Mom's Friend's Son

Honestly, such a cute drama. Such a nice balance of side characters and storylines. Loved how they showed not just about young love but also the older couples and their love, friendship, and family.... Some might feel like it is being dragged on a little too much, but honestly, I didn't want the story to end.

It was a perfect portrayal of Asian family bonds, and parental behavior. We all know our parents can be a little unaccepting and cold and ambitious and emotional, but at the end of the day, they love us more than one can imagine.

The romance aspect of the story was just perfect. So sweet, and cute and tender, yet mischievous at the same time. Loved it!

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!

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.

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.