Mad for Each Other (2021)

Perhaps the 2nd best K-drama of 2021.

[ Original date written: June 21st 2021 ]

I was very much looking forward to this and had actually been impatiently awaiting it's premiere ever since the cast was announced. The first couple of episodes I did enjoy but as it progressed I found myself loving it more and more.

Oh Yeon Seo is my favourite actress and she did not let me down with this drama comeback of hers. Her performance (as always) was incredible. She brought so much power and emotion to the character of Lee Min Kyung, in a way I think no other actress could.

I loved Jung Woo in Reply 1994 so I was interested in seeing him paired up with my girl and I have to say they exceeded my expectations. At first I wasn't sure how romance would be tied in as the beginning episodes mostly contained hysterical arguments between the two with no suggestion of anything else, but by episode 5 their beautiful development began and not only was their chemistry evident AND outstanding but their story itself was pure warmth for the heart. It’s a perfect romcom, but it also manages to bring characters with tragic pasts together with a healing outcome.

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Funny & Touching Kdrama About Healing

This drama was not on my radar at all and I only heard about it from seeing a clip of episode 1 on Youtube. I finally gave it a try recently and the drama really surprised me. The drama poster gives a comedic vibe but the drama has some really great touching scenes about mental health and issues in society. The comedic scenes definitely helped pull me in at the beginning because it gave me a great laugh but it was the characters' story and relationships that later kept me going. The main characters' backstory and pain made me understand why they have become the way they are. Min Kyung and Hwi Oh are also a cute couple as you keep watching. They are funny and relatable.

The chemistry between the leads also surprised me because I did not expect to like the two together but they are actually a good pair together as I kept watching. There are so many good scenes of them interacting, but my favorite was when he bought her a new pair of sunglasses so she would look at the world more happily. I believe this has a double meaning because our perspective of the world can really change how you feel and I think that was a message of those sunglasses. Min Kyung was slowly learning to trust people, starting with the sunglasses. I love how realistic the writing was about their relationship as well. It would be impossible for Min Kyung to completely trust others and that is why she had the argument with Hwi Oh about that misunderstanding. It was great seeing Hwi Oh change as he fell in love with Min Kyung as well.

The conflicts in this drama were carried out nicely. The argument between Hwi Oh and Min Kyung made complete sense and the villains' motives made sense. There was a purpose in their actions, even though it was so hateable. The script was also written well for 13 episodes with each episode lasting around 35 minutes. It flowed smoothly and I loved how we saw the characters grow. I didn't feel like there were any filler scenes except for the parts with the convenience store part-timer. I felt that her storyline was unnecessary and did not have any role except to fill up some space. It would have been much better to leave her out of it.

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So much potential

This was so good for 12.5 episodes. The chemistry between the leads was good and the back stories were good. There was not a lot 2nd lead action, but it was a cute story. The comedy was good, it had a few annoying side characters, but they were tolerable.

Then the story shit it's pants, with a ridiculous plot twist that left so many loose endings and so much potential on the cutting room floor. Why do these writers do this, do they think it's cute, are they hoping for a second season or there some cultural masochism that eludes me. There are so many things I would like to have seen tied up, but I won't spoil it for you. It's still a good watch, I binged it all the way through.

I was going to rate this at least an 8.5, but I ended up at a generous 7.5 because the beginning was so good. If you want to be happy, stop at the last kiss; you should know it when you see it.

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A comedy that was more than a comedy

I picked this show because it broke the kdrama tradition of being 16 episodes ninety minutes long. It was a rather swift show but one that nonetheless delivered a deeply moving story.

The story of two mentally troubled people living next door to each other with all the comedic encounters set the tone early for what our lead pair - and the town they lived in - were like. Lee Min-Kyung suffered from OCD and an extreme anxiety that meant she had difficulty trusting anything and anyone. Hwi-oh's anger issues was what landed him in therapy and the way these two interacted early on *through* their mental illness was done really well; this is a comedy show but it didn't insult people's mental illness. It was funny without being disrespectful.

As the story progresses, the comedy becomes less prominent and you understand why it has to: the backstories of both Min-Kyung and Hwi-oh make it difficult for the show to remain completely light-hearted, especially where it concerns the abuse Min-Kyung went through. As the show progresses, her ordeal tells a good story of what it is like for women in abusive relationships, the fear of trusting again. Her relationship with Hwi-oh was done organically, built over a gradual trust sprung from his genuine decency and devotion to keeping her safe and happy. The way they first kissed sort of alluded to that; she is totally fine sleeping with him around because she trusts him. Because he listens to her, because he believes her.

