episodes

    8.5
    • bromance focused
  • Kichijoji Losers

    106. Kichijoji Losers

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 12 episodes

    8.5
    • minor romantic subplots that last really one ep or half an ep but overall there's not much
  • Kingdom

    107. Kingdom

    Korean Drama - 2019, 6 episodes

    7.0
    • barely any romance
  • Kiriko's Crime Diary

    108. Kiriko's Crime Diary

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 5 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance from what i can remember
  • Kiwadoi Futari: K2 - Ikebukurosho Keijika Kanzaki Kuroki

    109. Kiwadoi Futari: K2 - Ikebukurosho Keijika Kanzaki Kuroki

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 6 episodes

    9.5
    • no romance
    • family focus 
  • Knockin' on Locked Door

    110. Knockin' on Locked Door

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 9 episodes

    7.5
    • no romance
  • Law School

    111. Law School

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    9.0
    • minor romance
  • Legend of Zang Hai

    112. Legend of Zang Hai

    Chinese Drama - 2025, 40 episodes

    7.5
    • no romance from what i remember
  • Liaison: Kodomo no Kokoro Shinryosho

    113. Liaison: Kodomo no Kokoro Shinryosho

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes

    9.5
    • no romance
  • Light of My Lion

    114. Light of My Lion

    Japanese Drama - 2024, 11 episodes

    8.0
    • familial focused
    • no romance
    • maybe implied unrequited romance between one of the female characters & the ML but it can be ignored
  • Link Click

    115. Link Click

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance
    • bromance focused
  • Live Surgery Room

    116. Live Surgery Room

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 28 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance, a minor romantic subplot which is mostly unrequited and very minor i mostly was able to ignore it
  • Maestra: Strings of Truth

    117. Maestra: Strings of Truth

    Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

    8.0
    • barely any romance it's revenge focused so there aint no time for that
    • 2ML(? not the FL's husband her childhood ex) definitely has feelings for the FL tho
  • Malice

    118. Malice

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes

    7.5
    • no romance
  • Mars: Zero no Kakumei

    119. Mars: Zero no Kakumei

    Japanese Drama - 2024, 9 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance from what i remember if there was some i didn't catch on
  • Miraculous Brothers

    120. Miraculous Brothers

    Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance
    • bromance focused
    • ehhh could be a very very minor subplot of romance if you squint between side characters
  • MIU 404

    121. MIU 404

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 11 episodes

    9.0
    • barely any romance just mentions here and there
  • Mob Psycho 100

    122. Mob Psycho 100

    Japanese Drama - 2018, 12 episodes

    9.0
    • i'm pretty sure there's no romance in this but it's been so long since i watched it ngl or if there is it's only hints to romance 
  • Mobius

    123. Mobius

    Chinese Drama - 2025, 16 episodes

    8.5
    • little romance, mostly more obvious nearer the end of the series and a side couple plot 
  • Move to Heaven

    124. Move to Heaven

    Korean Drama - 2021, 10 episodes

    9.5
    • minor romance between support characters
    • minor mentions of potential future romance between some main characters
  • Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom

    125. Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom

    Japanese Drama - 2019, 10 episodes

    10
    • very minor background romances that can be ignored
    • more student/mentor & platonic focused dynamics
  • Muscle Grandpa

    126. Muscle Grandpa

    Korean Movie - 2021

    8.5
    • no romance
    • familial focus (grandpa & grandson)
  • My Name

    127. My Name

    Korean Drama - 2021, 8 episodes

    8.0
    • romantic sideplot that really only surfaces in episode 8 it can be viewed as platonic before this episode
  • Mysterious Lotus Casebook

    128. Mysterious Lotus Casebook

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 40 episodes

    9.5
    • romantic sideplot which is minor that you can ignore
  • Nanba MG5

    129. Nanba MG5

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    10
    • there is a romantic sideplot that does have a somewhat major role to the drama but i think the platonic bonds & familal bonds are stronger in this and you can view the romantic sideplot as platonic
  • Nao-chan wa Shogakusannensei

