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Hello wallflowers! This is Ayreesa. Here are the dramas that kept my nights burning like candles. I’ve combined remakes into one to make room for even more recommendations. Each drama is a flame. Some will warm you with laughter, others will blaze with tear-jerking moments. HAHAHAHUHUHUHU… WHHHHYYY?!!! 🔥😭
This is Part 3 of 4 of Reverse Harem Garden 18th birthday series. In the Philippines, a debut ball includes dancing with 18 boys who each offer a rose—known as the 18 Roses—and receiving 18 candles and messages from girls. Some even add their own twist with 18 gifts, 18 bills, or even 18 shoes… you get the idea.
Disclaimers:
- Some are kinda reverse harem. See Levels of Reverse Harem.
- As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
- I take no responsibility for any emotional breakdowns. 🥲
1. Meteor Garden tdrama | Hana Yori Dango jdrama| Boys Over Flowers kdrama (kinda reverse harem)- Based on manga
Boys Over Flowers manga, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4nTsWYJ
Boys Over Flowers Season 2 manga, Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4pYQuNG
Boys Over Flowers: Jewelry Box manga https://amzn.to/3KXje9v
Meteor Garden: Shan Cai, a poor but strong-willed girl, enters the elite Ying De University, home to the powerful F4—Dao Ming Si, Hua Ze Lei, Xi Men, and Mei Zuo. She clashes with Dao Ming Si, the feared leader, yet catches his attention by standing up to him. Torn between his cruelty and Hua Ze Lei’s kindness, Shan Cai must navigate love, class differences, and Dao Ming Si’s mother’s schemes.
Hana Yori Dango: Makino Tsukushi, the only poor student at the elite Eitoku Gakuen, clashes with the powerful F4 led by Domyoji Tsukasa. Branded with a dreaded red notice, she refuses to back down, earning Rui’s quiet support and unexpectedly sparking Domyoji’s romantic interest.
Boys Over Flowers: Geum Jan Di, a dry cleaner’s daughter, earns a swimming scholarship to the elite Shinhwa High after saving a bullied student. There, she clashes with the powerful F4—Jun Pyo, Ji Hu, Yi Jung, and Woo Bin—and quickly becomes their next target.
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2. Hana Kimi jdrama | To The Beautiful You kdrama (kinda rh)- Based on manga
Hana-Kimi, Vol. 1: The Prettiest Boy In School...Isn't A Boy! manga Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4oiDIs3
Hana-Kimi (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1 https://amzn.to/4mLMb5L
With upcoming anime to premiere on January 2026
Hana Kimi : This hilarious comedy follows the chaos, troubles, and friendship at a boys' boarding school after a girl disguised as a boy joins. Ashiya Mizuki has just come back to Japan from California where she was raised. She fell in love with Sano Izumi, a hopeful high jump hero, who has quit after an accident. As she wants him to go back to the sport once again, she enters the same high school as a boy! With short hair, a flattened chest, and lowered voice, she starts sharing the same room with Sano.
To The Beautiful You : Jae Hui moves to Korea to help Tae Jun restart his high jump career after he announces his retirement. Despite his closed heart, Tae Jun begins to open up to Jae Hui. Meanwhile, Eun Gyeol struggles with his feelings for Jae Hui, who is pretending to be a man. The student-athletes bond during training, focusing more on camaraderie than competition.
3. You're Beautiful kdrama-Original drama
The management company of the idol group A.N.JELL insisted on adding a new singer to the group as the lead vocal, Tae Kyung's voice was hurting. However,the new member, Mi Nam, had to go to the States to repair a botched eye job just before signing the contract. His agent came up with the idea of having his twin sister, Mi Nyu,to stand in for him and pretend that she was her brother. The two of them grew up in an orphanage and Mi Nyu, who was all set to become a nun, agreed to this charade as she didn't want to spoil her brother's chance of fame which would make it easier to look for their mother.
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4. Sungkyukwan Scandal kdrama| In A Class of Her Own cdrama (kinda rh)-Based on novel
Sungkyukwan Scandal: Kim Yoon Hee, a bright young woman, disguises herself as a boy to take the men’s national exam in place of her sick brother. She passes, earning a spot at Sungkyunkwan University, where she must hide her identity while rooming with the proud Lee Seon Joon and befriending the playful Goo Yong Ha and rebellious Moon Jae Shin.
In A Class of Her Own: Xue Wen Xi, from a poor family, disguises herself as a boy to work as a writer. When the Prime Minister’s son, Feng Cheng Jun, discovers her talent, she’s forced to enroll in the all-male Yun Shang Academy under her brother’s name. Living in fear of exposure, she still wins friends, becomes part of the “Yun Shang Quartet,” and discovers love—until her secret threatens to unravel it all.
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5. Ooku movie (2010)| Ooku TV (2012)| The Castle of Crossed Destinies movie (2012)| Ooku TV 2023 Season 1- Based on manga
Ôoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 1 manga https://amzn.to/3IAwUGX
Ooku 2010 and 2012 are all related.
