"Love Next Door" Rises in Ratings, Drops in Netflix Rankings
The Hyereung family promises laughter and emotion in tvN's Love Next Door.
Love Next Door tells the story of Bae Seok Ryu (Jung So Min), who, while trying to reboot her life, encounters her mom's friend's son Choi Seung Hyo (Jung Hae In). The duo, being childhood friends, know each other's dark pasts and reunite years later.
The stills introduce the Hyereung Family. In the Bae family, with mom Na Mi Suk (Park Ji Young) and dad Bae Geun Sik (Jo Han Chul), there is never a quiet day. Whereas, in the Choi family, with mom Seo Hye Suk (Jang Young Nam) and dad Choi Gyeong Jong (Lee Seung Joon), there is a coldness that can be felt in the air.
Mom Na Mi Suk's hands are as busy as always with an apron tied around her waist. She has lived for her family more than herself and seems harsh, but her love for her children is sincere.
Dad Bae Geun Sik, Bae Seok Ryu's father and owner of a snack bar, injects vitality with his warm smile.
Mom Seo Hye Suk works in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is the workaholic mother of Choi Seung Hyo. She finds it difficult to open up to anyone.
On dad Choi Gyeong Jong's face, smile has disappeared long ago. He is Seung Hyo's dad and an emergency medicine professor, who harbors deep affection for his family.
Mom Do Jae Suk is a problem solver in the neighborhood and the mother of Jung Mo Eum (Kim Ji Eun). Additionally, Han Ye Ju as Bang In Suk portrays a mix of girlish sentiments and anger.
Expectations rise for the middle-aged characters who, despite their age, are still young at heart.
Director Yoo Je Won said, "I aimed for everyone who has lived in Hyereung for a long time to be naturally and comfortably depicted in this neighborhood. I think the emotional exchanges that occur in the spaces — whether in front of their homes, workplaces, at the playground, or in the alley — are the most important. I made an effort to convey a familiar atmosphere that you might naturally find in a neighborhood around you."
Writer Shin Ha Eun said, "Hyeryeong is a small neighborhood on the outskirts of Seoul (fictional). It's where Mi Suk, Hye Suk, and Jae Suk, who were high school classmates, live together. Most of us, at some point in our childhood, have made promises with our friends like 'Let's live in the same place when we grow up,' and this place brings that fantasy to life." "Especially, she hinted at a special viewing point, saying, "It will be good to follow not only Seung Hyo, Seok Ryu, and Mo Eum, but also the stories of these friends approaching their 60s. The lives of moms we never really knew, who thought their children were their entire world, and who are still young at heart despite their bodies aging, will be portrayed in the drama."
