20 Non-Romantic Kdramas, Cdramas, Jdramas

This is the first show of a series of shows (each show is a season or two, and has different actors most seasons, so if you aren't into that then don't watch this) and  I highly recommend it, the shows all have the same characters, just different actors, and are so binge-worthy. You will love this if you find Chinese architecture and history interesting. It's about Wu Xie and his two best friends (Fatty and Xiaoge, Xiaoge and Wu Xie are shipped a lot) solving mysteries behind tombs and getting into mishaps they blame on Wu Xie's good bad luck (his tendency to get into trouble and get kidnapped is astounding) this is the first show where they all meet. Tsundere Xioge is a bonus.

OH MY GOSH. This drama was absolutely beautiful. It's about a detective-turned-criminal (Lee Si-Young) who teams up with a group consisting of a hacker and a camera specialist and a mysterious boss, to find the culprits behind her daughter's death. A  seemingly corrupt prosecutor (Kim Young-Kwang) keeps getting in the way.  There's a big plot twist near the end that will snatch your soul. 

Major character death, just a warning. My heart is still not okay. No romance, just good old friendship and crime fighting. 

This is a kdrama known to be gory, scary, and a good binge-watch. Only 6 episodes, and a separate spin-off called Ashin of the North. Kingdom is a good watch for anyone who loves horror and deep, emotional scenes. No romance at all. It's about a zombie apocalypse that the prince (Ju Ji-hoon) has to fight against and save his people from the tyranny of those behind it. 

A depressed and suicidal Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kang) has to save his neighbors and himself from the horrifying monsters outside his apartment complex all while fighting himself and those who fear him. Definitely a must watch, I loved it. Don't watch if you can't see your favorite characters die, because this show and Kingdom are big on character death. 

A japanese fight drama centered around a group of gangs whose names all make up S.W.O.R.D: Sannoh Hooligans, White Rascals, OyaKohKoh, Rude Boys, and Daruma Ikka. These gangs unite to fight against a group called Kuryu, who wishes to kick them out to redevelop their districts, and against the drug that Kuryu has exposed to their city - Red Rum. This is followed by a series of movies and shows that tell the story of before and after. Such a good watch, but it's mostly fight scenes and stuff, so just be aware of that. 

Stranger, aka Forest of Secrets, is about an emotionally stunted Prosecutor (Cho Seung-woo) who teams up with a hotheaded detective (Bae Doona) to bring down those that are corrupt and in power. Their is no romance between the prosecutor and the detective, just a loving friendship. This is the first season which consists of 16 episodes (each about an hour or so long), and is followed by a second season of the same amount, which makes this a good binge-worthy show to waste the weekend with. Also kind of funny, which helps break the seriousness of the drama. 

The Fiery Priest is a comedy-crime drama about a priest (Kim Nam-Gil) who has a temper and a dark past that decides to find the culprits behind his mentor's death, wounded by guilt and grief he is forced to team up with a corrupt detective  (Kim Sung-Kyun) he dislikes and face the challenges of having those in power try to get rid of and silence him. I loved this drama, it was funny, but serious when it needed to be, and had such a good cast. No romance, because the main lead is a priest and if you didn't know, a priest cannot get married or have a relationship. 

A fight drama (much like HiGH&LOW, but shorter and more about the characters than fighting. There is a lot of action scenes, which makes it better. The best thing, though, is that EXO Sehun plays the main lead who tries to avenge his friend's death and get back at high school vigilantes for hurting his friend's sister. A bit sad, and could have done with more time or more episodes - it was kinda face paced when it should have been sad and slow. But that's the charm of this. 

Plus Sehun is gorgeous. 

A teacher (Tanaka Kei) is assigned to a troublesome, but educationally gifted class that runs the school - teachers and students included. The teacher is on a hidden mission to discover the secrets behind the vegetative state of his fiance, and hopes to expose the culprit in this school. Not a crime show, just about a teacher trying to survive as his students attempt to kill him because they can't break him like they did the others. I loved this show, it wasn't focused on romance (only minor flashbacks from the main lead) and had a good story behind it that could have used more focus. Overall, a great show. 

Another teacher-based drama. Mr. Hiiragi (Suda Masaki) is a teacher that's picked on by his students, as is other teachers, but this sensei has a secret. He takes all the kids hostage in his classroom to find the answer behind a student's suicide. He also has to fight against the police and the internet to get his point across that words and the internet is just a place for people to destroy others and murder them. This is a very intriguing show about bullying, selfishness, friendship and many other things. It's a bit too emotional, but I really enjoyed that aspect of it. 

You absolutely cannot watch Kdramas without watching this gem. Starring two extremely popular actors today, this drama is a coming of age type that revolves around high school issues such as studying, bullying, friendship, and betrayal and the social profiling against students that aren't exactly the most gifted. Class 2 is a class of diamonds in the rough and a determined homeroom teacher who only wishes to help them move on to the next grade. Also has a very strict and smart professor that is dead set in keeping emotionally disconnected from everyone. The main leads are Lee Jong Suk and Park Woo Bin. No romance, because everyone is so busy with trying to survive school life to worry about crushes. 

Kiichi (Takahiro) gets into trouble for rescuing a little girl from  a Yakuza group, and asks for help from his old friends (who he hadn't seen in 10 years) to protect her and find out who she is. The estranged group of friends try to overcome the police, the yakuza and past enemies while protecting this sweet little girl, and find their friendship and trust in each other again. I loved this, it was very happy and funny, and has a lot of actors from HiGH&LOW in it. Definitely watch if you love friendship, fighting, and humor. 