Ooku movie (2010) In the year 1716, a mysterious epidemic strikes men in the country of Japan, dropping the population of men to 1/4th of its prior state. With the drastic reduction of men, the gender roles have become reversed in Japan. Woman become the dominant members of society and males are sought out for the ability to produce children. Based on the first volume of the manga series.
Ooku TV (2012) In the Edo era during the reign of the third shogun, a mysterious smallpox epidemic affects males only, causing the number of males to plummet to one-fourth of the population. The roles of males and females are reversed. Women run businesses and politics. A young girl takes the seat as the heir of the shogunate and becomes the first female shogun. She is Tokugawa Iemitsu. When Iemitsu turns 16, the pure-hearted Madenokoji Arikoto, who heads a temple, is threatened and forced to return to secular life. Together with his disciple Gyokuei, he becomes one of the 3,000 handsome concubines that wait on the shogun in the inner palace.Based on the 2nd-to-4th volumes of the manga series
The Castle of Crossed Destinies movie (2012) In the inner chambers of the Shugun's castle, 3,000 men attempt to vie for the affection of the female shogun. Based on the 4th-6th volumes of the manga series.
Ooku TV S1 2023 is a remake. It covers Iemitsu, Tsunayoshi, Yoshimune, and Imperial Restoration arcs.
Please, someone sub Ōoku TV Season 2 (2024), which covers the “Cure Arc” and “Bakumatsu Arc.” This is the first adaptation of this part of the story. If you can, check the comments on Ōoku (2023) on MyDramaList. Thank you!
6. Reply 1994 kdrama (kinda rh) part of Reply Anthology Trilogy - Original series
Set in 1994, six university students from various provincial areas live together at a boarding house in Sinchon, Seoul, which is run by a couple with a daughter named Na Jung. The timeline moves back and forth between the past in 1994 and the present in 2013, making the viewers guess who will become Na Jung's husband among the male characters.
7. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart kdrama- Based on novel
When a total eclipse of the sun takes place, Go Ha Jin is transported back in time to the start of the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea during King Taejo's rule. She wakes up in the body of the 16-year-old Hae Soo and finds herself living in the house of the 8th Prince Wang Wook, who is married to Hae Soo's cousin. She soon befriends several of the princes and meets the ostracized 4th Prince, Wang So. Although knowing she should not get involved in palace intrigues over the succession to the throne, she inadvertently becomes a pawn in the struggle, as several of the Princes fall in love with her.
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8. Good Morning Call and Good Morning Call: Campus Days jdrama- Based on manga
Yoshikawa Nao stays behind to live by herself when her parents leave to inherit her grandpa's farm in the country. On the day she moves into her new apartment, she discovers that it was also rented to Uehara Hisashi, a cute, super-cool, popular guy from her school. Not only did their housing agency unexpectedly close down, the landlord of the apartment told them that they had to pay more for their apartment than they had expected. With no money and no home to return to, Nao and Hisashi decide to live together as flatmates.
Brooklyn-based artist Nola Darling struggles to stay true to herself and her dreams while dividing her time between her friends, her job and her lovers -- all three of them. That trio includes married businessman and father Jamie Overstreet, photographer and self-described "biracial Adonis" Greer Childs and chatty Michael Jordan fan Mars Blackmon.
10. Mr. Sunshine kdrama-Original drama
I’m sorry I never wrote a proper review for this EPIC MASTERPIECE. It’s an 11 out of 10! Special thanks to Icha for recommending it. It took me years to finally pick it up. BINGE IT ON NETFLIX NOW!!!
I’m sorry I never wrote a proper review for this EPIC MASTERPIECE. It’s an 11 out of 10! Special thanks to Icha for recommending it. It took me years to finally pick it up. BINGE IT ON NETFLIX NOW!!!
In a Joseon caught between empires, noblewoman and secret sniper Go Ae Shin captures the hearts of three unforgettable figures: Eugene Choi, the scarred U.S. Marine; Gu Dong Mae, the ruthless samurai with a hidden softness; and Kim Hee Sung, her idealistic fiancé; As war looms, Ae Shin must fight for her country while caught in a web of love, loyalty, and sacrifice.
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11. Yumi's Cells S1 & S2 kdrama (kinda rh); with Yumi's Cells The Movie (animated)- Based on manhwa/webcomic
Also available as webcomic on Webtoons
Inside every human, countless cells work tirelessly to keep life running. For Kim Yu Mi, an ordinary office worker, those cells hide something extraordinary. After a painful breakup, her love cells fall into a coma—until she meets Koo Ung, an awkward game developer whose feelings spark hers back to life. As their cells work overtime, Yu Mi and Koo Ung grow closer. But can a spark between cells truly unite two hearts forever?
12. My Dear Exes jdrama-Original series - Just found out that it will have a cdrama remake.
First Impression (I finished watching this, but I didn't post a final review.)
