Our Sticky Love

desperately missing a compelling reason to care

Why are we getting generic dramas all year round? I was done with "my bias, my boss" and we have yet another “rom-com” that makes watching another episode feel like a chore. Is it so hard to make a rom-com where you don’t have to shut off all your senses and revert back to your 12-year-old self to enjoy it?

There’s nothing of importance going on.
Nothing that made me curious. Nothing that I wanted to see unfold.
There's no excitement to watch the leads interact.

There are two things a series can do to be worthwhile - make the plot interesting or make the characters interesting enough to compensate for the underdeveloped plot. "Extraordinary you" perfected the former. "My royal nemesis" perfected the latter. Here, it's somewhere in the middle, failing to succeed at either.

One of the biggest problems here is that there is no central conflict in the story that’s worth caring about. There is no such intrigue that a villain usually brings to the story. But that’s not the biggest thing to worry about, because the leads are nothing extraordinary themselves, as I shall talk about them below.
Here every plotline moves simultaneously, so there is no starting point to follow. It’s not convoluted, thankfully, but it’s not easy on the eye either. Consequently, it makes the pacing and direction another poorly done aspect in the story, even if it's not a big deal in the big picture.
But it’s not ALL bad.
The amnesia plot is well done. The realism is present, even though it’s notorious as an eyesore of a trope.
Now, coming onto the characters in this story. They are... flat, to put it as sweetly as I can.
The ml is supposed to be a contrasting character, intimidating and powerful while being vulnerable and sweet in front of the fl. But to my offence, all he comes across as is a reserved lover boy who happens to be a gangster or whatever he is supposed to be. I can't feel any spark when he is on screen.
And this is where the gangster ml becomes difficult to pull off. If you're going to make your romantic lead a gangster, I think you need to commit to the concept somehow. You either need genuinely compelling writing and characterization, like “Vincenzo”, or you lean completely into satire and make the absurdity itself part of the appeal. What doesn't really work for me is sitting in the middle, where “gangster” feels like an aesthetic.

The FL is better written, imo, so I don't have nearly as many complaints about her. But unfortunately, that isn’t enough to make the dynamic between two people interesting. It takes two to tango or whatever they say.

A nothing-burger drama like this won’t have strong opinions from the public. And that’s where a writer can screw themselves over.
A bad drama can at least give you something to complain about. A great drama can give you something to obsess over.
But a dud drama like this? It doesn't even inspire strong feelings within me, and ironically, that itself is inspiring a really strong feeling: ANNOYANCE.
To make matters ten times worse, there is no chemistry between the leads. Because the writer honestly didn’t even allow for that to happen.
I don’t think ill ever like a writer choosing the easy way out when it comes to forming a real connection between the leads. Relying on hundreds of plot devices all at once to speed up the romance will only result in a romance like this: shallow. When are writers getting over the ml who loves the fl for absolutely no reason other than that she’s the fl?
You can use all kinds of tropes in a romance. I'm not against clichés at all. In fact, I love romantic comedies. I've loved “Extraordinary You”, “My Royal Nemesis”, ”Kill Me, Heal Me”, “Lovely Runner”, and “Mr. Queen” to name a few. All of these shows have their flaws, and all of them rely on familiar tropes. But they compensate for those flaws with something else. Chemistry. And if not that, then they have remarkable characters, they have an interesting premise, they have an addictive plot to back it up. Here, I don’t have anything to latch onto, let alone the chemistry.
And the funny thing is I can tell the writer tried to avoid cliches. The drama seems aware of the trope it’s playing with. It relies on satirical comedy (as we saw in ep 1, the amnesia trope) and twisting the cliches. But being self-aware doesn’t mean the romance will somehow work.
Because you can't make me understand why the leads need each other. infact, they are better off by themselves.
And after two consecutive failed rom-coms from Jung hae in, I think he should prolly stick to action thrillers. Atleast there he has done some justice as an actor.

