Intense plot with romance (but not romantic melodrama)

...based on the dramas you've mentioned, I recommend:

• Bridal mask
• The smiled has left your eyes (KR) / Hundred Million Stars Falling from The Sky (JP)
• Money Flower
• Mask
• Iris

Others that I highly recommend

• Signal
• My Mister
• Mr.Sunshine
• Stranger / Secret Forest
• Tunnel
• Chief of Staff
• Voice

...Or maybe Try Nonkorean dramas:

• Story Of Yanxi Palace (Historical)
• Love Me If you Dare
• Ouroburos

I 2nd Money Flower 
and Signal 

Signal has a very subtile romance, that is nearly non existing. However the cases are based on real cases and very surprising and well done.

Chinese dramas that have romance and are very surprising and keep one on your seat are;
- Burning Ice
- Light on Series: Kidnapping Game

 3GGG:

You may like

thank you, I liked your watchlist, so many dramas, almost everything I really liked, except Memories of the Alhambra which is Great drama and maybe most cliche free that I've seen, you should try it (no matter you like genre or not, when show is so high quality and good, you will like it anyway) 

 3GGG:

Interesting, i had memories of Alhambra in my PTWL but took it off after reading comments that lamented the FL's role (weak + no sense of agency + no real purpose). Since having well written Female Characters is a must, I tend to steer clear of shows where that doesn't happen to avoid frustration. What is your take on the female characters of that show? Do they have a role outside of being a love interest? Are they well developed? 

you must seen very critical comments, because if this FL is weak and has no purpose than 80-90% of FLs from asian dramas are weak too. 

yes, I've seen really strong FLs (flower of evil, crash lending, K2 SFL <3, save me, kill it and others) also more interesting extraordinary FLs like "it's okay to not be okay" or not so strong but so bright and loveble FL from Reply 1988 - I love them so much, but FL of  memories of Alhambra isn't that annoying week stupid girl we saw in many dramas, I hate that kind FLs

yes, she kind of is naive, because very smart strong ML kind of lies her in business, but 90% men or women would sign that business dial if being on her place. she is kind too, had difficulties in life but tries to be positive, lives in very beautiful place and lives life with smile... I don't see it as weeknes.

yes, she kind of cries a lot too, but it wasn't big thing, normal I think. she works lot, has her own business, hobby, friends...

and she falls for ML, when he doesn't see her, actually he has so much and bigger problems, that hasn't even time to see someone romantically, there can be tag "FL chases ML first" and I think this is kind of sign not weak FL, she has courage to like someone one sided and not hide it. I actually liked romantic dinamic in this drama, because everywhere ML is in love and chases FL and all same story lines, here everything was different, as I already said most cliche free drama ))) +ML was in love triangle in past where he lost girl, his wife fall in love with other guy, this story was also not usual, not cliche )))

thing is that romance and FL is not main theme, because main theme is so much bigger and more interesting, you wont miss romance. there is romance and quite strong, but mostly in second half. even if it was mainly romance story, I wouldn't say that FL is too weak (considering most other dramas) but it's not romantic melodrama.

and drama and ML, cinematography and twists/turns are so good, it's really must watch drama.

sorry for some spoilers, tried not give too much but enough to convince you to watch this really great drama

 3GGG:

good 60% of dramas feature a Female Lead who isn't really a "lead". Instead, she's more like a supporting character to the true protagonist of the story (usually the Male Lead).

agree, this is worst cliche in asian dramas :(

 3GGG:

Would you say she's important to the plot? As in, if you take her out, does the story change considerably? Or does the story only change in the romance sub-plot?

she is important to the plot, but couldn't say because of her (her brother made her important), she will save ML, if not her...

if this drama was about ML and FL, I would say, yes, she isn't enough active, and here is the same problem as many other dramas, but this story is about ML, she is FL and not secondary character only because in dramas it's kind of must to have FL. I mean she isn't minored, she is just objectively secondary character as few other male or female characters. this story/drama objectively doesn't need 2 or 3 main characters, it's one hero's journey. I understand your feelings, I have 100% same and I'm tired searching dramas with good FLs but there are some stories, where it's just not needed, it's just one main characters story, is it female or male.

p.s. problem is that for marketing reasons many dramas have tag "romance" when they aren't about romance, and it is only secondary story line (and it's okay). But when you watch it as romance, see on poster male and female characters, you have expectation that ML and FL are equally main characters.

 3GGG:

Does she have her own goal (outside of getting him)

on the other hand I think another problem (not as big as secondary females) in most dramas is ML with only one purpose - save, protect FL who is always in danger, it is bad for FL and ML to, both characters only loose in this traditional version. for example I've watched "Crush landing on you" few days ago, same here, most of the drama ML only does things for FL, and in second half he even become kind of puppy... not that manly guy he was introduced in the beginning, I liked that he is kind, but he really become like little child...

so this plot -  helpless female who needs to be protected, not only minors females, but male characters become standart and all same too :(

 NiSkywalker:

this story/drama objectively doesn't need 2 or 3 main characters, it's one hero's journey.

Thanks for the honest response. I'll put the drama back into my PTWL because now I'll know what to expect. I agree that sometimes a story simply has one main character and everyone else supports his story. Knowing that from the get-go, however, lowers my expectations and makes for a better watch than if I go in really expecting the Male and Female Leads to be co-stars in regards to the plot. I have heard that the production quality of that drama is superb, so at least I'll be looking forward to that. :)

 NiSkywalker:

ML with only one purpose - save, protect FL who is always in danger, it is bad for FL and ML to, both characters only loose in this traditional version.

I agree with this sentiment. Having a scenario of Male saves Female (who is in constant danger) is a way to add "filler scenes" because 1) the writer is unimaginative, 2) there's not enough plot to fill 16 episodes, or 3) just plain bad writing. Sometimes the reasoning is all of them combined. I'm currently watching Royal Secret Agent and the FL was reduced to a perpetual damsel in distress (she needs to be saved 1-4x per episode so far) and the ML was reduced to constantly being "the man who saves her". If not for the 2ML who is hilarious, I would be dropping it. But it's too early to say if I'll actually finish watching it, lol. 

As to "Crash Landing on You" I disagree with you on that one, as I found both ML and FL were very balanced (alternating between saving and being saved/being in power vs being powerless). They also both had their individual stories, goals, and accomplishments. The secondary couple was also great in that aspect. So that's a drama I truly enjoyed watching from start to finish. Having said that, we all have different checkboxes when watching dramas. Whether a drama fills all your checkboxes is entirely personal. So something you didn't like, I could totally love. And something I didn't like, could fill in all your boxes. It's not that we see a different drama, but that we see through different filters and that's what makes us all unique :).