Love to Hate You (2023)

WHIMSICAL FEMALE FANTASY TRAP

( Coming to all those who liked this drama, Thi review is not for those who've zero sense of taste and can watch anything ! or the world has lost its taste! Yeah the Euphoria audience, I'm talking about you )
Anyway coming back to the review :

I started this drama with loads of expectations.
The start was good but that's about it.
The main stance is hollow right from the get-go.
The direction is horrible and a mess.
Frequent cut scenes that don't make sense.
Poor screenplay and interaction b/w certain characters.
Poor character development!
The very base this drama is based on is hollow.
It's like watching a horrible US mini-series.

~ Just for the sake of it, Imagine a promiscuous woman who goes around beating men and claiming she's slept with around 100+ men, meets an actor who's blunt and straightforward and is definitely not a simp but suffers psychologically from female touch due to trauma.
They meet and grow from hate to love.
Start dating and the drama ends with she doesn't want to get married despite all this.
WTF is wrong with the world ??
And this script ??
One of the worst dramas I've ever watched and moreover felt compelled to write a review about it.
The writer is on w88d .
The acting was good per se,
Ahhh and the side characters, no depth to them either, random interaction followed by forceful liking and dating.
I mean the 2nd FML didn't even have any character development apart from the fact that she's a flight attendant and is a friend of our FML and that she likes pretty faces and such BS.

~ The 2nd ML was awesome, he carried on this drama equally to the ML and outcasted him on many scenes due to his screen presence.

Either way, this drama is a horrible female fantasy.
What have I watched !!
This is so f88k ed up wish I could go back and unwatch this ./
What disappoints me is so much of funding goes into producing such dramas, the actors put so much effort and despite all this they have the courage to create this sh88t show.
F you all !!!

PS: Forgot about pointing out the direction, this director needs to learn his basics, perhaps this drama was shortcut down to 10 episodes or the writer didn't have the script ready and voila they invested and made an sh9t show !!

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Unabashedly a romcom

If you are in the mood for a romcom that ticks all the boxes, then this one is for you. And any of you who bemoan the lack of satisfying romcoms these days.

An older cast of actors that weren’t familiar to me, bar one. However, experienced actors bring an ease to a decently written part. And this kdrama has most of the characters well fleshed out. Enough for a romcom at least. The characters stay true to themselves. We start with a very strong FL who sticks to her beliefs all through. Just so for the ML too. I loved their chemistry and when they finally get together, things got even better. Sometimes the story pales once this happens, but not here.
We also get beautiful friendships and a bromance that is better fleshed out than most others I’ve seen recently.

A very enjoyable watch.

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(Kind of) enemies to lovers vibe rom-com

I loved the story of this show, the opposites attract/enemies to lovers vibes and everything, a really good idea! I must say i wouldn't consider it one of the best things I've watched, bud it kept me interested enought to binge watch it. Just a sweet rom-com with a cute love story. I think it's really good to just watch when you want to relax and chill.

I liked the main couple's relationship, sometimes it was handled a bit awkwardly, but it was a cute romance.

Not gonna lie, i believe there are better rom-coms to watch, but this drama is interesting, sweet and enjoyable and would recommend to watch it.

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Second male lead outshines everyone else in the show

Although the story is good, the casting is a problem when your second male lead outshines the first male lead.
Never put Kim Ji Hoon as the second male lead. Goodness, his charisma, his hair, his manliness will just overshadow the first male lead straight away.

(1) Kim Ji hoon (Do Won-jun) completely outshines Teo Yoo (Nam Kang-ho) even though Ji Hoon is the second lead. Won-jun's character is more dimensional and expressive and charismatic. It makes Teo Yoo (Nam Kang-ho) look significantly weaker. The female lead is already such a strong headed character.

(2) Kim Ok-bin (Yeo Mi-ran) is not compatible with Teo Yoo (Nam Kang-ho) . This pairing is super awkward. The chemistry was lacking and forced. Kim Ok-bin portrayed a character that came off as someone much much older. I wish the stylist could have done something to her hair.