Now some might say, it’s not that deep.
Well maybe it isn’t, but I don't think asking a drama to be good at what it's trying to sell is asking for too much.
If you're selling me a relaxing, cute romantic comedy, then I want a relaxing, cute romantic comedy. Not a lullaby.
Be something atleast.
Maybe this drama gave exactly what some viewers needed. Maybe they wanted something easy to watch, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But after watching countless dramas and movies, I've reached a point where “it's cute, just don't think about it” isn't enough for me anymore.
I don't want to shut my brain off for a drama with no substance. And I don't want to shut my heart off for a romance with no chemistry.
Give me one or the other. Ideally, give me both.
But the god-awful average is hurting my eyes.

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Why is this 12 episodes long?!

This would've been much better if it were a movie, I am sure of that, or at least cut down to 6 episodes. I just barely managed to finish 10 episodes when I realized I still have 2 more to go and I don't know if a can, I am beyond bored at this point, How is it possible that people binged it in a day? How is it possible that people finished it at all??!!

Ko Eunsae is so unlikeable and Jang TaeHa is boring and so bland! He's supposed to be this cool tough guy with a soft heart, but for some reason Haein played him as an insecure little boy that just happens to be a good fighter I mean Thee from Me and Thee did a better job of convincing me He's menacing.

There are so many plot holes so much stupid and so much nothing happening here. Why wasn't Taeha detained? Yes he saved her, but He worked for Naek Sanggil for years, He was pretty high up on the organization even if it was the first time he was ordered to kill someone He still did a lot of illegal stuff maybe they gave him some sort of immunity deal? for helping, I don't know at least up to were I watched it wasn't mentioned so I'm assuming that dating the prosecutor comes with get a out of jail free card🤷‍♀️

I liked it a lot at first but slowly started to get bored and honestly kept watching because I didn't want another unfinished drama on my list but I've had it!

I'm taking a break, I'm not marking it as dropped just yet, but I doubt that I will have the patience to come back and watch the rest.

I was encouraged to watch one more episode by another user so I came back with hopes of actually enjoying the ending but, it only made me more aware of how badly written this drama was, it could've been great as a 2 hour movie but as a 12 episode series is way too long, boring, predictable and uneventful.

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Our Sticky Love, or how not too google your name when you have amnesia

Full disclosure. I skimmed the last three episodes, I guess one guy is another guy's dad?? Doesn't matter.

I'm giving this a 6, since technically it is a drama, it has a story, it has acting in it, it has music. People had to do some work to get this out. So a 6 should be fair. The reason I finished the show is to see how Ha Young pulls off her first lead role. I think she can do a lot better and I can only hope she gets the chance to, but with more competent showrunners.

A prosecutor(Ha Young) who drives a fancy sports car and is in her own words "loaded", gets in trouble with a corrupt mayor and a chairman, who are untouchable and can do whatever they want. An ex-gangster(Jung Hae In) saves her and then we get 8 episodes of her not being a character and him being a loser. Oh and she has amnesia, so of course she falls in love with the guy and whatever happens happens. Nothing makes much sense and if you want your stories to be believable, skip this one. Why does she not google her real name when she finds out what it is? Because if she did, the show wouldn't have a story anymore. Why do they not tell her about her past? Because if they did, the show wouldn't have a romance anymore.

The lead pair do not convince me that their romance is in anyway real. Neither character has a recognizable identity that the other could fall for. Or I guess one is very hot and the other is a care bear? Point is, the romance doesn't work, I'm not sold on it and it fails to elicit any emotional reaction from me as a viewer. In other words the romance does nothing to increase the enjoyment I get as a viewer. The second couple? There was a second couple? Nothing there, just a ticked checkbox.

What's left when the romance falls flat in a rom-com(made me laugh once I think, can't remember which part though), is a Swiss cheese plot. And since the story also falls flat, the entire show is a pancake. There is also a lot of meaningless violence with the sole purpose of showing how bad the bad guy is. News alert, he's a real nasty guy! But I care so little about the fate of the characters that he is supposed to antagonize, that his virulently evil personality falls into the same category as most aspects of this show, it's meaningless. I hindsight, Heo Sung Tae's character got the most development of all the characters, which could have been a positive thing if it was balanced with meaningful arcs for the leads. Alas.

