Proper romance?? In THIS economy??? It’s (hopefully) more likely than you think. As everyone knows about me, I am always on the lookout for friends-to-lovers excellence in particular… in dramas, in manga, in books, in games, in any media you could possibly think of. Lukerosa gave me permanent brain damage in august 2021 and I fear I will never recover. Which is to say that I’ve read a range of things looking for a little bit of the lukerosa flavor, especially wrt childhood friends. Most times I strike out and waste a bit of my time watching something I don’t enjoy, but sometimes, if very rarely, I’ll find something that I enjoy a lot in its own right. My younger sister tends to send me recommendations of upcoming romance dramas she thinks I’ll like, and if it catches my interest, I’ll watch them.
Love Next Door (henceforth referred to as LND), is a currently ongoing romance kdrama about 33 year old Bae Seokryu returning to her home after more than ten years abroad, due to circumstances regarding her job, and now-broken off engagement. Seokryu runs into childhood friend Choi Seunghyo, who now lives next door to her childhood home again, as she tries to discover what it is she really wants to do with her life now that she's left all that she's built abroad. As of writing this, there are 6 episodes out of 16 that have currently been released. I’m going to (try) to have my episode-by-episode review up after each weekend, and hopefully the show doesn’t go completely off the rails as we progress further :sob: I am so unbelievably traumatized by terrible kdramas.
EPISODE 1: COMEBACK ➜ COME BACK HOME
The pilot episode is VERY effective in introducing the show’s silly and charming cast, with the focus being primarily on the comedy before we pivot into character exploration with the second episode. LND’s strongest point is very much the chemistry all of the main characters have with each other, and the understated ways they display the closeness between them. It’s just so much fun to see any of the different dynamics the show has built up, even though this is just the first episode.
We’re introduced to our two main characters in very different ways. While we know of them through their achievements by way of their mothers arguing about them, our first proper introduction to Seunghyo is his (late) arrival to his own award ceremony. His early scenes establish him as a stoic and dedicated individual who seems to care little about social convention, but very deeply about the work he does. While this isn’t necessarily an incorrect assessment of him, this framing of him is intentional, and important to fleshing out his relationship with Seokryu!! In contrast, we meet Seokryu properly when she lands spontaneously at the airport, having called her best friend Jung Moeum to pick her up. Moeum is one of my favorite characters on this show!!! She’s effortlessly funny and charming, and has such a silly dynamic with both of the leads, rounding them out as a trio of childhood friends so nicely.
When the two finally meet, they have their initial moment of dramatic shock, before instantly falling back into their old bickering dynamic. Seeing the supposedly-put together Seunghyo floundering to cover for her in front of her parents clues the viewer into the sort of friendship they had long ago, and still have even after all this time. His demeanor around her is starkly in contrast to the way he had been introduced, and though he does tend to act a little immature around his coworkers in later episodes, it’s very apparent to the viewer how these two become the most childish version of themselves when they’re together. Seokryu is someone who has always caused trouble to Seunghyo simply by being her energetic self, and he’s always folded to her whims eventually. This episode is full of scenes where Seunghyo brushes her off or just flat out tells her to leave him be, but he’s the one who lingers!! He goes back home with her and reminds her of how it’d be best for her to let her mom know her reasons for coming back soon– it’s better for her to be upfront rather than drag out the confrontation. Seunghyo is so familiar with her family, which is a given considering how he grew up alongside her, but it’s just such a delight to see it unfold on screen in such a natural way. He’s close to her mom in small ways such as this, and it’s very clear how fond he is of her family in this episode, as well as the ones that follow.
The highlight scene of this episode is the talk the two of them have in the park after having run away from Seokryu’s mother (with a perfect parallel to the past :’) I love how this show intersperses the flashbacks with the present narrative SOO much. But I’ll talk about that more later). As they sit down and process the events that just occurred, Seokryu tells Seunghyo one version of the truth regarding why she returned home. It’s a very mellow scene that I like a lot, especially given how heavy their dynamic seemed to rely on the push-and-pull of bickering with each other. LND doesn’t force these two into any one trope for the sake of it, they have different facets to their dynamic that the first 4 episodes take their time fleshing out before even broaching the topic of romance. This, more than anything, is why I think I’m so enamored with this show already. I’m tired of romances that put the main leads through all sorts of romantically-charged situations without even bothering to build them up as characters individually alongside that, and perhaps more egregiously, without putting in the work for developing a relationship that I want to be invested in. This might sound a bit contradictory considering that the point of a romance story is to develop a relationship, but I just think romance writers take their main relationships for granted far too often, and just expect readers (me specifically) to care abt two characters being in love just because the show has fated them to be together. Put in the work first!!
