CDrama with Interesting Female Leads

● If you like light costume dramas:

The Eternal Love

A trilogy where main leads travels between different worlds. FL is strong and funny, ML is cold at the beginning. Lots and lots of steamy kisses along the three seasons.

In the first season FL’s soul goes from modern times to the body of a future princess in a different world with martial arts where people wear costumes. She actually will share the body of a woman with the same physical appearence she has and eventually she and the prince will fall in love, get married and they will continue to travel between worlds trough funny adventures and some hardships.

Unique Lady

Another costume drama where a modern girl enters in a parallel world, in this case a computer game where she has to find love among four handsome guys. She’s strong, funny and feminine. I had a great crush for the 2ML, he was even more handsome in the second season with the outfits for his new "situation". She had a good chemistry with the male leads. The story is funny and light-hearted.

Decreed by Fate

I recently watched this lovely light-hearted costume drama. Only 16 episodes of +- 40 ced side since FL in a costume period works as a specialist in divorces, she defends women’s rights. She is attracted to two VERY HANDSOME Male Leads before falling for one of them. The director explores sensuality of the cast but does not go overboard. And defends freedom for women in this unpretentious romance.

The plot is light and fluffy but several known tropes like >! Love Poison, surviving a fall from a very high cliff, sacrifice one’s life for the other... !< were used. No problem for me, just a guilty pleasure.

● If you like historical dramas, these are outstanding with strong and capable FLs:

The Story of Yanxi Palace

I’ve avoided it for a long time, because I am not very fond of palace intrigue and I fell lazy to watch long dramas. But reading some recs here I decided to give a try . And I am so glad I made it cause I could confirm that it is a masterpiece. The characters were inspired on real people, although the story was romanticized mixed with a few real events. The outfits are amazing and reproduction of what they really wore at this time, following paintings and drawings. The plot is completely engaging and we get hooked from the first episode.

The most beautiful romance in this drama is however between FL and the Second ML. Although the relationship between FL and the First ML was quite rich and pleasant to watch, our hearts won’t be able to forget the unconditional love from 2ML and how sad we were as they could not stay together. This is also something original from this plot, because we can assume until the ending that FL still loved somehow 2ML, even if she liked a lot the Emperor. And this only made the story more interesting.

Chef Hua

It is  one of my favorite cdramas. It is small and huge, a precious stone.

Historical. It tells a story of a woman whose passion is cooking. She falls in love with a bodygard and he will help her to achieve her dream as a chief. Their relationship is based on comunication and mutual support.

There are no princes, no boring political plots and the all the cooking scenes are a work of art. Other great point of this drama is that it is located on very beautiful small country villages. I strongly recommend this atypical and underrated drama.

https://mydramalist.com/52173-the-fires-of-cooking-hua-xiao-chu

●Modern dramas

Someday Or One Day is an intense love story with a dream ML.

I consider this drama a masterpiece and in consequence I find it the best time travel drama I have ever watched. Emotionally rich, it is surely one of my 2 favorite dramas ever, (where I cannot find which one wins). But be prepared to cry a river (it is not a rom-com) and be completely shaked by this touching and incredible plot with lots of twists. Taiwanese. There is an extra scene for the ending on viki and YouTube that might be watched.

A girl whose beloved boyfriend died in an accident travels to the past to meet a guy who was identical to him.

Second thoughts about SoOD

It is true that one important key factor that turns Someday Or One Day into a masterpiece is the plot perfectly sewn, and then this will be kept. If we create a label "Zero Misunderstanding", this drama certainly would be hinese modern rom-coms, even if in the beginning I felt a little uncomfortable with FL being so stubborn. The story keeps going better and better.

Forever Love

I was lazy to watch it cause I prefer adult romances. But how silly I was...

This precious cdrama follows a college from the terminal year in high school to college and later to working life. A beautiful and lovely couple with amazing chemistry formed by a rich, mature and intelligent girl and a poor but adorable guy who is a computer sciences genius.

The actors are so convincing that is hard to believe they are not in love in real life. The gaze exchanges are touching. It is impossible not to fall in love with this sweet make lead.

Lost Romance

One of my great favorite romances for sure. Here FL falls in coma and goes to the world of the book she is editing to be the antagonist of FL (female vilain). As ML haw the same looks as the guy she has a crush in real life, she decides to change the game in order to become the FL of the story.

Besides being very romantic, it is so steamy (OMG, I wish we had more dramas as hot as this one) that makes my heart flutter, and also very funny (with some action). Second Male Lead is adorable yet only loves FL in the dream world but he will have a very happy ending. I found the first episode less interesting and felt the story started to heat as things start to happen in the dream world. However I skipped most parts about ML’s rich family issues because it was heavy and boring in my pov.

If you like handsome guys, you will be so happy. ML, 2ML, ML’s brother and even FL’s boss are pretty! For me, Lost Romance is a kind of Disneyland (terminology taken from FL’s funny words) of Dramas and these actors are the flowers. Though 2ML is adorable and so handsome, my eternal crush is Marcus Chang (since I watched this drama for the first time). He plays in this drama two versions of a character and I love very much the "real life" version of the CEO. Futhermore his voice while speaking and singing several beautiful songs from the OST.

A Taiwanese drama.

I loved A Dream Of Splendor!

The Long Ballad - the FL is very independent and focused on her mission/revenge, while the ML fell for her early on.

