Love Next Door (2024)

really boring

nothing to add to other not so good reviews, and sorry for the actors and their good acting, but frankly this is not a good drama, really really boring at its best.....there are serious communication problems in these drama scripts (is it done on purpose?) hopefully in the reality this shouldn't be like that. Had to skip episodes to expect something interesting to happen, but no....nothing going on except for the usual boring lines, easily expected. Terrible chemistry among actors, though they were good in their roles and can be forgiven...music was nothing special either

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you have been warned...

This drama isn’t that special. It’s got an amazing cast, but the story isn’t doing anything new or having anything else to offer for it other than the cast that portrays what is happening. I fear this one is one of those cases of being hyped up for the cast, and it’s not me discrediting them, but all the pieces have to fit together for this to really be that good.. and the ratings on here are waaayy higher than this deserves. It’s a bit maddening, just because of how normal this drama is, and how the good reviews make me wonder what I’m missing?

I can’t find the specialness here? The first episode is really boring, and sets up what we know in the trailer. It’s a drama that doesn’t need nearly this much time to tell a childhood friends to lovers.. unless it adds something else.. but my attention isn’t being grabbed nearly that well to fully want to get myself into this drama.

The supporting casts drags this story through the mud, and it’s frustrating to see. I really don’t like the mother characters hitting their children and for that to be played off as a joke? Just because the FL isn’t engaged anymore or doesn’t have a job.. the mother is horrible to her. I don’t get why people would want to watch something that frustrating. The FL doesn’t stick up for herself and drags the ML into it for some reason.. a lot of little plots here and there don’t make sense. The writing is below average because of this, and it gets quite annoying seeing these seasoned actors say such things.

Like Alchemy of Souls had romantic comedy elements and it was great! So it’s not Jung So-Min, it’s her character and the attitude given to the character. I get development is one thing, and you need to start from somewhere.. but to start her off it’s just written so poorly and wastes its time then. She is someone who can’t explain herself and is a bit annoying because it’s frustrating to have someone sit back and run away. The flashbacks shown are with her and her childhood friend, whose relationship seems so lonely. Like you see them interact as children and with other characters that just aren’t character? the children characters are filler and it makes this drama seem all the more like a set cast and not real people. I get that it’s not real, but it is portraying a story in a realistic setting so come on. Match things up here and there, and maybe that’s too much to ask for the first handful of episodes.. I just have seen dramas have stellar first episodes and instead this is just so boring and cliche.

Female lead comes back after years, meets childhood friend.. it goes from there. Her brother is pretty fun, I always like sibling relationships.. but it’s immature to me seeing how they act with eachother and they are both adults. It just is unfunny.

The ML I can’t say much of his character besides the intro that his mother had for him. It’s honestly so laughable that’s all I got. I doubt this one will get better and people will flood it with good ratings just because it’s pretty? But the cinematography isn’t amazing, and for a romantic comedy it’s just not doing anything new or interesting. I’m really serious with that, this drama is frustrating and I dislike all the characters because of the fact they are caricatures of tropes without being self aware. It is hard to watch but here I am.

To fix this it could have more heart, and not be so blatant with the parts it wants to tug are your heartstrings. Everything here panders to the audience. Like I’m too stupid to sit and think why something is sad or why it’s funny, the effects and music are over the top and the directing is as well. The characters are so unrealistic with their actions, especially with how immature they are as people, with each other.. goodness. Do people act like this? Do people tug at each others hair and tackle eachother? Adults? No… like maybe in a high school drama, but this is about adults? Not that adults can’t have fun but people have consciousness and the general knowledge to not act stupid, have some sense of shame.. stuff like that.

Instead here it is nonsensical, poorly written, over acted, not my cup of tea. I just don’t find this funny, instead I’m frustrated at the idea of how a drama with this premise is being told like this? Is it an unrequited love, childhood friends to lovers.. the direction they took it is comedy and it’s just not funny and instead boring and pandering to be funny. It sets up the relationship too quickly so it drags out because of that. I’d rather have balance here and there, where they pause and reflect seeing eachother again, instead of the out of touch reactions to get a laugh. They are just way too comfortable after not seeing eachother for years..

