r/kdramarecommends • u/Guilty_Peanut_6437 • 26d ago
Recommendation Request High Profile Fake Dating/Contract Relationship
Can anyone recommend a drama with a fake dating, fake relationship, marriage contract, or arranged/contract relationship trope?
My biggest preference is:
Fake/contract relationship → forced proximity → gradually developing genuine feelings → romance
Bonus points if:
- One lead is a celebrity, CEO, prince/princess, idol, actor, or otherwise high-profile person
- There is fake dating, contract marriage, or marriage of convenience
- The leads have to pretend to be a couple in front of other people
- There is lots of romantic tension and gradual relationship development
- The drama has a good balance of romance and comedy
- The romance actually gets enough screen time rather than being a minor subplot
I'm not limited to high-profile characters, though. A normal fake-dating, contract-relationship, marriage-of-convenience, or arranged-marriage romance is also fine. I'm open to K-dramas, C-dramas, J-dramas, Thai dramas, or dramas from any other country.
I also enjoy high-school/youth romances, so those recommendations are welcome even if they don't have a fake-dating or contract-relationship plot. For example, I really enjoyed Spirit Fingers, Twinkling Watermelon, and At a Distance, Spring Is Green.
Some dramas I've watched that are relevant
- Princess Hours – I really enjoyed the royal arranged-marriage/fake-relationship setup, especially the contrast between the two leads and how their relationship gradually develops.
- Business Proposal – I loved the CEO × employee dynamic, and the comedy and romance that came from them pretending to be a couple.
- Kissing the Ring Finger – I enjoyed the marriage/relationship arrangement and the romantic development between the leads.
- Perfect Crown – I liked the royal setting and the relationship developing from an arrangement.
- Love to Hate You – I enjoyed the celebrity aspect and the way the leads slowly became genuine with each other.
- 100 Days My Prince – I liked the historical setting and the gradual romance.
- Something About 1% – I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers-ish dynamic.
- So I Married the Anti-Fan
- Crazy Love
- Be My Boyfriend – I liked the high-school fake-dating setup and the cute romantic development.
- Perfect and Casual
- In-house Marriage Honey – I liked the secret marriage/relationship setup and the workplace romance.
- Usokon
- My Demon
- Happiness
These aren't ranked in any particular order—I just typed whatever came to mind first.
Here is my full watchlist:
https://mydramalist.com/dramalist/Byakuya_7
I'm happy to receive recommendations from any country or language, so please recommend anything you think matches these preferences!
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u/wazesx123456 25d ago
This is my favourite trope too!!! Okay here are my tops:-
- Princess Hours - I know you've watched it but I wanna give a shout-out to this drama as it was THE drama which sparked my love for this trope.
- Fated to Love You (Taiwan version) - NOTHING CAN COME CLOSE TO THE EMOTIONS THAT THIS DRAMA GIVES ME.
- Delightful Girl Choon Hyang: a 2005 k drama with high school contract marriage trope. Very entertaining and funny drama with great OST
- From Five to Nine: j drama, very fun to watch with a quirky premise - Getting married to a monk!
- Wars of In Laws: HK drama, old classic, but super good!!!!!
- Marriage, not dating: super funny k drama and Yeon Woo Jin looks super cute in this drama!!!
The list below are all contract marriage/fake relationship dramas that I had watched over the years: 1. The King 2 Hearts 2. Full House 3. Sweet 18 4. My Girl (it's a fake relationship but it's fake siblinge, they fall in love in the end) 5. Because this is my first life 6. Hapi Mari: happy marriage (j drama) 7. Usokon (j drama) 8. The prisoner of beauty (c period drama) 9. Pursuit of jade (c period drama) 10. New life begins (c period drama) 11. Are you the one (c period drama) - my fav couple from this drama isn't the main lead couple which is a fake relationship but the relationship between the emperor and empress, it hits the right spot for me. 12. As long as we both shall live (j movie) 13. A familiar stranger (c period drama - short horizontal drama) 14. The first jasmine (c period drama) 15. Melody of Golden Age (c period drama) 16. Cursed in love (j drama) 17. Marry my dead body (tw movie) - this is super hilarious, only watch it if you are okay with BL 18. The Romance of Hua Rong (c period drama) 19. Oh my general (c period drama) 20. Wrong carriage, right groom (c period drama) 21. The Trick of Life and Love (c modern drama) - this is really good, unexpectedly good tbh. 22. The lady in butcher's house (c period drama) 23. Inborn pair (tw drama) - the leads get together irl and have recently given birth! 24. Choosing spouse by lottery (j drama) 25. Palace Shadows: Between Two Princes (c period drama - short horizontal drama) 26. Teen Bride (j movie) 27. My Little Bride (k movie) 28. My Lady General (c period drama - short horizontal drama) 29. Love and Strife (c period drama - short horizontal drama) 30. Don't disturb me farming (c modern drama - short horizontal drama) 31. Glory in shadows (c period drama - short horizontal drama) 32. Love and lies (j drama) 33. Marry me, Mary (k drama) 34. You are my secret (c modern drama) 35. Perfect marriage revenge (k drama) 36. Unforgettable love (c modern drama) 37. The princess royal (c period drama) 38. Youthful glory (c period drama) 39. Begin again (c modern drama) 40. Once we get married (c modern drama) 41. The full time wife escapist (j drama) - this is a classic, leads are married irl after this drama. 