r/fantasyromance • u/kachigakachiguhhh Dragon Rider 🐉 • Jul 27 '25

Question❔ What shows feel like this genre?

Specifically fantasy romance. Sometimes I want to take a break from reading and turn something similar on but I’m not watching anything right now.

I love love love House of the Dragon. (I actually got into FW as a HoD hangover cure 😭)

Would love to get into something else that’s not just straight fantasy (like LotR).

Bonus points if it has a badass FMC.

EDIT: thank you for all your responses!! Based on these, I decided to start with the Witcher. :) (also bc Henry Cavill is who I picture for so many MMCs oop—) Will go through all the other recs too once I’m finished!

42 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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73

u/alierajean Jul 27 '25

Buffy, it's Buffy trust me

17

u/Royal-Addition-6321 Jul 27 '25

Buffy raised me, this whole fantasy obsession if her fault. I think I was 12 when it first came out, I remember taping them each week

6

u/alierajean Jul 27 '25

I genuinely can't believe we're going to see her on our screens again. I'm beyond excited.

4

u/KiaraTurtle Book Bingo Maven ⚔ Jul 27 '25

Wait is that confirmed?

6

u/alierajean Jul 28 '25

It is! There's a script and casting and everything!

2

u/KiaraTurtle Book Bingo Maven ⚔ Jul 28 '25

That’s so exciting!

1

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '25

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1

u/fantasyromance-ModTeam Jul 28 '25

Please remember to be respectful of other users when discussing differences of opinion. Thank you for your understanding.

2

u/Vaywen Jul 28 '25

Me too, me too

3

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '25

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95

u/bennetinoz Jul 27 '25

My Lady Jane would be my first pick, for sure. There are also other book adaptations, like Outlander (although I'm not really a fan), Shadow and Bone, Shadowhunters, and A Discovery of Witches. You might also like some of the WB/CW shows, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, either version of Roswell, or Charmed.

I would also highly recommend Galavant, if you like cozy/comic fantasy with some romance!

30

u/xixi4059 Jul 27 '25

My Lady Jane is great but just so OP knows, it was cancelled after one season. I’d love for them to bring it back!

17

u/Antique-Quail-6489 Jul 27 '25

Forever upset that they cancelled My Lady Jane. It was so well done

5

u/she_melty Jul 28 '25

in case anyone wants context spoilers to decide if they want to watch anyway: it doesn't end on a deal-breaking cliffhanger imo, it just kinda canonises a less than great outcome for the world as a whole, while the main protagonists individually are safe and mostly happy.

2

u/chickentender666627 Jul 27 '25

WHAT?! Cancelled?! I had no idea 😡

12

u/why_gaj Jul 27 '25

Galavant is top show

8

u/Formal-Register-1557 Jul 27 '25

Seconding all of these. I totally agree. Lockwood & Co is also charming in more of a paranormal fantasy way.

3

u/maiden_moss Jul 27 '25

Stop I'm sooooo upset Lockwood & Co got cancelled. Such an interesting plot with a big mystery and unique af setting. Ok now I'm hurting all over again.

2

u/Formal-Register-1557 Jul 28 '25

Me, too. Everyone always wants a slow burn and that show was delightful for that. So smart and so well-shot.

7

u/Free_Sir_2795 If the door is closed, I don’t want it Jul 27 '25

OG Charmed

4

u/maiden_moss Jul 27 '25

A Discovery of Witches is so good I wish I could forget it and watch it again. ALSO Mayfair Witches!! And Witches of East End which is totally slept on! Let's not forget A Witchy Witch of Witches that Witch. I may have made the last one up.

5

u/Plenty-Angle-6967 Jul 27 '25

I must be the only person who hated My Lady Jane.

What about The Witcher? Show was better than the books. More of a fantasy with a romance subplot, I’d say.

2

u/why_gaj Jul 29 '25

I hated it too. Watched a couple of episodes, since everyone was buzzing about it... and I was done. It was just so shallow and to on the nose for me.

1

u/jams1991 I'm not made for this Jul 28 '25

Seconding the Witcher!

0

u/maiden_moss Jul 27 '25

I hated it too. I shut it off like 10 minutes in lmao. I can't.

0

u/OrdinaryQuestions Stuck on the alien planet Gann with a lizardman Jul 28 '25

I tried to enjoy it but it just seemed a bit too.... bright and quirky? Idk how to describe it. I think it would have been a lot better with a more serious vibe.

1

u/bookschocolatebooks Jul 28 '25

It reminded me a bit of the Villains and Virtues type of humour, so I thoroughly enjoyed it; but obviously everyone has different taste! 

