I’m looking for chinese (or taiwanese!) dramas where the female lead has a dark past- could be an illness she’s recovered from, abusive parents, etc. Romance as part of the plot would be really nice as well. Thank you :)

MARS - FL was abused.

My Girl - FL's face was scarred and she has DID.

Both are romances. My Girl is really a rom com that doesn't take it's subject matter very seriously.

Consummation - (She was almost murdered by a serial killer and becomes disabled)

  • The Princess Wei Young - The FL is the princess of a small kingdom that is invaded by its much more powerful neighbour. The FL's entire family is murdered and her people become slaves in the neighbouring kingdom. The FL manages to escape and takes on a new identity in the neighbouring kingdom with the goal of clearing her father's name (the invasion was justified by blaming the actions taken by her father), taking revenge on those responsible, and freeing her people from slavery.
  • Sound of the Desert - The FL was orphaned and raised by wolves for a time before she was adopted by a Han man teaching in a court of one of the tribes in the plains. After her adoptive father's death, the FL was forced to flee for her life to her adoptive father's home city.
  • The Story of Ming Lan - The FL's mother is killed due to the plotting of her father's most favoured concubine. Due to her weak position in the family, the FL is forced to pretend to be meek and obedient in order to survive.
  • Lost Love in Times - The events of the first few episodes result in a tragedy. To avoid calamity, the FL enters a different timeline where she can remember everyone from the original timeline but no one remembers her, and she cannot be with the man she loves from the original timeline because a prophecy foretells that their relationship will bring about calamity again.