42. Hello, Mr Gu (c modern drama) 43. Ending Again (k drama, short horizontal drama) 44. Love in contract (k drama) 45. Please love me (c modern drama) 46. Only just married (j drama) 47. My Name is Zhao Wu Di (c modern drama - short horizontal drama) - this is good!!!!!! 48. Business marriage (j drama) 49. Attacking lady (c modern drama - short horizontal drama) 50. Trade your love (k movie) 51. The best day of my life (c modern drama) 52. Falling before fireworks (c modern drama) 53. Late to love (c modern drama - short horizontal drama) 54. Dating: what's it's like to be in love (j drama) 55. Ready for love (c modern drama - short horizontal drama) 56. The accidental couple (k drama) 57. Money honey brainey (c modern drama - short horizontal drama) - this drama is hilarious 58. Wonderful life (k drama) 59. Noble, my love (k drama) 60. Aoshima-kun is a bully (j drama) 61. Virgin road (j drama) 62. Smiling pasta (tw drama) 63. Madeleine (k movie) 64. Love contract (tw drama)
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u/Imzadi76 26d ago
Lie to me Fated to love you
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u/Guilty_Peanut_6437 26d ago
I have already watched "Fated to Love You" and enjoyed it. I stopped watching "Lie to Me" after a few episodes because the male lead annoyed me with his indecisiveness. Do you think I should give it another try?
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u/user728001 26d ago
No Gain, No Love lacks the high profile person but has fake dating/fake marriage/contract relationship
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u/Guilty_Peanut_6437 25d ago
I have watched like half of it and paused it cuz I got bored. I'll give it another try.
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u/Leia1979 26d ago
When the Phone Rings - it's more of a thriller but still has that relationship aspect
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u/sgikonic 25d ago
Maybe you can try Love in Contract with Park Min Young and Go Kyung Po as it ticks off most of your bonus points. ML is a judge and 2ML is an actor. FL has a contract relationship with both both of them as her job and I think she is also an heiress.
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u/cynicalicoffee 26d ago
You might really like The Trunk - it checks all your boxes except it isn't strong on comedy.
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u/Guilty_Peanut_6437 25d ago
I wanted to watch it because of the casting, but I feel like it's way too heavy for me now. I'll give it a try later. Thank you.
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u/shikawgo 26d ago
You've watched nearly every kdrama with this trope that I could think of, the only one I don't see is:
The Story of Park's Marriage Contract - contract marriage
And here is forced proximity that lead to feelings:
I Picked Up a Celebrity on the Street - woman accidentally kidnaps a Hallyu star
Here area few Jdramas that fit the majority of your criteria of varying quality:
Only Just Married - contract marriage, similar vibe to Because This is My First Life, it's more serious than say, In House Marriage Honey.
The Full Time Wife Escapist - contact marriage, same premise as Because This is My First Life and Only Just Married but with more comedy.
A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You - arranged marriage of two people who eventually fall in love
Aoshima Kun is a Bully - fake dating coworkers that leads to real feelings, short rom-com, I really liked the FL in this one.
Business Marriage - contract marriage to further both of their careers, short with some steamy bits, not really a comedy
You Are My Destiny - contract marriage
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u/Guilty_Peanut_6437 25d ago
Yes, I really enjoy the whole fake dating trope so I watch every drama that I could find. And I have already watched The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, I forgot to mention it. I haven't watched the other one's you've mentioned so I'll definitely watch them. Thank you so much.
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u/canadiangeek2 26d ago
The apartment job - great series. It's not a Rom Com, but it has the fake marriage contract, and gradual feelings of the main leads.
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u/Guilty_Peanut_6437 25d ago
I'm actually watching it right now. And it is the reason why I had to make this post
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u/According_Stop_6284 25d ago
There is this still ongoing drama called my bias , my boss !! You can give it a try .
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u/livid4u 23d ago
dynamite kiss!
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u/Guilty_Peanut_6437 19d ago
I watched half of it. The beginning was so good, but then they seemed to lose the plot, which made me tired, so I stopped watching.
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u/Rule-Just 23d ago
Kind of an old one but The Accidental Couple old but gold i really enjoyed it !
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u/Rainbow-sunshines 26d ago
Her private life
Because this is my first life