Which is what this show is really all about. It's about Min-Kyung needing someone to believe her, to give her that feeling of safety and reassurance her ex-partner took from her. Throughout the show she struggles for that, but finds it in Hwi-oh. We see the importance of why believing her is better than not. The show tells a good message there; sometimes in a relationship, what's not important is whether your partner is right or not but whether they think you believe them or not.

Hwi-oh in turn finds something in his life he can now lose, and it puts him always on the verge of erupting, of reverting. She thinks she's broken him, but the beauty of the show is how they both subliminally helped each other grow and heal a lot, but the final part of the recovery needed to be done by themselves.

The last episode was a little rushed in that some of the subplots seemed wrapped up too quickly - maybe that's the drawback of being a short series, but I enjoyed this show a lot. It was sold by the terrific acting, particularly on Oh Yeon-Seo's part. I feel like this is a feel-good show I can return to a lot and still enjoy it.

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I nearly dropped this drama after watching one episode. In the beginning, the antics, though funny, seemed forced. The main characters were not only stubborn, but clueless about each other’s plight, often making assumptions they were out to get each other. I almost gave up if it were not for Jung Woo and Oh Yeon Seo’s performance. Their pairing may not be your typical drama couple, but they brought out their A game in this show.

Jung Woo stars as Hwi Oh, a cop who could not control his temper. Despite his good intentions, Hwi Oh believes his outbursts are justified, considering what happened to his colleague. Meanwhile, Yeon Seo stars as Min Kyung, a woman who’s constantly paranoid and keeps looking over her shoulder. She thinks that everyone she encounters will hurt her, therefore she hardly ventures out unless absolutely necessary. She assumes Hwi Oh to be a relentless stalker, as he appears everywhere she is, not realizing he’s her neighbor. After realizing her mistake, Min Kyung lowers her guard after finding out that Hwi Oh was a police detective, currently unemployed because of his suspension from the force.

As time goes by, the two slowly form an unlikely bond. We see both Hwi Oh and Min Kyung grow fond of each other and become accepting of the other’s quirks..We see them relying on each other during difficulties, and how they care for each other despite struggling with their own issues. Hwi Oh’s pursuit of justice sometimes lands him in precarious positions, as he did not have authority to conduct investigations because of his suspension.

On the other hand, Min Kyung had to deal with her POS ex and his manipulative mother. The deliberate sabotage of Min Kyung’s already fragile reputation, led Min Kyung to be shunned by the condo community. And here we see how endearing Hwi Oh is, by standing on her side despite the lack of proof to the contrary. However, even this wasn’t enough for Min Kyung who questions every motive of Hwi Oh going close to her. The previous trauma that she endured, made Min Kyung unable to trust anybody, even herself. Not wanting to seek help or seem weak, Min Kyung tries to tackle everything by herself, even if it’s to her own detriment. Meanwhile, Hwi Oh tries his best to be there for Min Kyung, becoming her protector and guardian.

But the story is more than the developing relationship between these two main leads. We have to appreciate the secondary characters, acted out by an amazing cast. They exist in the drama not merely to support the plot to its fruition, but they each have a role in asserting how society can stigmatize people with mental illness. The show also highlights the importance of not jumping to conclusions, especially when you don’t know the entire story. There are always two sides to a coin, and it may be worth your while to fully understand what’s going on before making hasty judgments.

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Watch this for a more serious kdrama with realistic depictions of relationships

I never write reviews but for this drama I have to. I don't hear nearly enough people talk about this beautiful masterpiece of a show. Not only does it deal with all sorts of heavy topics within just 13 episodes, everything was done well and concisely. I think this drama is definitely for older, more mature kdrama lovers who watch for more than just a handsome cast. I ended up falling in love with the two main characters so quickly due to their natural chemistry and superb acting. I also really loved the writing, but be warned, this drama is a rollercoaster of emotions. I was laughing one minute and crying the next. I thought this would be a light-hearted drama, but the heavy topics dealt during these 13 30-minute episodes will have your heart wrenched in every direction. I really wish this drama was longer, because I feel like the writers would've done great with slightly more time to flesh out more aspects of their relationship.

