Hey everyone im looking for romance dramas like i described in the title where its a Higher status female falling in love with a lower status male. Even though im describing the guy as lower status  i dont want someone whos like  a pathetic character or anything like that just that in the drama he has a lower "status" in society whether thats because of job,money, position in life etc.

The dynamic could be anything like  celeberity - non celebrity, ceo - regular worker, rich woman- regular guy , teacher/ student or anything along those lines.  the couple doesnt even have to be the ML and FL  as long as they get good screen time.

maybe also:

  • Abyss (FL is attractive and popular, ML is considered unattractive/unpopular at the beginning)
  • Bloody Romance (ML is FL's servant/bodyguard)
  • Bossam: Steal the Fate (sort of? there's a twist about ML's past but it starts out this way)
  • The Princess's Man (second half)
  • Colourful Bone (there's a twist later on, but for the first half, ML is a slave who the FL, who is supposed to marry the prince, rescues and nurses back to health.)
  • Men Zhu (stronger FL/weaker ML)
  • Jiang Jun Zai Xia (ML is weak and ill, FL is a powerful general)
  • The Last Princess (they start out this way but things change. Still their status is very different.)
  • Yes, Her Majesty (initially, there's a twist)

teacher FL/student ML:

and movies:

Dramas that I think fit this well:

Tatta Hitotsu no Koi - rich FL, working class ML <- I feel like this is the best example

Majo no Jouken - teacher FL, student ML

Chugakusei Nikki - teacher FL, student ML

Lesson in Love - teacher FL, student ML (somehow I feel this is not quite as good an example as the other student-teacher examples)

A Love to Kill - celebrity FL, lower class ML who becomes her bodyguard

The Innocent Man - rich FL, ML is less wealthy (basically gets by by dating rich women who give him money) and has gone to prison (for a crime he didn't commit, though)

Encounter - rich FL, ML is her employee

The Forbidden Flower - rich FL, working class ML

Secret Love Affair - wealthy FL, working class ML (he is a genius, though, which perhaps raises his status somewhat); FL is also a teacher of sorts, though officially her husband is his teacher

She and Her Perfect Husband - FL is a successful lawyer, ML is unemployed (by choice, though, he's actually very capable)

Kimi wa Petto - FL is older and has a career, ML is a talented dancer but is basically homeless, FL adopts him as a pet

One Spring Night - no class difference, but ML is a single father, which makes him a less desirable marriage partner

Something in the Rain - no class difference, but ML is an orphan, which means he's not from as "good" of a family 


Dramas that also kinda fit, but not as well:

Melancholia - teacher FL, student ML (but there's a time skip after the first few episodes)

That Winter, the Wind Blows - rich FL, ML is a conman who is in debt (he pretends to be her brother, though, which means he's acting as if he is equal status)

Queen Seondeok - FL is a princess / queen, so everyone is below her; however at the beginning she's been cast out of the palace (is maybe unaware of her identity as a princess?) and is disguised as a man, so it's not until later that she ends up in a superior position - also this is not a super romance-focused drama

River Where the Moon Rises - FL is a princess, ML is a commoner; however I think this is another case where FL does not initially know her identity?

You Are My Glory - celebrity FL, non-celebrity ML (though I wouldn't really say he's lower status, because he's a PhD working at the forefront of his field in the country )

Here We Meet Again - rich FL, ML from a less wealthy background + family issues; however although the FL's father owns the company he works for, she starts working there without anyone knowing her identity, so she's just his colleague, not his boss; also ML's status rises considerably over the course of the drama because he's brilliant/talented and has just been held back by various life circumstances

Mr. Sunshine - noble FL, ML was born a slave but returns to Korea as an American military officer, which does put him in a position of power / takes him out of the Korean status system

Lighter & Princess - FL from a wealthy family, ML from a lower class background; however, it mostly takes place in a college setting where ML is the genius student way ahead of everyone else, so in a way he comes off as higher status

The Crowned Clown - ML is a commoner, FL is the queen; however the ML is pretending to be the king, which means in practice he has higher status


All of these are older woman - younger man romance dramas in workplace settings, but I can't remember whether the woman is the man's boss or just a colleague:

Sapuri

Anego

Kyou wa Kaisha Yasumimasu

The Rational Life

Find Yourself

Thank you both for all of these replies


  • Hidden Love - The FL is from a rich family. The ML comes from a poorer family and is burdened with his parents heavy debts and the stain of his father's bad choices. By the end of the drama, the ML is an orphan
  • Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha - The FL is a dentist. The ML is an orphan and works a variety of odd jobs for minimum wage.
  • I Hear Your Voice - The FL is a defence attorney. The ML is still a high school student. The ML is an orphan but has money. By the end of the drama the FL is also an orphan
  • Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu - The leads are both high school students. The FL is blind. The ML is a delinquent.
  • The Legends - In the first half of the drama the FL is powerful enough to single-handedly save the ML from the immortal sect and to found her own demonic sect. The ML hasn't tapped into his power so he cannot defend himself, and ends up working as a lowly gate guard in the FL's demonic sect. The FL dies and the ML gains access to his powers. He takes over the demonic sect to preserve the FL's legacy. For most of the second half of the drama the FL doesn't have her powers, but once the ML recognizes her he defers to her / does whatever she asks of him.
  • Why Her? - The FL is a famous lawyer at a top law firm who moonlights as a law professor. The ML is a student in one of her classes.
  • She Would Never Know - The FL is the ML's mentor at work, but she is only a year older than him / only has two years more work experience than him. 
  • Witch's Romance - The FL is a journalist. The ML runs a gig-economy service with his friend where they hire themselves out for temp jobs. A bit like task rabbit. At one point the FL is sort of the ML's boss. They have a significant age gap. 
  • Across the Ocean to See You - The FL is the ML's boss.
  • Come and Hug Me - The FL is the daughter of a famous actress and later becomes an actress herself. The ML is the son of a murderer and later becomes a cop.
  • Fall in Love - The FL is the eldest daughter of a rich and powerful merchant family. Her father remarried after her mother passed away. The ML is an orphan and an ambitious soldier. His father held military power before he died.
  • Hotel del Luna - The FL is an ancient and powerful immortal who runs a half-way hotel for spirits of the recently deceased. The ML is a regular mortal until the FL curses him with the ability to see the dead.
  • Itaewon Class - The FL is about to go to university before she meets the ML and changes her mind. The ML is an ex-con and orphan, but he's principled, disciplined and ambitious. He has also secretly amassed a significant amount of money.
  • Search: WWW - The FL is a top player in her industry who makes headlines and is a household name. The ML is the CEO of his own small business. He's younger than the FL.
  • Into the Ring - The ML is a civil servant. The FL runs for public office. At one point, the ML becomes the FL's secretary.
  • Meow, the Secret Boy - The FL is human. The ML is a cat who can take on a human form.  
  • My Sassy Princess - The FL is a princess. The ML is a commander in the army.
  • Forecasting Love and Weather - The FL is the ML's superior at work.
  • The Masked Lover - The FL is an architect, but has to pretend to be her sister, who ran a triad-turned-mostly-legit architecture business. The ML is a cop who goes undercover on a personal mission and ends up becoming the FL's personal assistant.
  • High Society - The FL is the daughter of a chaebol family. The ML doesn't come from a wealthy family, but is ambitious and trying to climb the corporate ladder even without family connections.

Also:

  • Celeb - non Celeb
    • It's Okay Not To be Okay: FL popular childrens book writer, ML is a nurse/caregiver
    • The Crown Princess: FL is a Crown princess, ML is soldier/bodyguard
    • Kleun Cheewit: FL is an actress, ML is lawyer
    • The Producers: IU's character is a top idol, KSH's character is a rookie producer
    • Love Scenery: FL is a star, ML is a student who is her fan
    • That Fool: FL is an actress, ML is a regular office worker
    • Star's Lover: FL is actress, ML is a professor/ghostwriter
    • 99 Days with a super star: FL is an actress, ML is bodyguard
    • Leh Lub Salub Rarng: FL is an actress, ML is a soldier/police (?)
    • Tokyo Sun Shower: FL is Actress, ML is a japanese food chef
    • Positive Physique: FL is an actress, ML is an aspiring director
  • CEO/executive/sunbae - regular worker/hoobae
    • Ugly Alert: FL is from rich family that owns the store, ML is a an exconvict that works for her
    • Yuttakarn Prab Nang Marn: FL is the boss, ML is the secretary
    • Graceful Family: FL is heiress, ML is the lawyer/bodyguard/problem solver for her
    • Ms. Temper & Nam Jung Gi: FL is the boss, ML is the Employee
    • Dr. Romantic S1: FL is the sunbae, and ML is the hoobae
    • Big Issue: FL is the boss
    • Secondary Couple 
      • Run On: Woman is a CEO, and man is a student
      • Descendants of the Sun: Woman is captain, Guy is of lower rank
      • Agency: woman is the heiress executive, guy is the secretary
  • Rich woman- regular guy
    • Game Sanaeha - FL is a heiress, ML is a fostered orphan of FL's family
    • Lover in Prague: FL is the daughter of the president, ML is an ordinary police worker
    • Overprotected Kahoko: FL is pretty well off, ML is poor
    • Beyond The clouds: FL is rich, ML is a conman
    • Piang Chai Khon Nee Mai Chai Poo Wised: FL is rich, ML is a doctor but is very strapped for cash with mothers gambling addiction 
    • Green Rose: FL is rich, ML is poor and is an average contract worker on her father's company. they do meet without him knowing she is rich
    • Snow Queen: FL is rich, ML is struggling Boxer
    • Happiness: Both sisters are rich, older sister falls for an ordinary office worker, while younger sister falls for an poor orphaned struggling boxer
    • Cloud Staircase: FL is rich, ML is poor and an unlicensed Doctor
    • Mr. Duke: FL is chaebol and she pays for ML to act as the one she loves
    • East of Eden: FL is daughter of his Boss
    • Takane no Hana: FL is rich and heir of traditional flower arranger clan, ML is an ordinary bike shop owner/worker
    • My Story of You: FL is from a rich family, ML is a struggling guy with not well off family
    • Curtain Call: FL is rich and boss of hotel
    • Romance is a bonus Book: Noona romance but with guy being the boss at the place they work at, and being a published writer vs divorced and wown on her luck FL
    • First Love - Girl is rich, Guy is poor and at the end disabled
    • Secondary Couple
      • Business Proposal: Girl is rich, Guy is orphaned and the secretary of ML
      • See you in my 19th Life: same as BP scenario 
      • Beauty Inside: Girl is rich and is the boss of a company, ML is working parttime in various jobs
      • The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop: Girl is daughter of the company, Guy works for the company as an ordinary office worker
      • All About Mom:Girl is rich, guy is unemployed
      • My Daughter Sooyoung: Girl comes from a well off family, Guy is from poor family
  • Teacher- Student or Older woman and Younger Guy
    • I Need Romance 3: Noona ROmance
    • Biscuit teacher and Star Candy: FL is his teacher
    • The Woman Who still wants to marry: Older Woman FL
    • Flower Boy Ramen Shop: FL was once ML's Substitute teacher
    • When I was Most Beautiful: FL was once ML's teacher and older bro's GF
    • My Dear Boy: Older Woman romance
    • A Thousand Kisses: Older woman Romance
    • Loveholic : Teacher-Student Romance
    • What's Up fox: Noona Romance
    • Let's Eat Season 1: FL is older than ML 
    • Mama: NOthing to Fear: FL is older
    • Butterfly Sleep: FL is older
    • Secondary Couple
      • Ojakyu Brothers: Woman is older than guy
      • Another Miss Oh: Noona Romance
  • Others:
    • Perfect World - ML got into an accident and becme disabled
    • Good Doctor - ML has autism and aspergers but both are doctors
    • Flowers For Alergernon - ML is mentally challenged
    • Sound of the Desert - ML is wheelchair bound
  • Historical/Period/Costume dramas:
    • Rebel Princess: FL is a princess (mother is the kings sister, and father is the Prime minister), ML is a orphaned soldier who got promoted to general due to his contribution in the war 
    • Ballad of Seodong: FL is a princess, ML is an orphan who works in the arts clan / group (?)
    • Khun Chai Pawornruj: FL has full noble blood, ML is half noble
    • Gu Family Book: FL is daughter of big martial arts clan, ML is orphan and half-gumiho
    • The Romance of the Condor Heroes: FL is the teacher, ML was a student
    • A Girl Like Me: FL is baron/princess, ML is a count
  • That fool
  • Green rose
  • Phoenix
  • Sassy Girl
  • Graceful family
  • River where the moon rises
  • Boku to star 99 nichi
  • Hometown Cha cha 
  • Takane no hana