Recommendations

Mature themed but very different dramas
call it love has angst and is more melo
but the directing is similar and very slow paced with slow conversations

both are noona romance. they are slow , mature themed and fun to watch :)
both have work related aspects in them, in a way realistic

Huang Ying Zi, Jiang Yi, Fang Ming Yu, Zhuang Yuan, Lan Yi Fei, and Guan Chao all grew up together in Hangtian City, and they became known as the "Hangtian City F6". The good friends had promised to be together for the rest of their lives but were forced to abandon their promise because of an incident in the year of their Gaokao college entrance examination. Twelve years later, at the age of 30, they each walked alone on their respective paths of life, working hard and growing up in the adult world. Suddenly, one day, they received the news that their good friend Guan Chao was about to get married. With the help of Huang Ying Zi, the old friends reunited during the wedding, and their memories of youth slowly unfolded. Only then did they realize that the feelings that had sprouted when they were seventeen had never dissipated, and there were many misunderstandings behind the accident... in fact, the friendship that stayed in the past had never ended.

Thai x Korean leads and storyline

This drama is as good as the Ming Dynasty but it has a smaller budget. The Dowager Empress aimed to protect her son's throne from the Prince Regent.

FL made the Khitan kingdom a rival to the Song Dynasty. She was an excellent administrator and decision maker who ruled as a regent for her young son.

ML and FL aim to reform the country. LoLZ is better than TSoG because it's less confusing.

I think this is ZLY's first main role and she did it well.

Genres: Romance, Drama

This drama tells the story of a CEO (Xin Qi) and his ex-girlfriend (Min Hui) who broke up 5 years later and meet again when Min Hui has a child. Whose child is that? Is the child of a heart specialist? Or the child of his ex-boyfriend?

Vice Versa is about parallel universe and it is a bl romance. There are promises given to meet again...

Another story of mirrors and soulmates. This one is really bad but there is the same magic mirror trope so....

Genres: Comedy, Romance, Drama

Wang Zi Qi and Wang Yuwen

Five years ago, a young woman named Min Hui accidentally fell for a young man named Xin Qi. But things between them were complicated because Min Hui was pretending to be Xin Qi’s long lost childhood friend in a misguided way to help the friend who had died suddenly. Furthermore, Xin Qi suffered from a dangerous and potentially life-threatening heart condition, and Min Hui now desperately in love, didn't want to see him suffer. It didn't help matters that each time she tried to tell him the truth, he would cut her off, not believe her, or his heart condition would relapse. When he finally learned the entire truth, he cut all ties with her.

Now, five years later, they are reunited at a business event in the most uncomfortable of situations. Min Hui has risen to become an R&D assistant to one of the directors at a tech firm and Xin Qi has also made a name for himself as the CEO of an investment firm. Deciding that “fate” has brought them back into contact for a reason, Xin Qi decides to take all of his previous anger and betrayal out on Min Hui. But "fate" also reveals that Min Hui has a son, who is suffering from the same exact heart condition as Xin Qi making him realize through a series of events that he's the father--much to the adorable boy's delight! After some heart to heart conversations, explanations, and even a quirky living arrangement, can these two forgive each other and themselves for the mistakes they both made in the past and rekindle their love, now as a fully evolved family?

Genre : Historical, Mystery, Romance, Investigation

Prince Xiao lacks reliable manpower to investigate case, while Chu Chu lacks people to step up, take charge and be a man.
Together, they manage to unravel a shocking case that has dragged on for 18 years. After solving the case, she won the Emperor's approval and is finally certified as the Imperial Coroner, fulfilling her life goal.

Different setting, not noona romance ..however if you like the vibe of something in the rain and the midnight romance in hagwon you'll feel it in one spring night (same director
and producer or screenwriter I think)

Although it's a different setting (sport setting) and a different pace as expected from a sports drama , they both share the ex-student with teacher relationship..noona romance if you will

The same vibes. The same slow narration. The same humility of FL. The same bravery of ML.
Totally the same atmosphere.
Enjoy!