I recently just got back into watching asian drama's (rewatching Gokusen ;D) and I'm looking for some good ones. I'm not too picky about genre or topic as long as they aren't super cheesy.

Non-bubbly, sarcastic female leads are a plus.

Thanks guys!

Well, I'm not sure, which kind of genre you prefer, but the last drama, that really surprised me and made me nearly watch it in one go is called 'Midas' (a K-drama). The first episodes seem to be rather dramatic - and maybe confusing, if you're not so into stock exchanging - but then everything seems to fall into place and it really got me hooked, because of the atmosphere and strategic twists.

If it should be a J-drama, then I would recommend these three...Buzzer Beat (Somewhat cheesy, but in a nice way, I think), Nobuta wo Produce and Asuko March! (Both are great, since they don't only focus on a romantic storyline, but also the struggles of the characters in life). ^^

"It's like love is a bonus in your life. Even without it, I'm just fine. I don't feel like pointlessly searching for it. You don't have to make yourself unhappy." (Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji)

"Why does it rain?" - "To create drama." (Drops (Andou Yuki))

K-Dramas:

2012
Gaksital (Bridal Mask)* really good! (Still airing)
Ghost* (Still airing) [Cyber crime police] really good!
Big (Still airing)
Dream High 2 (about music)
The Moon that Embraces the Sun*
Tree with Deep Roots
The King 2 Hearts* (North & South Korean marriage and conflicts)
I Do I Do ( I think this one is a bit cheesy but I think its alright..the first 4 eps might be a bit boring but I think its getting better).

2011
Dream High 1* (music)
What's Up? (music)
City Hunter* (adaption from manga)
Can You Hear My Heart*
Poseidon (police)
Protect the Boss
The Greatest Love
Spy Myung Wol (Spy from North Korea)
Warrior Baek Dong Soo*
You've Fallen For Me (Music)
The Princess' Man (sort of like Romeo and Juliet?)
Paradise Ranch
Lie to Me*
Brain* (main characters are docters)

2009 & 2010
Secret Garden* (swapping bodies)
You're Beautiful* (music)
Shining Inheritance*
Queen Seon Duk
Personal Taste
My Girlfriend is a Gumiho
Cinderella Man
Boys Over Flowers* (adaption from manga)
Iris*
Mary Stayed Out All Night
Prosecutor Princess*

I only watch K-dramas..so these are only k-dramas..
*The ones I thought were really great.
P = period drama
M = modern drama

I hope this helps! 😀

My Name Is Kim Sam Soon 🙂 It's a K-drama. After watching this one, I lost interest in other K-dramas because they failed to get me to laugh/follow through like this one did.

+1 for Secret Garden, The Greatest Love, and You're Beautiful

Cinderella's Sister, My Girl, Hong Gil Dong, and Chuno were other good Korean Dramas I've watched recently. You can't really go wrong with any drama staring Yoon Eun Hye, Gong Hyo Jin, or Moon Geun Young either...

I haven't watched too many J-dramas recently, but anything with Nakama Yukie would be a safe bet. Try to watch Trick 1-3 (and the specials and movies) if you haven't already. Anything with Kimura Takuya is bound to get high ratings and be extremely good as well. Yamashita Tomohisa, Oguri Shun, Matsumoto Jun, Shibasaki Kou, Odagiri Joe, Abe Hiroshi, and Horikita Maki are other Japanese actors/actresses I enjoy.

Atsu-hime and Shinsengumi were two NHK Taiga dramas that I enjoyed quite a bit as well.

bad guy
it has a guy as the protagonist , the story is so twisted .. this is just an awesome k-drama

49 days
this is super sad? i hope you prepare your box of tissue

king of baking, kim tak goo
very nice and inspiring drama

pasta
very cute romance drama

wild romance

style
well this one has sarcastic female lead , but i personally dont like this drama

hwang jin yi

second the greatest love and cinderella's sister

😉 

[img]http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxe0g342iH1qb4p3ko2_r1_250.gif[/img]

Maybe...

Secret Garden (Korean Drama)
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Secret_Garden

You're Beautiful (Korean Drama)
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/You're_Beautiful

Personal Taste (Korean Drama)
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Personal_Preference

City Hunter (Korean Drama)
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/City_Hunter

Mary Stayed Out All Night (Korean Drama)
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Mary_Stayed_Out_All_Night

One of my favorites
Love in Disguise (Chinese Drama)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_in_Disguise

It really depends on your taste or preference
I suggest you try looking at the popular dramas at DramaCrazy.net
http://www.dramacrazy.net/most-popular/
or DramaFever.com
http://www.dramafever.com/featured/recently_added/
They usually have good top choices and your likely to find something you'll like
Good Luck

Quote from ponbiki

anything with Nakama Yukie would be a safe bet. Try to watch Trick 1-3 (and the specials and movies) if you haven't already. Anything with Kimura Takuya is bound to get high ratings and be extremely good as well. Yamashita Tomohisa, Oguri Shun, Matsumoto Jun, Shibasaki Kou, Odagiri Joe, Abe Hiroshi, and Horikita Maki are other Japanese actors/actresses I enjoy.

Atsu-hime and Shinsengumi were two NHK Taiga dramas that I enjoyed quite a bit as well.

^Truth. Pretty much how I select dramas, too, in terms of actors.

Anyway, for a sarcastic female lead, I'd recommend Long Vacation. Well, the main female lead, Minami, isn't super sarcastic but she definitely is not bubbly. xD It's a pretty old drama (from 1996) but it's very entertaining and yeah, it cemented Kimura Takuya's claim to stardom (for a reason, of course).

Also would like to recommend JIN and Hotaru no Hikari, both of which star Haruka Ayase and have strong female characters.

Lol, these recs all have age gaps, but nvm that. xD

I haven't watched doramas in a long while. One of my favourites is Maou (which happens to be an adaptation of the k-drama, Mawang.) I also enjoyed One Litre of Tears, Nodame Cantabile, Great Teacher Onizuka, Orange Days, and Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo (this one's more of my childhood favourite back in the 90s...).

As for k-dramas:

• History of the Salaryman
• My Name is Kim Sam Soon
• Coffee Prince
• Vampire Prosecutor
• Queen In-hyun's Man
• Shut Up Flower Boy Band
• Gaksital/Bridal Mask
• Girl K (cable drama, only 3 episodes long and a bit more explicit)