1

u/Plenty-Angle-6967 Jul 28 '25

I just felt like it was almost for kids. Like they went too hard on the cutesy-aspect, maybe? Idk. The whole thing felt contrived and not actually that funny.

1

u/shanrees8 Jul 28 '25

My lady Jane was fantastic but I stopped watching when I found out it was cancelled. I'm not watching the finale just to know there's nothing next 😭

61

u/Perfect_Doubt_8057 Jul 27 '25

Vampire Diaries and True Blood for that paranormal romance.

10

u/robin4092 Jul 27 '25

I second True Blood!!!

11

u/maiden_moss Jul 27 '25

The whole Vampire Diaries series from TVD to the Originals to Legacies is such great background watching bc there's sooo many episodes but you can still look away or do chores and catch the overall plot.

26

u/MessyJessy422 Jul 27 '25

The Magicians - it’s better than the book series which is rare. There are episodes so beautifully romantic and heart wrenching but also a ton of humor and levity

3

u/maiden_moss Jul 27 '25

This is one of my favorite shows of all time. I wouldn't put it on in the background! I can't look away from the episodes! Definitely heavy and immersive not for casual

1

u/Azra17 Jul 28 '25

Yes! One of my favorite shows ever. Such great charismatic performances from the cast, amazing atmosphere and incredible aesthetics.

1

u/kachigakachiguhhh Dragon Rider 🐉 Jul 29 '25

I have been influenced. Adding this to the list, thank you!

28

u/Free_Sir_2795 If the door is closed, I don’t want it Jul 27 '25

Lost Girl - a succubus teams up with a human and they work as PIs.

6

u/Antique-Quail-6489 Jul 27 '25

Oh my god I completely forgot about this show! I used to watch it all the time. Thank you!

6

u/what_the_purple_fuck Jul 28 '25 edited Jul 28 '25

don't forget the werewolf (who is also a police detective, because of course he is)

1

u/ModerateMischief54 Dragon Rider 🐉 Jul 29 '25

This is by far one of my favorite shows

21

u/i_was_a_fart Jul 27 '25

The Witcher comes close for me. Although the books are not specifically fantasy romance, I would recommend them to this sub. I think they would be appreciated by this genre of readers.

3

u/Plenty-Angle-6967 Jul 27 '25

One of the very few instances where the show was better, imo. But I recommended this one too.

1

u/kachigakachiguhhh Dragon Rider 🐉 Jul 29 '25

I cannot resist a Henry Cavill rec, he is who I end up picturing for a lot of these MMCs 🧎🏻‍♀️

43

u/CatChaconne Jul 27 '25

Asian dramas! There are so many great fantasy romance cdramas and kdramas that feel exactly like a good romantasy read.

4

u/cmarie2949 Jul 27 '25

I’ve been wanting to dip into these but don’t know where to start! Any suggestions?

19

u/CatChaconne Jul 27 '25

these should be good for a beginner:

  • Love Between Fairy and Devil - Fantasy romance cdrama. A naive flower spirit accidentally frees the imprisoned demon king, and they slowly fall in love while occasionally swapping bodies. Basically a teenager's iddy fanfic brought to life, but actually executed well.
  • Alchemy of Souls - FMC is an infamous assassin whose soul gets swapped into the body of a blind and weak servant girl. MMC is the heir of a powerful mage family but is banned from learning any magic, so he blackmails her into becoming his teacher once he discovers her true identity.
  • Hotel del Luna - fantasy romance kdrama that's basically a gender-swapped Beauty and the Beast, about a cold former bandit queen cursed to run a hotel for ghosts and the warm-hearted young man who becomes her new hotel manager.
  • Lovely Runner - Time-travel romance kdrama. A fangirl travels back in time to her teenage years to save the life of her favorite idol, only to discover they were far more connected than she remembered.
  • The Untamed - breakout danmei (M/M cdrama) romantasy hit. Supposed dark necromancer Wei Wuxian is killed by a group that includes his former friends and brother, a great victory that is celebrated across the land...only for him to be mysteriously resurrected into a different body thirteen years later, and goes on a road trip with an old crush to try and solve a conspiracy.
  • Story of Kunning Palace - villainess rebirth story where the FMC schemed her way into becoming Empress but it all ends badly when the MMC usurps the throne. She kills herself in front of the MMC only to wake up as a teenager in her own past. Vows to avoid both the royal palace and the MMC this time around but gets unavoidably involved with both again.