There's no reason to care for the story, it is nonsensical. There's no reason to care for the romance, it's told, not shown. So where does that leave the show? Smack in the middle of mediocrity.

To finish on a more positive note. There's another Ha Young joint on the horizon, let's hope she can live up to the potential she showed in Doona! and Trauma Code, cause this wasn't it.

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Not Perfect, But Definitely Enjoyable

A cute, fluffy rom-com with decent comedy. The chemistry between Tae Ha and Eun Sae was lovely—they were adorable together, even though sometimes, the romance didn't feel that natural.

The drama did feel a bit slow and boring around Episodes 5–7, but it picked up again from Episode 8. The twist in Episodes 11–12 also added a nice layer to the story and made the final stretch more engaging.

The whole village was like a small family. Loved them alot. I also loved the friendship between Doctor An and Eun Sae, especially their greeting high-five.

I also liked how the drama balanced romance, comedy, and action without letting one overshadow the others.

Overall, it's a light, feel-good watch that's perfect if you're in the mood for a sweet romance.

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B.O.R.I.N.G

Right after watching trailer, i know it's a short and routine, rom-com with a gangster backdrop. Because it released as whole and very known ML and recently famous FL (TYAL), I gave it a GO. From the starting FL's character or acting made me feel artificial and exaggerated. We know what will happen next, so we except comedy and nice drama between characters. I didn't felt anything with that village characters ( maybe 2-3 scenes with that 3 ajummas). I think they did nothing about FL ex-boyfriend. They dealt like he is not there just.

What i liked in this is the 8 years ago flashback of that one night interaction and few scene between FL and ML. I also like they didn't add extra drama after FL memory recover.

Maybe if it is 2.30 hrs movie, it would have worked well for a timepass movie.

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A Caramel-Mushy Village of Morons

When I finished the drama, I honestly thought we'd been handed some kind of webtoon pastiche or parody aimed at teenage girls. Because when it comes to tropes and clichés, this was Champions' League level. And why not, after all, if the writing had been brilliant and those tropes had been used intelligently and effectively. Unfortunately, much to my regret, the keys to the truck were once again handed to an amateur with the writing talent of a hack. The premise itself was simple and cute, but after a first episode that hinted at some interesting themes built around the romance, we quickly switched to "the dumber it is, the more easily it goes down" mode. We went way past the land of marshmallow, soft caramel and cotton candy and stepped headfirst into pure silliness and mawkishness. Thankfully, Heo Sung-Tae is there to bring at least a semblance of credibility to the crime side of the drama, because otherwise there wouldn't have been much left to save. In Hangul, the title basically means "a shitty love" or "a damn crappy love." At least it's explicit, and you're not being lied to about what you're getting. Maybe if this drama had aired at Christmas, I might have given it a passing grade. But in the middle of August, everything melted. My brain included.

For more than 14 years, Jang Tae-Ha (Jung Hae-In), a former promising young boxer, has been the right-hand man of a powerful crime boss. He's got blood on his hands. But before returning to his childhood village, called Caramel, and finally putting this disgraceful chapter of his life behind him, his boss Baek Sang-Gil (Heo Sung-Tae) gives him one last assignment: make prosecutor Go Eun-Sae (Ha-Young) disappear. After beating her unconscious, Tae-Ha is ordered to get rid of her. But he recognizes someone from his past in her. In complete secrecy, he manages to smuggle her to a remote rural hospital. When she wakes up 15 days later, she has amnesia and there is no way to identify her. Tae-Ha then pretends to be her fiancé and takes her back home to protect her. His mentor and former boxing coach Hong Do-Yeop (Jeon Bae-Su), his wife, the village's three gossips and his grandmother Go Young-Hong (Kim Young-Ok) will help him with the task. Tae-Ha has always had a crush on her, but is it mutual now that she's lost her memory?

