Unidentifiable

You missed out OCN. Where does that fit into all this? Because at least half of my favourite dramas are from OCN.

No I haven't seen Hanzawa Naoki yet. I suppose every time I looked into it I wasn't in the right mood or something.

Also, you may like the currently airing Nobody Knows. I can't tell you if it ends well, because it hasn't ended, but it sure can set the right tone. I found it captivating within seconds.

Very good points.

To be honest, I didn't mind the young female prosecutor being killed off. Perhaps because I watched it after so many romcoms where the writers simply won't kill anyone, and also perhaps because I didn't really see her as a love interest. To me, she just felt like a junior who admired her senior for his competence - I think her character could have just as easily been written as male. Another reason she didn't feel like the love interest was simply this: the male lead was not looking for romance and the writer held to that throughout.

About the emotional breakdown and shock that occurred, I felt that it was building and inevitable, so it hardly bothered me. But I plan on re-watching it soon and will keep my eye out for this and see how it feels again to be sure.

As for villains, well. Yes, they were made obvious from the start, but I loved how the culprit was only very indirectly connected to the clear antagonists. I did not see it coming at all. It felt very interesting, because the culprit is usually the Big Bad Guy, but here, he was small in the scheme of things and it was fascinating. As for politics, corruption and morals, well, I like them when they are well executed, so I did not mind. The head prosecutor jumping of the building felt so, so brilliantly anticlimactic that I loved it.

We can always complain about fan-service and moralisations, but they are hard to get away from. They are everywhere and they make up the bulk of many stories. Only, when they are executed well, with A+ script, acting and directing, I find them forgivable because there is often so much more to a drama that makes it strong.

Oh yes that's right, Solomon's perjury is a remake. The original is probably better - but that explains why a lot of it felt very Jdrama-esque. Also, it's unfair to compare Tunnel to Signal, sure, they have the same themes, 80's, time travel, serial killers, ect, but the story and execution is massively different. It holds it's own and to be honest, I liked Tunnel more, even if it was harder to get into.

Ah yes, locked room mysteries can be very overdone in Jdramas now that you mention it. And yes, a lot of Kdramas are very angsty, but sometimes that can be a strength and they are usually brought to justice. I didn't enjoy Signal because of the awful ending which made my stomach churn at the injustice.

I'm surprised that you didn't like Stranger, it was my favourite, but we all have our tastes. I'm curious to know what you felt was off about it, because I loved the female lead (even if she was very secondary at times) and the female prosecutor, while weak, she was mostly just inexperienced. And there is no romance, there is a refreshing male-female friendship. Also, there is a direct sequel scheduled in a few months so the ending was not finite. (I feel the pain, I've been waiting 2 years!)

I often find Jdramas far worse when it comes to writing female characters, although Kdramas often make me grit my teeth as well. That said, they are getting significantly better every year in that regard.

I recommend:

Tunnel. Be warned, the main character is time travelling from the 80s, be prepared to be tolerant of his behaviour until he adjusts to the present. Once it gets going however, it can be very enjoyable.

Children of Nobody. Very dark tone, it investigates some serial murders, but with a very new light. They are not random killings, as the killer definitely has a moral code. Powerful.

Life on Mars. It's a remake of a western series, but this is pretty good. It has a very unique tone. Undertones of romance, but really, it's just the modern time-travelling hero treating the female lead with the respect she deserves - as a result she admires him greatly.

WATCHER. Definitely good. Probably very much what you want. Although it gets a bit complicated in the middle, it manages to save itself and end well. I found the mystery a little bit anticlimactic, but sometimes it's worth the journey.

Solomon's Perjury. This is one of my favourites and it happens to be set in a school. Great, believable young characters and hugely underrated.

Defendant. More suspense than detective, but the mystery and emotional journey is great, if you can withstand some poetic licensing with reality.

The Lies Within. In my opinion, probably a bit subpar compared to the rest, but it is police detective and not badly acted. I managed to finish it, but I really think the story could've been brilliant from another angle. You'll see if you get there.

Save Me 2. I haven't seen the first and therefore can't recommend, they are unrelated to each other. There's some sexist themes in this, but it is very unglamorised and nearly chilling. Very deeply psychological with oh so grey characters who have so much buried beneath the surface. Definitely more thriller than detective, but it has an air of mystery about it and reaches a deep dark tone I've never before seen in a Kdrama. Very slow build, but uh, great for anyone who enjoys a serious story.

Also, a lot of shows from OCN tend to be great, once you weed out those like Missing Noir M. I too was very surprised by the high regard, I totally agree with you there. I had to fight from going to sleep and didn't make it through episode 2.

Because you're used to Jdramas, you probably won't enjoy all of these, but there is little romance in any, unless you try very hard to read between the lines. Looking at this list, I think Jdramas tend to focus more on mystery, whereas Kdramas veer more towards thrillers.. I have a lot more which I have not finished but intend to finish.

I'm not sure if I qualify, because I haven't watched many Chinese detective/mysteries I tried, but couldn't get into them, if that says something. Even the most highly rated ones felt uh, not so great to me. Cdramas excel in historical settings, that is undeniable.
Honestly, I love Korean and Japanese detective/mysteries both. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Kdrama:
+ Overall production value and polish.
+ Overarching plots and interconnecting story lines.
+ Great revenge themes, often.
- Tendency to to make everything too interconnected
- Tendency to over-dramatise things, particular childhood connections.
+/- Kdramas without romance are uncommon, but sometimes the lack of romance which makes them unpopular can make a show brilliant. Likewise, sometimes romance is included where it is blatantly unnecessary.

