trailblaze

Thank you so much! This is a very comprehensive list! Have a great start to the week :)

I wouldn't mind any genre honestly. I lean towards thriller, but I equally enjoy a good romcom. And I'm open to cdrama.

No problem :)

That's also one of the reasons I watched this show! Have fun :)

You don't need to apologize :)

I felt so. She protects him in the second half of the series, also emotionally. I really like shows where there is reciprocity, and I think this series did a decent job in protraying it.

Along the same lines, do you have some recs where the FL is equally invested in the male lead?

I think her devotion is no less than the male lead's own. She's the one that takes the initiative in the entire relationship, or at least makes sure the male lead does. All he does is take care of her silently, keeping all his secrets in the dark, but she kind of forces him out of his shell. Towards the second half of the series, only the female lead is actually concerned about their relationship, while the male lead wants the female lead to keep living at any cost. So, I would say, she wants to protect their relationship and the male lead wants to protect her.

Fancy seeing you here :)
There is a break up in this one (though not a painful one at all).

I think she asked for time if I'm not mistaken, but from @arpar's comment, it seems that it was more serious than that.

But you are right. The second male lead confessed to her, and died before she could reject him. He was a great character, but alas, they had to insert the terrible love triangle and make him a typical second male lead.

Oh! Thanks for the clarification. I might have selectively forgotten it because of how much I liked the show.

I'm quite surprised I didn't find First Responders on the list. I watched it some time ago, so I might get some things wrong, but I'm positive that there was no break up in the show. I adore shows where there is a plot apart from the romance, and this one hit the right notes for me. There is a "sorta" love triangle that didn't annoy me as much, so I remember this fondly. It's not a romance show, so beware that romance really takes a backseat. You wouldn't get to see their relationship blossom till the second season, yet their journey toward being each other's biggest confidants is totally worth it.

It's a great show! Probably one of the best portrayal of anxious attachment I've seen. The break up wasn't a necessity, but the male lead was quite immature during the time, so it makes sense. But it didn't bump the ratings down for me. The relationship was so raw and beautiful, and the characters were absolutely lovely. One of the few dramas where I actually felt that the female lead loved the male lead and accepted his (understandable) obsession.

This is a great recommendation! I love the dialogue in this show. It's no different from banter often, and is so relatable. The male lead is so over the top at times, but they somehow manage to make it so endearing. I also love the lack of background sounds (there's not much bgm either)! Makes every conversation so immersive.

The winning try.

A sports drama (and friendship) with a dash of romance never disappoints me. Add good characters in the mix and you have the winning try. I loved the show and didn't find any glaring reason not to. Overly dramatic? Yes, but there's substance underneath. The portrayal of rugby is very unrealistic, but they conveyed the message well and loud. The drama is filled with choices people take at one point or the other, and follows the consequences of the choices. An amazing male lead, and a female lead that grows on you over time. The romance is really sweet once it gets going, but beware that this show revolves more around supporting your partner in their choices rather than enjoying the feeling of being in love. Personally, I loved the relationship and I think this show fits the list perfectly.

These lines sold me their romance. Spoiler here: "You're so precious to me. I'm so careful around you, just in case I accidentally make you cry. So why do you treat yourself like this?"

Watashi no Otto to Kekkon Shite.

I haven't watched the orginal (and neither do I plan to), so my thoughts reflect the show as a standalone drama and not a remake. This fits the list almost perfectly because the relationship is really healthy, and they (initially only the male lead) always got each other's back irrespective of the misery they are put through. Almost perfectly because the male lead had to resolve some issues on his side, so he leaves for like 10 minutes. I honestly think that wasn't a break up because as viewers we are fed with both perspectives, so you can see that there are no misunderstandings between the leads whatsoever. The number of episodes were perfect because they managed to wrap the series without rushing or bogging us down with irrevelevant plots. All characters are fleshed out and consistent, including the villains, which was the strongest point of the show for me. No glaring plot holes to break the immersion either. A green flag male lead is always a bonus, and the female lead deserved him. It's an amazing watch for fans of jdramas and a great introduction to the rest.

Niravana in fire. This is the best chinese drama I've ever watched. The con? There's no romance. But the intrigue is insane in this one.

I watched Blossom, but I suppose you have already watched it.

Kill me, Love me. It has a pretty low rating for a historical drama, and I had to fast forward a lot in the second half.

Rebel Princess. I think you have already watched it. I've been following your lists and comments.

Here are some honorable mentions: Rise of Phoenixes, A journey to Love, Ingenious One. I don't watch a lot of historical dramas because I tend to prefer books if they have a decent translation.

Honestly, I think the best suspense romance show is Flower of Evil. There's nothing that comes close. My perfect stranger is really good, but it's a time travel show with very little romance. There's a chinese thriller romance show called Love me if you dare. I've read the book, and I remember enjoying it a lot. Maybe the drama is equally good (There's Wallace and Sandra, of course). Also another one: When a snail falls in love. The book was really good, and the drama was all right.

Here's my mixed feeling recommendation: The Trunk. It's a mature show, and there's graphic nudity.

I think I have already recommended Atypical family. It's a really good show. Also happiness, but it's a mainstream show.

And lastly, Judge from hell. I've been wanting to watch this show so badly,
but there's no way to watch it legally where I live.

I've started watching Joy of Life, but I always put it on the backburner after watching a few episodes. Maybe I'll finish it before the third season comes out.

Yeah, already watched it. Thanks for the recommendation. I really enjoyed it too :)

Time to start a new thread I guess :)

Let me be the one to recommend this show: Love Scout. The last episode will end this week, and this is shaping out to be the best office romance show (dethroning WWWSK) I've watched. Not a big of perfect male leads in any show, but it was bearable here as his character wasn't really the focus of the show. Really loved the female lead, and her growth is more about coming out of her shell than changing for the better.

Also finished watching Glory recently. Great recommendation as usual. Let me know if I'm missing out on more gems.

Hey! I watched this show a while ago, but as far as I remember, it becomes very evident when the couple gets together, and it is a few episodes before the last. This is a scifi thriller first and then romance. So, there are no grand confession scenes, no grand declarations, but subtle changes in the relationship dynamics become evident starting from the middle of the series.

If you enjoy watching plot driven tv shows, you'll love this one. Romance is just an icing, because the show hold its weight even without the romance. Personally, I will watch anything with scifi (a stem major), but I adored the romance in this one.

My Perfect Stranger

Time travel show done right. The male lead is such a gem, and the central pairing commuticates really well after the initial few episodes. The relationship is really healthy despite the fact that the romance takes a backseat, but the show is very enjoyable from the get go. It's a treat to watch them go from being strangers, friends, confidants, to emotional pillars of each other. No break up between the leads.