Love Next Door

Another potentially nice Kdrama spread out over to many episodes.

In episode 9 finally some interesting things start to happen. Up till then not bad but way to slow for me.

Annoying again are the hysterical parents, interfering in the life's of their more than adult children.

Why I stay tuned? Basically it's a nice romcon to watch when you want to relax. I like the korean life style, their food and fashion.

But most of all I really love the acting Jung Hae-in. And his great charm and smile off course 😀 . He is improving his acting more and more, really good to watch.

So now I just fill in the last required words...

This is in many ways a typical Korean romance, with two attractive actors beset by barriers as they stumble toward their future. The various obstacles serve to provide sufficient impetus to justify most of the 16 episode running time.

There are moments when the drama grasps at something more impactful. The travails of the heroine do carry some emotional weight, struggling as she is with illness and an overly desperate mother.

But at the end of the series much of this impact had dissipated and I was left with a moderately enjoyable romance. If you enjoy such things, as I do, then give it a go.

Love the cast. No cuter couple paired in a drama in recent memory than Jung So Min and Jung Hae In. Can't think of any Hollywood or even K drama pair that could so convincingly play their teenage selves in flashbacks. Impossibly young looking.

The mostly feel good romantic comic story about neighboring kids getting together in their 30s after some failed relationships and career ups ups and downs. Isn't quite enough for 16 extra long episodes. Some unnecessary scenes. The first 8 episodes are a bit slow. But the next 3 things come together and all is explained in the most convincing and realistic way possible. Why did she quit and break up? Quite moving.

The issues are mostly realistic. Her story of going abroad to study and work and it's pitfalls is quite realistic. This writer has a knack of explaining things later which were hard to guess before because too few hints were given. His parents and the secondary couple have their issues that are quite movingly dealt with.

The parents have a big role. Good parts for Park Ji Young and Jang Young Nam as the mothers. The secondary couple EMT and journalist is not interesting enough to be given so much screen time.

One fantasy element is how nice the exes are. Love Seo Ji Hye of CLOY. But what a strange casting as JHI's ex. She is such a mature statuesque goddess and JHI is so boyish. Most unlikely pair. The kid versions have a big role and the little girl is great and familiar to recent K drama watchers.

A couple of unexpected flaws. The soundtrack is not memorable. No hummable tune. Another thing is the the fashion styling isn't great. JHI's clothes are too baggy for him. His hair is a tad too long and it doesn't suit his face. There are too many drinking scenes.

This show may be slow at times but what's wrong with spending more time with everyone's favorite K drama actors and actresses. There is a lot to laugh at and many feel good moments.

Not many shows like this nowadays.

The title "Love Next Door" sounds like a typical sweet romance story. But the Korean title, which translates literally to "Mom's Friend's Son," hints at something more.

In Korean culture, it's an expression that's commonly brought up when mothers are comparing each other's kids. Children of Tiger moms are well familiar with how their achievements would be compared to those of other neighborhood kids. The status-seeking parents, of course, only showcase their achievements.

Initially, the outrageous actions of the parents could be off-putting, but the ridiculousness (and resulting caricature) is intentional. The director, screenwriter, and main leads are known for hard-hitting stories, sometimes with profound social commentary. While competitive ethos and a culture of comparison can spur achievements, might they push some individuals to the brink?

There is plenty of eye candy to enjoy. Beautiful actors. Good music. And a meaningful story, to boot.

Unpopular opinion: I thought Jung So Min was okay in Alchemy of Souls but LOVED her in this! Her character is delightful: strong, intelligent, fun, vivacious, and sincere. I love that she speaks her mind and she is incredibly loyal.

This drama was a total hit for me. At first I wasn't too keen on the "Lavender" group but ended up loving them!

The families were amazing and had great chemistry as well as the architect firm colleagues. Great casting all around.

Jung Hae In's character is the heart of this show in my opinion. The actor is so good at bringing you in so that you feel what his character feels. I loved his interactions with everyone.

I loved the storytelling, flashbacks to childhood and the easy and realistic dialogue. The journey was excellent and I loved every minute of it.

Special shout out to the little girl who played Yeon Du - she's amazing!