I truly dislike how love triangles are done in Asian dramas. 

When used right (and rarely are they ever used right), they can add a lot of good drama to the plot, but most of the time they're just annoying and totally nonsensical. While I'm not known to drop dramas easily, those dramas I have dropped was, in part, as a result of idiotic love triangles that add nothing to the plot other than filler.

So I'm looking for dramas with NO love triangles at all. Or if there is one, it gets squashed very early on in the drama, like at most in the 2nd or 3rd episode. Please do not recommend dramas where the love triangle drags on for half or more of the drama.

I'm open to dramas from all Asian countries, except Thailand. I haven't ventured into the realm of lakorns yet, and I'm not sure I want to because this rape, slap/kiss business don't work for me. Everything else is fine. Thanks for your help! :)

ETA: I want to avoid school and cheesy idol rom com type dramas. It's great if the drama is not exclusively romance, but romance plays a big role along side other genres. I prefer dramas with more mature leads (from late 20s to 30s), and while I like comedy it shouldn't be used as a gimmicky devise that's only there for cheap laughs. I generally prefer dramas with a more mature vibe, even if there are some comedic elements. Leads should be around the same age. I don't mind if the ML is a few years older, but no noona romances, please. And no tragic ending! Hope this won't be too much of a tall order. :)

Some dramas that I've watched and enjoyed: Lovers (10), It's Okay, Love (8.5), Nine (9), The Princess' Man (8.5), Too Late To Say I Love You (8), Boss & Me (8), Pride (9), Orange Days (10)

No love triangle at all:

  • School 2017
  • Splash Splash LOVE
  • Descendants of the Sun
  • Hello Monster
  • My Only Love Song
  • The Eternal Love (the webdrama, not TMPB) The FL's soul shares the body of a girl who likes someone other than the ML, and that creates some limited confusion, but the leads never like anyone else and no one else has feelings for the leads so I think I can confidently say that it's not a love triangle
  • Mad Dog - no love triangle but also virtually no skinship / the romance is not the main focus of the drama

Dramas where one of the leads has an ex or an admirer that has no chance with them now and their role as a potential love interest is very minor:

  • Love O2O
  • Live Up to Your Name
  • Something About 1%
  • W Two Worlds
  • My Secret Romance
  • Marriage Contract
  • Queen In Hyun's Man
  • Come and Hug Me
  • The K2 - there's an older secondary female character that has complicated feelings for the ML; her role is not minor but her feelings are mostly only hinted at and she's not really presented as a viable potential love interest but a significant number of viewers were frustrated by that and shipped the ML with her more than with the FL

Dramas where it's subtly implied that the FL may have feelings for the SML early on in the drama or that he has feelings for her, but it's never fully confirmed and really only there to make the ML a bit jealous for a scene or two but it's not a major plot point:

  • Just Between Lovers
  • Healer

Dramas where the FL explicitly has a crush on the SML in the beginning, but lets her feelings go early on in the drama and falls for the ML instead:

  • Coffee Prince (the ML is hung up on someone else in the beginning too - someone from his past that he cannot have - but he resolves to move on relatively early in the drama, and once he falls for the FL he falls for her 100%)
  • Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (the ML's ex also shows up at one point and wants him back, but he's 100% head over heels for the FL and never torn / she's quickly rebuffed)

AH, thank you for your recs!

I've seen Splash Splash Love, Queen In Hyun's Man, Healer & Coffee Prince, and I've added Live Up To Your Name to my list.

I want to check The Eternal Love webtoon but wasn't able to find it. All I'm finding are the dramas. Would you be so kind to provide a link? Cheers!

 PrettyCarEye:
I want to check The Eternal Love webtoon but wasn't able to find it. All I'm finding are the dramas. Would you be so kind to provide a link? Cheers!

I watched it on kissasian. Very enjoyable drama but the ending (last 2- 3 episodes) was a mess. There is a sequel coming out to clear things up though.

because this is my first ) another miss oh ) there are ex but just relic of the past

sachiiro no one room ) there is not even a time for lovetriangle

+1 for come and hug me ) descendant of the sun) hello monster) w)

oh my ghostess) its kind of lovetriangle but not at the same time

 russian white bear:
sachiiro no one room

But it ended as a tragedy. right?

 russian white bear:

because this is my first ) another miss oh ) there are ex but just relic of the past

sachiiro no one room ) there is not even a time for lovetriangle

+1 for come and hug me ) descendant of the sun) hello monster) w)

oh my ghostess) its kind of lovetriangle but not at the same time

Thank you! 

I've seen Oh My Ghostess and Another Miss Oh. I liked Another Miss Oh, not so much Oh My Ghostess.

I can't watch Descendant of the Sun because I can't feel the chemistry between the leads. The guy has such a baby face that he feels like a kid to me and the girl looks like his big sister rather than his lover. Same goes for Hello Monster. 

I am considering Come & Hug Me. 

If you can think of anything else, please let me know.

 Tanmoy:

But it ended as a tragedy. right?

they get married in her dream


 PrettyCarEye:
If you can think of anything else, please let me know.

ah right there is also lawless lawyer

 PrettyCarEye:
I want to check The Eternal Love webtoon but wasn't able to find it. All I'm finding are the dramas. Would you be so kind to provide a link? Cheers!

Webtoon? Do you mean the novel? I'm afraid I haven't read it. The web-based drama I was referring to is available on Viki

 ShotaSidePart:
Very enjoyable drama but the ending (last 2- 3 episodes) was a mess. There is a sequel coming out to clear things up though.

Agreed. I'm looking forward to the sequel :)!

 PrettyCarEye:
I can't watch Descendant of the Sun because I can't feel the chemistry between the leads

Do you know taht they got married in real life? At the beginning, there's not much chemistry cause it didn't last long but after, it's just * . *

 ShotaSidePart:

I watched it on kissasian. Very enjoyable drama but the ending (last 2- 3 episodes) was a mess. There is a sequel coming out to clear things up though.

Oh why do they always have to mess up the ending??? Did you watch Too Late To Say I Love You ...? It was the same foolishness in that drama!

 russian white bear:

because this is my first ) another miss oh ) there are ex but just relic of the past

sachiiro no one room ) there is not even a time for lovetriangle

+1 for come and hug me ) descendant of the sun) hello monster) w)

oh my ghostess) its kind of lovetriangle but not at the same time

Cheers! I've seen Another Miss Oh, I love Eric so I loved it! :)

I've seen Oh My Ghostess, and I'm considering Come & Hug Me. Descendant and Hello Monster are a no go for me, I'm afraid. Thanks, though, for the recs! If you can think of anything else that fits my description above, please post again! :)

 Mangopapaye:

Do you know taht they got married in real life? At the beginning, there's not much chemistry cause it didn't last long but after, it's just * . *

Yes, I know they got married irl. However, just as with the drama, when I look at them as a married couple, I still can't see what drew them together. She's only a few years older than him, but she kinda looks ancient next to him because he has such a babyface. There's absolutely no chemistry from where I'm sitting. I also think they won't have a very long marriage. He's a Virgo and she's a Sag ... not a very good combination, imo ... if you believe in those things. I'm willing to accept I could be wrong, though! We'll see. I wish them nothing but the best!

Healer 

City hunter

Faith

My Secret Romance

Love 020