hello i don't want to blanket statement but to me a 'serious drama' is dependent on the production house, team, scriptwriter, and the director behind it. and of course, more importantly the genre, and the % of romance in it. if it's 99% romance with the two leads falling in love, i would lean it towards an idol drama. but of course, idol dramas come in varying types, with some falling under half-idol type (which features the ml/fl having a focus on either family/career in the story, with romance as the sub-plot). a good example of that is the story of minglan, meet yourself and the recent best choice ever.

genres such as republican, slice-of-life, crime, thriller, period dramas (like the recently concluded romance in the alley) are examples i would raise as genres these dramas pivot to. but it's critical to know that not every republican drama is a serious drama, if there's two much an element of romance, it can be simply an idol drama set in that time, if that makes sense. plot-driven, headed by a...