Love next door why did she call off the wedding
Love Next Door: What we learned so far…
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This K-drama, like a well-crafted cocktail, blends sweet romance with a dash of bitter rivalry, leaving us pondering the complexities of human connection. It’s like a delicious mystery novel, where the characters are more than just plot devices; they’re our neighbors, our friends, and sometimes, our enemies. As we navigate the winding streets of their lives, we learn not only about love but also about the unexpected ways in which our past can shape our present.
TL;DR
- Embrace the past: Sometimes, the people from your past can hold the key to your future.
- Don’t be afraid to take risks: Life is full of uncertainties, but taking risks can lead to unexpected rewards.
- Cherish the little moments: The most meaningful connections are often the ones we least expect.
- Be true to yourself: Authenticity is the key to building lasting relationships.
Love Next Door has arrived, and let’s be honest, it’s giving us exactly what we want from a K-drama. Two childhood friends, now grown adults, find themselves reunited in their hometown, and the sparks are flying in more ways than on
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Episodes 11-16
Here at the end of Love Next Door, I’m revisiting a question from early on. These Reports frequently reference back to the small clutch of K-dramas I’ve seen, and a few get more attention than others: Twenty-Five Twenty-One, of course, while I almost never mention Madam Antoine, despite really liking it. Both Doona! and Love is for Suckers come up because they had obvious or interesting flaws to measure against. Now I’m wondering how often I’ll cite Love Next Door in the future, because it bears almost no distinguishing hallmarks. I think it’s a great show, ultimately, but it’s the K-drama you’d get from the K-drama wishing well. Appealing leads? Check. Beautiful setting? Check. Cozy atmosphere? Romance? Happy ending? Check, check, check. Then you’re standing there, looking at your cup of vanilla ice cream, full of grave self-doubt.
If you remember, this is exactly what I wanted. Not only from the beginning, when I was browsing for a show with a focus on romance uninterrupted by genre largess, but especially into the dog days peaking with episode ten. That’s when we discover that Bae Seok-ryu has stomach cancer, and it was t
THE SHORT VERDICT:
The drama worked out to be a pretty mixed experience for me.
In short, I thought some of the arcs dealing with familial relationships were truly excellently written, with certain beats making me feel particularly seen and understood. 🥲
Unfortunately, I felt that some arcs, including the OTP arc, were unevenly handled, and I found certain portions quite underwhelming.
Overall, I do think that this could be a pretty enjoyable watch, with some lens adjustments – which I’ll talk about next.
THE LONG VERDICT:
Honestly, I’ve given this drama more thought than any other drama I’ve been watching recently, because of.. well, what feels like many reasons.
Like, when Show was working for me, all my thoughts went into all the nuances of why I loved it so much.
And then when Show wasn’t working for me, all my thoughts went into exactly what went wrong, and what could’ve been better.
Additionally, I feel that, anecdotally speaking, people seem to either love the first half and then feel underwhelmed by the second half, or hate the first half, but love the second half – if they manage to stick around for it.
I fe
K-Culture with Jae-Ha Kim
엄마친구아들
☆☆☆☆
Choi Seung-hyo (played by Jung Hae-in)
Bae Seok-ryu (played by Jung So-min)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.
Before getting into the review of “Love Next Door,” I wanted to converse a bit about the English title vs. the Korean title of this K-drama. The former is self explanatory, but the Korean title, 엄마친구아들, sets the tone for the core principles that the parents in this series long for in their own children.
엄마친구아들 literally translates to mother’s friend’s son. The Korean portmanteau for this is umchina/엄친아, and is used by some parents to compare their children to someone else’s son (who may not even actually exist). But this mythical super child is used to produce other children feel less than. A real-life example of an 엄친아 is Jonny Kim, a doctor who graduated from Harvard Medical school, was a former Navy SEAL, and is also a NASA astronaut. I imply, how on earth are the rest of us mortals supposed to measure up to his achievements?
In this Korean business, both Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in) and Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) are umchinas (even though the latter is a daughter). The neighbors are talented, g
I Can’t Believe Love Next Door Just Confirmed This Popular Bae Seok-ryu Theory
WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Love Next Door.I was not expecting Love Next Door to confirm a popular Bae Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) fan theory while also answering one of the K-drama's biggest unanswered questions in its latest episode. The new Netflix K-drama from the creators of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha has been a joy to watch, particularly as it delves into the antics of childhood best friends Bae Seok-ryu and Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in). However, as a rom-com with a lot of heart, I did not realize that Love Next Door would follow in the footsteps of one of 2024's best K-dramas and deliver such a dramatic cliffhanger.
Love Next Door Cast | Characters |
|---|---|
Jung So-min | Bae Seok-ryu |
Jung Hae-in | Choi Seung-hyo |
Kim Ji-eun | Jung Mo-eum |
Yun Ji-on | Kang Dan-ho |
Up until this point, Love Next Door has had an upbeat tone. The slow burn of the friends-to-lovers K-drama has kept me on my toes as Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu's relationship slowly drifts into something more than friendship. Though Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo's future romance is almost certain, there a