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 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
-
1. 17 Sai no Teikoku
Japanese Drama - 2022, 5 episodes
- definitely an implied romance but it can be ignored
-
2. 19th Floor
Chinese Drama - 2024, 30 episodes
- romantic sideplot, definitely has a heavier focus nearer the end of the series compared to the beginning
-
3. 3 Nen A Gumi: Ima kara Mina-san wa, Hitojichi Desu
Japanese Drama - 2019, 10 episodes
- very minor background romances that can be ignored
- more student/mentor & platonic focused dynamics
-
4. A Mai Cong Jun
Chinese Drama - 2024, 36 episodes
- romance sideplot
-
5. Acma:Game
Japanese Drama - 2024, 10 episodes
- no romance if there was i totally missed it and it went over my head (could've possibly have been an unrequited love plot that i ignored but even if it was there it was very minor)
-
6. An Ye Ming Tan
Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes
- minor romance (married couple)
-
7. Annarasumanara
Korean Drama - 2022, 6 episodes
- minor romantic sideplot that doesn't go anywhere
- focuses more on platonic relationships & mentor/student relationships
-
8. Aogeba Toutoshi
Japanese Drama - 2016, 8 episodes
- platonic & mentor focused
- i don't remember there being any romance in this
-
9. Aoki Vuanpaia no Nayami
Japanese Drama - 2021, 8 episodes
- no explicit romance but could be read as romantic subtext
-
10. Are You Safe
Chinese Drama - 2022, 31 episodes
- romance sideplot between 2 support characters that can be ignored
- bromance focused
- mentor/mentee focused
-
11. Aristocratic Birth: PRINCE OF LEGEND
Japanese Drama - 2019, 6 episodes
- no romance
-
12. Aristocratic Birth: PRINCE OF LEGEND - THE MOVIE
Japanese Movie - 2020
- very minor romance
-
13. Atom's Last Shot
Japanese Drama - 2022, 9 episodes
- mostly postentially implied subtext
-
14. Bangkok Breaking
Thai Drama - 2021, 6 episodes
- minor romance but the main focus of the drama is the corruption
-
15. Barakamon
Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes
- no romance
- platonic/familial focused
-
16. Bionic
Chinese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
- subtle romantic sideplot that you can honestly just view platonically if you wanted
-
17. Bittersweet
Japanese Movie - 2016
- platonic focused
- mentions of romance
-
18. Black Postman
Japanese Drama - 2023, 7 episodes
- barely any romance
-
19. Black Sun
Korean Drama - 2021, 12 episodes
- minor romance
-
20. Blade Master
Japanese Drama - 2022, 9 episodes
- no romance
- barely any romantic subtext imo
-
21. Blind
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
- very little romance, which is mostly subtext
-
22. Blood Free
Korean Drama - 2024, 10 episodes
- romantic subtext
-
23. Blue Moment
Japanese Drama - 2024, 10 episodes
- minor romance (in flashbacks as it deals with the loss of a romantic partner)
-
24. Brotherhood of Blades: Shadow of Mountain and River
Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes
- bromance focus
- romantic sideplots that you can ignore (i felt nothing for them)
-
25. Brush Up Life
Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
- friendship focused
- very minor romantic sideplot near the beginning / mentions of an old crush/relationship
-
26. Bu Liang Zhi Nian Qing Chu Shi
Taiwanese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
- romantic subtext
-
27. Cat Property
Japanese Movie - 2022
- barely any romance you pretty much have to squint to see it if you really want to but very platonic focused
