Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Crash Course in Romance? More like crash course in blotchy mystery featuring romance as a side dish

일타 스캔들/Crash Course in Romance, as a social commentary, showed the unfortunate norm of hypercompetitive education in the Korean society well. Although it was not groundbreaking since there are already shows that only focused this issue, but it was still distinct on its own in that it added some flavor to the story literally and figuratively, especially the cuisine, romance, and towards the latter part, mystery/thriller.

The budding romance between the star teacher Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho) and the nation's best side dish maker Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon) is as typical as a Korean rom-com story can be. There were some clichés as expected, but for this show, its edge is that it was a middle-age adult romance done realistically. What also added to the successful execution of the romance part was the chemistry between the actors themselves. They knew how to act their characters well and their emotions and mannerisms were just amazing onscreen. There were issues regarding the FL's age and fashion that honestly didn't made sense with me as someone who doesn't like pure rom-com Kdramas. I am more concerned with the romantic connection and not the petty unrelated stuff.

The plot was well built-up. There were several substories in the beginning and the later episodes that were portrayed well and thus, making the pacing exemplary on the 1st half. Won't be spoiling them but basically, it was just entertaining to see everything, from the different side dishes, to the dizzying world of math (shows how weak I am on this subject LOL). In terms of flavor, the romance and proper pacing on the 1st half represents the sweetness.

Speaking of sides, the side characters were just as entertaining to watch as well, most notably, Su-a's mom. She really epitomizes the tiger mom "I don't give a damn as long as I'm the #1" attitude with just 1 goal. She may not be as dark as the FL in Sky Castle, but she too, had her almost dark moments. In terms of flavor, she represents the bitterness.

But why won't I give a perfect 10 rating on the story?

First and foremost is the mystery. As mentioned, the story was well built-up and that includes the mystery part. There were some plot twists and misleads, but it still added some tension and grit, in a way. It's just that after the shift from romance to mystery in the 11th episode there were little to no moments on the relationship anymore. I wanted to know more about them, and the mystery was a necessary for this show to hit 16 episodes. Still, I was accepting with how it stole the screentime, thinking that it may be a turning point of some sort. Yet it only culminated in just a splash, literally. It was disappointing and blotchy with how it ended. In terms of flavor, the mystery represent the sourness.

Also, is the out-of-the-blue almost slapstick "romance" between 2 side characters. It was just a "stop trying to make fetch happen" Regina George to Gretchen Wieners moment. It wasn't needed since it was obvious that it was more logical for them to have a brother-and-sister relationship, and it was just better if it didnt happen. Although in real life, I won't be complaining since I can't control their feelings. However for this show, I was salty about it, hence the salty flavor it represents.

The finale tried to salvage the messy thriller somewhat successfully, but it was already predictable at that point. It gave the boost needed from the mediocre previous episode. The charm was still there, and it wrapped the story as necessary. There was fluff and redemption from various characters, albeit some were rushed.

Contrary to some, the last "obstacle" for me was expected and was not contrived at all. It was a decisive moment for Haeng-seon and Hae-e's relationship and love for each other.

Then again, this show was more on being a social commentary about Korean education rather than just a pure romcom. It was not expected to fix the system overnight, but this show was quite successful in conveying its message across.

With that in mind, Crash Course in Romance? More like crash course in blotchy mystery featuring romance as a side dish.

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Crash Course in Laughter

It is hands down the best kdrama of the year, and we're only a few months in! As a self-proclaimed comfort K-drama enthusiast, I was so excited to watch this show, and it did not disappoint. One scene that I particularly enjoyed is the one involving the belt, which takes place after Chiyeol spends the night at Haengseon's house and is discovered by her best friend and Chiyeol's assistant. The resulting hilarity is pure gold, as the two try to explain themselves and the situation spirals out of control. It's a classic comedy of errors that will have you laughing out loud.
But what really sets this show apart is its ability to balance humor and heart. While you'll be rolling on the floor with laughter one minute, you'll be reaching for the tissues the next as the characters confront their deepest fears and vulnerabilities.

If the chaotic family dynamics and crazy competitive mothers were not enough, the addition of Mr. Ji's plot was excessive and unnecessary for a romantic comedy that could have been one of the best. As such, the murder plot was the only aspect that I disliked. Minus 0.5 for that.