After teasing us with a first episode that wasn't too bad, the drama quickly reveals the limits of its narrative construction. A light rom-com doesn't have to mean a stupid rom-com written for an audience with the intellectual appetite of a kitchen sponge, ready to swallow absolutely anything. Especially since there is a crime storyline that shouldn't be ignored, even though it will disappear for numerous episodes. In short, there was a good idea here, but the writers systematically choose the easiest possible solution, piling up coincidences, contrivances and implausible situations. Credibility has no place in Our Sticky Love: you're simply expected to accept everything and anything. Everything is telegraphed and predictable, whether it's the romantic scenes, the fights or the flashbacks. As I said, it's a festival of tropes and clichés by the dozen; nothing has been left out. But Netflix Original means no PPL, except for Volvo. We're stuck with the usual stereotypes of a backward village, embodied by the trio of gossips who apparently have no lives of their own. The story is so thin that even halfway through the drama, practically nothing has happened. We're just going around in circles. What also stands out is the shameless black-and-white morality: every character is flat, with the villains being very, very evil and the good guys being very, very good. It's utterly boring.

Let's talk about the romance. At first, it's all cute and sweet, but we quickly realize the limitations of the situations. For an amnesiac, Eun-Sae is remarkably trusting and is never really on her guard. The script tells you to accept the situation, so you accept it. Period. To put it bluntly, the drama seems to confuse romance with an accumulation of romantic tropes. And here we go: lingering looks, ultra-aesthetic lighting, piano music, painfully childish dialogue, "Oppa," rain, kisses, etc. The problem isn't that these elements exist. They are part of the classic language of Korean rom-coms. The problem is that they practically replace the writing of the relationship itself. We're constantly shown that these characters are in love, but we rarely feel why they actually love each other. Their chemistry therefore feels manufactured by the direction rather than created by the characters themselves. The drama almost never lets the emotion arise naturally. It's basically a romance starter kit for complete beginners. Everything is explained, underlined, accompanied and repeated. The result is that you feel absolutely nothing for this couple, who, incidentally, are never really in sync, because there's another, more annoying problem: the acting. The two actors are never on the same wavelength, and it's painfully obvious. As for chemistry, forget it.

By now, I know Jung Hae-In well enough to be able to take a critical look at his work. He's a good actor, provided he has an excellent actress opposite him and/or a script worthy of his abilities. But he too often confines himself to easy romances because he has that "straight-A student" kind of face. Here, he turns in an even flatter performance than in Love Next Door. He's better in emotional dramas because he usually has talented actresses opposite him and scripts that give him something to work with. In D.P., in a completely different genre, he was excellent. Here, he brings back that familiar sad-puppy look, even though his character was supposed to have spent years as a gangster. And on top of that, we're apparently supposed to believe he's the biggest virgin of the decade! Opposite him, Ha-Young, in her first lead role, overdoes it, but at least she brings something to the table. Her character is so unintentionally out of sync with the situation that it becomes either hilarious or embarrassing, depending on the scene. This actress isn't just pretty; she has genuine potential. But here, she comes across more like a clueless idiot than a prosecutor. As for the rest, everything is telegraphed, including the bargain-basement "second romance" and the completely cartoonish crime storyline, with some ridiculously dumb fight scenes. Finally, it feels as though everything takes place in a tiny little microcosm designed to make the plot easier to move along, even though the plot is already incredibly simplistic. The rest of the cast is basically there to serve up the necessary lines and tell you when you're supposed to laugh or cry.

This story was obviously destined to end in full-on Care Bears mode, so naturally the fact that Tae-Ha spent nearly 15 years as a violent criminal is conveniently swept under the rug. Not only is he never investigated by the police, he doesn't spend a single day behind bars. The power of love, I suppose... Or maybe the power of stupidity. I honestly can't remember anymore. Yet again, this is another element that turns a light rom-com into a pile of nonsense where you're expected to swallow every last absurdity. For once, that ever-reliable "five years later" would actually have been useful. Instead, we're simply told to accept that yes, Tae-Ha was a violent thug, but apparently the "good guy deep down" rule applies before and after. Structurally, this drama is far too long for the story it has to tell. It could easily have ended around episode 10, and honestly, they could have fit the whole thing into eight episodes. But because they apparently had to fill a quota, we get a completely improbable coincidence at the end masquerading as a twist, straight out of Darth Vader meeting Luke in Cloud City on Bespin. There is also a very violent scene toward the end that could easily have been left out. If it was supposed to convey some message about repentance or resilience, it completely fails. The finale feels like the final banquet scene in Asterix, with the most shameless fan service imaginable. Nothing has been forgotten, and nothing has been spared.

