Dramas with no romance (Draft Version)

No Romance.

Genre: Sports drama.

Plot: A new general manager changes the fortunes of the lowest-ranked team in a pro baseball league with his clever and unconventional methods.

Great sports drama with an amazing performance from Nam Koong Min.

No Romance.

Genre: Crime/Mystery

Plot: An eccentric medical examiner, his bubbly new assistant and a police detective team up and solve a variety of cases.

The cases are all interesting. Maybe a little unpolished compared to newer dramas, but well worth the watch.

Very minor romance.

Very minor romance between one of the male leads and a supporting character. There are only two or three scenes that can be considered romantic. 

The other male lead has a crush on his boss, but it is unrequited. It's only mentioned once or twice and is not an important plot point.

Genre: Police Procedural

Plot: A veteran detective who relies on his analytical mind to solve cases is partnered up with a young and impulsive detective who is all heart and no brain. 

This might seem like your usual cop procedural show, but the two leads really make this special. When they are working together using their distinctive skill set, it's just magic. The show starts off with tailgating and then tackles murders, prank callers, drugs, and yakuza financiers, and by the end they are fighting a Joker-esque supervillain. 

No romance

Genre: Spy thriller

Plot: An NIS agent who was MIA returns to get revenge on those within the agency who betrayed him.

This is an excellent spy thriller with gritty and hard-hitting fight scenes. 

No romance.

Genre: Historical/detective

Plot: A genius detective who is righteous to a fault teams up with a clever and politically savvy nobleman who thinks of rules as mere suggestions. They butt heads, fight each other, work with each other, and solve many cases, all the while unraveling a larger conspiracy.

This is a great detective show. Both the main leads are excellent, and their chemistry as a duo is very good. Cases are also very interesting.

Very, very minor romance.

The FL has a crush on the ML, who is her superior at work. ML seems to like her too, but he tells her to not pursue him . That's pretty much the end of what little romance plot there is.

Genre: Thriller

Plot: A team of detectives led by their eccentric team leader are trying to catch a serial killer. But things start to unravel as they go deeper into the case, pointing at a much larger conspiracy.

This show is amazing. It starts out as a detective show but evolves into something entirely different. I don't want to give too much away; go watch it. 

Very minor romance

The ML (prisoner) and the FL (servant) have feelings for each other. But the romance takes a complete backseat to the rest of the plot, as there literally isn't any time for romance.

Another girl has feelings for the ML, but it's one-sided. 

Genre: Historical/thriller

Plot: In the heyday of Tang China, the peacekeepers corps uncovers a terrorist plot on the capital, Chang'an. The peacekeepers must now rely on the help of a death row convict—a former lawman—to solve the case within 24 hours.

This show has an amazing plot, wonderful attention to detail and historical accuracy (the story itself is fiction), and realistic fight scenes (mostly). The ending is quite bad, as most of the side plots get no resolutions. But the show is well worth the watch. There is nothing else quite like it.

No romance.

Genre: Music/Comedy

Plot: Genius military strategist KongMing from the Chinese Three Kingdoms period wakes up in modern Tokyo and is enthralled by the music of a young singer called Eiko. He will then become her manager/strategist and help her achieve success while battling rival singers and predatory business practices.

This show is wonderful. Music isn't a genre I usually watch, but the use of KongMing's strategies along with Eiko's music makes this show very unique. Both the leads are excellent, and there is also a cast of interesting supporting characters. 

Romance for second leads.

FL seems to have some feelings for her ex. He shows up in one episode. He has moved on, and she moves on as well. 

The chemistry between the ML and FL is excellent. The show never explicitly makes it romantic, but the depth of their emotions when it comes to each other is so strong that you can certainly make a case that they are in love. But you can just as easily say that they are not. 

There is romance between the second leads.

Genre: Mystery/Thriller.

Plot: Two mountain rescuers find strange connections between a series of accidental deaths that have been going on in Mt. Jiri for a long time. 

