Completed
Nicholas louie
8 people found this review helpful
Oct 7, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

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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Ongoing 16/16
Dramaholic
9 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 3.0

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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Completed
ltspada
5 people found this review helpful
Oct 26, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Friends to lovers a favorite trope. Sweet and heart warming romance

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16, 70-80 minute episodes.

First, I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis


Bae Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) seems to be living the perfect life abroad as a upper manager in a global company.  Her career appers to be going well and she is doing well in her personal life with a prestigious international lawyer fiancé, Song Hyeon-jun (Han Joon-woo).  Her mother, Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young) has a lot to brag about she feels to her friend and rival Seo Hye-sook (Jang Young-nam).  Hye sook is the mother of Seok-ryu’s friend, Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in), who she grew up with.  When Seok ryu decides to return to South Korea suddenly to “reset” her life, she finds herself interacting with Seung-hyo frequently as their mothers are friends and they are in the same social circles. Mi sook is not happy with her daughter’s decision to upend what she perceives as a perfect life path. Can Mi sook convince her family and friends she made the right choice? And what about her childhood friend who suddenly sees her as more?

Review

I read a lot of reviews before watching this and, there were a lot of positive reviews but there were also some more negative reviews. I have watched over 300 dramas now, mostly Korean but some Chinese, Tiawanese and Japanese dramas as well. I have watched all of the outstanding dramas so I am really picky when it comes to new dramas. But I loved this drama from start to finish. It has everything I love about a good drama. There are so many heartwarming moments with the family, the friendships, side romances, characters overcoming difficult situations, and of course, with the main couple that it is just a spectacular drama. I would watch it again, even seek it out, and I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of any of the actors (they all did outstanding, this type of drama, or are just fans of Korean drama in general.

Spoilers

Let me just say if you haven’t watch this yet and are looking at reviews to decide if you want to, I envy you. Because, if you decide to watch this, I think you will very much enjoy it. You could be among the few that enjoyed it less. But I can see why the majority that I read, really loved it.

It ends very happy. The main couple are together, obviously well on the path to marriage, but, more than that we can see what their future life will be like together. They have a little fight in the end and we see how they will come through conflict like that. All of the side romances are either together or you can see very easily where those relationships are headed. There are some sad moments, but we don’t live through the sad, it’s just telling what happened in the past with her illness. So, it’s what I like to call a happy sandwich. It starts happy, there is some sad event in the middle, but it ends happy. I do not like sad content and will avoid it like the plague but can deal with a little saddness as long as everything resolves and ends happy. I don’t need a rehash of life where that is not always the case, life is usually what I am trying to take a mental break from in watching dramas.

So many nice bonus romances in this. There is main guys mom and dad. Where she was an ambassador so focused on her career she forgot about her husband and son. They are on the verge of divorce, because they aren’t communicating what is really going on with either of them, and then she has that alzheimer/dementia scare that brings home what their true feeling for each other are. That family had to do so much healing and the drama did a great job of taking us on that journey. Surprisingly the mom Seo Hye-sook (Jang Young-nam) was one of my favorite of the older, female characters.

Lead female character’s mom, Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young) and her emergency medical technician (EMT) friend’s mom, Do Jae-sook (Kim Geum-soon) were what, through so many dramas, we come to expect with a drama mom. They are hyper controlling of their child’s lives even into their 30s. I do not know how true to the culture that is. Asian friends have told me their moms are like that but I don’t know if that is still super prevalant. I found lead female’s mom infuriating at times. Even I, sitting in the 4th wall, knew there had to be something more to the female lead’s sudden return thatn just a “reset”. So the way she treated her, when she first came back, seemed abusive. But, it was a true character type. I knew an American mom that was very much like her. She so did not want her children to make the mistakes she made in her life, that she was completely intolerant of them trying anything remotely similar. They feel like they know the outcome. But two people can do the same thing with different results. It is just harder when you watch one of your children roll those type of dice.

I thought the romance between Jeong Mo-eum (Kim Ji-eun), and (Kang Dan-ho) was on par with the main romance. Not quite as good but reqlly close. She always liked superheroes and the whole “Mudflats Man” concept was cute. They were really very much alike. It was such a wonderful story and the thought they would both be raising the little girl was very wholesome. I felt annoyed when Moeum’s mother was originally opposed to their relationship and even a bit cold to the little girl, but was glad she quickly came around.

I don’t have to spend too much time on just how endearing lead guy was. One of my favorite tropes is the friends to lovers trope because friendship builds such a strong base for a relationship. He was just so there for her it was completely sweet to watch. Yeah he had that error, where his jealous feelings got the better of him and she was reaching out to him during her cancer and he was ignoring her. But he didn’t know she had cancer and she seemed to be clearly with someone else. In a lot of other dramas that would be second guy. Second guy who is her friend, but has feelings for her, but then always misses the timing to tell her. Then, when he tells her, it is too late. What we essentially got to see was second guy successfully get the girl. And I love that. Sweet, loyal second guy is usualy the loser in those situations. It just doesn’t feel as much like he is second guy because we only see her relationship with her ex fiancé in flashbacks. I love the actor. He has the smiliest eyes. And he just portrayed all the emotions so well

I loved Jung So-min in “Alchemy of Souls” so I am biased that it will be good whenever I see her in something. And this did not disappoint. The way she brought out all the emotions in a character that went through something like she did, and the ways she showed the hidden love with lead guy blossom, I loved every minute of it. She is one of my favorite Korean actresses.