In the end, Our Sticky Love is exactly the kind of drama that might work for a viewer who isn't very familiar with the codes of Korean rom-coms, but quickly becomes unbearable for anyone who has already watched dozens of them. It's the same old stuff we've seen a thousand times. I have no problem with tropes when they're well written. Here, they're simply piled on top of one another, highlighted in neon and used as crutches for the script. At no point does the drama try to surprise us, genuinely develop its characters or give even a minimum of credibility to its situations. Even the few good ideas in the premise are gradually sacrificed on the altar of mawkishness. What we're left with is a succession of predictable situations, caricatured characters, childish dialogue, artificial romance and implausible plot devices that eventually make the whole thing unintentionally funny. Everything is so relentlessly "happily ever after," like a fairy tale. By trying so hard to be cute, comforting and harmless, the drama ultimately ends up being hollow. Between writing that's scraping the bottom of the barrel, zero credibility and a romance that feels more like an illustrated manual of genre clichés than an actual love story, Our Sticky Love ultimately felt like watching an unintentional parody of a K-drama. Occasionally funny without meaning to be, but ultimately just bad.

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No Chemistry Between the leads… she was trying so hard and he wasn’t feeling it

I didn’t really enjoy the romance in this drama. There was no chemistry between the leads for me. She was trying so hard to make the relationship work, but he just didn’t seem to be feeling it, and their scenes together often felt forced.even the kiss

Because of that, I found myself getting bored and skipped quite a lot of the scenes.For me, the story was okay, but the romance definitely wasn’t it.

After watching Our Sticky Love and Love Next Door, I have to say Jung Hae-in had much better chemistry with Jung So-min. With her, he felt so natural and genuinely romantic, almost like he wasn’t acting. The way he looked at her, touched her and kissed her made their relationship feel so real. Their chemistry and romantic scenes were on another level.
And this has nothing to do with Ha-young because she is such a good actress and absolutely beautiful. She did an amazing job in Our Sticky Love and gave so much to her character. I just didn’t feel the same romantic chemistry between them.
Jung Hae-in was also incredible in Something in the Rain, so we know how good he is at romance, but there was something extra with Jung So-min. Their chemistry felt effortless and believable. For me, I want to see Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min again in rom-com
Overall, I didn’t really enjoy the romance. The story itself wasn’t bad, but I found it boring at times, so I ended up skipping most of the scenes. The romance just didn’t work for me, and unfortunately, it made the drama less enjoyable overall.

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Our Sticky Love starts a bit Cliché but turns out pretty wholesome

When I started this show, it was definitely giving a cliché, generic vibe. But as the show moved on I was again and again proven wrong.

First of all, Ahn Ha Young is damn gorgeous. Like she definitely has one of the unique faces you're gonna witness in this industry. Her beauty almost distracts you from the story at times.

Also, just got to learn that this is her first lead role as a female, and I can say she knocks it out of the park with her charming personality, perfect for the rom-com energy this drama needed.

She can act. Such a precious smile. But boy, was it hard watching her cry in monumental scenes. I Loved her work in "Teach You a Lesson" and was very eagerly looking forward to this project. And I can attest that the wait was worth it.

Secondly, coming to the male leads. I have loved Jung Hae-In's work in D.P. and Love Next Door. He's got the acting chops and manages to balance the nuances of the character from Gangster to Shy Boyfriend pretty effortlessly.

The bigger but a welcomed surprise was the villain here. Baek Sang-gil is not the usual antagonist provided with a tragic backstory just for the sake of the story, rather his character serves as a good example to the phrase "a product of the environment".

I also find it amusing that his character and Tae-Ha have almost the same line of events yet the path they choose draws a huge contrast between them, even though they are bound together through a cruel twist of fate.

Additional characters were so enjoyable. S.E.S Ladies especially have my heart. And his subordinate who joins the village later was also surprisingly funny. Glad that the doc and nurse made up at the end, haha.