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Annoying FL but good storyline

I just finished this.. I would say second half is definitely better than the first half. Many opinions did not like the mystery/ crime aspect, but I actually found that more interesting and engaging.

The biggest issue I had with this drama was the FL. Had to have 3 pauses, could not binge watch in one sitting as I found her character too annoying. It’s not the actress’s fault.. it’s the writers. They tried to make her look like a late thirties woman? With comments like “she looks too young to be Hae-Ee’s mother” DID NOT HELP at all. I understand many productions use actors and try to write them younger or older… but in this case it backfired. Also- her character was TOO DARN annoying!! She talked wayyy too much, was too nosy trying to butt in and control every situation. The first half of the drama was just intolerable to watch… I only continued because I DID LIKE the storyline and found it engaging!

Some reviewers also commented on the FL’s dressing and hair- also not her fault but the writers and producers. I did not like her hair, and even though she is a working mum per say, having a tough life juggling the business, raising a daughter and taking care of her brother.. she could have been dressed better overall.

Everything else I quite enjoyed. The superstar teacher, the crazy mums pressuring their kids to study hard, the romance etc.. although there was this one scene where the FL came out of the door, and the ML was looking completely smitten by her ( I went ewww.. not likely! I’m ashamed to say but that was my first thought) The chemistry between the leads were mediocre, just couldn’t jive with it. The romance between the teens could have been explored more- did hae Ee really make Sun Jae wait for TWO years before giving her answer? That’s tough man!

Anyhow.. give this a try. It does get better after episode 9 ish.. The last episode was good, found myself tearing quite a bit. Just have a few pauses in between if you’re getting annoyed ;)

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It's a lot more better than people say it is.

Despite some of the reviews here. in the complaints about the age gap and the lack of chemistry between the cast and how the female lead was not right for the part is total garbage.

we'll have a different perspectives and this is mine I thought the casting had great chemistry the age gap doesn't bother me at all I really don't care I thought the female lead did a wonderful job. it's my understanding the show didn't do so well in Korea and apparently a lot of people don't like the show and are complaining about the fact that I got a high rating list on here. I definitely think the show was worth checking out even if you end up not liking it it's different than your typical Romance romcom drama there's a lot of interesting side stories to it which made it more appealing and interesting for me I know some people complained about it and felt like it was unnecessary but I felt like it added more to the show.

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Started off strong, bogged down by nonsense and useless plots

This show started off strong with some great character things and romantic development. It made math fun for a bit! Unfortunately, this show suffers from "should've only had 12 episode"-itis and it showed. Once it hit 12 episodes, everything was nonsense. The murder plot was not only ridiculous and needless, IT WAS ALSO RESOLVED POORLY without any of the emotional impact it could've had. Was this only added to pad the episode count? What was the POINT? The last-minute unearned redemption -- NOT character development as others will say -- of several characters who have never shown remorse until the last episode was salt in the wound. The teens were awesome. Haengseon and Chiyeol, when not bogged down by that ridiculous murder plot, were amazing. Haeyi and Haengseon are really the heart of this show. Too bad it failed them.

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This has a promising storyline, a classic really. Famous celebrity teacher falls in love with a normal working "mom". I really wanted to watch the story because of the backstory of FL and how she decided to raise her niece. I expected a long backstory but everything was explained in one episode, maybe in five minutes of the show. Kind of disappointed, personally I was looking for a build-up of their storyline. This was the main reason why I decided to give this show a chance.

ML has his charm and FL I didn't know how old she was until an article came out about her in her 50's as she plays a mom. I assume they were thinking of someone in her 30's? She was able to pull it off for someone in her 50's so I give her props for that. They were a cute couple and their love line was expected to happen, I just felt the pace was a bit off for me.

I love the side stories of the uncle and the daughter. I think they were adorable. But just like every other kdrama there has to be a bad guy with some mental or psychological issue that is related to one of the leading couples. I personally do not like having these weird side stories added on because it was predictable and I already knew who was behind it.

