If it was me, I would watch the movie "The bridges of Madison County" starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.

Whatever you'd watch, I hope your heart will heal soon 💙

CHICKEN NUGGET, while the ML has a crush, it’s mostly a wacky mystery comedy.

THE FIERY PRIEST- deals with corruption, no romance

Detective or police procedurals tend not to have too much romance - CRASH being the latest example

ONE DAY OFF - All the episodes are self contained, as we see the FL in her various one day travels. Skip episode 3, as that’s the only romance focused episode.

MOVE TO HEAVEN - This is a healing drama, where our protagonists clean the homes of the recently deceased. There is some slight romance but it’s mostly in the background.

I’m a little hesitant to recommend ANOTHER MISS OH. We find out from the first episode that the FL gets dumped by her fiancée. I personally think it did a great job of how a break-up can hurt and I liked how our FL wasn’t afraid to show her emotions. But ultimately it is a romance drama and she does find someone else

I’m so sorry you’re hurting, Beanie, and I hope the part of the memory that’s painful dulls soon. Not knowing what you like (other than romances) or what you’ve seen, I’ll offer a variety:

If you want a story about breakups, it’s Bora! Deborah/True to Love. The Beanies are divided on this drama, but no other one that I know of gives such a closeup view of messy breakups. Both ML and FL have them, and those dynamics overshadow any cute “getting to know you” phase, so that’s mostly absent from this one. It also explores other types of breakups, looking at a divorced couple (whose story is one of my favorites actually) and a married couple who aren’t doing super well. Not everything about it is great, but it explored relationships in a different way than any other drama, and that might be useful here.

If you’d rather be scared or thrilled into distraction, I’d go for something like The Killing Vote, The Revenant, or Kingdom. They offer real people being scary, dead people being scary, and undead people being scary, respectively, and each of them has a super great cast and a story that I found gripping the whole way through.

If watching a show with every light in the house on is not for you, perhaps an action comedy? Something like Bad Prosecutor or Lawless Lawyer or Stealer the Treasure Keeper? BP has only a the slightest whiff of romance, STK has a relationship that never gets delivered on, and LL has quite a short one that is not super vital to the plot and mostly happens early. I found all of them super fun, and often turn to action when I want to give my brain a break from whatever else it’s focused on.

And lastly, I’ll recommend Never Give Up. Fair warning, there is a little hint of romance, but it is very secondary to the central relationship in the show which is the one between the two male leads (one in his 40s and one in his 20s) and their journey out of their respective slumps together. Super heartwarming, very community-focused, lovely little drama.

I hope you find something that works for you, and hwaiting!

Stove League!

No love tropes, just focused on the satisfying redemption arc of an underachieving baseball team. Plus the great, non-romantic pairing of Namgoong Min and Park Eun-bin.

Maybe something without romance. A pure comedy.
Or a slice-of-life like Would you like a cup of coffee.

Aww I'm sorry about that, Beanie! I hear you on romance dramas hitting too close when a relationship hasn't worked out. My top recs would be Like Flowers in Sand (slice-of-life; growth and underdog story; very slight romance); Unlock My Boss (action, comedy, mystery, great character development; slight romance); Pegasus Market (warm-hearted ensemble comedy with a great cast of characters who grow and overcome difficulties in a supermarket!!); Flex x Cop (mystery action comedy, romance free!). But sometimes, it's also nice just to have a good cry, so for that, I'd recommend Call it Love. Also, I watched The Matchmakers when a relationship didn't work out and it was very soothing.

My recommendation for a show that sweeps you away with other thoughts than romance is for sure Chief Kim. I found it the first time when looking for just this sort of show--I was super-burned out on rom-coms--and it fit the bill exactly!

If your spirit is secretly vengeful, though, how about considering some OTT makjang like the often-hilarious Perfect Marriage Revenge or it's more black-comedy step-sister Bitter Sweet Hell? Nothing like watching the baddies get their comeuppance...

a thriller or a mystery would be good.
or caper. Watch Stealer: the treasure keeper, or Flex x Cop. Tunnel. Save me. The movie priests.

Family Dramas always make me feel warm and fuzzy, especially wholesome ones.

Once again
Father is strange
Five Enough
The Reply (Answer Me) Franchise [97,94,88]
18 Again
Racket Boys
Dear My Friends

I'll gladly recommend you go for dramas that don't remind you of heartbreak.

Business Proposal is a very good one to start with. Then, Gaus Electronics. Stay away from the first two episodes. Perfect Marriage Revenge is a good one too. The movies Alienoid 1&2.

