The Princess' Man (2011)

Strong heroine, focused hero, I am strongly reminded of The Princess' Man which is still to date my all time favourite drama (was my first so maybe i'm biased)

Wang Won’s father is the king of Goryeo while his mother is the Yuan emperor’s daughter. He was born with many gifts as he has good looks, the wisdom of a snake, and a magnetic personality that draws people to him. But behind his gentle, virtuous demeanor, he has ambitions to conquer other lands. He has a faithful friend named Rin, who is a royal cousin and comrade with the same ambitions as he does. Then Wang Won has an encounter with a young woman named, San. San was someone that he recalled having met when he was a child and was lodged in his mind ever since. Wang Won sees how bright and confident San is and befriends her as well. But this friendship plants the seeds of tragedy. San’s beauty mesmerizes both Won and Rin and their seemingly strong bond start to fray over one woman…

Both dramas feature Moon Chae Won in hanbok (where she looks extra pretty). Even though her role in Painter is only minor, it's still worth watching because it's her breakthrough role and her role in it is so unique. She has chemistry in her partners in both dramas that led her to win best couples with her respective partners. Both dramas are really great in general (in fact both were nominated for Baeksang). As of February 2, 2021, these are also the only two dramas that got MCW to be nominated at Baeksang Awards.

They are both historical romance about hidden identity and forbidden love.

=> Both are historical Kdramas partly inspired by Western love stories. If My Dearest is partly inspired by Gone with the Wind, (as described in wikipedia), The Princess' Man is partly inspired by Romeo and Juliet.
=> Earlier episodes contain fun and lighthearted scenes before political events changed everything
=> Female lead rides a swing in both kdramas, both scenes contributed to male lead falling in love with her
=> There are scenes in both dramas of couples trying to run away.
PS: For The Princess's Man fans, the show being recommended is Part 2 of My Dearest, you should check part 1 first for the beginnings of the story.

its a romance, conspiracy just like all the other great ones.. love historical dramas with several extra romance couples in it. they just add to the story and make you have hope for the main actors! ^_^

Romeo and Juliet love story with two sworn men vying for the girl's love...
Brotherly love broken, betrayal and our couples' undying love in these bloody world.

Both of the female leads get the attention from male leads cause they are naive and overflowing with energy . They have pure and outspoken personalities separated them from the normal females of respective restricted eras .

Both historical, both about an enduring love. Princess' Man does have less cheesy scenes, but you feel the love between the leads a little more. Also, both are about political power and based on true events and people. Nice ending too.

Both are historical dramas formed around the theme of two friends fighting one another during a period of political change. These two former friends also have their eyes set on the same woman.

Both are about the ML and FL who start out close and then the FL's family either destroys who the ML wrongly believes they destroyed his family. Years later the two meet again, the ML having drastically changed and now cruel to the FL as he seeks revenge. Slowly, her kindness toward him changes him back to who he once was.

Despite the difference in settings and plot, in both one of the lead's father murdered the other lead's family as well as trying to kill them. Despite this, the two leads become each other's healing.

Both are historical dramas with a princess FL. Both MLs have suffered trauma and loss, and find their strength and healing in their love of the FL. Both dramas have surprising and unexpected happy endings of both MLs faking their deaths after a severe injury, and the FL going off with them to live a quiet life, despite being loosely based on tragic historical events.

In both dramas the female lead lies to the one she loves and ends up being hurt !

Lee Heon is the king of Joseon. 7 years ago, when he was a crown prince, his beloved wife died. To this day, he has not been able to get over her death. For the past 7 years, the royal family and government members have tried to get King Lee Heon remarried without success. The nation has also implemented a geumhonryung edict, which is a ban on all single women marrying during this time when the king has not married. People are furious over the marriage ban. One day, King Lee Heon hears of a woman named Ye So Rang, who claims the spirit of the king's late wife exists within the royal palace. Meanwhile, Ye So Rang is a swindler and claims to interpret marital harmony signs. She is arrested and jailed where Officer Lee Shin Won works. To get out of her predicament, she pretends to be possessed by a spirit in front of Lee Shin Won. During her ruse, she mentions that the spirit of King Lee Heon's late wife exists within the royal palace. She is then brought in front of the king and he asks her if she can really see his late wife's spirit. To survive, Ye So Rang acts like her body is possessed by the king's late wife. Ye So Rang's lies get bigger and more audacious.

Yu Jin was raised within the desert tribes of Xiong Nu, although her foster father is a Han. Under certain circumstances, she was forced to flee to Chang'an, the then capital of the Early Han Dynasty, changing her name to Jin Yu along the way. Along her journey, she first meets the calm and kind Mo Xun (aka Jiu Ye, ninth master) and later the handsome, cold general Wei Wu Ji. Jin Yu falls for one of them but is rejected. Will she untangle her love knot? Who will she choose in the end?