"No romance + plot that can make you cry" suggestions?

You can easily search for dramas (exclude genre Romance, double tap/click you will see a red x) and if you want sad then include the genre: Life And tag: Tearjerker.

i will write a list of some dramas (korean + japanese) from the ones that i've watched that in my personal opinion fit this description^^ let me know if you want additional information on any of them!!

• 1 litre of tears (2005, J)
• beautiful world (2019, K)
• mama (2014, K)
• save me (2017, K)
• shut up: flower boy band (2012, K)
• signal (2016, K)
• solomon's perjury (2016, K)

now a few titles that might fit this description but i'm not sure because i haven't finished them or haven't watched them at all yet:

• itaewon class (2020, K)
• cinderella's sister (2010, K)
• anohana: the flower we saw that day (2015, J)
• boku dake ga 17-sai no sekai de (2020, J)
• how to buy a friend (2020, K)
• mother (2018, K)
• move to heaven (2021, K)
• navillera (2021, K)
• nobody knows (2020, K)
• page turner (2016, K)

hope this helps! :)

i would've recommended Move to Heaven and D.P. but i see that you've already seen them.

Navillera is also an emotional drama with no romance.

i also recommend: 

• Prison Playbook
• Racket Boys
• Hospital Playlist

now hear me out, i know these three are all more comedy oriented but they are also life/slice-of-life dramas which can make you laugh out loud one minute and suddenly the next scene you're crying a river. i know that's what happened to me lol!

 prettystranger:

In my opinion, I feel like Hi bye mama, even though  she was dead and her husband was with someone else, it didn't focus much on the romance but yet on life/death, it was extremely sad in my opinion.
    Happiness, it focuses more on the zombies, apocalypse and those problems rather than the leads romance but they definitely build it up by the end of the drama, it ended today, 10/10 imo.
   My name, aswell.
   Vagabond barely focused on the leads romance but the action was there and it was so good.
   Save me is also a good one to mention.
   World of the married was more of revenge than it had the romance plot, and it definitely kept me to the edge of my seat cuz the characters were pissing me off a lot lol.

THANK YOUUU I'll watch them <3 

 ShortCircuit:

I just finished one that is exactly what you're asking for - 

My Mister

It's on your PTW list too - I highly recommend it. 

I'll start watching it soon then, thanks for the heads up <3

Hikaru no Go! 

No romance, and I swear I've never cried so badly than I've done with this drama!

Lost

I do not consider this "romance" ... The relationship between the leads cannot be so easily defined. Whatever romantic undertones are so, so subtle. For most of this drama, the characters are not ready for romance, and the story does not force it. Their relationship is primarily a very deep, healing friendship. It's about finding solace in the company of a stranger.

Really, this drama is just so melancholy. It's beautiful and sad, slightly depressing but also uplifting. This drama truly knows how to use silence to the best effect. Nothing could make me not recommend this enough. It fills a hole in your heart that you didn't know you needed. Please watch it, really.