-
28. Cheat
Japanese Drama - 2019, 10 episodes
- anzai flirts with literally everyone but that's about it
-
29. Cheer Boys!!
Japanese Movie - 2019
- platonic focused
- maybe a very minor subtext towards a romance
-
30. Chicken Gangjeong
Korean Drama - 2024, 10 episodes
- romance sideplot that well is only mentioned a few times because the FL turns into a nugget
-
31. Chinese Paladin 4
Chinese Drama - 2024, 36 episodes
- 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
-
32. City Hunter
Japanese Movie - 2024
- i feel like they tried to hint towards romance but i saw it more as a sibling vibe but it was minor anyway
-
33. Code: Negai no Daisho
Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
- romantic subplot that doesn't last long
- revenge focused
-
34. Coffee Ikaga Deshou
Japanese Drama - 2021, 8 episodes
- romantic subtext but kind of not really at the same time
-
35. Company
Japanese Drama - 2021, 8 episodes
- minor romance (husband/wife going through divorce) but it's not the main focus
- hints at potential romances that don't go anywhere
-
36. Cool Doji Danshi
Japanese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
- no romance
-
37. Crosstail: Tantei Kyoshitsu
Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
- very little romance from what i can remember
-
38. Da Capo Shimasen ka?
Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
- aint no time for romance in this drama tbh
-
39. Death Note
Japanese Drama - 2015, 11 episodes
- there is a romantic relationship but i think it was more out of convenience than love & can be ignored imo
-
40. Death Note NEW GENERATION
Japanese Drama - 2016, 3 episodes
- no romance i think
-
41. Death Note: Light Up The New World
Japanese Movie - 2016
- no romance if i remember correctly
-
42. dele
Japanese Drama - 2018, 8 episodes
- very little romance (mostly related to side characters)
-
43. Desire Catcher
Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes
- maybe romantic subtext
-
44. Divorce Attorney Shin
Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
- drama is mostly about divorce so there's that
- romance sideplots
-
45. Doctor Prisoner
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
- hints to a possible romance
-
46. Dr. White
Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes
- no romance from what i remember
-
47. Dream
Korean Movie - 2023
- no romance
-
48. Enjiya
Japanese Drama - 2021, 6 episodes
- only the first 2 eps are somewhat romance focused but it's more about revenge & heartbreak than the romance itself
-
49. FAKE MOTION: Takkyu no Osho
Japanese Drama - 2020, 8 episodes
- no romance
- platonic focus
-
50. Fermat no Ryori
Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
- basically none
- there might be subtext between one of the MLs & his friend but it's very unrequited imo from her side
-
51. Fixer
Japanese Drama - 2023, 5 episodes
- no romance from what i remember
-
52. Ghost Yankee
Japanese Drama - 2024, 5 episodes
- no romance
-
53. Gifted Season 1
Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
- no romance
-
54. Gifted Season 2
Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
- no romance
-
55. Guang Ming Zhi Lu
Chinese Drama - 2024, 38 episodes
- minor romance sideplots
-
56. Hakozume: Koban Joshi no Gyakushu
Japanese Drama - 2021, 9 episodes
- little romance (characters go on mixers/dates but never really lead anywhere)
-
57. Hakubo no Chronicle
Japanese Drama - 2024, 12 episodes
- no romance except sideplots that were minor if there was any romantic subtext it definitely went over my head
-
58. Heaven and Hell
Japanese Drama - 2021, 10 episodes
- minor romantic subtext
-
59. Hero Is Back
Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes
-
60. High School Ghost Story
Korean Drama - 2021, 8 episodes
- no romance
-
61. HiGH&LOW
Japanese Drama - 2015, 10 episodes
- friendship focused
- some minor hints to romance here & there but it doesn't lead anywhere & can be ignored
-
62. HiGH&LOW The Movie
Japanese Movie - 2016
- platonic relationships are the main focus
- minor mentions of a romance
-
63. HiGH&LOW The Movie 2: END OF SKY
Japanese Movie - 2017
- platonic relationships are the main focus
- minor mentions of a romance
-
64. HiGH&LOW The Movie 3: FINAL MISSION
Japanese Movie - 2017
- platonic relationships are the main focus
- minor mentions of a romance
-
65. HiGH&LOW THE WORST
Japanese Movie - 2019
- platonic relationships are the main focus
- minor mentions of a romance(?)
