Love-able Dastardly Charlatans
In other words, shows with characters with less savory occupations that you can't help to love. Whether it be they are actually sweet hearts or the character is just that well written you like them even though you shouldn't.
I'm going to mostly skip the actual antagonists, because if a villain is written correctly they should still have some "redeeming" quality to them... and mainly focus on main characters (This is a sub genre that I love >.<)
(Alphabetical order (excluding "the" and "a")
Related Lists
Villians, But Can't Help But Love
Villians, But Can't Help But Love = scarily good antagonists
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1. Meu Chefe, Meu Herói
Japanese Drama - 2006, 10 episodes
An 27 year-old aspiring Yakuza Boss goes back to high school as his Yakuza Boss father is disappointed in how dang dumb he is. Hilariousness ensues as he tries to fit in and hide his identity.
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2. Dokgo Rewind
Korean Drama - 2018, 20 episodes
The kids in Dokdo Rewind run a very small line between delinquents and gansta... and it gets in the manwha this is the precursor for. This drama is great if your up for some fighting action.
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3. Extracurricular
Korean Drama - 2020, 10 episodes
If the kids in Dokdo Rewind were bad... these kids need help... PRONTO. They ain't just dabbling, they straight up running a
pimping appI mean "security" app, but all the same you find yourself strangely hoping the "wolf who thinks himself a pup"(loosely quoted). Needless to say, this drama is dark. -
4. Professora Gangster
Japanese Drama - 2002, 12 episodes
A new school teacher finds herself in charge of the most difficult class in the school, but she ain't frightened by it. Instead she needs to be more careful about letting out her secret. She's the next yakuza heir.
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5. Curador
Korean Drama - 2014, 20 episodes
He will do anything (but kill!) for money, but all he wants is a beautiful secluded vacation home. When he gets a new job though, and goes undercover, he learns this one has some answers about his past.
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6. Iljimae
Korean Drama - 2008, 20 episodes
It takes an annoying while for him to get there, but... Watch, as the village's love-able bumbling idiot, turns into the infamous phantom thief, Iljimae. Taking from the rich and giving to the poor.
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7. Mate-o
Korean Drama - 2019, 12 episodes
He's a killer for hire, and he's d*** good at his job... and by the day he's a vet (though you may want a closer inspection of his I-can-be-a-vet "papers"). 'Course little does he know, this job is hitting close to home.
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8. Meus Concidadãos!
Korean Drama - 2019, 36 episodes
He a con-artist, from a long line of con-artists... except he fell in love, and married a cop. Not ony that, but due to past grieves, he's suddenly running for a national assembly seat. An extremely fun show, this one's got moments to make you laugh at the sheer absurdity of the situation they are put through.
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9. Time Between Dog and Wolf
Korean Drama - 2007, 16 episodes
Our main hero is part of a gang... but he's more like their scapegoat to the cops... but this time he's found something more important and will do anything he can to stay on the run and prove his innocence.
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10. Hwayi: O Garoto Monstro
Korean Movie - 2013
He was raised by a group of murders he now calls father, and is taught how to himself be a killer, but this may just end up with him learning of his own past.
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11. Lupin no Musume
Japanese Drama - 2019, 11 episodes
She's a robber, from a family of thieves spanning generations, and she's in love with a cop... from a family of cops... spanning generations of cops... including their dog.
(I haven't actually watched this yet but I planning to REALLY soon) -
12. Os Piratas
Korean Movie - 2014
A fierce pirate captain and her motely crew and a wild bandit chief and his merry band butt heads in their search for the royal seal that was swallowed by a whale.
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13. Palavra de Honra
Chinese Drama - 2021, 36 episodes
What do you get when you cross a leader of an assassin group turned ex-assassin and an infamous leader of mayhem makers and mass murders?
Why romance of course :D<3.I MEAN BROTHERHOOD. YES, BROTHERHOOD IS WHAT IT'S CALLED WHEN YOU QUOTE LOVE POETRY TO THE OTHER NONE STOP AND COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER'S FEATURES AND CALL EACH OTHER SOULMATES. CAUSE YOU ARE BROTHER SOULMATES, YEP >.> <.< >.> who would think otherwise?(apparently what they call each other isn't necessarily romantic (course neither is soulmate technically) it's just that 1/100000000 person who you connect with and can be yourself with and will always be there for(... which... is more romantic than anything else honestly lol)
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14. Vincenzo
Korean Drama - 2021, 20 episodes
Vincenzo is the consigliere for an Italian mafia. With gold in the basement on his mind, he leaves to Korea, and finds himself in the midst of a battle against a rising drug cartel, however this time he's on the good side, though that won't stop his mafia side from appearing... and fire.
This show is VERY morally ambiguous. You aren't following heroes, you are definitely following anti-heroes that have their own sense of justice and rules they follow.
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15. Manual do Presidiário
Korean Drama - 2017, 16 episodes
They're all crooks, and the drama makes sure you remember it... cause even though they all in prison, they and the viewer tends to forget >.<
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16. Nisekoi
Japanese Movie - 2018
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17. Seondal: O Homem que Vendeu o Rio
Korean Movie - 2016
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18. Romantic Comedy
Thai Movie - 2020
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19. Hacker Romântico
Korean Movie - 2021
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20. Colateral
Korean Movie - 2020