This drama isn't about soulmates, you're not going to watch two people who were destined to be together since they were in middle school fall in love and live happily ever after. This is kdrama about adults meeting with their own respective problems in life and deciding whether being together, despite the challenges, is better than being apart. I personally found so much hope after this drama, because of how realistic and relatable the characters and situations were. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a different kind of drama, one about life, love, and trusting oneself.

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Two Maddies Catch Some Baddies And Pi$$ Off The Condo ☑ Association Too! °7.7° °VG°

He's a cop with anger management issues. She's a fearful, paranoid mess.

They run into each other on the street. She feels threatened and pepper sprays him, so you could say they didn't hit it off. Next they see each other at the therapist's office. Apparently they've been complaining to the same therapist about each other. And next they see that they live next to eachother. WHOOPS!

From that point on, it's the mayhem one could anticipate from two unhinged (but good, underneath it all) persons who each try to bend the other to their will, and in doing so, give no space for peace. They drive each other truly crazy.

Before the end, they'll get the gangsters and drug dealers involved, another neighbor will help Nah Hwi-oh dress up as a woman so he can go undercover while on suspension, thus, the cops jump in for a round along with the convenience store clerk, a deliveryman, parents, the condo association, and the neighborhood watch. High drama it ain't. It's meant to be fun and to make us smile. It is. It does.

They include a K-drama trope in the last couple scenes that usually is awful, and it is the same here: MSS, or mandatory separation syndrome. MSS involves couples, who once they get together, must separate. 'I love you! Finally, we're together! Now I'll catch you later...' Huh? Sometimes, it's a good thing - a generous 15% of the time. On top of that, most of these people are pushing 40. They ain't getting any younger. All flights appear to be grounded as well, because, even if the separation is 4 years, they never seem to visit each other in that time period. In MFE it is brief, we can let it go with a warning.

MFE is 13 half-hour episodes, so it is less than half the usual length of other Kdramas. So get the popcorn, sit back, watch, and grin.

Directing 8
Acting 8
Romance 7
Flutters 5
Warmth 6
Action 6
Thought provocation 5

Age 13+

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You can't ask for more

I will keep my review short. This is an excellent drama from story to acting to OST. I loved everything about it. It is short, and I never thought it would be this good. I can rewatch it, again and again, to live through the funny moments I lived while watching it the first time.
What I love about the story is how they kept it clean with no useless fat in it. Most dramas have a knack for stretching the dramatic or tragic aspect in them to make it to the 16th episode. The fat in those dramas makes me heartache and usually I drop them if they continue to delay things and complicated them. Often, I fast-forward while watching the last episodes to avoid ruining my mood. Well, this drama doesn't fell under this category, it's the opposite.

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Outrageously far out there but entertaining and cute

The first episode was a bit hard to sit through because Min-Kyung’s character was so outrageous and jarring. But I really liked Hwi-O’s character and kudos to Jung Woo for portraying someone with an anger issue with such charms. The only thing about him was that for a cop, he repeatedly incriminated himself. Like didn’t he know how the system worked?

As for Min-Kyung, I get that she was traumatized and violated but I had no reference as to how people like that act. Personally, I felt like her character was over done but still likable.

Most of the side characters worked fairly well. I thought the ladies of the neighborhood association were fun addition as well as Hwi-O’s cop buddies. The only unnecessary ones were the cross dresser and the singing part-timer. They added nothing in my opinion.

The length of the show was perfect as well. There were some slow spots but thirteen episodes of thirty minutes were perfectly concise and didn’t allow for much unnecessary fluff. All other k-dramas need to follow this format.

Unfortunately, they almost ruined the show toward the end. When the ex-boyfriend showed up and Hwi-O finds Yang. The way Hwi-Oh lost control and went crazy and didn’t even bother defending himself at the station was a bit too much. It was a clumsy attempt at creating a major conflict at the end. Oh, and that car chase… sigh…

All in all, a recurring theme for me is the likable characters. Realistically or unrealistically portrayed, I got to feel for the people and grew to root for all of them. I will miss them.

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Mad for Each Other was a random kdrama I picked up after seeing it on Netflix. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with both characters and relate so closely to them dealing with life, trauma, ptsd, depression, and more.

