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

Lex avril 9, 2021
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  • Maestra

    101. Maestra

    Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

    8.0
    • barely any romance it's revenge focused so there aint no time for that
    • 2ML(? not the FL's husband her childhood ex) definitely has feelings for the FL tho
  • Malice

    102. Malice

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes

    7.5
    • no romance
  • Mars: Zero no Kakumei

    103. Mars: Zero no Kakumei

    Japanese Drama - 2024, 9 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance from what i remember if there was some i didn't catch on
  • Megami no Kyoshitsu: Legal Seishun Hakusho

    104. Megami no Kyoshitsu: Legal Seishun Hakusho

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes

    • student/mentor focused
    • minor romantic subplots
  • Mirai e no 10 Kaunto

    105. Mirai e no 10 Kaunto

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 9 episodes

    9.0
    • student/mentor focused
    • grieving widower
    • definitely implies romance from the FL but feels one sided imo
      (it's literally so minor that you can ignore it which i did)
    • minor romantic sideplot love triangle between 3 students in an early episode
  • MIU 404

    106. MIU 404

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 11 episodes

    9.0
    • barely any romance just mentions here and there
  • Mob Psycho 100

    107. Mob Psycho 100

    Japanese Drama - 2018, 12 episodes

    9.0
    • i'm pretty sure there's no romance in this but it's been so long since i watched it ngl or if there is it's only hints to romance 
  • Model Taxi

    108. Model Taxi

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    9.5
    • very minor romantic subtext
    • unrequited love of minor side character in one episode
  • Model Taxi 2

    109. Model Taxi 2

    Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes

    7.5
    • i feel like they were hinting at a romance sideplot but it felt brother/sisterly to me
  • Monster

    110. Monster

    Korean Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    9.0
    • there's pretty much no romance in this (the only thing really is a very incredibly minor subplot of a romance of a dead character in like one flashback)
    • romantic subtext
  • Move to Heaven

    111. Move to Heaven

    Korean Drama - 2021, 10 episodes

    9.5
    • minor romance between support characters
    • minor mentions of potential future romance between some main characters
  • Muscle Granpa

    112. Muscle Granpa

    Korean Movie - 2021

    8.5
    • no romance
    • familial focus (grandpa & grandson)
  • My Name

    113. My Name

    Korean Drama - 2021, 8 episodes

    8.0
    • romantic sideplot that really only surfaces in episode 8 it can be viewed as platonic before this episode
  • Mysterious Lotus Casebook

    114. Mysterious Lotus Casebook

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 40 episodes

    9.5
    • romantic sideplot which is minor that you can ignore
  • Nakuna Kenshui

    115. Nakuna Kenshui

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 10 episodes

    9.0
    • little romance
    • friendship / colleagues focused 
  • Nami yo Kiite Kure

    116. Nami yo Kiite Kure

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes

    7.0
    • minor romance subplot
  • Nanba MG5

    117. Nanba MG5

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    10
    • there is a romantic sideplot that does have a somewhat major role to the drama but i think the platonic bonds & familal bonds are stronger in this and you can view the romantic sideplot as platonic
  • Nao-chan wa Shogakusannensei

    118. Nao-chan wa Shogakusannensei

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 6 episodes

    6.5
    • friendship focused
    • it's a show about kids so that's why
  • Navillera

    119. Navillera

    Korean Drama - 2021, 12 episodes

    10
    • minor romance
    • student/mentor & familial focus 
  • Neko Bukken

    120. Neko Bukken

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance up until ep 7 where ep 7 focuses on a romantic subplot
  • Nichiyo no Yoru Gurai wa…

    121. Nichiyo no Yoru Gurai wa…

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    7.0
    • minor romance subplot
    • platonic focused
  • Night Doctor

    122. Night Doctor

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 11 episodes

    9.0
    • hints to romance & minor romantic side plots
  • Nihonchinbotsu

    123. Nihonchinbotsu

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 10 episodes

    7.0
    • small hints to romance that can be ignored if needs be
  • Nishi Ogikubo Mitsuboshi Yoshudou

    124. Nishi Ogikubo Mitsuboshi Yoshudou

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 6 episodes

    8.5
    • more platonic focused
    • mentions of romance & ex relationships of side characters 
  • Nonsense