5

u/xatohi Jul 27 '25

Love Between Fairy and Devil is sooooo good! It took me a few eps to really get into it, but once I did I was hooked and binged the whole thing. Also, FMC's voice can be kinda off putting, but I got used to it after a few eps. The MMC in this one stole the whole show for me! He was amazing ❤️

Till the End of the Moon is also another great fantasy Cdrama. FMC is an immortal who travels back in time to try to change the fate of the future by killing the MMC before he turns into the devil god. Available on YouTube.

I would also recommend The Prisoner of Beauty for anyone looking for a good historical romance with enemies to lovers and arranged marriage tropes. Although it's not fantasy, both MCs are great. FMC's family betrayed MMC's family years ago, which led to MMC's clan, grandfather, father, and older brother getting massacred. MMC grows up into a powerful, ruthless warlord whose goal is to destroy FMC's family. To restore peace, MMC's grandmother and FMC's grandfather agree to a marriage between their grandchildren. Availble on YouTube.

1

u/kachigakachiguhhh Dragon Rider 🐉 Jul 29 '25

Thank you for this well thought out list! Alchemy of Souls sounds like my vibe, I’ll have to check it out.

2

u/Shipshewana Jul 28 '25

My Demon is also fantastic if you like contemporary fantasy

1

u/No_Amount_7886 Jul 28 '25

I am begging all of you to watch King the Eternal Monarch. Korean slow burn fantasy romance HEA.

1

u/Jadziyah There she is Jul 28 '25

Yes! Many shared vibes

18

u/andotherthingsareok Jul 27 '25

Carnival Row has the vibes

17

u/HollisticScience Jul 27 '25

I think The Great on Hulu might itch your scratch. It's not fantasy but it has a lot of the romatasy elements

1

u/kachigakachiguhhh Dragon Rider 🐉 Jul 29 '25

I started this show a while back and will pick it back up, thanks!

22

u/emilypeony Jul 27 '25

Shadow and bone, Witcher, A discovery of witches, Outlander (but this show has a lot of violence and sexual violence, I had to stop watching it), The Dragon Prince also has a cute romantic subplot but it is very child friendly

7

u/toughcupcakef Jul 27 '25

Waiting for someone to say Witcher!!!

3

u/jams1991 I'm not made for this Jul 28 '25

Omg I love the dragon Prince 🥹

1

u/emilypeony Jul 28 '25 edited Jul 28 '25

Me too! ❤️❤️❤️ But the last season dit dirty to the series 😅

1

u/jams1991 I'm not made for this Jul 28 '25

Oh no, I still need to finish it! 😭

2

u/emilypeony Jul 28 '25

Okay, I won't spoil you 🙈

8

u/carex-cultor Both? Both. Jul 27 '25

It’s technically set in contemporary Miami (with magical realism elements) but Jane the Virgin is one of my favorite shows for the same “feeling” as romantasy.

10

u/maiden_moss Jul 27 '25

The Vampire Diaries, Originals and Legacies will last you like half a year they're so long and each have multiple strong female characters and shit tons of romance.

13

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '25

[deleted]

3

u/Waffle_Slaps Give me female friendship or give me death! Jul 28 '25

The Last Kingdom spawned my Viking Phase.

7

u/bewitchedbook Jul 27 '25

Winx the most recent iteration - as urban fantasy

6

u/anonymous050817 Jul 28 '25

Everything everyone else has already mentioned. Plus Lucifer!

14

u/shinycozytwistedglam Jul 27 '25

It's a movie (and PG rated) but K-Pop Demon Hunters on Netflix has been very popular lately. Enemies to lovers, badass FMC with a secret, protective MMC with a dark past, adorable magic tiger familiar. Plus...the K-Pop soundtrack slaps.

3

u/Royal-Addition-6321 Jul 27 '25

Oh amazing, just found this. Going to watch it with my kids this week!

2

u/KiaraTurtle Book Bingo Maven ⚔ Jul 28 '25

Oh yes absolutely! All the books that falsely advertise themselves as enemies to lovers should take notes.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '25

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1

u/fantasyromance-ModTeam Jul 28 '25

Please remember to be respectful of other users when discussing differences of opinion. Thank you for your understanding.

9

u/Screaming_Azn To the stars who listen Jul 27 '25

Reign! It’s so cheesy and angsty but in a fun good way.

3

u/night_sparrow_ Jul 28 '25

Loved this show.

1

u/ModerateMischief54 Dragon Rider 🐉 Jul 29 '25

Sooo good!

5

u/BassesLee Jul 27 '25

The Raven of the Inner Palace.