(3) Teo Yoo (Nam Kang-ho) pairs better with Lee Joo-bin (Oh Se-na). The chemistry is better. They look like lovers.

(4) Ko Won-hee (Shin Na-eun) is not compatible with Kim Ji hoon (Do Won-jun) at all. Ko Won-hee's acting is awkward as well.
Song Ji-woo (Hwang Ji-ye) has more chemistry with Kim Ji hoon (Do Won-jun).

(5) Having Kim Ji hoon (Do Won-jun) and Teo Yoo together on the same screen is amazing but Ji hoon Kim is overpowering Teo Yoo. Maybe their roles could have switched.

(6) Lee Joo-bin (Oh Se-na) completely outshines Ko Won-hee (Shin Na-eun). Lee Joo-bin's acting is getting better and she looks really good on screen.

(7) Ko Won-hee (Shin Na-eun) and Kim Ok-bin's friendship did not come across as something strong or commendable. Seems pretentious and on the surface. I recall stronger/envious/emotional friendship in [Work Later, Drink Now]. Ko Won-hee need to beef up her acting skills. Her range of facial expressions are very limited.

(8) Still can't get over the chemistry between Lee Joo-bin (Oh Se-na) and Ji hoon Kim (Do Won-jun) from [Money Heist]. There was a scene in [Love to hate you] where Kim Ji hoon was being sarcastic to Lee Joo-bin. It was a great scene! Maybe they should have put this 2 as the First leads instead.

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Has many faults but may be worth it for the FL

It was all over the place but I stuck around for Mi Ran. I appreciated her excelling at different skills, standing up for herself and other women against misogyny, and overall her character was iconic. However, the men were kind of insufferable, especially the ML. The show would've been better without all the "not like other girls" messages. Mi Ran didn't have that attitude about herself and always protected girls but it was annoying to see the men trash other women and make her out to be superior and a "different breed." I would simply like a show where a girl can be whatever and men aren't dissecting whether she has value or not. Also, when women are weary of men it's because of systemic misogyny so it's insane that the show made it seem like the men having bad experiences with women is equivalent and would make it okay to talk about women like they're inherently evil and awful.

and the scandals were so blown out of proportion. I don't get how Mi Ran having lots of partners in the past would be career ending for Kang Ho. I guess it highlights how women are villainized while men are treated like saints/praised but it was still so overdramatic.

Lastly, the only interesting characters were Mi Ran and Soo Jin. The rest were kind of boring and the story was super random. Even if Mi Ran was cool, a lawyer dating her celebrity client and also becoming a stunt double on one of his movies??? Super silly.

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Too Cute and Worth the Watch

This is a solid k-drama short.
I liked the FL unique character mix of law, fighter and protector. The ML was good at showing the conflict of being in the public eye and truly wanting to protect private matters. The cast as a whole worked well as one. The music was cheesy but kept the mood light and airy. This is a true ROMCOM.
The best friend's reaction to the president was over-done. I truly dislike female roles that try to go a complete 180 in attitude towards a person for no reason which causes unnecessary conflict throughout various episodes. Misunderstandings are one thing, but self-awareness is everything! (Writers do better with direction of the support cast)
I liked the progression of the thought processes of both ML and FL as well as insecurities. Showing how public opinion oversteps people's personal boundaries beyond reason and how people try to navigate through it all, made it feel relatable. Classic, you can't tell a book by its cover.
Solid rewatch!