The show never misses on its comedic beats, and always finds a way to deliver humor unexpectedly. The gentle taps on the back, whenever the characters hug are so cute. I have no idea if this was a thing for this show, or if it's a K-Drama thing, but I love it.

After the 10th episode, I was unsure of the ending and felt this might become another case of dragging the story which usually happens in various K-Dramas. Because by that episode, the story had reached a perfect closure.

But to my surprise the last two episodes were not just an extension of romantic leads having cute moments. Rather the story of the villain was simply not finished, and as we found out in the finale, he had a lot of baggage.

The show manages to wrap up the story in 12 episodes even with a deserved wedding scene by the end.

Tae-Ha doesn't hate rains now, as they don't remind him of his sorrowful days anymore rather he embraces it prioritizing his happiness for the first time.

Eun-Sae has a family now and no longer wishes for materialistic things to bring her happiness.

Wholesome ending. Long live the people of Taffy village.

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Our Sticky Love — 5/10 ⭐️

Overall

Overall, the drama was just okay for me. The premise was interesting, but the execution was messy and the story gradually lost its focus. I felt like the drama had a lot of potential, but it didn’t really deliver.

Story

The story starts with a female prosecutor who loses her memory and a man who pretends to be her boyfriend. I initially thought the main focus would be on her trying to recover her memories and solve a corruption case involving a gangster.

However, after a few episodes, the plot became completely messy. Instead of focusing on the main characters and the prosecutor’s case, the story spent a lot of time exploring a gangster’s past as a former boxer. At some point, I genuinely felt like the story had gone completely off-topic.

The prosecutor’s past and the case she was trying to solve before losing her memory were barely explored, even though they should have been the core of the story. Because of that, the plot felt disconnected and unfocused.

The pacing was also quite slow. There were too many fight scenes and too much focus on the side story, while the main storyline and romance were pushed aside.

As for the romance, the male lead was very much the provider and protective type, which I liked, but the chemistry between the main characters felt flat. I didn’t really feel the emotional connection between them. The romance only started to feel like actual romance towards the final two episodes, which was too late for me.

Acting / Cast

The acting was probably one of the weaker aspects for me. I felt that the performances lacked emotion, especially in scenes that were supposed to be emotional.

The main couple also didn’t have enough chemistry to make me emotionally invested in their relationship. Their interactions felt quite flat rather than giving me that strong emotional connection I was hoping for.

Music

The music was fine, but it wasn’t particularly memorable for me. There wasn’t really an OST that stood out or enhanced the emotional moments enough to leave an impression.

Rewatch Value

For me, the rewatch value is quite low. Since I already know how the story develops and I didn’t feel strongly connected to the characters or romance, I don’t think I would want to watch it again.

Overall, the biggest problem for me was the lack of focus. The premise was interesting, but the story became too distracted by its side plot, while the main characters, mystery and romance didn’t get enough development.

5/10 — interesting premise, but messy execution and a lot of missed potential.

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Sweeter Than Some Of The Ratings Let On

I have no idea why this drama has such poor reviews. It wasn't mind blowing, but it wasn't bad either. I really liked the pace and the acting. Ha Young surprised me the most. As Go Eun Sae she was bright and fun to watch, and she and Jung Hae In had great flow together. It's not the typical pairing, but I loved them and how they progressed through the story.
Some people will say the premise is unrealistic and creepy. A woman loses her memory and a man she doesn't recognize shows up claiming to be her boyfriend, and yes, in real life that would be very creepy. Yet a lot of those same people will watch "You" and enjoy it, or watch Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon without blinking. It may not be your cup of tea, but I find the double standard ironic.
If you like romantic K-dramas that move at a moderate pace with funny, joyful, bright characters, you may like this one. The village and its people carry a lot of the charm. There are no random twists that derail the narrative, and it doesn't cut things short with a rushed ending. From episode one to episode twelve, the story and the characters stay focused on the same objective. It's a great way to close out the summer.
If you're looking for something faster and more intense, you're welcome to watch A Shop for Killers or something along those lines.
Happy watching.

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