    125. Nonsense

    Korean Drama - 2024, 12 episodes

    8.0
    • minor romance sideplots
  • Not Very Powerful, but Attractive

    126. Not Very Powerful, but Attractive

    Korean Drama - 2024, 20 episodes

    8.5
    • minor romantic sideplots
  • Nusumareta Kao: Miatari Sosahan

    127. Nusumareta Kao: Miatari Sosahan

    Japanese Drama - 2019, 5 episodes

    7.5
    • no romance i think or if there is it's really minor
  • One Thousand Dollar Lawyer

    128. One Thousand Dollar Lawyer

    Korean Drama - 2022, 12 episodes

    8.5
    • there's barely any romance except in episodes 7-8 which are flashbacks
  • Only You

    129. Only You

    Korean Drama - 2022, 2 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance
  • Our Kogen Hotel

    130. Our Kogen Hotel

    Japanese Movie - 2013

    5.5
    • i'm pretty sure there's no romance in this it's more about the hotel & the dynamic is platonic 
  • Over Drive

    131. Over Drive

    Japanese Movie - 2018

    8.5
    • no romance i think
    • possibly there could've been romantic subtext but if there was i didn't see it
  • Pandora no Kajitsu

    132. Pandora no Kajitsu

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    7.0
    • other than prev relationship between husband & wife that's mentioned/referenced there's barely any romance
  • Paripi Komei

    133. Paripi Komei

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    8.0
    • no romance
  • Phantom School

    134. Phantom School

    Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    7.0
    • mostly just implied/subtext but barely any other than unrequited
  • Picu: Shoni Shuchu Chiryo Shitsu

    135. Picu: Shoni Shuchu Chiryo Shitsu

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 11 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance from what i remember
  • Project S The Series: SPIKE

    136. Project S The Series: SPIKE

    Thai Drama - 2017, 8 episodes

    9.0
    • friendship/team focused
    • minor unrequited love storyline
    • mentions of a past relationship of side characters
  • Qing Ya Ji

    137. Qing Ya Ji

    Chinese Movie - 2020

    8.0
    • minor romance sideplot
  • Remember You

    138. Remember You

    Thai Drama - 2021, 16 episodes

    9.5
    • slow burn romance as a side plot 
  • Reversal Orchestra

    139. Reversal Orchestra

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    10
    • romance sideplots but the main focus is the orchestra
  • Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri

    140. Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri

    Japanese Drama - 2016, 10 episodes

    8.5
    • possible romantic subtext
  • Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri Special

    141. Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri Special

    Japanese Special - 2019, 1 episode

    8.0
    • romance mention between side characters
    • romantic subtext 
  • Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri: Another Story

    142. Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri: Another Story

    Japanese Special - 2016, 3 episodes

    8.5
    • possible romantic subtext
    • romance mention between side characters
  • Road To HiGH&LOW

    143. Road To HiGH&LOW

    Japanese Movie - 2016

    7.0
    • platonic relationships are the main focus
    • minor mentions of a romance
  • Rokuhodo Yotsuiro Biyori

    144. Rokuhodo Yotsuiro Biyori

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    9.0
    • very minor romantic sideplot
    • platonic & familial focused
  • Romance on the Farm

    145. Romance on the Farm

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 26 episodes

    7.5
    • don't let the title fool you the romance in this drama is a sideplot and it doesn't get that much screen time compared to literally everything else
  • Running Like a Shooting Star

    146. Running Like a Shooting Star

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance
  • Saboriman Kantarou

    147. Saboriman Kantarou

    Japanese Drama - 2017, 12 episodes

    7.0
    • food focused
    • i don't think i noticed any romance at all tbh
  • Sacred Divorce

    148. Sacred Divorce

    Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

    7.0
    • drama is mostly about divorce so there's that
    • romance sideplots
  • Sagideka

    149. Sagideka

    Japanese Drama - 2019, 5 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance
    • maybe lowkey hints towards romance but not really 
  • Saiko no Kyoshi 1 Nen Go, Watashi wa Seito ni Sareta

    150. Saiko no Kyoshi 1 Nen Go, Watashi wa Seito ni Sareta

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    8.0
    • student/mentor focused
    • revenge focused
    • minor romantic subplots
  • Saitama no Host

    151. Saitama no Host

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes

    6.0
    • minor romantic sideplot that doesn't really go anywhere
    • more platonic & boss/employee focused
  • Sajangdol Mart