EPISODE 2: HATE ➜ LOVE
After the premise has been established in episode 1, we start to ease into the formula the show follows for most episodes. We will often open with a flashback to a scene from the past, which sets the stage for whatever the central conflict of the ep will be. It’s a very simple setup, but I find myself very charmed by it because of how it deliberately slows the pace for each episode. I’m starting to wonder if binging kdramas is actively detrimental to my enjoyment of them, because they tend to cram every kind of event you could possibly think of into one episode, and STILL no forward movement has been made with the plot, or the relationship, or much of anything really. This makes all the episodes blend together with little distinction between them, and makes it hard to pinpoint any significant turning points in the character development (aside from really obvious ones). All this in mind, I rather like the simplistic approach LND takes towards the character conflicts in each episode. Episode 2 is all about her relationship with her mom, both in the past and how it has soured in the present since she’s returned home. It almost feels silly to say, but I really like how they set up this rift between the characters, show the fallout, and then the reconciliation all in one episode. It’s very compact and not drawn out too long, even if they have the room to do so, which works well for the sort of lighthearted show LND is. The running theme of the episode titles changing by the end of the episode also makes each episode feel very complete, and adds a fun addition to each episode.. It’s so charming to me…
Overview aside, let me talk about some of my favorite small scenes in this episode (in a far less coherent manner than before)!!! I really love the breakfast scene soo much..the trio’s easy friendship with each other and with Seokryu’s parents is so CUTE!!! Love how it’s shown through Seokryu just knowing her mom had asked the two of them to get the details of her situation from her & them casually sitting down for breakfast along w/ them.. it’s so sweet. The rooftop cooking scene is so great because it’s the first in a string of similar scenes throughout the episodes where Moeum will call up Seunghyo randomly and tell him to come over and hang out with them -> he says no -> he shows up in a timely manner anyways and pretends he never said anything. Such a fun gag because Moeum has clocked his loser behavior since high school <3
The scene where Seokryu gives him the pomegranate tree.. ough…. I really like this scene.. the actors are so good at conveying really subtle things about the interactions between these two. You can just tell he’s upset that she isn’t coming to his firm opening but can’t insist on it… You can also tell how reluctant she is about it too!! He’s also clearly so happy to see her on the day of when she does happen to show up.. he wanted her to stay and hang around a bit longer…….
The climactic scene from this episode is the argument between Seokryu & her mom, and the scene following it where Seunghyo finds her at the park. THIS SCENE IS SO GOOD…… OUGHHH…. I don’t even know where to start bc I kind of love everything about it. Seunghyo going out of his way to find her and make sure she’s okay. Letting her fool around so she can let out some stress before telling her she doesn’t need to put up a front if she’s feeling sad… ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh whatever. idc. idc. And don’t even get me started on the final part of the episode actually23yroiy2934thhrjkg. I’m sick. I’m so sick at the glowing stars on the ceiling Choi Seunghyo ur going to hell.
EPISODE 3: STOP LINE ➜ STARTING LINE
This episode is my favorite so I am going to try my very best to not word vomit excessively. I will not succeed and you will have to forgive me because this episode is what truly made me insane about this show. Actual review still pending because I need to give this episode the 7685 page essay it deserves
EPISODE 4: PAST PERFECT ➜ PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
This episode mainly focuses on Seokryu’s former company & the harassment she faced in her workplace before she left. I don’t have that many thoughts on this conflict, as it was resolved rather simply, but I want to note that I really do like how easily these problems are solved episode to episode, because the feel-good nature of this show is really strong and uplifting, & the simple resolutions mean most of the melodramatic scenes don’t overstay their welcome!
Now more importantly, this episode kickstarts Seunghyo’s eternal torment (reading his time capsule letter and having to grapple w/ his feelings for Seokryu again). I love the early scenes of this episode sooo much. The reveal that Moeum had read their letters long ago and has known about Seunghyo’s feelings even longer.. she's everything to me. We do also get to see her subplot set into motion with this episode– her second meeting with Kang Danho going all the wrong ways as they realize they have incredibly similar tastes for such small things, and her meeting a precocious young girl that reminds her so much of her younger self in the park. Moeum is so cute…. she wants to be besties with this six year old so bad.
