Our Sticky Love

All time terrible show

I truly don't understand how anyone likes this show. The ML literally kidnaps the FL while she has amnesia and gaslights her by pretending to be her husband for eight cringe episodes. Then he forces her to go to Japan at knife point and still doesn't tell her the truth!! It’s so creepy and people call it romantic. The only reason to even keep watching is waiting for the truth to come out and it takes eight full episodes and then when she finally finds out she turns around lies to him. Dropped at episode 9. If you actually like this show just admit that as long as the guy is handsome he can get away with anything.

Oh and the acting is horrible. The crying scenes are really cringy. The leads are very attractive though, there's that.

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They're actual people!

I am probably rom-com's no. 1 hater, especially as I only like two dramas within the genre: this one and Lovestruck in the City, and I'm actually unsure if the latter qualifies as a rom-com. The reason for my distaste is that the characters are never real people and the only thing driving the story are ridiculous plot points getting increasingly more unlikely as the story unfolds. Jung Hae-in is usually really good at picking dramas that don't have those issues, which is the only reason I decided to watch this, and he made a good pick once again (at least in my opinion).


The good:
The characters are real people. While not hyper-realistic, they have flaws, development and actual things hindering their development. The leads are definitely your stereotypical rom-com leads, but they're more realistic and have their own unique charm. Take Tae-ha for example, Jung Hae-in's character, he's your standard "I will protect my love with my life, because that's who I am, and I have obviously never been in love with anyone else before either" but that motto is supported by actual characteristics. He has a horrible memory of people he doesn't really care about, simply can't remember their names; he was forced to give up his life for someone once, which in turn makes it easier to do it again, and also solidifies certain beliefs or thoughts he might've had before, like that he's happy as long as his loved once are; as a result he also struggles to communicate his needs and wishes. And he's very quiet, often communicating with only expressions or nods, which I don't think I've seen in a rom-com before. As for Eun-sae, Ha Young's character, she wants her own way and will let nothing stop her. This never changes about her, even though she has the largest character development between them. We see this characteristic of hers pop up constantly — it drives the plot. I feel like in a lot of characters, they have a certain trait, but then once the situation demands it, they no longer have that trait. The trait is only there in the first episode to prove that they have a personality, and then they're a blank page except the words "I'm in love" throughout the rest of the drama. I'm a sucker for good character design, about the only thing I truly care about, so that is probably why so many people disagree with me in these reviews.

Another thing I really liked, is that whenever typical rom-com stuff I hate with all my being happened, it lasted for a very short period of time (except from the oppa-thing, my god, was basically torturing him). I usually have to stop watching a drama for a little while when something really embarrassing happens, but I only had to stop watching this twice for that reason (which is very impressive, it's usually an immeasurable amount of times).

This is not the funniest drama I have watched, but the humour isn't boring or bad, it's actually pretty good. I also think the chemistry is on point, though I know some people disagree. The action scenes are also some of the best ones I've seen in a rom-com. You see the characters having to prioritise in the fight; he can't fight three at a time, so he pushes the first into a wall, and punches the two others in the face, and then try to deal with the first one, but sometimes the first opponent is quicker and attacks from behind. It makes it feel like the fight is first of all harder to win than we maybe think, and secondly that there's some give and take, some reward and consequence. So while not realistic, at least rooted in reality.

The villain is 100% one of the best villain characters I think I have ever seen. And I mean that. I don't view characters as the antagonists in The Glory or Vincenzo, for example, as "villains", because they're as real and fleshed out as our protagonist. And in D.P. or Extracurricular for example, the antagonists aren't "villains" because is it even their fault? The antagonist in Our Sticky Love is definitely a villain though. But his character design is legitimately good. His reasoning is explained from his own perspective, which forces you to interpret it in your own way. He has depth and feels real even as inhumane as he is — realistic to the story.


The bad:
Keep in mind that my criticisms are mostly due to my distaste for the genre, if you like it then you might like these things.

The plot is unrealistic and ridiculous. Why not pretend to be her brother? Seems way easier and less like a crime. If you think for just a second about what he is actually doing to her, it's honestly quite horrific, I mean he is kidnapping someone and convincing them they're in love with him. There's a lot of hatred towards gangs in the characters, but very little is done to make the audience feel the same way. I also feel like the drama is mentioning "film-noir" a lot to make us associate the drama with the genre — a short-cut to what I just mentioned — but it doesn't work, and the whole gang-plot feels disconnected to the story. I think it would also be natural for Tae-ha to feel more guilt and struggle with self-esteem if he really has just been working in a gang like a machine, which would also help connect the plots. A lot of the gang-activities, the plot-twist and special effects are all quite unrealistic. It doesn't take me out of the story, but could've been better for sure.