For a romantic comedy it’s got to have some ‘drama’, fantasy element, something over the top hilarious to make it fun. Here there is nothing that is that funny to me. I’d prefer a story like this told from another perspective where it’s more grounded. The FL sees the reality of a failed marriage and lost job, reconnects with her friends and family realistically without forced conversations and comedy. Extraordinary Attourney Woo would be a better approach, have a slice of life with methodical story beats, the woman comes back and has a process to regain some balance in her life. Coming back to her family for their stability and love she didn’t get from abroad, have it go by each day and separate story and she meets her childhood friend through chance instead of him just being there.. like make the guy swoon worthy. Make the ML a puppy dog that is loyal and believes in her when her ex didn’t. Goodness, I can’t believe this drama but I’ll keep watching!!


Yet unfortunately but not surprisingly the writing gets worse every episode. They have subplots for the sake of filling time, make characters do stupid things.. nothing amounts to anything in this drama. So in the end it gets worse each episode and is just plain dumb! Don’t ask for more reasoning. I spite myself for giving this drama any time of day after the first twenty minutes. LA DOES NOT HAVE SEASONS

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childhood friends to lovers; bland, but perfect ending

i waited for it to finish before finally watching it. i went into this as a fan of both jung somin and jung haein, so i was able to finish it despite being slow in the middle.

i also spoiled myself a little about how it ends, because fans have been theorizing that bae seokryu was probably gonna relapse and it's not gonna have a happy ending. fortunately, they gave this a good ending.

i was surprised and very satisfied with episode 16. most dramas struggle to end a good storyline, but this one has the perfect finale. heavy spoilers below:
1. bae seokryu and choi seunghyo - these two deciding to postpone their marriage in the end made me happy. it made sense that they wanted to focus on their careers first, and to wait for their best friend to come home from her work overseas. contrary to popular comments, i liked it better that they didn't rush their marriage. i hate it when all k-drama writers think that marriage of the main couple is the only recipe to a happy ending. IT ISN'T. i also felt disappointed that choi seunghyo wanted to get married almost immediately after they got together, but the plot between them communicating each of their perspectives about marriage is perfect so they were able to write it off great
2. jung moeum and kang danho - their love story is so cute! i think it's general consensus that in most k-dramas, the 2nd couple almost always have the more interesting storyline compared to the main, and i have to agree. these two are just so cute! esp when they're all bonding together with yeondu
3. the lavenders (the neighborhood's moms) - i normally hate it that k-dramas focus more on the side characters than the leads, but this wasn't it. i loved the dynamic between the moms. they banter, hang out together, and are there for each other when they need help. i also like how they handled the end, where two of them are fighting, and they tried to resolve it among themselves
4. the dads also forming a friendship lmao so cute
5. bae seokryu taking over her dad's restaurant. this was hinted in the last episodes, and i was gonna be heavily disappointed if they didn't pursue this plot. i theorized that choi seunghyo was gonna buy and build the restaurant for bae seokryu, but i loved it even more that it was the dad's idea. it made it more special

i debated not finishing this drama a couple times, especially in the middle where things felt really slow. but the cast is star-studded and full of talented actresses and actors (esp the main leads who are two of my most favorites in the industry) so i had to see it through. i'm glad i finished it. it's definitely not rewatch material, but i loved the last few episodes.

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A mediocre drama at best

I started off with high expectations for this drama as it seemed promising with the case and the writer. However to my shocking disappointment, I was proven wrong within the first week of its release. The plot was lacking material and it felt like I was watching something with no substance. Nonetheless I endeavoured to continue due to lack of options with other kdramas at that time. And still I was left disappointed with each upcoming episodes.


The main characters have no chemistry between them. What is supposed to be portrayed as fun banter comes across as sibling energy and constant yelling. It doesn't help that the story doesn't give them many opportunities to explore deeper perspectives and truly get to know the characters. I have by some miracle watched up to episode 14 and till now I wish I dropped it in episode 1.