I have loved more than a dozen Korean detective/mysteries, and I recommend investigating the best. Also feel free to ask me if you want recommendations.

Jdrama:
+ Shorter series length and episodic in nature. (Not always, but often)
+ Ability to make the mundane interesting in almost anything.
+ Ability to make the wild feel normal.
+ Often don't need romance to be strong.
- Female characters often need better writing.
+/- Creativity. Sometimes it's a strength, sometimes it's a weakness. It really depends on the audience and execution.
+/- Many manga adaptations. not always bad, sometimes adaptations are well done, but the source is always a lot better. And sometimes it causes the story to lose the sense of reality that is the biggest strength in a Jdrama.

Naturally, both countries have their cliches, but the best dramas in both frequently subvert or ignore these tropes.

Please note that I have watched far more Kdramas than I have Jdramas. Often, because they are harder to track down or I am familiar with the source material and therefore feel less desire to revisit the same story. (I watched anime and read manga for several years before I entered dramaland)

Personally, I don't think W or Strong Woman Do Bong Soon qualify. They are 6th and 7th in MDL's most popular category on the front page.
I'd also argue that Signal doesn't either, as it is the most popular and most highly rated drama in its genre. When someone asks for a thriller/crime/investigation drama, it is always at the top of the list.
Otherwise, I see some interesting choices here, and many that I agree with.

I'm wary of this because it's a romcom, and I'm wary because to be honest, I haven't liked a project from the writers. But still, memory is a topic that fascinates me. No, not cheap amnesia plots, I mean other looks at memories and their significance, just like this. So really, I enjoyed the first episode.

I also think they got the music right.

There was a flashback of them being classmates.

I think Dong-baek was about 34 and Young-shik about 30-31, so yes, by a few years maybe, but they were still similar ages so it was irrelevant.

Just watched episode 23 - 24, and I'm finding I have a very love-hate feeling about this drama. First, the female lead, it's refreshing to finally - finally see a single mother as the lead in a romcom, but that doesn't mean I love her character. She's too passive, and sure, that makes it satisfying when she puts her foot down, but really, she navigates the world so differently to me that I absolutely cannot relate.
And two, some of the characters are a bit, like, Young-shik's mother, she does a total 180 for no reason - sure, maybe to explore cultural norms, but it feels out of character. And Pil-gu's dad is annoying, his logic is very, very off as well, and I don't like it, because sometimes he feels like a good person, and sometimes he's uh, delusional and it's inconsistent and simply unnecessary.


Other than that, I'm enjoying this a good deal.

I'd also like to say that myself and most of my friends at school were from single parent families. Some of them even had step-dads or stepmums, sometimes they had a stepdad and a stepmum, that is, two sets of parents. And yes, culturally it is very different, but why on earth can't someone have two dads? The dad does not need to be in an active relationship with the mother to be a parent.

I haven't seen any of these, but Kimi wa Petto and Gokusen were both absolutely brilliant mangas.

I thought we were talking about Seo Hyun Jin xD Uh, I get them confused sometimes. She was the FL of Beauty Inside

I think the same actress does a pretty decent job in Black Dog. Yeah, well, I haven't finished it yet (just picked it back up again) but I found the story a lot more appealing, and the FL has a kind of quiet strength. She may appear at first to be a pushover, but no, she is stoic and charming, hardworking and competent. She proves that not all problems have to be faced head-on to fix them. I'm at episode 5, and I'm really loving the protagonist, oh she is so very far from whiny. In the first episode she cries a bit, but it is fully justified.

I know you didn't ask me, but I'll give you my opinion anyway. The Beauty Inside was, well, it was okay. It faded into obscurity for me, also without any major flaws or irritations, but the secondary couple were very memorable.

I'm embarrassed to admit Love O2O was my first Asian drama, I must've been bored witless. There were some benefits, however, because that made me look for something better and well, there was a lot that was better and I haven't looked back.

Still, I can't believe people still recommend it.

It's why I stick to mostly non-romance Kdramas. There's some good ones, even though they're in the minority.

Oh yes. I drop dramas left and right because of the female leads. I'm just not forgiving enough to finish them. I say this with oh, 130 dropped and on-hold dramas, 2/3 because of the female leads. It's also why I rarely touch romcoms these days, those are full of girls who believe their very existence revolves around their love interest.

It's the worst when they dress her up as intelligent, only to make her do something dumb and completely out of character because that what's socially acceptable/what writers perceive viewers want.

On another note, I can't finish any of the dramas you mentioned, because of the female leads. Only, SFS was for other reasons.

I wanted to like this, but I couldn't get over them talking about him being "cured" sure, average people might talk like that, but these are doctors!! I'm on the spectrum myself, and I can tell you, there is no cure, there is nothing to "fix", there is only better management of the "symptoms."
I can't watch it because of this, it's misinformation!

I also get really anxious watching his meltdowns. It's very ambitious of him to desire the hospital environment, although I admire him for it. They're some of the worst places on earth.

This is overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's by no means bad, it's just that so many hail it the best crime/detective drama ever, when I have to disagree. I couldn't even finish it, even though I will admit it's good, one of the best, but not THE best.