This is a very unique and atmospheric show with beautiful cinematography.  It can be slow at times, but the mystery is very good and keeps it engaging. This show is not for everyone, but it might become one of your favourites depending on your taste. 

Romance in flashback

There is no romance between the ML and FL. The romance is between the ML and his fiancée, and it's told in flashback. It is limited to about two episodes, but it is quite sweet and tragic.

Genre: Law/Comedy

Plot: An eccentric lawyer who only charges 1000 won (less than 1 dollar) for every client takes on a young lawyer from a pretty elite family as his apprentice. The two solve various cases in brilliant and unusual ways.

This show is very funny at times, and solutions to some of the cases are very well done. They don't solve everything in the courtroom, and that gives this show a very unique feel. The ending is rushed, though, but the rest of it is well worth the watch.

No romance.

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Plot: A prosecutor who cannot feel emotions and a righteous police detective join forces to find a serial killer and root out corruption within both the police force and the prosecution.

This is an amazing show. Probably one of the best K-dramas ever, and my all-time favourite.  The chemistry between the leads is spectacular, and it is completely nonromantic. Both seasons of the show are equally good. 

No romance

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Plot: The wife of a chaebol heir who also happens to be the daughter of an assembly tries to find her missing husband with the help of a veteran detective.

This is quite a dark show with many twists and turns. It is quite good and well worth the watch, but it might not be for everyone. 

No romance 

FL and a supporting character are interested in each other, but that plot point quickly takes a back seat, and the supporting character has a completely different and much more interesting arc related to his career.

There is no romance between ML and FL.

Genre: Legal drama/Comedy

Plot: A money-hungry lawyer with a 100% win rate takes on an idealistic attorney who hates his guts as an assistant, and together they take on everyone from copyright thieves to chaebol groups. 

This is a very funny show with amazing chemistry between the ML and FL. All the cases are excellent, with many unexpected twists. 

No romance

There is romance in one episode, but it is between two supporting characters who are only present for that episode. And it's only told in flashback.

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Plot: An amazing painter with an incredible skill to draw human faces has to team up with a veteran detective to solve cases.  The only problem: Years ago, the painter was indirectly responsible for the murder of the detective's mentor.

The show has a very unique concept, and the cases are fairly original and interesting. But I did not like this show, as the painter seems to be the only one who is doing anything. The rest of the team made only minor contributions. I have not watched the second season of this show.

No romance.

Genre: Crime/Detective

Plot: A rookie police detective asks for help from a brilliant physicist to solve a wide variety of cases.

This is a very charming show. Some of the cases are very good; some, not so much. But the show remains interesting since the main characters and the recurring supporting characters are all very good. This show also has one of the cleverest murders I have seen in fiction. The show has two seasons, and both are excellent. 

Very minor romance

ML and FL like each other, but neither of them has the time to pursue a relationship, as both of them have a lot of things going on. They do get engaged for political reasons and start dating at the end of the show. Romance here is not all prominent.

Genre: Revenge/Crime

Plot: A prosecutor who was killed by an untouchable assemblyman gets a second chance at life. He wakes again during his college days and now has to carefully and methodically plan his life in order to get his revenge.

The revenge plot here is very good. The way the ML builds his power base and gradually chips away at his enemy's power, without him even knowing what is happening, is a treat to watch. But the last couple of episodes seem rushed and did not fit the methodical revenge of the rest of the show. ML and the main villain both did a great job here. 

No romance.

There are two female leads, and both have a crush on the ML, but it obviously goes nowhere, as the ML is a Catholic priest. It's only mentioned once or twice and is not a plot point in the show.

Genre: Action/Crime

Plot: A Catholic priest who is more likely to beat up sinners than listen to their confession takes on a group of elites that runs the city and is responsible for his mentor's death.

Every fight scene in the show is excellent, and the show is quite funny at times. The titular priest steals the show, but the rest of the cast does an excellent job as well.