    152. Sajangdol Mart

    Korean Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    7.0
    • small romance sideplots
  • Sayonara Maestro: Chichi to Watashi no Appassionato

    153. Sayonara Maestro: Chichi to Watashi no Appassionato

    Japanese Drama - 2024, 10 episodes

    8.5
    • minor romantic subplots but the main focus is familial & music
  • Sekai Wa 3 de Dekite iru

    154. Sekai Wa 3 de Dekite iru

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 1 episode

    9.0
    • mentions of a romance but that's it
  • Sennyuu Sousa Idol Deka Dance

    155. Sennyuu Sousa Idol Deka Dance

    Japanese Drama - 2016, 12 episodes

    9.0
    • friendship focused
    • minor references to romance / relationships 
  • Sensei no Otoriyose

    156. Sensei no Otoriyose

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 12 episodes

    8.0
    • definitely romantic subtext and mentions of romance/crushes but there is none
  • Sensei wo kesu hōteishiki.

    157. Sensei wo kesu hōteishiki.

    Japanese Drama - 2020, 8 episodes

    8.5

    let me explain why I put this in here because there IS a main romance in this:

    • the life lessons taught by the teacher to his students is the main focus for majority of the drama
    • the kids try and kill him so many times you forget that he's there for a purpose (revenge)
    • it's so batshit crazy you kinda forget that there's a romance plot among it 
    • the lover is unconscious 95% of the series so you really only see the romance in flashbacks, in brief mentions, and really the last episode
    • what i'm saying is you could replace the lover with a family member or a friend and still get the exact same drama out of it 
  • Serment d'allégeance

    158. Serment d'allégeance

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes

    8.5
    • bromance focus
    • romantic sideplots that you can ignore (i felt nothing for them)
  • Shall I Have a Cup of Coffee?

    159. Shall I Have a Cup of Coffee?

    Korean Drama - 2021, 12 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance
    • maybe a hint of romance between the owner of the coffee shop & his friend
  • Sherlock

    160. Sherlock

    Japanese Drama - 2019, 11 episodes

    8.5
    • very little romance side storylines that have very little relevance on the overall plot 
  • Shimobee

    161. Shimobee

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    8.5
    • minor romance
    • main focus is on a familial relationship
  • Shin Shinchou Kouki

    162. Shin Shinchou Kouki

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    7.5
    • i'd say there's no romance or if there is it's more subtext than anything else
  • Shinhannin Flag

    163. Shinhannin Flag

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 10 episodes

    8.5
    • the romance is very minor
    • the most major relationship is established (married couple) but other than a husband trying to find his wife there's not much to it
  • Shinhannin Flag 2

    164. Shinhannin Flag 2

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    8.5
    • romance side plots
  • Shojiki Fudosan

    165. Shojiki Fudosan

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance other than a side character with a crush that can be ignored
  • Shori no Hoteishiki

    166. Shori no Hoteishiki

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    8.0
    • no romance from what i remember
  • Shotengai no Pianist

    167. Shotengai no Pianist

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 13 episodes

    8.0
    • this drama is tagged with romance but i literally barely saw any
  • Si bien chez soi

    168. Si bien chez soi

    Korean Drama - 2020, 10 episodes

    9.0
    • romantic subtext / hints to romance
  • Sign

    169. Sign

    Japanese Drama - 2019, 9 episodes

    8.0
    • there's barely any romance in this
  • Song Ci Shao Hua Lu

    170. Song Ci Shao Hua Lu

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 25 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance as of the episodes i've seen so far
  • Squid Game

    171. Squid Game

    Korean Drama - 2021, 9 episodes

    9.0
    • it's a death game there's no time for romance
    • i guess you could say there's a very minor romance subplot but it's easily ignorable because of the death game
    • idk if you could really class it as a romance more of a "we're gonna die so let's fuck" side plot 
  • Stand By Me

    172. Stand By Me

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 24 episodes

    8.0
    • i'd say there was no romance in this but it could've been implied but the mangotv subs were so bad idk wtf was going on half the time
  • Stand By Me

    173. Stand By Me

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 20 episodes

    8.0
    • no romance from what i remember
  • Stand Up Start

    174. Stand Up Start

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes

    7.0
    • really no romance other than i think side plots related to guest characters
  • Stove League