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Was just okay for me

Now this drama was just there to be honest, it was way overhyped, yes the men were beautiful to look at, there was romance but it was totally oved hyped if we are being honest. The only reason why people were/are going on and on about it was because after alchemy of souls 2, there was no other romance drama for them to watch and then this drama came along and also because of the two main lead guys like I said they were handsome and beautiful to look at that's just all..... There was something lacking in this drama honestly, the cinematography wasn't giving at all, made it look empty just like that fabulous kdrama unlike the cinematography of tvn, studio dragon, jtbc dramas. This drama just looked bland, honestly I was waiting to get engrossed but there was a lot of skips for me, the only episodes I liked were from like 7/8 to 10, were the romance was already happening, it lacked things to me and I really didn't enjoy it, I preferred watching edits of the drama than the drama itself

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A Must Watch Rom-com

This is the one drama that I anticipated a lot after watching the trailers.
After watching the drama, it was even better. Love it a lot.

Story line was simple but interesting, making me wanting to watch all the eps all the way. Of course not forgetting the eye candy we got in the drama.
I love how the writer makes woman independent, strong willed and not the typical damsel in distress. and annoying type. Whilst the man are quite the gentlemen despite their strong appearances.
Also loving how they really touch the bad/ugly side of entertainment industry (how 1 gossip/rumor can ruin a person, or how a big star acting up for having privileges, etc). This drama did really break the stereotype.

I have been noticing Yoo Teo for a while now. He is a great actor and really portrayed his character very well.
He can switch his characters and pesona in the drama easily (as he was portraying as an actor in the drama). Love seeing him be a lead actor. His other projects were great as well.
Anticipating his next project and hoping he'll get another lead actor role. Would love to see him in action movie/drama.

Kim Ji Hoon surprised me as well as he really portrayed his character well (breaking the stereotype of handsome actors). He was great in his other drama as well but by far this is my favorite one of his drama. Will also be anticipating his next project.

Both lead actresses (Kim Ok Bin and Go Won Hee) were absolutely amazing. one is and independent amazing woman whilst the other the great bff who acts and protects her friend very well. I like both actresses and have been watching some of their projects as well.

If you are looking for short break in your stressful life and needed a good laugh, then this drama is the best cure for you. You will be getting almost all genres in one drama.
Cute, entertaining, hilariously funny and touching too.
So start watching it now don't hesitate anymore.
I hope you'll get to enjoy it as much as I did.

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Boring and lazy.

I watched 4 episodes waiting for it to get better and it never did. the constant man vs women was so irritating, the humor was so flat and I really didn't feel any chemistry w the leads. I moved to Kdrama to escape the politics of American cinema and this show was constantly preaching about men this and women that. Very disappointed in this one. There was a scene at the end of an episode I thought it might get more interesting and I kept watching only to find they just dropped the whole idea I thought they could run w in the future. It's not my type, others love it, but the humor the girl used alor was very annoying in my opinion and the guys humor was so flat. the only one I thought was kind of funny was the second male lead but I'm not watching 10 hours for a joke an episode that may be slightly funny. anyways I dint want to rant, but apparently my review has to be at least 500 words.

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Just relax and enjoy it

Yeo Mi Ran (Kim Ok Bin) is a lawyer by day and a street fighter. She has no interest in dating and is very competitive among men. Nam Kang Ho (Yoo Teo) is a movie star who doesn't have much faith in women. In his new role, he needs coaching to fight naturally, and Mi Ran gets to train him through them agreeing on a fake dating relationships. Despite their shared disbelief in love, their relationships grow as they spend more time together.

This is short, light, and has a lot of funny scenes throughout the ten episodes! A fake dating plot that fit perfectly with the enemies-to-lovers trope. The romance was nicely developed and gave a lot sweet and swoon-worthy moments. The friendships are fun to watch. Good job to all actor for their natural acting. They carried the show together, no one is more dominant than the others.

It’s nice that the drama also focused on some problems in society regarding the patriarchal beliefs about women. Even though Mi Ran was a feminist, the story was not at all anti women/men, they made it entertaining while still delivering their messages. Overall, delightful from beginning to end, filled with chemistry with some cute and sexy moments, and just a tiny bit of angst.

Mar 2024, Yovita
me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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