--Spoilers Below--

I love Lee Min-Kyung. Her character is so lovable and comforting. The actress who plays her does such a good job with showing emotion and getting that across in just her facial features. While her backstory was sad, I loved watching it slowly unfold and her work through her trauma. A guy lied, took advantage essentially, and then started becoming abusive... all the while his family stalking her. I could feel her pain through the screen every time a member popped up. I hated the way even her mom viewed the situation and didn't even give her daughter the benefit of the doubt. She only listened once Hwi-Oh talked to her. It made me feel so awful for Min-Kyung and it also helped show how truly alone she felt with her situation. Her slowly opening up to Noh Hwi-Oh and trusting him, but also being weary and still scared from her last relationship was so relatable.. I was rooting for them all the way to the end and almost got tricked by it.

Noh Hwi-Oh's story is interesting but doesn't give you too much to go off of. He treats Min-Kyung so respectfully, but also playfully bullies her. They bicker like little children, but he loves and cares for her. One of my favorite scenes is him trying to teach her self-defense just in case. Him speaking to her mom and telling her that he looks out for her and takes care of her warmed my heart. He was always there whether she knew or needed or cared. The tie up of him catching her ex who was also a criminal was really nice, and it helped catapult him back to the police. I'm glad he got to be with her in the end.

The side characters I feel deserve a thumbs up as well. You get small glimpses of their lives, especially Soo-Hyun. Her many jobs put her everywhere in the story, and all her mini plots add such a nice distraction from the other story. I loved her struggle with money and how relatable it felt that she was working so many jobs just to be able to live comfortably.. I loved her and Samantha's friendship and how much it blossomed. Soo-Hyun didn't judge Samantha at all and saw her as a normal human. The wrap up of their story and them running her singing channel made me so happy and was a good addition even though it didn't tie in too much to the main plot.

The 3 land-ladies were annoying but added nice feisty characters that matched well with the depressed and sad ones. They had some funny moments, but the most memorable moment of them for me is where they overhear the conversation about her past and judge her immediately. They didn't ask or try to clarify at all.. just kicked her out without hearing her out. After Hwi-Oh talks to them they come around, but them even kicking her out in the first place was ridiculous. They help him get with her at the end and make sure they end up together which helps make up for it.

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A hidden GEM!

Like all avid drama viewers, I often find myself in a rut of not being able to find a worthy show enticing enough to binge. Sometimes I settle and rewatch my ult favs but a lot of the time I spend HOURS, like actual hours searching for the perfect drama to gobble up.

This drama came to me in a moment like this, I didn't hear a lot of hype about it really anywhere, and initially forgot about it. Then! I saw a few hilarious clips that were part of a funny compilation and off I went searching for it.

The premise of this drama follows two people who coincidentally meet and find themselves completely at odds, with an equal distaste for each other. They bicker, fall into absolutely laugh inducing misunderstandings, and then eventually they learn to heal together and fall into a very unique type of love. In truth the main characters are flawed individuals dealing with their issues through therapy, which is quite ordinary. What makes this drama rich with intrigue and deserving of being deemed binge worthy is the raw depiction of the psychological turmoil any kind of trauma can cause and its normalization of seeking help from professionals and people close to us.

It starts off light and then we are invited into both of the main character's personal struggles. I cried, I laughed, and I throughly enjoyed the experience of watching this drama it was exciting for just how unexpected it could be. I fully encourage anyone who wants to watch a humorous, romantic and surprisingly healing drama to take the dive into this selection. Its definitely not something I would have picked for myself off the bat, but I can say now that it is one of my new favorites and I loved every character, especially the main leads so much!

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Surprisingly Heartwarming

I almost gave this a pass after the first episode, because I didn't like the humor or the caricature-ish characters. I'm glad I kept watching because it had some refreshing lessons about acceptance of people/lifestyles that appear strange to you (and everything not being what it may appear to be), but it did so very naturally- it didn't feel like it was pushing a specific agenda.

The friendships that developed were really a highlight for a me. And although mental illness is a serious topic (be aware, it does talk about domestic abuse as well), overall the show kept a light mood and I didn't it to be sad or heavy.

Personally, I don't think it's "substantial" enough to merit a rewatch- but I did enjoy it. I'll look for the male lead in other dramas as I particularly enjoyed his portrayal of the character's development.

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