After three divorces, Omameda Towako now lives with her 15-year-old daughter, Uta. Towako was recently appointed president of the construction company, Shirokuma Housing. Despite her marital setbacks, she remains enthusiastically motivated, boldly, and confidently going through her life, one that is all too often disrupted by her troublesome former husbands.
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13. Alchemy of Souls and Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow kdrama- Original series
Season 2 Drama Mini-Review
In the fictional country of Daeho, young mages struggle to overcome twisted fates caused by the forbidden "alchemy of souls," a spell that swaps souls between bodies. Naksu, an elite assassin, finds her soul trapped in the weak body of Mu Deok, a servant to the noble Jang Family. Jang Uk, the young master of the Jang Family, harbors a dark secret about his birth and seeks Naksu's help to change his destiny.
In Dahuang, after the General Princess of Xiyan sacrifices herself to defeat Chenrong’s General Chi Chen, Xiyan conquers Chenrong. Before her death, she cared for her daughter, Xiao Yao, and nephew, Cang Xuan, but Xiao Yao is sent to Jade Mountain, separating them. 300 years later, Xiao Yao, now disguised as Wen Xiao Liu, runs a small clinic. Her life intersects with a doctor, his servant, a wine-maker, and a demon military advisor in Qingshui Town, setting in motion events that will reshape Dahuang.
15. Story of Kunning Palace cdrama- Based on web novel
Jiang Xue Ning’s obsession with becoming empress strains her friendship with Yan Lin and leads to the arrest of Official Zhang Zhe. After a brief reign, guilt takes hold as rebels, led by Yan Lin, wipe out the royal family. In her final moments, she trades her life for Zhang Zhe’s freedom. Miraculously, she wakes up as her 18-year-old self before entering the palace. Determined to change her fate, she tries to escape the palace's political games but is pulled back into it, becoming a study companion to Princess Le Yang and a disciple of Xie Wei, the man behind her past downfall.
16. Thank You, Next S1 and S2 Turkish drama-Original series
After a breakup, lawyer Leyla Taylan swears off love—until she’s caught between her charming ex, a mysterious client, a loyal best friend, and a rival colleague. Surrounded by passion and temptation, which man will truly win her heart?
17. Ang Mutya ng Section E Philippine drama Season 1- Based on a Wattpad novel
S2 to premiere in November 2025
Jay-jay, the only girl in the mischievous Section E, hopes for a fresh start in high school but quickly becomes the target of her rowdy male classmates' pranks and schemes to make her leave. Dubbed their "Mutya", she fights back with wit and charm, turning the tables on her tormentors. Amidst the chaos, unexpected friendships blossom, and hilarious misunderstandings lead to heart-fluttering moments. Can Jay-jay survive the madness of Section E, or will she win over their hearts instead?
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18. Glass Heart jdrama- Based on manga
Saijo Akane, a drummer who was ousted from her previous band just before her debut, is unexpectedly chosen by Fujitani Naoki, a reclusive and brilliant musician, to join his new band, TENBLANK. Together with band members Takaoka Sho and Sakamoto Kazushi, the band gains fame through Fujitani's distinctive compositions and their electrifying performances. As TENBLANK rises to stardom, they face numerous challenges, and Akane's journey from obscurity to stardom unfolds as Fujitani's secrets emerge. Will the band withstand the storm, and where will Akane's heart lead her?
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BONUS: I had a hard time trimming the list, so here are the ones that almost made the cut.
At twenty-nine-years-old, Go Ho faces the struggles of the modern-day woman, namely the struggles to succeed in work and romance in the 21st Century. An advertisement contractor who is unlucky in love, Go Ho works hard to be successful in her career and only thinks of romance as an afterthought. But one day, an old flame turns up, taking on the role of her new boss, and suddenly, it seems like every man is looking her way. Will the dust settle long enough for her to make the right romantic choices?
BONUS # 2 Hajimete Koi o Shita Hi ni Yomu Hanashi jdrama-Based on manga
Harumi Junko was once a model student during her middle school and high school days. However, she, unfortunately, failed to enter the prestigious Tokyo University, and her life has not gone smoothly since then. Now, at the age of 32, she works as a teacher in a private tutoring institute, hoping to help other high school students succeed where she has failed in getting into their university of choice. She was not having much success until one day, a high schooler with bright pink hair and his father enter the institute. The father believes his son is a delinquent and wants the institute to help him enter a good university. Junko decides to take on the challenge. Will she be able to succeed, and will she be able to also finally have a romance when 2 other men appear in her life?
BONUS # 3 Coffee Prince kdrama (kinda rh)-Based on novel
Choi Han Gyeol, heir to a coffee empire, avoids responsibility and is stuck on his first love. Ko Eun Chan, a hardworking tomboy mistaken for a boy, becomes the family breadwinner after her father’s death. Believing she’s male, Han Gyeol hires her to pose as his boyfriend and later to work at his new café, Coffee Prince, where only “men” are employed. Desperate for income, Eun Chan hides her identity, setting the stage for romance and chaos.
How many from the list have you watched? Which ones are your favorites—and do you have any faves that didn’t make the list? Drop them in the comments!
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