    130. Nao-chan wa Shogakusannensei

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 6 episodes

    6.5
    • friendship focused
    • it's a show about kids so that's why
  • Navillera

    131. Navillera

    Korean Drama - 2021, 12 episodes

    10
    • minor romance
    • student/mentor & familial focus 
  • Neko Bukken

    132. Neko Bukken

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance up until ep 7 where ep 7 focuses on a romantic subplot
  • New Nobunaga Chronicle: High School Is a Battlefield

    133. New Nobunaga Chronicle: High School Is a Battlefield

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    7.5
    • i'd say there's no romance or if there is it's more subtext than anything else
  • Night Doctor

    134. Night Doctor

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 11 episodes

    9.0
    • hints to romance & minor romantic side plots
  • No Activity: Honjitsu mo Ijou Nashi

    135. No Activity: Honjitsu mo Ijou Nashi

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 6 episodes

    6.5
    • no romance
  • No Direction Home

    136. No Direction Home

    Japanese Movie - 2023

    6.5
    • bromance focused
  • Nursing Aide at Your Side

    137. Nursing Aide at Your Side

    Japanese Drama - 2024, 10 episodes

    7.5
    • minor romance sideplot
  • Nusumareta Kao: Miatari Sosahan

    138. Nusumareta Kao: Miatari Sosahan

    Japanese Drama - 2019, 5 episodes

    7.5
    • no romance i think or if there is it's really minor
  • Oh My Ghost Clients

    139. Oh My Ghost Clients

    Korean Drama - 2025, 10 episodes

    7.0
    • romance sideplots
  • Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

    140. Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

    Taiwanese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

    9.5
    •  romantic subtext
  • One Dollar Lawyer

    141. One Dollar Lawyer

    Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes

    8.5
    • there's barely any romance except in episodes 7-8 which are flashbacks
  • Only You

    142. Only You

    Korean Drama - 2022, 2 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance
  • Oretachi wa Abunakunai ~ Cool ni Saboru Keijitachi

    143. Oretachi wa Abunakunai ~ Cool ni Saboru Keijitachi

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 8 episodes

    8.0
    • platonic focus
    • mentions of romance of side characters
    • main character gets hit on by another character's wife 
  • Our Kogen Hotel

    144. Our Kogen Hotel

    Japanese Movie - 2013

    5.5
    • i'm pretty sure there's no romance in this it's more about the hotel & the dynamic is platonic 
  • Over Drive

    145. Over Drive

    Japanese Movie - 2018

    8.5
    • no romance i think
    • possibly there could've been romantic subtext but if there was i didn't see it
  • Panda Judges the World

    146. Panda Judges the World

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 10 episodes

    9.0
    • little/minor romance
    • to me the romance(s) felt very one sided
    • honestly the romance in this drama can be easily ignored
    • the little romance there is doesn't really add to the plot
  • Pandora's Fruit

    147. Pandora's Fruit

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    7.0
    • other than prev relationship between husband & wife that's mentioned/referenced there's barely any romance
  • Peaceful Property

    148. Peaceful Property

    Thai Drama - 2024, 12 episodes

    8.5
    • minor romance only as the sideplots related to the ghosts
  • Phantom School

    149. Phantom School

    Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    7.0
    • mostly just implied/subtext but barely any other than unrequited
  • PICU: Shoni Shuchu Chiryo Shitsu

    150. PICU: Shoni Shuchu Chiryo Shitsu

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 11 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance from what i remember
  • Pledge of Allegiance

    151. Pledge of Allegiance

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes

    8.5
    • bromance focus
    • romantic sideplots that you can ignore (i felt nothing for them)
  • Police in a Pod

    152. Police in a Pod

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 9 episodes

    8.5
    • little romance (characters go on mixers/dates but never really lead anywhere)
  • Project S: SPIKE

    153. Project S: SPIKE

    Thai Drama - 2017, 8 episodes

    9.0
    • friendship/team focused
    • minor unrequited love storyline
    • mentions of a past relationship of side characters
  • Rebooting