The friendships was what set this apart from a mere fuzzy feel good, no depth romance. Thise long standing, with you through it all friendships is the type of connection we all aspire to. The dads were funny drinking buddies. The moms were as volatile as you would expect with a group of close female friends. Watching the bromances and female friendships was like flavorful icing on an already delicious cake. You think you do not want or need it but it is there and it is nice.

This is the type of drama that, when it ends, you miss people that don’t even really exist. It makes me understand, a little, how the actors may feel as they dive into a character and interact for months in another world. As they bring it out and we are feeling all the emotions of events they have to play that through their actual emotions too. I imagine this was a harder one for them to move past as it was so immersive. So I am always so thankful when there is a good drama to everyone that worked so hard to make it possible. I saw an interview with Jung So-min where she talked about this and how much she enjoyed acting with Jung Hae-in and it showed. I though they had amazing chemistry and could see them as a real life couple.

When we learned the real reason she had suddently departed the United States and returned to South Korea, it was such a highly emotionally charged moment. The writers and actors did an exceptional job of illustrating how each family and friend would feel when something that important was kept from them. And yet they were able to make us understand why the main character would have withheld that, in that moment. I wish they had heard more on the way they treated her as someone beneath them because she was a foreigner. Only lead guy really knew that. Because for her to work through not only the fight for her life with cancer but that completely toxic work environment, it was a wonder she didn’t break sooner.

I thought I was going to dislike her ex fiance, Song Hyeon-jun (Han Joon-woo), but was pleasantly surprised I did not. At first I was annoyed he pursued her to South Korea. How dare he come disrupt this beautiful relationship. But, as they built their back story, and he revealed his character it was evident he was not a bad guy, she had just unknowingly had been in love with main guy nearly her whole life. The way he let her go without bitterness showed that he did love her enough to just want her happiness. Same with lead guy’s ex girlfriend, Jang Tae-hui (Seo-hyo). At first I am like who is this love killer but they told their backstory and why she liked him as much as she did that I understood. She also let go of him at the right time and exhibited that she loved him enough to want him to be joyful.

#LoveNextDoor #JungSoMin. #ParkJiYoung. #JangYoungNam. #JungHaeIn #HanJoonWoo #KimGeumSoon #KimJiEun #YoonJi-on

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Completed
AMF13
13 people found this review helpful
Sep 9, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 3.0
Story 1.5
Acting/Cast 3.5
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.5

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.

Updated: After 16 episodes, I'm thankful this ended. No change in how I feel bout this drama. Fell flat for me.

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Ongoing 14/16
Maimuna Zaman
14 people found this review helpful
Oct 5, 2024
14 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 4.0
Story 3.5
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 3.0

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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Completed
lana_vivida
14 people found this review helpful
Sep 16, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

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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Ongoing 8/16
crane
10 people found this review helpful
Sep 8, 2024
8 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

Is it really worth it?

First of all, I really like this drama. It gives me a bitter sweet vibe.
The rekindling of the feeling of first love, the friendship,the family dynamic is so interesting.

I will say my favourite character so far is Jang Mo-eum. She's has a very charming personality. She's kind and brave, she knows what she wants, she the best friend you could ever wish for. She is very supportive of her friends,she seems to be open-minded too. Their friendship is so precious!

Baek Seok-ryu is strong and independent. She works hard, even when she was trying to find her dreams, I would say she is very dedicated. Her family dynamic is pretty interesting.
I wouldn't say her mother is a bad person but she really did annoyed me in episodes 7 and 8. What does she mean her life is a failure, and want Baek to live a successful life. The father too thinks he's a failure. When Baek confesses she wants to cook, that it was her dream, both her parents were furious. The father and mother is projecting their life experiences on Baek.
I feel like they don't say what they really want to say and are just be passive agressive with each other, it's just building hatred.

I don't understand why her mom wants Baek to get back with her ex. Like Baek can live a successful life in Korea too, why would she return to the US and relive all that stress. I really don't love the parents much, they are kind of annoying.
I mean I feel like Baek dealt with her sickness alone because she felt it was no big deal. She could handle it because it's always been like that.
She is unable to show she is hurt and suffering, even with the ex, she refused to explain the reason why they broke up. She doesn't know how to rely on someone or ask for help, maybe she did with her ex before he cheated.

