In Love next doorIn a new limited series from creators Yu Je-won and Shin Ha-eun, the latest two people to discover they were meant to be a couple are two attractive young professionals whose mothers forced them to share a bathtub when they were children. Jung So-min (Alchemy of souls) and Jung Hae-in (DP) play Bae Seok-ryu and Choi Seung-hyo, a top executive and an award-winning architect respectively, who are reunited following Seok-ryu’s unexpected return to the family home. Will Seung-hyo be part of the “reset” Seok-ryu says his life so urgently needs? Will he focus too much on the past to see the potential of what’s here in the present? And will their mothers ever stop arguing over which of their sons is a better, more successful person? Love next door, there is answers to these questions and a shameless talent for somewhat cheesy musical tracks.
LOVE NEXT DOORSTREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening shot: Like the Love next door In the thematic works, composed in a style that can only be described as “sitcom jazz”, we see some scenes from the show, such as the neighbouring family homes of the main characters and still shots of the cast.
The essence: Seo Hye-sook (Jang Young-nam) and Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young) argue so much about their sons’ accomplishments that the other women walking around the neighborhood place bets on who will win. While Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in) is a sought-after architect, designing nationally recognized buildings and becoming the CEO of his own firm, Bae Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) began working for a major American company right out of college and is engaged to be married. These mothers and neighbors couldn’t be more proud of who their sons have become. But in the flashbacks, we also see how Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo spent a lot of time discovering the world on their own, together.
“Your family doesn’t know you’re home, right?” Mo-eum (Kim Ji-eun) also grew up with Seung-ho and Seok-ryu, and when her friend calls her from the airport, she immediately understands why. Seok-ryu’s wedding invitations have already been sent out – that’s another thing her mother won’t stop talking about – but suddenly she’s back in Korea, alone, with something on her mind. Meanwhile, we also learn about Seung-hyo’s professional life, where she puts more interest in building awareness than glowing industry accolades. “My idea of perfection is not a person, but a well-made structure.” Could this sincere and driven architect find romantic stability with his perfectly imperfect childhood friend, who has returned home after a professional burnout left her personally empty? Maybe!
Besides Seung-ho and Seok-ryu and their adoring and argumentative mothers, Love next door It features some light comic relief with the husbands, restaurant owner Bae Geun-sik (Jo Han-chul) and doctor Choi Kyung-jong (Lee Seung-joon), adventures in personal training with Seok-ryu’s well-meaning younger brother Bae Dong-jin (Lee Seung-hyub), and Mo-eum’s life at work as a paramedic, where her care for the well-being of others does not go unnoticed by the nice but nerdy local journalist Kang Dan-ho (Yoon Ji-on).
What shows will it remind you of? Childhood relationships and rivalries also resurface in Netflix’s charming K-drama Doctor DepressionAnd neither Jung So-min nor Jung Hae-in are strangers to miniseries that will leave you breathless and that you can watch on streaming. Angry For each other, Because this is my first life, Tune in to loveeither A spring night.
Our opinion: Look, maybe the sequence gets a little long-winded, as Mi-sook gets comically enraged by her daughter’s sudden homecoming (and her shocking announcement) and continually hits her with a handful of leeks. And maybe Seok-ryu, after he happens to bump into Seung-hyo on the street, could have hidden inside his fancy new office instead of under a big cardboard box, when he saw his mother approaching for the first time. Yes, it’s true that both instances come off as particularly contrived in the context of a light K-drama with classic sitcom vibes.
But hey, look how cute Jung So-min and Jung Hae-in are together, while Seok-ryu hides in that box and Seung-hyo covers it with families. Look how the deepest expectations both sets of parents have for the next generation are played up a bit for laughs. Love next door, While acknowledging this universal source of family drama, this series doesn’t invent anything new, but hey, its heart is always in the right place. Try not to lose your breath when Seok-ryu releases the balloons he’s carrying, just as he turns around and unexpectedly runs into Seung-hyo. It’s moments like this that make a show like this so special. Love next door It’s made for that, and should be a nice moment of romantic, escapist enjoyment to watch these crazy kids stop arguing, appease their mothers and families, and ultimately find each other on their way.
Sex and skin: There is nothing here, just butterflies.
Parting shot: Seung-hyo smiles as he recalls all the messes he and Seok-ryu got into as kids, “Now that she’s back, everything is going to become chaotic again,” and we also see some scenes from upcoming episodes of Love next door.
Sleeping Star: As Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo reunite, Kim Ji-eun has fun playing Jeong Mo-eum, who grew up with both of them, knows how each of their friends are connected, and is pragmatic enough to offer her support while letting their dramas play out. Basically, That’s a problem for all of you.and Mo-eum will continue to be a brave paramedic while they figure all this out.
Pilot’s most typical phrase: Seok-Ryu: “You were cuter when you were little.” Seung-hyo: “You’re more like a beast than a human.” Actually: both people are very cute, neither is more beast than human, and each of them ignores their obvious chemistry and attraction.
Our calling: STREAM IT. Stick with a light Korean drama like Love next door For its overt sentimentality, its sitcom-like misadventures that lead to emotional moments, and for following the path that two attractive people take until they finally meet. It’s not that you don’t know what’s going to happen, but maybe a little predictability is just right for an unpredictable world.
Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is a freelance writer and editor based in Chicago. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.