    154. Rebooting

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    9.0
    • friendship focused
    • very minor romantic sideplot near the beginning / mentions of an old crush/relationship
  • Remember You

    155. Remember You

    Thai Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    9.5
    • slow burn romance as a side plot 
  • Reversal Orchestra

    156. Reversal Orchestra

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    10
    • romance sideplots but the main focus is the orchestra
  • Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri Special

    157. Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri Special

    Japanese Special - 2019, 1 episode

    8.0
    • romance mention between side characters
    • romantic subtext 
  • Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri: Another Story

    158. Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri: Another Story

    Japanese Special - 2016, 3 episodes

    8.5
    • possible romantic subtext
    • romance mention between side characters
  • Road to High&Low

    159. Road to High&Low

    Japanese Movie - 2016

    7.0
    • platonic relationships are the main focus
    • minor mentions of a romance
  • Rokuhodo Colorful Days

    160. Rokuhodo Colorful Days

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    9.0
    • very minor romantic sideplot
    • platonic & familial focused
  • Romance on the Farm

    161. Romance on the Farm

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 26 episodes

    7.5
    • don't let the title fool you the romance in this drama is a sideplot and it doesn't get that much screen time compared to literally everything else
  • Running Like a Shooting Star

    162. Running Like a Shooting Star

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance
    • bromance focused
  • Sagideka

    163. Sagideka

    Japanese Drama - 2019, 5 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance
    • maybe lowkey hints towards romance but not really 
  • Saitama Host Club

    164. Saitama Host Club

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes

    6.0
    • minor romantic sideplot that doesn't really go anywhere
    • more platonic & boss/employee focused
  • Sayonara Maestro: Chichi to Watashi no Appassionato

    165. Sayonara Maestro: Chichi to Watashi no Appassionato

    Japanese Drama - 2024, 10 episodes

    8.5
    • minor romantic subplots but the main focus is familial & music
  • Sekai Wa 3 de Dekite iru

    166. Sekai Wa 3 de Dekite iru

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 1 episode

    9.0
    • mentions of a romance but that's it
  • Sennyuu Sousa Idol Deka Dance

    167. Sennyuu Sousa Idol Deka Dance

    Japanese Drama - 2016, 12 episodes

    9.0
    • friendship focused
    • minor references to romance / relationships 
  • Sensei no Otoriyose

    168. Sensei no Otoriyose

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 12 episodes

    8.0
    • definitely romantic subtext and mentions of romance/crushes but there is none
  • Sensei wo Kesu Houteishiki

    169. Sensei wo Kesu Houteishiki

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 8 episodes

    8.5

    let me explain why I put this in here because there IS a main romance in this:

    • the life lessons taught by the teacher to his students is the main focus for majority of the drama
    • the kids try and kill him so many times you forget that he's there for a purpose (revenge)
    • it's so batshit crazy you kinda forget that there's a romance plot among it 
    • the lover is unconscious 95% of the series so you really only see the romance in flashbacks, in brief mentions, and really the last episode
    • what i'm saying is you could replace the lover with a family member or a friend and still get the exact same drama out of it 
  • Seoul Busters

    170. Seoul Busters

    Korean Drama - 2024, 20 episodes

    8.5
    • minor romantic sideplots
  • Sherlock: The Untold Stories

    171. Sherlock: The Untold Stories

    Japanese Drama - 2019, 11 episodes

    8.5
    • very little romance side storylines that have very little relevance on the overall plot 
  • Shimobee

    172. Shimobee

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    8.5
    • minor romance
    • main focus is on a familial relationship
  • Shinhannin Flag 2

    173. Shinhannin Flag 2

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    8.5
    • romance side plots
  • Shotengai no Pianist

    174. Shotengai no Pianist

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 13 episodes

    8.0
    • this drama is tagged with romance but i literally barely saw any
  • Sign

    175. Sign

    Japanese Drama - 2019, 9 episodes

    8.0
    • there's barely any romance in this
  • Solo Camping for Two

    176. Solo Camping for Two

    Japanese Drama - 2025, 8 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance
    • platonic focused
  • Squid Game

