108
208
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Kate
hell
Sometimes stalkers are cute ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Love Mate has a strong old school rom-com vibe, leaning into exaggerated set ups, and one either likes it or not. Both Haram and Lee Jun were the extremes in their behavior. The introduction of the characters made both seem rather unreasonable and unprofessional in the best and most entertaining way possible.
Lee Jun tried to use his workplace and project he was working on to vent his annoyance, anger and trauma related to love - not really caring if the project makes sense. Ha Ram went full on stalker mode, always taking 5 steps too far in how he was approaching Lee Jun. Both frustrating, but so entertaining if you accept the over exaggerated set up as a stylistic choice - this drama does not try to be a realistic and relatable slice of life.
The chemistry was one of the best aspects, especially after the initial clash dies down. I do think Lee Jun’s change of mindset came a bit out of nowhere, but at the same time, it’s not exactly completely unrealistic - some people make fast decisions and switch their behavior accordingly.
While I enjoyed laughing about the characters’ antics and push and pull dynamics, I wish the writer did a better job with presenting the conflicts. What we’ve got was one internal and one external conflict happening one after the other. What would work better (especially since these conflicts were actually connected) is making them happen at the same time. It would make the external conflict feel less rushed and the whole context the characters were in more complex.
The acting was mostly good. Loved Cho Hyun Min’s performance - really natural facial expressions. Random thought, but I also loved how he said 완전 twice in the show. At the same time, while Cho Han Gyeol did a better job in comparison to many other kbl actors, he did not stand out with his skills next to Hyun Min. Some emotional scenes felt flat and forced.
Production value was nice - nothing too outstanding, but also nothing so bad it would be distracting. There were a few scenes in which I liked the composition.
Overall, a fun drama, probably better as a binge watch.
Lee Jun tried to use his workplace and project he was working on to vent his annoyance, anger and trauma related to love - not really caring if the project makes sense. Ha Ram went full on stalker mode, always taking 5 steps too far in how he was approaching Lee Jun. Both frustrating, but so entertaining if you accept the over exaggerated set up as a stylistic choice - this drama does not try to be a realistic and relatable slice of life.
The chemistry was one of the best aspects, especially after the initial clash dies down. I do think Lee Jun’s change of mindset came a bit out of nowhere, but at the same time, it’s not exactly completely unrealistic - some people make fast decisions and switch their behavior accordingly.
While I enjoyed laughing about the characters’ antics and push and pull dynamics, I wish the writer did a better job with presenting the conflicts. What we’ve got was one internal and one external conflict happening one after the other. What would work better (especially since these conflicts were actually connected) is making them happen at the same time. It would make the external conflict feel less rushed and the whole context the characters were in more complex.
The acting was mostly good. Loved Cho Hyun Min’s performance - really natural facial expressions. Random thought, but I also loved how he said 완전 twice in the show. At the same time, while Cho Han Gyeol did a better job in comparison to many other kbl actors, he did not stand out with his skills next to Hyun Min. Some emotional scenes felt flat and forced.
Production value was nice - nothing too outstanding, but also nothing so bad it would be distracting. There were a few scenes in which I liked the composition.
Overall, a fun drama, probably better as a binge watch.
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