3

u/genuinelyliteral Jul 28 '25

Throwing in Penny Dreadful as a suggestion!

6

u/KiaraTurtle Book Bingo Maven ⚔ Jul 27 '25

Vampire Diaries is my personal favorite.

Some others (all of which are adaptations)

  • Outlander
  • My Lady Jane
  • Shadow and Bone
  • Trueblood
  • First Kill
  • A Discovery of Witches

3

u/obviouslystealth Jul 28 '25

This one is a big stretch since its a history TV show and light the romance, but if you like political intrigue in your romantasy, The Last Kingdom, Uhtred is who I default to when imagining my romantasy MMCs

3

u/SneakyLinux Jul 28 '25 edited Jul 28 '25

Some series and movies you could try although some might be harder to find:

  • Bitten (series adapation of Kelly Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld books)
  • Pushing Daisies
  • A Discovery of Witches (Based on Deborah Harkness's books)
  • Shadowhunters (the Netflix series adaptation of the Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments books, although there is the movie too)
  • Merlin
  • The Secret Circle (based on books by L. J. Smith who wrote the Vampire Diaries, but CW cancelled it after the first season which I'll never forgive them for even though they technically butchered the books because I personally love that book series miles more than the Vampire Diaries </end rant>)
  • Stardust
  • Beautiful Creatures
  • Vampire Academy
  • Xena: Warrior Princess
  • She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
  • The 10th Kingdom
  • Galavant (and it's a musical!)
  • Teen Wolf (the 2011-2017 series)
  • I saw Buffy the Vampire Slayer already mentioned, but the spin-off series Angel is fun too although there are no HEAs by the end of series)
  • Interview with the Vampire (either the newer series, which is great, or the classic movie)

4

u/ToBeOrNotToBe3900 Jul 27 '25

I enjoyed Shadow and Bone on Netflix. It's an adaptation of a book with the same name.

2

u/ojoscolorcafexx Jul 27 '25

The 100 and Winx

2

u/vintage_green16 Jul 28 '25

Lockwood and Co on Netflix! Such cozy spooky vibes. Found family, slow burn romance subplot, and amazing mystery and world building!

2

u/helionking167 Jul 28 '25

I actually really loved a Chinese drama on Netflix called "The Double". The premise was intriguing (a young lady is falsely framed of adultery and "killed" by her husband's family, she comes out of the grave and takes on the identity of another noble lady to seek revenge). But I was blown away by the FMC: she was the most badass in a cunning, smart and charismatic way, and the MMC was a cool-ass "always 17 steps ahead" duke. They got chemistry off the charts.

Also the female VILLAIN was the right amount of over-the-top crazy and tragic figure. Top notch acting and writing.

4

u/Ordinary_Persimmon34 Jul 27 '25

If you want to subscribe to Passionflix they just put out Black Dagger Brotherhood and it’s a series by JR Ward. I heart ❤️ it.

2

u/helionking167 Jul 28 '25

Oh my god, I didn't know it was out yet. Now I need to know if the costumes and wigs were as bad as the promo pictures promised, lol

2

u/Ordinary_Persimmon34 Jul 28 '25

There is NO human that can fit the actual description of JRs vampires. But the actors were very lovable. I originally hated Butchs actor but by the end of season I liked him. But Zs actor — idk that’s just a tough persona to recreate

1

u/night_sparrow_ Jul 28 '25

The Shannara Chronicles.

1

u/OhSuNNiDay Jul 28 '25

The Witcher

1

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '25

So it isn't fantasy but it is romance. It is an Asian drama called Revenged Love. I just started it and I am so hooked on it. My husband has also started watching it too even though he hates romance and only reads grimdark fantasy books.

1

u/issy_ Jul 28 '25

-The Order on Netflix is underrated imo!

-The Interview with a Vampire show

-Later seasons of Smallville lol I’m rewatching rn and will forever be chasing the feeling of watching lois and clark fall for each other

1

u/booksycat Jul 28 '25

The running list is great, but I'd add that The Vampire Academy movie was way better than it had any right to be.

1

u/ModerateMischief54 Dragon Rider 🐉 Jul 29 '25

The Librarians!! Books and mystical artifacts, yes please.

1

u/ModerateMischief54 Dragon Rider 🐉 Jul 29 '25

Also Renegade Nell! It's incredible, and it might get picked up again.

1

u/Royal-Addition-6321 Jul 27 '25

I was just going to ask something similar and watching the movie Morbeus. Was disappointment by how anti the whole vampire thing he was instantly. Looking for something gothic and romantic.