One positive thing I will acknowledge is the lovely romance progression of the second leads. They have HEAPs more chemistry compared to the main leads and honestly both characters are refreshing to watch as it gives the audience to be exposed to a new portrayal of love. It surpassss all the bs yelling and childish behaviours and only focuses on central ideas. Special shout out to Kim Ji Eun whose acting skills were top notch. I will definitely make sure to watch out for her future projects.

If this was not enough to save you from wasting your time, here is a list of things I found that gave the drama the mediocre rating:
-lack of personality of main characters
-poor storyline. I feel like every week they decide to pick up a completely different issue and drag the whole drama long. They touch on a lot of big and intense issues (without giving spoilers) and then only to ditch them after two episodes like it miraculously fixes everything
- the FL is kind of annoying as each episode progresses. It's sad because I started off quite fond of her and then everything about her character didn't make sense and her personality that they tried to make outgoing and childish-cute only appeared to be exhausting and low-key red flags.
- the ML is portrayed as a green flag who just seems to be a doormat for the FL. I would have loved if the drama got to explore more of his experiences rather than gloss over them.
-the FL's parents are also quite annoying. The constant yelling and hitting gets old when you have to sit through it every episode. I eventually found myself skipping those scenes because they are such an eye roll. But I will give them the acknowledgement that I found some of the interactions between the FL's parents cute in ep 14.
- I feel like they have so much potential to explore the FL's brother in terms of his experiences and also success. I sometimes forget she has a brother because of how limited screen time he gets.
- something about them being childhood friends to lovers still doesn't sit right with me. But then again, I don't have a childhood male friend so I wouldn't know. It doesn't help that the actors kind of look similar.
- the kdrama has the best exes one can with for. And I feel, IN MY OPINION (plz don't come for me), both exes were done dirty by the main leads. And that is a whole another conversation

I honestly don't see where this drama will go in the next two episodes and I'm not even interested. I will still keep watching just for the sake of completion but can say that I bet it won't be worth the time. The drama lacked both the romance and the comedy in romcom. Would I recommend you watch this drama? No. But if you still want to pursue watching it, I can say that you will enjoy the second leads way more than the main ones. And even the FL's and ML's parents romance more than theirs.

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It was promising until it wasn't

The series started quite promising - the actors managed to bring us in and believe their past, their friendship and also their complicated feelings for one another. With the mystery surrounding the female leads happenings in the US, and the explosive nature of the relationship of the leads, there was enough to keep us wishing the next episodes would be released sooner. Until there wasn't.
A lot of what happened throughout the 16 episodes was either too obvious, lame, or unsurprising. The biggest downer was the drama of the cancer diagnosis of several years back - yes it is horrible to go through, but making such a dramatisation over 2 episodes then dropping it for the rest of the series? Unbecoming.
The chemistry between the leads was severely lacking. The ML accomplished filling the obvious gaps that the FL left. However, her "wake up" in the last 2 episodes where she supposedly recovers her outlook on life (and is finally thankful for the ML) somewhat compensates for the dreadful 14 previous episodes of her expressionless gloomy existence. Watching their final kiss scene it was (again) painfully obvious that the FL can't kiss to save her life - what a disappointment. Unfortunately, the series did not live up to the hype.
The secondary couple's story, development, romance and chemistry were much better than the leads'. And the highlight of everything was the vegetable fight between the women.

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So disappointing

I had such high expectations from this one. I'm so disappointed after 8 episodes. One boring episode after another. Problem is mainly with the writing. Good actors have been wasted. The writing did not give potential for any good chemistry between the leads. The editing is off. Flashbacks when not really needed. Weak storyline.

updated :
12 episodes in, it ain't getting any better. The leads chemistry is still so off that their kiss felt like siblings were forced to kiss.
The writing is not improving. I feel this drama might have been better if the cast was changed, Lee Sung Kyung would have been a better choice as FL. She would have brought the chemistry that Jung So Min is lacking. Jung Hae In is so overrated. His expressions are so limited. I thought he did well in Something In the Rain, but now I give all credit to Son Ye Jin.

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Good Potential Wasted by weak writing and horrible music choice.