-
66. HiGH&LOW THE WORST EPISODE.0
Japanese Drama - 2019, 6 episodes
- platonic focused
- (not so) romantic sideplot for a side character in ep 4
-
67. HiGH&LOW THE WORST Sequel
Japanese Movie - 2022
- no romance
- bromance focused
-
68. HiGH&LOW: The Red Rain
Japanese Movie - 2016
- familial relationship is the main focus
- no romance if i remember correctly
-
69. Hill Season 2
Japanese Drama - 2022, 6 episodes
- barely any romance compared to the first season
-
70. Hitotsubashi Kiriko no Hanzai Nikki
Japanese Drama - 2022, 5 episodes
- no romance from what i can remember
-
71. Hot Stove League
Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes
- no romance
- maybe some subtext between female lead & second male lead
-
72. Ichiban Sukina Hana
Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes
- minor romantic subplots that are mostly unrequited, the main focus is platonic
-
73. Ima kara Anata wo Kyouhaku Shimasu
Japanese Drama - 2017, 9 episodes
- mostly romantic subtext with a minor romance in flashbacks
-
74. Informa
Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
- minor romance sideplot
-
75. Insider
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
- very minor romantic subtext
-
76. Invert: Jozuka Hisui Toujoshu
Japanese Drama - 2022, 5 episodes
- barely any romance unlike the prequel
-
77. Invisible
Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes
- romantic subtext
-
78. Ishiko to Haneo: Sonna Koto de Uttaemasu?
Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes
- romance sideplot but it doesn't have much of a focus because you kinda forget about it
-
79. Itsu Made
Japanese Movie - 2023
- bromance focused
-
80. Janus no Kagami
Japanese Drama - 2019, 8 episodes
- implied that shindo maybe has feelings for hiromi
- implied that tatsuya has feelings for yumi
- no romantic relationships
-
81. Joshi Kosei no Mudazukai
Japanese Drama - 2020, 7 episodes
- mentions of romance
- friendship focused
-
82. Joy of Life
Chinese Drama - 2019, 46 episodes
- romantic sideplot but so much happens in this drama it's kinda on the back burner for a lot of it, i do adore the main couple though don't get me wrong but the romance is definitely not the main focus of this drama it's more about political intrigue, family dynamics, and palace politics
-
83. Joy of Life: Season 2
Chinese Drama - 2024, 36 episodes
- the same really as season 1, i feel like they spend more time apart in this season compared to the first one too
-
84. K
Japanese Drama - 2020, 8 episodes
- platonic focus
- mentions of romance of side characters
- main character gets hit on by another character's wife
-
85. Kaidanshita no Gogh
Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
- could be romantic subtext in this but you can read it platonically and/or as admiration
-
86. Kana Kana
Japanese Drama - 2022, 28 episodes
- main focus is familial and platonic
- romance sideplot that's mostly unrequited
-
87. Karma: Seven Joseon Notices
Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
- i think they tried for romantic subtext but i wasn't feeling it
-
88. Kashimashi Meshi
Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
- romantic sideplots but the main focus is the friendship
-
89. Keiji to Kenji, Tokidoki Hanji
Japanese Drama - 2023, 9 episodes
- minor romantic sideplots that either are unrequited or are from guest characters
-
90. Keishicho Outsider
Japanese Drama - 2023, 9 episodes
- bromance focused
-
91. Kichijoji Losers
Japanese Drama - 2022, 12 episodes
- minor romantic subplots that last really one ep or half an ep but overall there's not much
-
92. Kiwadoi Futari -K2-
Japanese Drama - 2020, 6 episodes
- no romance
- family focus
-
93. Knockin' on Locked Door
Japanese Drama - 2023, 9 episodes
- no romance
-
94. Koi Senu Futari
Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
- 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
-
95. Kyojo
Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes
- no romance from what i remember
-
96. Kyoso no Bannin
Japanese Drama - 2022, 11 episodes
- barely any romance & if there is it's guest couples
-
97. Law School
Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
- minor romance
-
98. Liaison: Kodomo no Kokoro Shinryosho
Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
- no romance
-
99. Lie Zui Tu Jian
Chinese Drama - 2022, 20 episodes
- bromance & mentions of romance
-
100. Link Click
Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes
- no romance
- bromance focused