    175. Stove League

    Korean Drama - 2019, 16 episodes

    9.5
    • no romance
    • maybe some subtext between female lead & second male lead 
  • Sugarless

    176. Sugarless

    Japanese Drama - 2012, 12 episodes

    8.5
    • the romance was really minor if i remember correctly 
    • more platonic focused 
  • Surgery Live Room

    177. Surgery Live Room

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 28 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance, a minor romantic subplot which is mostly unrequited and very minor i mostly was able to ignore it
  • Sword and Fairy 4

    178. Sword and Fairy 4

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 36 episodes

    8.5
    • 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
  • Tang Chao Yi Wen Lu

    179. Tang Chao Yi Wen Lu

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 20 episodes

    6.5
    • minor romance mentions in cases the leads explore
  • Tengu no Daidokoro

    180. Tengu no Daidokoro

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    8.0
    • no romance
  • Tenshoku no Mao-sama

    181. Tenshoku no Mao-sama

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes

    7.0
    • kinda implied romance but it's so minor that you could see it platonically
  • The Bionic Life

    182. The Bionic Life

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

    8.0
    • subtle romantic sideplot that you can honestly just view platonically if you wanted
  • The Blood of Youth

    183. The Blood of Youth

    Chinese Drama - 2022, 40 episodes

    9.5
    • romantic sideplots that can be ignored
    • platonic focus
  • The Ingenuity of the House Husband

    184. The Ingenuity of the House Husband

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 10 episodes

    8.0
    • no romance (mostly because there's only 1 character) 
  • The Killing Vote

    185. The Killing Vote

    Korean Drama - 2023, 12 episodes

    7.5
    • romance subplot between secondary characters
  • The King’s Avatar

    186. The King’s Avatar

    Chinese Drama - 2019, 40 episodes

    8.5
    • no romance
    • friendship/team focused
    • ML & FL's dynamic is mostly idol/fan which turns to friendship
  • The Miracle Brothers

    187. The Miracle Brothers

    Korean Drama - 2023, 16 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance
    • bromance focused
    • ehhh could be a very very minor subplot of romance if you squint between side characters
  • The Outcast

    188. The Outcast

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 27 episodes

    8.0
    • small romance sideplot
  • The Society of Four Leaves

    189. The Society of Four Leaves

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 29 episodes

    9.0
    • bromance focused
    • no romance
  • The Sound of Magic

    190. The Sound of Magic

    Korean Drama - 2022, 6 episodes

    8.5
    • minor romantic sideplot that doesn't go anywhere
    • focuses more on platonic relationships & mentor/student relationships
  • The Tout

    191. The Tout

    Chinese Drama - 2024, 52 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance from what i remember or if there was i didn't notice it, it's more bromance & platonic focused
  • The Travel Nurse

    192. The Travel Nurse

    Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes

    8.0
    • hmm can't really remember but if there was a romance sideplot it was minor
  • Three-Body

    193. Three-Body

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 30 episodes

    8.0
    • very very minor romance (married couple)
  • Tiger and Crane

    194. Tiger and Crane

    Chinese Drama - 2023, 36 episodes

    8.5
    • romance sideplot that's minor & can be ignored/viewed platonically
  • Today's Webtoon

    195. Today's Webtoon

    Korean Drama - 2022, 16 episodes

    9.0
    • very minor romance (which is unrequited)
  • Tokumei! Keishicho Tokubetsu Kaikeigakari

    196. Tokumei! Keishicho Tokubetsu Kaikeigakari

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 11 episodes

    7.0
    • no romance
  • TOKYO MER

    197. TOKYO MER

    Japanese Drama - 2021, 11 episodes

    9.0
    • hints to romance that don't go anywhere
    • mentions of a prev relationship
  • Tonari no Nurse Aid

    198. Tonari no Nurse Aid

    Japanese Drama - 2024, 10 episodes

    7.5
    • minor romance sideplot
  • Trillion Game

    199. Trillion Game

    Japanese Drama - 2023, 10 episodes

    8.0
    • platonic focused
    • mostly just sexual tension and chemistry between ren & mio's characters
  • Two or Three Things About My Bathtub

    200. Two or Three Things About My Bathtub

    Taiwanese Drama - 2022, 14 episodes

    8.5
    • romantic side plot that i think can be easily ignored
      (tbh you could view it as platonic if you ignore like a few lines)
    • focuses more on the bromance

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