ThIs drama had the potential to deal with mature themes of burnout, loneliness, career breaks, family and marital relationships. It started on a good note setting up the story in a manner where such themes could be delicately explored but it has fallen flat on that promise.
after 9 episodes, nothing happens, there is no significant progress in the story. The drama is filled with troupes which are done half heartedly.
I love the actors who play ML and FL individually, they have given some solid performances previously but this writing is extremely weak.
Even though I mostly like the casting, the lead pair lacks chemistry. THAT COULD ALSO BE Because of the lazy background score which is mismatched and not conveying the correct emotion. For example, in romantic scenes, there is Elevator music, in serious angsty scenes, there is again elevator music.
The SFL is amazing but her story has nothing to offer. There is unnecessary meaningless conflict and the story has no connection to the main plot - it's like watching a second boring drama inside a drama.
what a waste!!!!!

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The second lead story steals the show again (part- 464661664464)

*The actors and acting*. The FL Jung So Min, I've personally never liked her much and have dropped every drama of hers that I've come across (Because This Is My First Life , alchemy of souls playful kiss) maybe it's because of the characters she's played, maybe I didn't like the story or whatever. However, the ML Jung Hae In I love him and so many of his dramas I think he peaked in Something in the Rain and then in DP but his performance in Love Next Door is disappointing it's not bad but disappointing compared to his other romantic genre dramas He always has flawless chemistry with his female counterpart but it lacked A LOT here. He was cringe and seemed more friends than lovers with her. overall the chemistry was nothing special

*The actual drama*, to put it in one word was cliché and lowkey cringe. The genre is Romcom, there's rom in the story but no com or to put it better there was comedy in the form of dad jokes. the story is nothing new she got tired of her life overseas and decided to go back to her hometown where she discovered and pursued her true passion and also fell in love with her childhood best friend. (This is to all K-drama makers out there please stop using the childhood trope in dramas it has been OVERUSED).Other than that, the romance tropes such as the physical romance parts were especially cringe. Even though the story is simple they could've made it better but it was the same old same old, a homely neighborhood where everyone knows everyone and a school trope. OSTs weren't special either, very forgettable

*The good parts*. The second lead story. it was the best part it made the story interesting and bearable. those two were soooo cute and the chemistry was 100000. I want us all to take a minute and just realize how cute that kid was.
The friendship between the ladies it was very cute and interesting to watch i felt like more things could've been done with that but overall it was a nice spin in the story.

In conclusion, 'Love Next Door' falls short of its potential. While the drama offers moments of charm, its reliance on clichés, underdeveloped characters, and lack of originality ultimately hinder its ability to stand out. The performances by Jung So Min and Jung Hae In, while competent, fail to elevate the material. The storyline is predictable and lacking in emotional depth. While the second lead story provides a welcome distraction, it's not enough to salvage the overall viewing experience. For those seeking a fresh and engaging K-drama, 'Love Next Door' may disappoint. I would probably not recommend this to a friend as there are many other great dramas with similar storylines.

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High expectations led to disappointment

You know what’s crazy I know these actors can act. I’ve seen Jung Hae In provide stellar performances before, and I’ve watched Jung So Min have so much chemistry with Seo In Guk in The Smile Has Left Your Eyes that they make guest appearances together in new dramas years later. But this isn’t hate toward the actors, it’s hate toward the script or directors because the episodes are just too long and too slow. It feels like nothing is happening and everyone is running around in circles. We got so much of Seunghyo’s pov so we know how much he likes Seok Ryu. But we hardly get any perspective of Seungyho from Seok Ryu’s pov.

We are shown one glimpse of her when she was a kid saying that she liked him, but that's genuinely it. Like their confessions lacked sincerity and if you’ve watched enough dramas I feel like you can tell they’re just following a script if that makes sense. There’s no casual skinship that a normal real couple would have. And jumping to marriage when we’ve barely even seen them date just feels jarring. It looks like Seok Ryu is just reluctantly accepting his feelings and only confides the truth when something huge happens to Seunghyo or when it’s convenient for her. Like her confession to this boy that’s been in love with her for years, is simply “I realised I’m bored without you for like a day so we might as well date”. And the main thing is NOTHING IS HAPPENING IN THIS SHOW. The plot doesn’t move forward and no one learns from their mistakes.