I mentioned earlier that I liked that it was quick and went from one thing to the next, and I stand by that. I think I would've struggled had they made it slower or longer, however if they had prioritised differently and focused more on the characters and their relations and cut some of the plot points, I think the drama would've been much more memorable. You would've ended up with something more similar to Prison Playbook, 2521 or Vincenzo, but with a rom-com vibe stronger than in 2521. Or even if they had just lingered a little longer on the moments in which they connect, or if they had just one more episode towards the beginning. But that's mainly my own personal preference for memorable plots and characters speaking — I am aware that a lot of people probably like these dramas that are just a fun ride.


Overall:
I'm glad I've finally found a true rom-com I could like, but I'll probably forget most of the plot in a little while. I'd say you should watch this if you have had some of the same problems I've had with rom-coms, or are just looking for a light and quick watch. I don't have a lot of experience with this genre, so if you're an avid lover, then I don't know if you would like it to be different from the normal or not.

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More Than Just a Romance

This drama was much better than I expected. While the basic premise and innocent FL/suspicious ML setup can feel familiar in the grand scheme of K-dramas, the story was easy to follow, well-paced, and delivered on everything it set up. The chemistry between the leads was great, with a natural progression from the initial tension into a genuinely lovable relationship.

What really elevated the drama for me, though, was how much it focused on the relationships beyond the main romance. The FL's growth through her new life in the countryside, especially her friendships and bond with the village folk, gave the drama a surprisingly strong sense of family and belonging. The ending also did a great job bringing those relationships together and giving the story a satisfying conclusion. A really enjoyable drama that reminded me that a story can be about much more than just two people falling in love.

9.3/10 EXCEPTIONAL!

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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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Perfect Hair, Imperfect Drama

The opening is actually interesting enough. Since the drama is built around the female lead trying to figure out what happened, you are solving the puzzle alongside her, and the first episode at least gives you that sense of curiosity.

Unfortunately, a few things really let the drama down: the writing, the lack of common sense in certain situations, and a romance that feels more forced than convincing.

The chemistry between the main couple just did not work for me.

Jung Hae-in is, as always, very good-looking and charismatic, and he brings the same quiet, reliable charm he has carried in many of his previous roles. The problem is that his character is supposed to be a mobster, yet he never really feels particularly different from the Jung Hae-in we have seen before. He is good in the role, but the character itself never becomes especially distinctive.

I had more trouble connecting with Ha Young’s character. She is obviously beautiful, but strangely, that became one of my biggest problems with the drama. Everything is too polished.

Her hair is perfectly blown out and styled in almost every single scene. Even when she is being tortured or going through something traumatic, she somehow looks completely put together. After a point, it starts feeling less like you are watching real people in difficult situations and more like you are watching an advertisement.

And that shiny, overly styled presentation creates distance. I never really forgot that I was watching actors in a drama.

The romance itself also becomes repetitive. There simply isn’t enough chemistry, tension, or emotional development to hold it together. Combine that with weak writing and, eventually, you just stop caring about what happens to the characters.

The comedy is fine. Some moments work, but quite a few feel like clearly designated "this is the comedy scene” moments rather than humour naturally coming from the characters or their banter.

Ironically, I found some of the supporting characters more interesting than the leads. Lee Jae-won as Ahn Ki-jun and Choi Yu-ju as Min Su-ji had a storyline with more personality, depth, and surprisingly good chemistry.

The drama does introduce potentially meaningful conflicts, but they are either dragged out or handled without enough conviction. The problems are supposed to feel big, but the writing does not always make you believe in their emotional weight.

And yes, I probably could have overlooked quite a lot of this and continued watching comfortably…

…but the female lead’s perfectly styled hair bothered me an unreasonable amount.😂

I know that sounds petty, but it represents my larger problem with the show: everything feels too shiny and manufactured.

The memory-loss setup is nothing new, the romance never becomes compelling enough to elevate it, and the writing is not strong enough to compensate.

That said, I can see some people enjoying it. If you want something fluffy, glossy, easy to watch, and you like the leads, you may have a perfectly good time.

But if you need strong chemistry, believable characters, or a romance with real emotional pull, I would probably skip it.

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Utterly disappointing

I had loved Jung Hae In One Spring Night, A Piece of my Mind and Something in the Rain.But this show was such a disappointment. Despite knowing that the plot was nothing earth shattering I had watched hoping the narrative of the show would be good but no, even Jung Hae In could not make me watch any further--and to be honest--I fast forwarded at several places by the latter part of ep 3.
This show has a poor script to begin with and a lousy plot. But it isn't the only one.
I don't know why but I haven't been able to see that spark in most recent Korean shows that have come out.

I think K Drama writers and makers really need to go to their drawing board and see how to amp things up--most recent shows have had plots that are rehash of what we have already seen--even if the plot be similar the execution can make all the difference but most shows now show lazy writing, or may be they are getting too dependent on AI, though budget wise shows are often seen to grow bigger. The only show that I absolutely loved from Korean drama in recent days was Agent Kim Reactivated.