    177. Squid Game

    Korean Drama - 2021, 9 episodes

    9.0
    • it's a death game there's no time for romance
    • i guess you could say there's a very minor romance subplot but it's easily ignorable because of the death game
    • idk if you could really class it as a romance more of a "we're gonna die so let's fuck" side plot 
  • Squid Game Season 2

    178. Squid Game Season 2

    Korean Drama - 2024, 7 episodes

    8.5
    • we aint got time for that
    • minor hints/mentions of a past relationship between two of the main characters (myeonggi & junhui) & minor flirting from thanos
  • Squid Game Season 3

    179. Squid Game Season 3

    Korean Drama - 2025, 6 episodes

    8.0
    • no romance 
  • Stand by Me

    180. Stand by Me

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 20 episodes

    8.0
    • no romance from what i remember
  • Stand Up Start

    181. Stand Up Start

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes

    7.0
    • really no romance other than i think side plots related to guest characters
  • Stealer: The Treasure Keeper

    182. Stealer: The Treasure Keeper

    Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

    8.5
    • i think they tried for romantic subtext but i wasn't feeling it
  • Strange Tales of Jiang Cheng

    183. Strange Tales of Jiang Cheng

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 52 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance from what i remember or if there was i didn't notice it, it's more bromance & platonic focused
  • Sugarless

    184. Sugarless

    Japanese Drama - 2012, 12 episodes

    8.5
    • the romance was really minor if i remember correctly 
    • more platonic focused 
  • Sweet Home

    185. Sweet Home

    Korean Drama - 2020, 10 episodes

    9.0
    • romantic subtext / hints to romance 
    • they removed the main romance from the webtoon between hyun/jisu and tried to imply hyun/eunyu for some reason (i'm still mad about it)
  • Sword and Fairy 4

    186. Sword and Fairy 4

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 36 episodes

    8.5
    • romance sideplots that do get a bit of focus from time to time but the main relationship that has the focus are the platonic, familial, student/master relationships
  • Sword Snow Stride

    187. Sword Snow Stride

    Chinese Drama - 2021, 38 episodes

    9.0
    • definitely romantic subtext & minor romantic subplot but to me it comes off as a sibling bond more than anything romantic
  • Tang Dynasty Unusual News Record

    188. Tang Dynasty Unusual News Record

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 20 episodes

    6.5
    • minor romance mentions in cases the leads explore
  • Tax Solver

    189. Tax Solver

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    • no romance
  • Taxi Driver

    190. Taxi Driver

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    9.5
    • very minor romantic subtext
    • unrequited love of minor side character in one episode
  • Taxi Driver Season 2

    191. Taxi Driver Season 2

    Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes

    7.5
    • i feel like they were hinting at a romance sideplot but it felt brother/sisterly to me
  • Teen Regime

    192. Teen Regime

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 5 episodes

    7.0
    • definitely an implied romance but it can be ignored
  • Tengu's Kitchen

    193. Tengu's Kitchen

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    8.0
    • no romance
  • Tenshoku no Mao-sama

    194. Tenshoku no Mao-sama

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes

    7.0
    • kinda implied romance but it's so minor that you could see it platonically
  • The Aromantics

    195. The Aromantics

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    10
    • no romance as it focuses on two aromantic characters who don't want romantic relationships
    • though it does touch upon past romantic relationships & romantic relationships in general in regards to combating amatonormativity
  • The Bionic Life

    196. The Bionic Life

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

    8.0
    • subtle romantic sideplot that you can honestly just view platonically if you wanted
  • The Blood of Youth

    197. The Blood of Youth

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes

    9.5
    • romantic sideplots that can be ignored
    • platonic focus
  • The Embers

    198. The Embers

    Chinese Drama - 2025, 28 episodes

    8.0
    • romance sideplot (2ML mostly)
  • The Forensic Examiner Song Ci

    199. The Forensic Examiner Song Ci

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 25 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance 
  • The Good Bad Mother

    200. The Good Bad Mother

    Korean Drama - 2023, 14 episodes

    8.0
    • romantic sideplot but the main focus is the mother/son bond & revenge

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