I really understood Choi, imagine finding out your closest friend had to suffer alone as she was ill. She should have told her family and her friends about her illness. And why the heck did she tell her ex to hold onto her and not Choi. Why must she bear all the hurt and suffering alone, she doesn't deserve that.
I hope she learns to lean on her friends more, forget about the parents, I don't think she'll ever lean on them.

But at the end of all the characters are very complex and have their flaws. Let the miscommunication and misunderstandings marinate and spice their lives up!!






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Completed
wia
4 people found this review helpful
Oct 13, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
scenophile
9 people found this review helpful
Oct 9, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 4.5
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.5
This review may contain spoilers

Just the romance could have, and would have been enough

This was the drama I've been looking forward to all year, and I was so so disappointed. This drama is what you get when a writer wants to write a rom-com but can't develop it well, so they start inserting random plot points and cute, trope-y moments and just cross their fingers.

I'll be honest. The drama lost me the moment the stomach cancer plot was introduced, for multiple reasons.

From a writing perspective, it just doesn't work. It's a lazy way to evoke empathy and it gave me tonal whiplash — the scenes specifically about Seok-ryu's cancer are well-done and heavy, but the show itches to revert to its light-hearted rom-com moments. It feels like the cancer plot is big for a few episodes and then completely forgotten, save for a few random mentions. The show falls into the unfortunate trap — instead of adding depth, it ends up feeling too light-hearted for such a heavy topic.

On a more serious note, I also just feel like the cancer plot point undermines the commentary on mental health, which I was really enjoying at the start. We have the main character undergoing familial pressure, burnout, and depression — things that are SO relatable to just about every single person — and suddenly the cancer reveal happens, and it's like oh, all those things that Seok-ryu was going through was because of the cancer. Her mother, who just thinks Seok-ryu is going through a phase, suddenly cares because the illness is physical. But the entire time I couldn't help but think it would've been such better writing and so much more touching if there had been no cancer plot and Seok-ryu's mother had grown to understand the importance of mental health instead.

After the cancer reveal, the plot pretty much winds down and starts going through subplots (like the parents' almost-divorce caused by a misunderstanding, and a few fights) that make it feel a little aimless. It's like the drama doesn't really know where to go from there and the writing just takes a steep dive because it never took the time to fully develop either Seok-ryu's cooking journey, or Seung-hyo's architecture company. We only seem to see glimpses of each.

I think the best scenes in the show are actually the flashbacks, where we got to see the chaotic depths of the leads' relationship from each of their perspectives and how it was paralleling present day. The banter that they have is actually pretty fun, but they definitely lose that spark once they get together and just become a very common couple with the common kdrama scenes. The chemistry that had potential at the start isn't there anymore.

As for the second ship...they're fine. They start out cute, but despite the potential of the backstory, I just don't feel like they ever touched my emotions.

Ultimately, I really wish this had either (1) gone full melodrama and given the cancer plot the weight it needed (even the second ship's backstory has a lot of potential for angst), or (2) trusted in the rom-com genre, and that the development between the leads as they followed their dreams together would've been enough to give us an amazing story — without all the extra stuff.

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Completed
crocheter
7 people found this review helpful
Oct 9, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 7
Overall 4.0
Story 3.5
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 3.5
Rewatch Value 1.0

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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Dropped 10/16
dkdk
13 people found this review helpful
Sep 17, 2024
10 of 16 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 4.5
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 3.5
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
Meowchi
3 people found this review helpful
Oct 12, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

In the abundance of roses, you're my sunflower!

Childhood friends to lovers bickering story done right. From the announcement to the release, it was much hyped and created a lot of anticipation among the drama fans. Was it worth it?
 
Definitely worth it. It is a family-orientated love story with which everyone can relate. What makes it different than any other drama is its's dynamics of characters.
 

✔️Likes:
 
• spotless chemistry between the leads. Single-handedly, they hold the series together.
 
• Sismance! Lavender Group's friendship is something we all aspire to. From school friends to neighbourhood moms, they've always stayed together and supported each other.
 
 
❌Dislikes/Room for improvement:
 
•The episodic length; oh my my... 1hr 20mins X 16 eps?! That's too damn long! I had lost all my patience waiting for it to finish.

• Resolving problems because of medical conditions. I know they love their family to death, but was illness the only thing that could vanquish all their problems and unite them again? Even if it was, then when they were so sick, why put so little importance on it? The issue came up all of a sudden and resolved too quickly.
 
Sometimes the characters were too childish and selfish at times, but I get it. As an adult, you think you can fix all your problems on your own without any help, but sometimes a reassurance is all you need to carry on in life. 
 
It wasn't something phenomenal and over the top, but something you watch when you're craving some fluff with a lot of angst and adults whining like children in frustration. It was not bad not good either, but just ok.

I think for me it comes once in a while that I fall in love with the rom-com kdrama; unfortunately, this is not the one.

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  • Score: 8.3 (scored by 31,256 users)
  • Ranked: #956
  • Popularity: #170
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