So Moon (Cho Byeong-Kyu) is a loving, kind high school student whose life gets turned upside down one day. Due to a car crash in his youth that took his parents, and left him with a broken leg, So Moon had to live with his grandparents and lie that things were okay at school when he pops up on the school bully's radar (Jung Won-Chang) for helping his friend. When he suddenly gets superpowers one day he learns of a whole world he never knew existed, and has a chance to right the wrongs and save those who are in danger.  I loved this drama,  I wished for the ending to be different, but this is a funny and tragic story that leaves you wanting more. Plus, I love Jung Won-Chang and Cho Byeong-Kyu. No romance besides some teasing, but So Moon is a high school student and the woman they tease him about is a bit older (twenties I think) so it's just teasing. 

Four students commit crimes to earn money, but the drama is centered around Ji Soo (Kim Dong-Hee) and Gyu Ri (Park Ju Hyun) as they try too survive the dark reality and stress of the real world and juggle their school life. No romance, just a hinted at liking between the two main leads, but no kissing or anything like that. The romance doesn't come into light at all really, until the last few episodes - and it's still barely there. WATCH IT FOR THE PLOT. A lot of things could have been avoided if the main lead had made different choices, but it helped move the story along. 

I'm sure you've probably heard of this after Squid Game's popularity, or maybe even before (I watched this show way before Squid Game) but this is an amazing show to watch. This is a life or death show based in Tokyo, Japan. Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) is a troubled young man who does nothing but is extremely smart and good at analyzing situations, when he and his two friends are thrown into a world of death and games. They have to choose the right answer for each game or they die, and they only have three days of rest before their VISA runs out and they die if they don't play another game. Follow Arisu as he tries to survive in a world that runs on chance. They're too focused on staying alive to date anyone. 

Han Joo Won (Yeo Jin-Goo) and Lee Dong Shik (Shin Ha-Kyun, Lee Do Hyun plays a young Dong Shik) are from opposites sides of the track, one is a demoted police officer, another is as high-end inspector sent to investigate a cold case serial murder connected to said demoted police officer. Tension rises as these two enemies become partners and are forced to work together to apprehend the culprit. But a major plot twist awaits them. 

I recommend. I love crime dramas, always have. This is a masterpiece full of twists and such. It's kind of repetitive and sad, but I promise that it's such a good show to watch.  Plus, Yeo Jin-Goo is smexy in here. 

Yoon Hwa-Pyung was able to see ghosts when he was younger, but his sight was blocked by a shamen to protect him from becoming possessed again by the demon he's searched for since young adulthood. Park Il-Do. Known for letting ghosts inside the victims he weakens mentally, this demon is evil and will stop at nothing to take more lives. Hwa-Pyung teams up with a rigid priest (Kim Jae-Wook) and a hotheaded detective (Jung Eun-Chae) to exercise and save these people and find Park Il-Do's true form. Except, maybe there's more to their history than these three know. Very gory and can be a bit overwhelming, so be aware. 

Loved it. My first paranormal drama and by far the best. I love Kim Dong-Wook and Kim Jae-Wook in this drama. No romance, just platonic love. 

Shen Wei is a college professor with secrets, set in a magical world separated by light and dark. Zhao Yun Lan is the leader of a team of specialists that deal with the magic-wielding criminals who invade their city. When these two meet, it forms an unlikely friendship that breaks the bounds of life and death. This isn't a BL, but it's based on one (Like The Untamed, or so I've heard) it's a bromance but nothing more happens. Watch this for the humor and the beautiful story of these two. One of Zhao Yun Lan's subordinates has a crush on him, but it goes nowhere and isn't very obvious. 

Yoon Jong-Woo (Siwan) is a wanna-be writer, trying to write his own serial killer novel while also moving into a stressful and scary residence, dealing with perverted neighbors, a nosy, old woman- and the worst of all, Seo Moon Jo (Lee Dong-Wook) who are all weird and very suspicious in the things they do. Jong-Woo just wanted a peaceful life, but everything falls apart and he must try to keep his mind sane when all he wants to do is let himself go and give into his deadly desires. 

Yeah, you probably heard of this one as well, but this was my very first kdrama. It'll always be my favorite, and it's very suspenseful. Lee Dong-Wook and Siwan are so amazing in this series, but warning: gore, death, murder, cannibalism, and Seo Moon-Jo is a bit of a psychopath. The main lead has a girlfriend, but she's not in most of the show because she's working and doesn't really pay much attention to him, so there's not romance. 

Ye Jin-Woo (Lee Dong-Wook) is an ER doctor, who goes up against the new director of Seoul University Hospital , Koo Seung-Hyo (Cho Seung-Woo), after his past director dies. Koo Seung-Hyo is as CEO and majored in business, his goal is to make the hospital more successful. These two are unlikely friends and loathe one another due to a difference of opinions, watch as these two fight against their higher-ups and try to keep the hospital family together. 

It's a really good show, but can be boring if you aren't into dramas with no action and a lot of talking. It's a lot of talk about business, friendship, hardship, and working as a doctor in a fast paced environment. No romance mainly, but a small romance in the very last episode - no kissing happens I don't believe, but it does indicate that they get together. Again, just the very last episode.