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Cure of insomnia

Romcom:
Love Next Door claimed to be a rom-com, but it missed the mark entirely. The supposed "comedy" felt forced, barely evoking any laughter, while the romance was lackluster and practically non-existent. Instead of charming chemistry or engaging humor, the show dragged on with tedious interactions, and the couples failed to deliver any spark. What was meant to be a fun and heartwarming journey turned out to be an uninspired, dull experience, leaving me waiting for either the romance or the comedy that never really arrived.

Melodrama :
Love Next Door also tried to be a melodrama but couldn't pull it off. The emotional moments felt shallow, and the drama lacked depth. It just made the show feel more forced and confusing. It didn’t have the intensity or the strong emotional pull that a good melodrama needs.

Slice of life:
It also aimed to be a slice-of-life story but failed because the characters were too underdeveloped. They felt immature, yet the show tried to make them act like they were mature, which didn’t fit. Instead of showing real, relatable moments, the characters came across as forced and unrealistic, making it hard to connect with them.

Healing drama:
Some people call Love Next Door a healing drama, but the characters are too pathetic and frustrating for that to be true. Instead of offering comfort or growth, their behavior was irritating and hard to watch.

FL & ML :
The female lead's behavior was profoundly frustrating. While I can empathize with her struggles and appreciate the nuances of complex characters, she often devolved into an irritating presence on screen. Rather than eliciting sympathy or understanding, her actions were frequently exasperating, undermining any potential depth or growth.

The male lead was not inherently flawed,however, his pairing with the female lead often rendered him pitiable due to her erratic actions.His character was frequently overshadowed by her behavior, leading to moments where he appeared ineffective or weak. This dynamic diminished his agency and contributed to a perception of him as somewhat pathetic, as he seemed to struggle to navigate the tumultuous relationship rather than assert his own strength and resolve.


Second Couple :
The second couple in Love Next Door was neither particularly bad nor exceptionally good,they fell into an unremarkable middle ground. Ironically, given that each episode has a runtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes, they didn’t receive enough screentime to truly showcase their potential.Their moments felt rushed and incomplete, which was a missed opportunity for a more engaging narrative.


FL's mother:
She deserves a special mention.I understand that it aimed to portray the complexities of Asian mothers, but the depiction was exaggerated to the point of being unrealistic. Not every Asian mom suffers from such an intense inferiority complex as this character. Her behavior towards her husband and family was often harsh and controlling; if the roles were reversed, it would undoubtedly be labeled as abusive. This portrayal does a disservice to the nuanced realities of many families and reinforces negative stereotypes rather than offering a balanced perspective.


While I sensed a spark between the lead actors, the story was simply too dull to match their caliber. By the time the long-anticipated kiss occurred, my interest had already waned. The introduction of one ex after another felt excessive and only served to distract from the main couple’s chemistry rather than enhance it. This narrative misalignment made it hard to fully appreciate the moments that should have been pivotal, ultimately diminishing the impact of their relationship.


I’m new to this app and, in fact, new to dramas. This is by far the worst drama I've watched so far. Hoping to watch better dramas

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What the actual heck..

Okay I just want to start this off by saying. THEYRE IN THEIR MID 30s AND STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE. I mean seokryu is just so blind and dumb. Why would she not tell anyone in her family about the cancer. why would she not tell her best best friends??and what annoys me the most is the fact that she is jobless and it pisses me off like girl ur parents just wanted you to have a better life. She needs to understand where theyre coming from SHE WAS JOBLESS. and the guy, oh my god the guy. he couldn't confess WHO CARES IF SHE HAD A BF AT THE TIME dont wait until ur 30s ?u knew her since you were kids. how tf did the second couple have more chemistry than the main leads. hes super emotional and shes swas so dumb in the episodes when he would lash out at her.. i mean can she not connect the dots. and the ex i dont understand why she would get mad at her mom for trying to set her up again when you would continuously enable the guy. like do you like him or not. how are we in the 10th episode already and still havent kissed yet. also this is NOT A ROMCOM. misleading af wasnt funny. felt forced only person i liked was the second leads child and her dad.

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