Lead Actors: Yoo Yeon Seok, Moon Ga Young, Geum Sae Rok, Jung Ga Ram

What’s it all about?

A crazy love pentagon told in the form of a slow burning kdrama. There are a bunch of bank employees, some of which went to university together. Ahn Soo Young (Moon Ga Young) is a pretty and quiet bank teller and all of the men in the office seem to be interested in her. Ha Sang Soo (Yoo Yeon Seok) wants to make a move but has many missed opportunities.

In short, both Ahn Soo Young and Ha Sang Soo pursue other relationships after many missed opportunities but still have lingering feelings for each other that they’re unable to avoid.

This show is very subtle but still very intense. If you like a good slow burner, this one is fantastic.

My Review – Some Spoilers May Appear Below

Oh my gawd. What can I saw about this show? It’s probably the most frustrating show to watch and yet so relatable. This show got a lot of flack from most of the kdrama loving community. It didn’t have that satisfying ending where everything is wrapped up and everyone lives happily ever after. It’s a realistic take on adult relationships and every bloody mistake you can possibly make.

Let’s break this show down by relationships:

Soo Young (Moon Ga Young)+Jong Hyun (Jung Ga Ram): They’re ridiculously cute. Soo Young clearly agreed to date Jong Hyun because he liked her and expressed it so openly. He came along after Soo Young took Sang Soo’s hesitation as rejection. He was a feel good guy at the moment. Jong Hyun is very positive and kind and makes her feel good. Soo Young’s decision to be with him, was more of a “why not” decision. The guy you date of convience because it’s easy. Soo Young genuinely cared for him and took care of him when he was at his lowest moments.

Soo Young + Sang Soo (Yoo Yeon Seok): This is the “what could have been if”. This is prime example of why timing and courage is important in love. Sang Soo was scared to finally have a chance with the woman at work that he had a crush on for so long and it held him back from his own happiness.

Sang Soo + Mi Gyeong (Geum Sae Rok): That pain from unrequited love…. Ugh. I wanted to love Mi Gyeong but she made me cringe. She was kind to everyone but maintained this facade to appear as if everything was going well in her life. How can she try so hard to trap his ass when he’s not into her? I would want to be loved equally (if not more) by my partner. She knew he wanted to be with someone else but needed to be with a man like him to maintain her image. Sang Soo graduated from a good university and was a manager at a large bank and raised by a single mother. Her perfect rags to riches man.

Mi Gyeong + Gyeong Pil (Moon Tae Yoo): Past lovers with regrets. Mi Gyeong is over him because he cheated on her but he’s not over her. He cheated on her because you know, she’s rich and her cousin told him he’s not good enough. Gyeong Pil is not really in the game but he inserted himself in it when he helped Soo Young.

Soo Young’s weirdly self destructive behaviour is oddly familiar to too many of us. I think the rejection she felt from Sang Soo’s hesitation was greater than what the show had lead on. She never went to university and she was from a poor family so she was rejected her whole life and Sang Soo was out of her league in her mind. Despite being one of the more experienced bank tellers and hard working, her toxic company made it clear that she will never be promoted.

Mi Gyeong’s need for societal approval clouded her common sense. She wanted the world to see that she made it without her parents help and worked her ass off to make it look like that. It really struck her when her classmate reality checked her ass and told her she took away a scholarship spot from someone who may have actually really needed it because she needed to prove to the world she can make it without her parents connections. Her privilege became really obvious when she gifted Sang Soo with a car in another attempt to trap his ass. The fact that it took so long to give up on the relationship and attempted to keep up appearances withe everyone at work at her father just further made her look like a spoiled brat.

The English title is “The Interest of Love” but the actual Korean translation is “Understanding Love” which feels more appropriate. This kdrama had everything that frustrates people while watching Kdramas. All of the regrets and missed opportunities in love all in the name of protecting their egos. I don’t know if I can say this is a type of Kdrama that gives you the feels. It’s more of kdrama that forces you to think. I enjoyed it very much but it is definitely a slow burner.

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