It was entertaining but I skipped through a lot, I personally wouldn't want to watch it again. Giving it at 4/10

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Extremely weird romcom

I read that older female leads are often paired with younger male leads to attract the large female viewer share but this drama takes it further than I've ever seen before. The FL looks to be about twenty years older than the ML. It strains credulity to pretend this could happen especially given that there is absolutely zero chemistry between them. It's pure older female fantasy fiction. 30 something handsome rich man is going to fall for 50 something women who is neither particularly attractive or well off? She is too old to even bare children for him. How does that even work? Ironically he sees a female therapist who would be a much better and more natural match for him. They look really good together and it leaves the viewer wondering why he doesn't pursue someone like her.

On top of all that there is a muder and police drama subplot out of nowhere. It's like they thought the story was too boring as is and decided to throw in the kitchen sink. Weird weird weird drama.

Last but not least, the lying: To lie about something as serious as having a husband living overseas when in fact the lead has never been married is just too much for a Westerner to comprehend. Lying is used extensively in Kdramas as a lazy plot device leading to misunderstandings but the amount of both very serious black lies and completely unnecessary white lies for the smallest bit of convenience sake leaves this viewer wondering if lying is the norm more than the exception in Korean daily life. I mostly love the characters in Kdramas but the non-stop lying for no good reason always leaves a sour taste. Not giving up on it yet but close.

So now I have watched the entire show and have to change my review to the lowest rating possible. I have never seen such a thing in my life. I ended up just fast forwarding through the last episode. Spoiler Alert!...................The show mixes a light hearted romance with a serial killer story. One minute the show is focused on romance and the next minute the ML's teaching assistant is murdering and kidnapping people (including a main character) and then literally kills himself while the ML helplessly watches. Five minutes later show drops that plot point entirely and none of the characters ever mention or reflect upon it again. We never see the reaction of ML's other assistants to these developments either. The last we see of the guy is him dead on the sidewalk after jumping and never a single mention of it ever again. WTAF! Insane!!! Do not watch! OMG!

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#1 (EARLY 2023) IN ROM-COM FOR ME

Overall:
Personally I love dramas where you find soft romance. This is the perfect example so far in 2023. Unlike some dramas of 2023 (if you know, you know which one I'm talking about) this one is not toxic, doesn’t have unnecessary moments, doesn’t have thousands of secrets for each character, doesn’t have up & down storytelling. It's very simple & subtle. The story flow is awsome & enjoyable for pretty much everyone. This is my overall thinking about the drama. Now let's hop onto the story.
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Story:
This rom-com genre drama tells us a story about two mature people slowly falling for each other. A mature women who runs a dish store somehow (which you'll get to know once you start watching the drama) gets involved with the most famous teacher. This stroy also shows educational system & it's present reality which imcludes stories of students, also the guardians. It also shows a series mysterical events which is happening in the town. The male lead seems to be cold outside but he actually is very gentle & thoughtful. The female lead is very positive & has a wonderful personality. The story portraits how they get involved in each other life slowly & gently.
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Casting:
This drama has 100/10 casting. For real. The character development is just awsome because of the mastery of acting by the main casts as well as the support characters. You will agree with this term "Age is just a number" after watching how the casts develops a sublte romantic relationship.
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Can't wait for the next episodes. There was a time when netflix used to release a series in a day. NGL I need that for this drama. Again it's kind of sad that only 6 episodes left.

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Heartfelt watch with criminally miscast FL

Let me start with stating that I have nothing against Jeon De Yeon but she was simply not suitable for the role. The role required FL to be in her late twenties to early thirties but FL is 50 years old in real life. I was bewildered when someone in the drama mentioned how FL looks too young to be a high school student's mom (this is also a plot point) whereas she was definitely looing the part. She was styled horribly even for her character. There was zero chemistry between the ML and the FL and this for me was the biggest fault of this show. I just could not watch their scenes together, not because she was 11 years older to the ML but because that was not the story they were telling.

Jung Kyung Ho (ML) did a wonderful job. He was charismatic and funny but the romance was really meh. This show has such a delightful supporting cast, it was an entertaining ensemble of familiar faces from some of the most popular dramas of recent times. Props to Oh Eui Shik for playing a character on the autism spectrum, I was impressed with his portrayal. Roh Yoon Seo was terrific and I am sure she has big things in store for her. Even the younger support cast was lovely, I was low-key more interested in their dynamics than the main lead.