Love Like the Galaxy (currently airing) - the FL grew up being abused by her extended family and just wants to live a free life doing whatever she wants. She ends up encountering several suitors including the ML, and makes it clear that an equal partnership is important to her.

Why Women Love - this one is modern but the FL is super successful and the ML is a younger guy at her company who falls for her.

A Dream of Splendor - a women-centric historical drama about 3 friends who move to the capital to open up their own tea house, and they each have their own storylines in terms of romantic partners, but the FL remains very self-sufficient throughout.

The Legends

Not romance but i really loved reset and both fl and ml hold their own really well here, if you are interested to give it a try

I really liked Rebel Princess. FL is put into an arranged marriage and goes from spoilt princess to political powerhouse. It’s historical, has some decent battle and martial arts scenes and the costuming/settings are divine. I loved the FL and ML - her arranged marriage is to a low born general who receives title of a Prince after defeating the King of Hulan. He’s a wonderful husband to her and doesn’t treat her like crap like a lot of ML’s do at first in a lot of CDramas I’ve watched. I still binge watch it now.

I am once again recommending A Girl Like Me the FL doesn’t care or submit to anyone and she is as outspoken and dominant as I’ve seen from a FL. It is a romance and a the ML is also very good but she isn’t a passive damsel in distress or anything like that, quite the opposite,she doesn’t even back down from prince

• Maiden Holme
• The Long Ballad
• Love Like the Galaxy
• The Legends
• The Princess Agent
• The Princess Weiyoung

Historical dramas:

- The Story of Minglan. A drama of life that follows the youngest daughter, a little neglected, of a family from her youth to her first love, to her marriage and her life as a married woman.

- The Story of Yanxi Palace. A harem drama filled with dangerous and toxic people. We follow the adventures of the FL, entering the palace to investigate the death of her sister. She's cunning, smart and ruthless when she's wronged.

- The Long Ballad. An adventure drama that follows the adventures of the warrior princess of the Tang Dynasty and that of the general of an enemy country.

- Love Like the Galaxy. A coming of age drama that follows a 15 yeards old wild girl, abandoned by her family who has gone to fight, and her encounter with a powerful general, the emperor's adopted son.

- A dream of splendor. A story of women's lives and a romance between a former courtesan and an investigator.

- Prince of Lan Ling. An adventure drama following the meeting and the journey of the emperor's nephew, a feared general, and a girl who lived remote from the world.

Republic Era dramas :

- Rookie Agent Rouge. A WWII spy drama, the romance isn't the main focus but it does exist and is interesting.

Modern dramas :

- Stealth Walker. An undercover thriller where a policewoman enters a hotel run by the mafia to bring down a drug ring and investigate a murder.

- Love Designer. A work drama (fashion industry) and romance between a designer and a CEO.

I will recommend the blue whisper. I just finished it and it was really good. I think it satisfied what you mean about an interesting female lead. She’s quite powerful and her personality in other series might even make her a villain… (unfortunately there’s still some of that macho male lead stereotype…)

It is a xianxia type story

Ancient Detective - sherlock holms style murder mystery. ML can't fight. FL is an assassin. No fluff no misunderstandings but they obviously have feelings for each other.

The Rational Life has a very smart FL, witty and can hold her own against office politics. A calm, mature, slow burn set in modern times.

There is also this melodrama more job related.

Master of My Own

At the start it was very hard to watch FL being mistreated by her horrible boss and colleagues at work. But it seemed interesting then I went on. Luckily, it did not take too much for her to change job and stop being bullied.

I was completely charmed by FL’s character. 3S: Sweet, Smart and Strong. She is so clever about work and life , I liked her lines a lot. Oh, however is great to watch a mature FL from time to time.

Other thing I liked is !< that she dated 2ML first. He seemed to deserve that and so did she. So we could not have a 2nd Lead Syndrome. I won't comment anymore but this section was rich for me. >!

Besides ML who was a man very hard to deal did not change because he fell in love. In most dramas, love works as a kind of miracle pill that is able to transform the most horrible person in an angel instantly. But here, things were more likely real life, because ML improved little by little as he was faced with many obstacles in his way.

One thing was disliked is that there were too many business related scenes, I skipped some of them.

The other drawback is that Main Couple got together really late. I was happy when I heard there will be a second season that I’ll definitely watch.

Nothing but thirty

Twenty your life on

Story of Yanxi Palace

Young Blood

The Sword and the Brocade

The Story of Minglan

Both have shy and reserved FL who want a quiet life but when others involve and manipulate them in their plots they show just how brilliant they are.

I just finished The Moon Brightens for You, which had a strong female lead with romance. Not sure if it would be romantic enough - there's a fair amount of action and fight scenes, since it's supposed to be wuxia - but the FL may appeal.

I adore This is not What I Expected! The cooking scenes were amazing and I loved their off the wall chemistry. The FL is so good.

The Romance of Tiger and Rose - the FL transmigrates and just wants to go home, she's completely oblivious when the ML starts falling for her.

Imperial Coroner - the FL takes her job very seriously and cares about that more than anything, and while the romance is definitely there, the crime solving is the central plot.

Modern romance: Day of Becoming You, You Are My Hero

Delicious Romance. Female centric plot about three best friends that unfolds in contemporary times. The tone isn't heavy at all though it deals with stuff like jobs and familial/romantic relationships. A real gem where the ladies are fleshed out like actual people with relatable problems and the romance doesn't feel contrived at all. I can't recommend it enough!