Dear beanie, your note made me think of the film "Happy Old Year (2019)". I think this movie may be what you're looking for healing-wise. For a distraction I would recommend the movie "Linda Linda Linda (2005)", just girls in a band (Bae Doo Na is in it!).

I would also suggest the dramas Pegasus Market (comedy), and The Guest (horror) as distractions.

I hope some of these recs help you a little. I send you lots of hugs. Fighting! OXOX

Twenty Five Twenty One
Is the perfect breakup recovery kdrama.

I kid, I kid. Do not watch 25-21. I repeat: do not watch 25-21. It will further destroy you

Alone in Love; available in Viki

In the take-a-break-from-romance vein, I am at this moment several minutes into my nth rewatch of Forest of Secrets (Stranger on CJ ENM Select on Apple TV on Playstation 5 - a circuitous path to a free trial period). In the some mode (great suspense, zilch romance, cool friendships) I suggest God's Gift: 14 Days also.

My Ahjussi if you don't mind a little more heart break at first. It starts heavy and dark and then gets lighter and lighter until your heart is whole and ready to greet the world again.

Not a K drama but Only Murder in the Building. Humor to make you laugh and a mystery to keep your attention. Plus, cozy with an almost found family vibe.

It would depend on what you will be in the mood in. If you want to cry your heart out - Seven Day Queen and Flower of Evil will be highly recommended. But if you want an oldie cryfest it has to be Stairway to Heaven.

Ifjust something to distract you withcomedy, Chief Kim and Gaus Electronics would be my pick.

If non-romance is ur thing, On The Verge of Insanity (office drama), Misaeng (office drama), The Whirlwind (political thriller), Through the Darkness (police procedural), Agency (office politics), Hot Stove League (baseball underdog story), and Doctor Prisoner (revenge)

If you want horror/thrillers, KingdomS1 (saguek zombie), The Revenant, The Guest and The Cursed.

Not a drama, but I would recommend some good food shows. Netflix has the 'Rhapsody' and 'A nation of' series, they are both excellent and cover a bit of Korean history and culture as well as food. A few views of Korean street/land scape as well.

One of my first k-dramas was Stranger. No one has a romance and none of the drama is about romance, but it held my attention. I've rewatched it more than once. I think I like it because the drama acknowledges that real life police and prosecutors can be corrupt. Yet at the same time, the protagonists are horrified by murder. I do like the more violent revenge shows, like Lies Hidden in my Garden or The Glory, too, but really the are both pretty violent and maybe not what you want right now.

A show that stood up to a rewatch was The School Nurse Files. Sad, funny, difficult, absorbing, a little spooky but not much, not romantic.

Humor is almost always the best distraction, but I also love travelogues. To the latter point, I recommend Park Ha Kyung's Journey (I think it might also be called One Day Off). It's a short drama about simple day-journey experiences that lead to sweet and thoughtful reflections on life. Definitely a comfort watch. Sending you big hugs!

So sorry you are hurting fellow Beanie. Sending you warmth and softness. The drama that came to mind was Be Melodramatic. I think because I watched when I had my own heartbreak ( not from a relationship but life in general). I cried a lot and felt lighter. It has a few love stories but they are not "romanticised" so you find yourself appreciating the messiness of relationships and revering the relationships that are real and true. There is some heartbreak in there but it can be carthatic.

This too shall pass. In the meantime, go gently and take care.

I love this prompt with every fiber of my being...because heartbreak is probably what brought me to K-dramas in the first place. And more recently, it comforted me during a season of loss. I echo above sentiments that laughter is the best medicine and distraction. Agree with Fiery Priest and Zombie Detective. Also, Wok of Love, Let's Eat, Flower Boys Next Door, My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Oh My Ghost, Pasta, City Hall, My Secret Terrius, Dark Hole, Come Back Mister, Hotaru no Hikari, Missing: The Other Side, Bulgasal, 49 Days, Get Karl! Oh Soo Jung, Second 20's, Signal, Voice series, Mystic, Pop Up Bar, One the Woman, Want a Taste, The Promise. The last two dramas are long dramas. Sometimes a good long running drama with a lovable FL and hot ML and some twists and turns are the best thing for a broken heart. I feel like I'm forgetting something though. My entire list of favorite dramas are probably appropriate for the heartbroken because that's when I started watching K dramas: right after my last serious relationship ^^

After a difficult breakup, I'd buck up my spirits with a wish-fulfillment/female empowerment drama, such as Perfect Marriage Revenge, Avengers Social Club, Mine, or The Glory.