"Human Talisman" Romances
This list contains "forced proximity" romances in which one character falls in love with the person who EXCLUSIVELY relieves their condition. Examples include:
- someone with face blindness who can only recognize one person's face
- an insomniac who can sleep when a specific person is by their side
- a phobic main character who doesn't experience their phobia(s) around a certain individual
- someone suffering from a magical curse or poison whose antidote comes from another person
- time/death constraints that are affected when two individuals are together
- two main characters who swap abilities (i.e., good luck, insensitivity to pain, etc.)
- interspecies dependency, where an alien/god/immortal/gumiho, etc. needs a select human for survival or transformation
- supernatural travel, where a person who has time traveled or crossed parallel dimensions needs someone else to return
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1. The Master's Sun
Korean Drama - 2013, 17 episodes
the FL isn't haunted by ghosts when she touches the ML
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2. Kobold
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
the immortal ML needs the mortal FL to end his curse of immortality
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3. Bulgasal: Immortal Souls
Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
the immortal ML needs the mortal FL to end his curse of his immortality
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4. Qin Ai De Wu Xiong
Chinese Drama - 2021, 35 episodes
the immortal ML needs the mortal FL to act as his younger sister
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5. Si Teng
Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes
after the alien FL saves him, the human ML must become her servant and help her pass as a modern human
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6. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho
Korean Drama - 2010, 16 episodes
after the gumiho FL saves him, the ML must help her pass for a modern human
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7. Frightening Cohabitation
Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
the gumiho ML loses his fox bead to the human FL
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8. Your Sensibility My Destiny
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
the ML doesn't experience any sense perception (taste, touch, smell, etc.) unless he's touching the FL
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9. A Korean Odyssey
Korean Drama - 2017, 20 episodes
the god ML and the human FL enter a supernatural pact which requires him to protect her
[I dropped this drama]
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10. My Girlfriend is an Alien
Chinese Drama - 2019, 28 episodes
the human ML with situational amnesia and the alien FL who craves contact with men enter a mutually beneficial arrangement
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11. Arang and the Magistrate
Korean Drama - 2012, 20 episodes
the ML is the only living person who can see and hear the ghost FL
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12. Moon Embracing the Sun
Korean Drama - 2012, 20 episodes
the drama that inspired the name of this list! the FL acts as a "human talisman" to ward off evil for the ML
[This drama has magical realism]
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13. The Secret Life of My Secretary
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
the ML experiences prosopagnosia (face blindness) and exclusively relies on his secretary for assistance
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14. The Beauty Inside
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
the ML experiences prosopagnosia (face blindness) with everyone except the FL
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15. Ik ben geen robot
Korean Drama - 2017, 32 episodes
the ML doesn't experience haphephobia (the fear of being touched) when he's with the FL because he's convinced she's a robot
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16. Sm:)e
Chinese Drama - 2018, 24 episodes
the ML doesn't experience haphephobia (the fear of being touched) when he's with the FL
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17. About Is Love
Chinese Drama - 2018, 30 episodes
the ML doesn't experience gynophobia (the fear of women) when he's with the FL
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18. Sweet Sweet
Chinese Drama - 2021, 22 episodes
the ML's aphasia (a language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate) is temporarily relieved by the FL's ice cream
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19. Countdown of Love
Chinese Drama - 2022, 12 episodes
the ML can extend the lifespan of the FL
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20. About Time
Korean Drama - 2018, 16 episodes
the ML can extend the lifespan of the FL
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21. When Time Stopped
Korean Drama - 2018, 12 episodes
the FL is the only person who isn't affected by the ML's time-stopping ability
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22. Fall In Love With Him
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
the FL is the only person who isn't affected by the MLs' time-stopping ability
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23. The Only You in The World
Chinese Drama - 2021, 22 episodes
the FL's supernatural heart condition is relieved by the ML
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24. Tomorrow With You
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
the time traveling ML is convinced that his relationship with the FL will prevent his doomed future
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25. Walk Into Your Memory
Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
the amnesiac ML can regain his memories through the FL
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26. The Sleepless Princess
Chinese Drama - 2020, 35 episodes
the insomniac FL can sleep if the ML is with her
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27. My Neighbour Can't Sleep
Chinese Drama - 2019, 24 episodes
the insomniac ML can sleep if the FL is with him
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28. Link
Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes
the ML feels the FL's emotions
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29. Love Unexpected
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
the FL feels the ML's emotions while the ML feels the FL's physical pain
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30. Lucky Romance
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
the unlucky FL can only become lucky and save her sister's life if she sleeps with a man from the Year of the Tiger
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31. Count Your Lucky Stars
Chinese Drama - 2020, 34 episodes
the ML and FL swap good and bad luck
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32. Lovers of the Red Sky
Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes
the ML and FL swap the ability to see
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33. Parallel Love
Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
the time traveling FL cannot survive or return to the future unless she helps the ML become the president of his company
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34. Angel's Last Mission: Love
Korean Drama - 2019, 32 episodes
the angel ML cannot return to heaven unless he finds true love for the human FL
[I dropped this drama]
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35. I'm a Pet At Dali Temple
Chinese Drama - 2018, 22 episodes
the cat shifter FL cannot shift into her original human form unless she touches the ML's magical necklace
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36. Make a Wish
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
the cat shifter FL cannot return to her world unless she repays the ML's kindness
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37. W
Korean Drama - 2016, 16 episodes
the FL can enter and exit a fictional world through the ML
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38. I Am This Type of Woman
Chinese Drama - 2021, 40 episodes
the FL's prophetic dreams are impacted by the ML
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39. The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion
Chinese Drama - 2020, 40 episodes
the FL's prophetic dreams are impacted by the ML
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40. Prince of Lan Ling
Chinese Drama - 2013, 46 episodes
victory in battle depends on the FL's blessing
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41. My Hundred Year Old Lover
Chinese Drama - 2021, 24 episodes
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42. The Love by Hypnotic
Chinese Drama - 2019, 36 episodes
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43. Love When the Stars Fall
Chinese Drama - 2023, 40 episodes
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44. Meet You
Chinese Drama - 2021, 12 episodes