Hi Everyone!

I am in a drama slump right now and I am hoping to get a few recommendations on some good dramas. I would prefer a historical romance cdrama but any will do if it has a good plot and a smart FL. Bonus points if it has some good skinship & kisses. For example, Maiden Holmes is one of my favorites because the FL isn't a goofy and immature mess that the ML has to take care of and save every 15 minutes. I would like to find a drama where the FL is intelligent and has actual goals in life. I appreciate it!

Good Dramas I've seen

Maiden Holmes - Best Historical that I have seen where the FL is awesome, good romance and side characters. Plot was corny at times, but I give it a pass.

Love & Redemption - The best Epic romance that I have seen, Si Feng, good Gods. The OST, fight scenes, plot, love story, everything was great.

My Little Happiness - FL is smart and driven, and the romance was super cute.

W - FL annoyed me at times but it is a great story, great graphics.

TMOPB- Good plot and a decent romance. Badass and intelligent FL.

Ashes of Love - Decent. Good story and great acting.

Bromance - Not the best plot but the FL was smart and badass.

Go Go Squid - Good story but there are A Lot of flashbacks. Cute romance.

My Roommate is a Gumiho - FL is awesome, funny without being dumb and the plot smashes some common tropes, but unfortunately keeps a few others.

Lost Romance - Funny FL who is intelligent, interesting plot and cute romance and the skinship was on fire.

Romance of Tiger and Rose - Decent. Had a few really funny scenes.

Touch Your Heart - FL was kind of ditzy, but it had a good plot and sweet romance.

You are My Hero - Decent, interesting plot.

While you were Sleeping - Good plot, sweet romance.

Murphy's Law of Love - Decent. Like the bickering couple.

Cheese in the Trap - I liked the borderline psycho ML and the plot was good. I didn't like the ending though.

Extra-Ordinary You - Great plot and acting, romance was good but skinship was lacking.

Sound of the Desert - Decent, interesting plot.



Dramas I didn't like or dropped:

Love O2O

The Imperial Coroner

The General and I

Love in Time

Under the Power

Lost Love in Times

General's Lady

Qing Luo

Ancient Detective

Miss Truth

Oh! My Emperor

Unique Lady

Love of Thousand Years

Love better than Immortality

The Legends

The Love Knot

The King's Woman

There are many more for both lists, but I would appreciate any recommendations. Thank you!

Noona romance might be for you

Find Yourself

I Need Romance

The Rational Life

Dare To Love

Oooooh Thanks @Pinkypie for the recs :)

You should definitely give "Run On" a shot! The FL is mature and goal-driven.  Moreover, this show featured a very healthy relationship. 

 Cheekyc93:
I would prefer a historical romance cdrama but any will do if it has a good plot and a smart FL.


 Cheekyc93:
I would like to find a drama where the FL is intelligent and has actual goals in life.
  • The Princess Wei Young - Historical romance C Drama. The FL is smart and has goals. She gets in trouble a lot and the ML / other people frequently take steps to save her, but she also does a lot to save / defend / advocate for herself and she also uses her smarts to help the ML and others (disaster victims, the military, slaves who were formerly citizens of her kingdom, a foreign princess, etc.). Limited skinship.
  •  The Story of Ming Lan - Historical romance C Drama. This drama is a slow burn that requires a fair bit of patience, but it has a good pay off. The FL initially has to hide her intelligence in order to achieve her goals (survival and revenge). Limited skinship.
  • The Imperial Doctress - Historical romance C Drama. The FL is a talented doctor who is too good for all the men who fall for her. She is clever (despite her unfortunate choice to accept the SML's proposal) and stays true to her goal. She sticks to her guns and never gives up on practicing medicine, no matter how much anyone tries to pressure her out of it. Limited skinship.
  • Mr. Sunshine - Historical romance K Drama (lead up to Japanese occupation era). The FL is talented, smart, and driven with a very clear goal (freeing Joseon from foreign control) that she sticks to. Very limited skinship.
  • Live Up to Your Name - Medical / Time Travel K Drama. The FL is a talented doctor. Apart from her career, I don't remember the FL having particular goals but I might be forgetting something. Great skinship.
  • Search: WWW - Modern day office romance K Drama. The FL is a driven business woman. She is smart enough to be successful in a competitive business and has clear goals. Great skinship too. 
  • Misty - Modern day thriller / melodrama / romance K Drama. The FL is smart, driven and definitely has goals, which she prioritizes over romance. There's some skinship, but the men (apart from Ha Myung Woo) are trash.
  • Across the Ocean to See You - Modern day office romance C Drama. The FL doesn't always make the best choices in her personal life / relationships, but she is successful in her career and definitely goal-oriented. I don't remember there being much skinship. 


 Cheekyc93:
Dramas I didn't like or dropped:

Love O2O


 Cheekyc93:
Lost Love in Times

I probably would have listed these if you hadn't mentioned them ^^"

Story of Minglan  +1

also wanna add some dramas:

  • The Sword and The Brocade
  • Love Now
  • New Tales of a Gisaeng
 Czakhareina:

Story of Minglan  +1

also wanna add some dramas:

  • The Sword and The Brocade
  • Love Now
  • New Tales of a Gisaeng

Awesome, thank you!

Thanks for all of the great suggestions,  @ AH, thanks for taking the time with the detail!

Just like you, I really love watching dramas with a strong and independent FL. Therefore, I came to collect a few, that I'd love to share with you!


  • Maiden Holmes (Chinese) -> This one is probably one of the best dramas out there with a smart FL. It's about an incredibly beautiful and witty female detective who tries to solve murder cases.
  • Hotel del Luna (Korean) -> If you like cute tsundere characters who run their own business, this might be something for you. :)
  • Begin Again (Chinese) -> This is also a story about a strong lady boss.
  • Accidentally in Love (Chinese) -> The girl is very smart and witty. :)
  • Beautiful Gong Shim (Korean) -> This one starts off a bit different. The girl lacks in self-confidence but develops into a beautiful strong FL. 
  • Le Coup de Foudre (Chinese) -> This one also starts off with a rather weak girl who develops into a strong FL.
  • Dr. Cutie (Chinese) -> The girl doesn't depend on the ML, she's trying to solve her problems on her own.
  • Oh My General (Chinese) -> This drama probably has the strongest FL out of all dramas I've listed so far. The story is about a strong female general who fights for her country with a very open and developed mindset.
  • Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (Korean) -> The story is about a strong girl who is a weightlifter and pursues her dream to get a gold medal.
  • When The Camellia Blooms (Korean) -> This one is about a single mother who is trying to bring up her son in a very judgemental environment.