The K Drama slump seems to be real while Chinese shows are really coming of age in recent times, especially with international audience.

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Sticky is a bit Tricky

I have read many scathing reviews of this Drama/Romcom but I can't agree It did what it was supposed to do it gave us Drama, Comedy & Romance Did it have holes in the story well yes it most certainly did especially with the father reveal at the end but it wasn't about that & it could have been left out entirely It was a story of how choices change the landscape of our lives & that there is redemption to be had for all I pretty much like any drama that has Jung Hae In (he is a winning actor no matter the genre)Heo Sung Tae another veteran actor Kim Young Ok as the grandma Classic Seo Jung Yeon Fantastic in everything she does The supporting actors didn't let this drama down So if you want a feel good show with a side of violence & terrible villians this just may be it The Cameo of Lee Jun Young was a welcome surprise so give it a go

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Give it a Chance

I love all of Jung Hae-In's dramas so I was excited to give this one a go. It is definitely your run of the mill rom com, but there's nothing wrong with it! I don't understand how some reviews can complain about a drama being exactly as it was advertised lol

The FL was extremely confident in her personality, job, and love for the ML; which I loved because it gave her character space to be funny and less dramatic than other dramas I've seen. (the actress did a great job executing this)

The ML had a very convincing shy guy, tough guy combo which I personally love. the love he had for her and his family felt very innocent and pure. I also like seeing Jung Hae-In in things other than melodrama and action, but he obviously has a knack for the quiet characters.

Overall the actors did a good job, the story was a good combo of action, drama, and extremely fluffy romance (which I feel like was constant callback to the "sticky"/"taffy"-filled love.

It doesn't feel too slow burn and the drama isn't too frustrating which is why I can see myself watching this one again. Definitely give it a shot if you want something with a little action and a lot of fluff.

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Well written, fun drama

I really enjoyed this series. It has a great mix of campy comedy, light comedy, romance and action.
The story is cohesive and well written, with only a few minor plot holes that are easy to overlook. The pacing is great and I thought they did a good job with the flashbacks for providing timely context of what was going on and what was yet to come.

Jung Hae-in maintains the excellent work he's shown that he is capable of in his previous lead roles while Ha Young easily demonstrates why she deserves to be cast as a female lead.

Jung Hae-in (Tae-ha) and Ha Young (Eun-sae) have excellent, believable chemistry. I found the scenes after Eun-sae accepts that he is her 'longtime boyfriend' and wants him to come back to the main bedroom very amusing – Jung Hae-in does an excellent job portraying someone that nervously won't take advantage of someone he truly likes over the deception he has set up. I felt their chemistry was almost on par with that of Jung Hae-in & Son Ye-jin in Something in the Rain (which tops my list for chemistry).

Ha Young and the SES Ladies do a great job with the campy comedy...sometimes taking it a little too far for my taste but those moments are brief and overall, their scenes are a lot of fun.

I really liked how the story handled the development of 'trust' between Tae-ha, Eun-sae and the Doctor. It felt believable given the information Eun-sae and the Doctor had as the story progressed. And giving Eun-sae 2 names was a great way to get around her just doing a web search to find out who she really was.

The writing does a good job taking 1-off comments/events and wrapping them back into the dialog later.

Most of the fight scenes were very good....Tae-ha avoids most of the baseball bat swings (believable) rather than absorbing them (not believable). And Jung Hae-in did a great job with the choreography. I could believe he was a top boxer. I loved how he changed his expression when he transformed from 'boyfriend' to thug.

I really liked the development of the twist toward the end. I felt they provided very good foreshadowing in the earlier episodes and I did not feel manipulated in the slightest. And the brief montage showing the foreshadowing was a nice touch for those (like me) that had missed it.

And the ending was excellent. They actually allowed enough time to really wrap up the story and provide the characters with a great ending....refreshing after so many dramas doing the wrap up in 5 minutes.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the series, it wasn't without some issues. For instance, one element that strained believability was Eun-sae’s lifestyle. Her salary as a prosecutor wouldn’t realistically support a luxury apartment, sports car, and designer wardrobe, and the show never explains how she affords them....she was an orphan so no family money and her Prosecutor salary would be ~80-90K USD....not enough for those types of expenditures.

I'm not a big fan of the endless waves of disposable thugs for the fights nor with the omniscient villain that dynamically sets up an elaborate trap during the unexpected car chase scenes. Nor with the extremely quick recover from stab wounds.

They do have one major continuity mess up. His Mom tells his 'Grandma' that she is 23 years old yet the dates on her tombstone show she was only 22 when she died. Not integral to the story but it is sloppy.

Despite a few inconsistencies, Our Sticky Love delivers a charming blend of romance, comedy, and action with standout performances and a satisfying ending. It’s a drama that’s easy to recommend

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