The story is a bit troupey but there has been an attempt to make it in the best possible way. This also means that there is no novelty in the plot and it is ridden with several sub-plots, some of which are not explored properly. It has a bit of suspense, trauma, drama , comedy and cringe-worthy romance. The music is forgettable, the production value is at par with the shows of current times.

TVN threw all their money on casting this show with popular names but did not consider testing the chemistry of the main leads and that will reflect throughout the show, I wish they went with some other FL and this show would have been better received.

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It crashed as a romance

I expected more from this drama because of the hype it had while airing but sadly, it did not satisfy me. It couldn't seem to decide its genre and tried to include so many subplots that were mostly resolved haphazardly. The drama tried to match up almost everybody but did not really show any buildup so they all felt unrealistic and I just couldn't root for any of the couples. Honestly, even with the two leads, the chemistry was nonexistent despite the use of typical romance tropes. Then they just had to include a thriller arc which I think was not that necessary and felt like a filler to stretch out the drama into 16 episodes. The only saving grace of this drama is the relationship between the FL and her daughter/niece which made this somewhat bearable to watch

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Crash Course in Romance

A well written and directed episode 15. I know that many of people hated it, but I am not among that number.

This may be one of the better kdramas made this year.

I now believe that the English language titling was done on purpose to mislead, in order to get as wide a viewing audience as possible for a story they deemed extremely important to tell; but, feared if titled more accurately, then the audience for a show about education/parent abuse would not get a very wide audience. Many of us were "tricked "into watching a painful show - that we might have otherwise avoided!

Now for the rest of the story....

My contrarian opinion has always been, since episode # 2 that the show was never a romance in the conventional sense; it was always a drama about the Korean for-profit educational system and the deadly lengths that parent will go to, pushing their children to test well.

That the show was about the educational system was obvious from the first few scenes of EP 1.

The romance was always a parallel plot playing out against the backdrop of students, schooling, testing and the for-profit education business. Why else would one of the main lead be high profile "for-profit" teacher and the other main lead be a "non-traditional" mother who is not a maniac about test scores, who is "introduced" to the schooling mania as the show proceed - so we can see that sickness .

She is intended to contrast to all of the other mothers [even the dead one killed by her son]. It's by her simple goodness that we can see the full depravity of the other mothers. Why is Choi called the "million won man", if not to point up the outrageous predatory behavior of the education-businessmen who only care about profits?

The romance is both fostered and hindered by the events that are going on in the main, education focused plot line; without that, this romance would make no sense. This unlikely romance only makes sense against this background.

The murders are also a necessary plot element that point up the most extreme damage that can result from this mother-forced testing score mania. Why start the show with the death of a young student? Why keep referencing in the main plot Su-hyeon’s suicide [the first death in this story] and Ji Dong-hee's resulting madness. [Episode 15 makes this so clear- that his love for his sister and his hatred of his abusive mother made him into an insane, murderous person. All the fruits of his mothers testing score madness!

The adults have failed them and are untrustworthy. This refrain is repeated multiple times and ways in this story. Even in this last episode.

There is not a single "birth mother" in this show that is a truly good person. The only real mother is an "aunt" who becomes a role model of a mother. Hae-yi's birth mother abandoned her twice; once when she was 2-3 yrs old and again, in the hospital when she left and allowed the murder to enter the room. Who saved Hae-yi from strangulation by Ji Dong-hee - the "aunt-mother"! The writers and directors again hammering home who the real mother is in the story.

The two most "mature" characters in the story are Hae-yi and Haeng-seon. When we first see Choi he is still in many ways, still a child; he only later grows into a full person as the story progresses.

If you still don't think that the main plot is about educational mania, then go back to EP 1 and watch the opening scenes and at minute 5:06 see the foreshadowing of death and murder.

Episode One is filed with foreshadowing, symbolism and the establishment of contrasting sets of characters and worlds - all in the service of pointing out the deficiencies in these two "universes". What's the tile of the first episode? Check it out and think on it.

Contrast and comparison are the two major narrative techniques used in telling this story and as viewers/participants we need to be aware of that and what that is showing us. Stories have meanings; that's why people have been telling them forever!

Take the murder plot and the educational testing plots away and all that is left is a vapid, not so believable love story between two very dissimilar characters - who live in two different worlds.

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