Recommendations

Both are Chinese language films that explore gay love set in a historical time period. They both also feature a modern day camera crew as a part of the plot (Mermaid's Jade to a much lesser degree).

- ML is a medical eximiner
- ML is pretty dark, hard to read
- ML & FL work together to solve cases
- ML is expected to be the culprit in a criminal case

- in PFJ the FL is a proscecutor // in TL the FL is a policewoman
- TL involves romance between the leads // PFJ doesn't
- PFJ is korean // TL is chinese

Pretty people solving mysteries and falling in love. There are secret and false identities, parting then reuniting couples but it is easily and quickly handled. The actors have exceptional chemistry.
Happy endings with possible season 2!

beautiful cinematography, effects of the tragic past, healing, slice of life, poetic story, deep character development

Both have:
- Women-centred plot-line
- Love interests that are flawed and aren't perfect, as well as the women's characters being the same
- Characters that aren't one-dimensional
- Beautiful cinematography

Ancient detective is a Chinese drama but it's too similar to this one ,, Both have cases in Historical time to investigate ,, Both have good Bromance between the intelligent royal or high class detective and his friend who is lesser than him ignorant and more of a subordinate to him
Both dramas have lots of comedic scenes and good laughs
Both dramas have slight Romantic stories not the main focus but the Brotherhood or the friendship is clearer in them both

They are similar from the friendship point of view ,,, Both dramas have good Bromance presence between the male leads and their good relation ship protecting each other may be one more than the other also Both has that Boss and subordinate relationship but they care about each other deeply

both are funny especially the female leads, fantasy elements in both drama, sizzling chemistry between the leads.

These two dramas are Thai BL drama. Both drama show a few similar storyline. For instance, one character likes the other character but it is unrequited love until that character tries many possible ways to make the love happens!

Both shows about female leads who are insecure about their looks but the male leads help them to be more self confident:
-In true beauty the female lead has a problem with her appearance, so she put makeup to be accepted in society.
-In weightlifting, the female lead thinks that she lost her femininity by lifting barbells.
In both main male leads have dark secrets past but are nice.
Both include love triangle, friendship and college/school theme.

1) Both are censored same-sex dramas
2) Both are of the xianxia genre
3) Both have two males as leads
4) Both have a bit of mystery and wuxia
5) Both are adapted from boys' love novels.

I know the dramas are kinda random, but if you came to see Iljimae to see Kim Yoo Jung in her child actress days, then I definitely recommend you at least see her scenes in Grudge the Revolt of Gumiho. It's her first lead role in TV. If you see her romancing Yeo Jin Goo (her lover in Moon Embracing the Sun) in Iljimae, definitely check out Gumiho Fox Child for her romance with Lee Tae Ri (formely known as Lee Min Ho born 1993, he's another lover of Kim Yoo Jung in Moon Embracing the Sun).
In both dramas though, Kim Yoo Jung plays a good kind hearted girl. There are also a few scenes in both dramas that are quite similar. In Iljimae, Kim Yoo Jung enjoys the company of a bird while in Gumiho Fox Child Kim Yoo Jung enjoys following mostly fireflies and sometimes butterflies. Another scene is where Kim Yoo Jung is helping one of the young male characters heal their wounds. And another one is where Kim Yoo Jung's adult version Han Hyo Joo is enjoying the lanterns while being watched by one of her love interests in Iljimae is similar to Kim Yoo Jung in Gumiho Fox Child where she was also watching the lanterns while her male love interest looks at her so lovingly.

=> There is a prophecy in both dramas about "two suns cannot exist in the same sky"
=> Same child actors of the 2 main leads which are Yeo Jin Goo and Kim Yoo Jung (personally I don't ship the two former child actors unlike many but it's still interesting too see that their only scene together in Iljimae is so similar to their first meeting in Moon Embracing the Sun, falling petals also feature in some romantic scenes of them both in both dramas).
=> Two half brothers who are rivals for almost everything, half brother envies the male lead for the attention he has with his parents (or their foster parents in Iljimae), to everything the male lead has compared to the half brother, to the female lead that loves the male lead over the half brother (interestingly, the male lead in both dramas are both the younger half of the two brothers and also also the sons by the legal wife of the dad).
=> Eunchae's good heartedness (female lead in Iljimae) reminds me of Yeon Woo (female lead in Moon Embracing the Sun), this is especially true with the young Yeon Woo (Kim Yoo Jung). Han Hyo Joo and Kim Yoo Jung are so in sync with each other as actresses and are really good in playing these beautiful kind hearted noble girls that every male lead likes. (I personally feel Han Hyo Joo would have really rocked the role of Yeon Woo, Yeon Woo with her memories is especially so similar to Eun Chae).

Princess Man is the sequel to Tree With Deep Roots (not the same producers, but the kings in Princess Man are the ones that follow the kings in Tree with Deep Roots historically). There are fictional elements in both dramas, but at least the names of the kings and the ministers are all real people. Tree With Deep Roots tells some parts (although some may be fictional) of King Sejong's accomplishments and on how he created Hangul, Korea's alphabet. It started with the reign of his father, King Taejong. Princess's Man, tells the story of King's Sejong's sons King Munjong and Grand Prince Suyang and what will eventually happen to their families. Han Myung Hee (a character that features in Princess's Man) also appears as a minor character and is mentioned by name in Tree with Deep Roots.

Both dramas feature Moon Chae Won in hanbok (where she looks extra pretty). Even though her role in Painter is only minor, it's still worth watching because it's her breakthrough role and her role in it is so unique. She has chemistry in her partners in both dramas that led her to win best couples with her respective partners. Both dramas are really great in general (in fact both were nominated for Baeksang). As of February 2, 2021, these are also the only two dramas that got MCW to be nominated at Baeksang Awards.