My absolute favorite scene in this episode happens after everything falls apart during the meeting with Greip representatives and Seokryu rushes off. Seunghyo asks her where she’s going, and she tells him she wants to be alone and leaves. The following scene honestly feels like the core of their relationship as it’s been in the past and up until this point in the story… Seunghyo walks after her slowly, just a few paces behind, pausing when she pauses and continuing to walk behind her as she treks up this hiking trail to clear her mind. I’m not even joking when I say this scene feels like the most romantic thing he’s done for her repeatedly in the show 😭. It’s the way that she knows he’s right there behind her but he deliberately walks a few steps behind, reassuring in his presence but letting her set the distance she wants to set between them. It’s the way he always wants to ease her burdens, it's the way he’s always within reach should she need anything from him, even as he maintains the distance between them. It’s romance….
The last part I have to talk about is the high school flashback!!!! I adore all the scenes from their time in high school because they have the perfect balance of sweetness while still maintaining their endless back-and-forth!! The two of them meeting after Seunghyo’s win at the swimming competition and getting to see how Seokryu really is his biggest supporter… this show knows how to get to me so well… Seunghyo giving her his medal so casually as a white day present only for her to misinterpret his intent like always 🥺 they’re everything to me.
EPISODE 5: GO BACK ➜ GO BACK TO YOU
Episode 5 is when we get to see Seokryu discover her dream! This episode kiiind of fumbles a little with regards to Seunghyo and his attitude towards their relationship now that he’s realized he still has feelings towards her, BUT this episode is about Seokryu and my beloved Jang Taehui <3 not about him <3. But I should still talk about some important moments for him because he's my favorite, even if he’s a little annoying in this episode… For what it’s worth, I think I do actually like the reasons behind his frustration with his feelings, both in this episode and the one that follows. Seunghyo, someone who’s loved Seokryu as long as he’s known her, missing the timing for confessing to her for any number of reasons, again and again and again. And now that she’s back, and he thought he’d finally left that far in the past, he has to feel helpless in his feelings yet again, seemingly with poor timing even after this long. At this point, he doesn’t even really want to entertain the possibility that he still loves her… The change in his demeanor is almost instant after he overhears Seokryu and Moeum talk about her ex-fiance and her lingering feelings for him. His frustration carries over to their casual interactions and it’s painful to watch, but by the end of the episode he’s at least come to peace with his own feelings towards her, even if he hasn’t decided where that puts his relationship with her.
Now that I’ve paid my favorite character taxes, let me talk about how much I adored this episode for Seokryu’s character!!! After so many episodes seeing her go through some flavor of torment, or just her general frustration at not being able to find something she loves, seeing her throw herself into something with such enthusiasm was so lovely… She’s having the best day ever in this episode and I love it so much…!!! There are some standout scenes regarding her and Taehui that made me so giddy because sometimes this show really hits on themes I love completely by accident.
When Seokryu asks Taehui about how she came to discover her dream, Taehui tells her about how she had used to think the jars used to store the pastes her father made to be boring and crude, and that she wished they could be stored in prettier and fancier vessels. As she grew, she found the beauty in the ordinary everyday usage of onggi, and more specifically, she found that items used by people often looked more beautiful. I just love this scene so much… you can always have me in awe whenever a theme regarding sentimentality tied to mundane things is present. This was such a great way to flesh out Taehui as well, considering I was pretty wary of what she would have to contribute to the story aside from being Seunghyo’s ex girlfriend. I had already liked her before this because she just has a certain charm to her, but this scene made me appreciate her so much. The conversation that follows is also one of my favorites in the show!! Taehui tells Seokryu that she might be overthinking her search for her dream, and that she should simply think about what it is that she’s always liked doing.
Taehui, a craftsman who takes so much pride in her work that she didn’t want anyone to know a jar of hers had flaws in it, tells Seokryu that the bowls she had made looked lovely when food Seokryu had made was being served and shared in them. I just think of all the compliments she could have made about her cooking, this one speaks the most to her acknowledging the skill and care Seokryu puts into the meals she makes! It’s a simple and elegant acknowledgement, but it also speaks to her earlier statement about the practical usage of her crafts being beautiful :’). She loves seeing people use her creations, and she loved to see Seokryu’s food placed in them.
The final scene of this episode brings Seunghyo back from his eternal wallowing in misery, and we get to end the episode on another peaceful moment between the two leads as Seunghyo accepts his feelings for her have returned (and perhaps never truly left him…). I really love the way each episode ends, we typically end on a note that leaves the narrative within the episode feeling very complete. This episode had some highs and lows, but the highs were high enough that I can’t find myself feeling very upset about the lows at all.
EPISODE 6: YOUR FIRST ➜ YOUR FIRST LOVE
review pending
EPISODE 7: LOVE IS ALL ABOUT TIMING ➜ ALREADY LOVE
review pending
EPISODE 8: im gonna become the joker
(coughing up blood) review pending. Here’es a preview of me coping
