Over the end of summer and beginning of fall, we got hit with an crazy onslaught of cute, romantic Kdramas that we’ve been waiting for. It was nice refresh after the dark and storminess of June and July 2024. Here are my reviews of the romcoms I’ve watched this year:

No Gain No Love – 9/10

When I first heard that Kim Young Dae and Shin Min Ah were pairing up was not impressed. It just seemed so mismatched. She is a romcom queen and Kim Young Dae is…. Let’s just say I was not impressed with his acting in Shooting Stars. They proved me wrong.

The great thing about this show was Son Hae Young’s (Shin Min Ah) no fucks given attitude. She did what she needed to do to get ahead and made sure she got what she earned. She was not warm and friendly but took care of the people she loved.

Kim Ji Wook (Kim Young Dae) and Son Hae Young had fantastic chemistry despite what I was expecting. Loved all of the side characters and their stories. It was hilarious and heart warming.

Romance in the House – 7/10

This one was a little triggering. To all of my eldest daughters, you know what I mean. The best part of this show was the parents’ love story. It’s refreshing to see middle aged love stories.

It was a perfect story about an imperfect family learning to forgive and let go. Mi Rae (Son Na Eun) needs to let go of that feeling of responsibility for her family and live for herself.

Loved the side characters. The story was relatable and entertaining to watch.

Love Next Door – 10/10

Everyone was excited for this one. You have to romance powerhouses Jung So Min and Jung Hae In as the leads, there is no way this show will disappoint us. It’s your typical childhood friends to lovers story.

The focus of the story is more about Seok Ryu (Jung So Min) finding herself after coming back to Korea. She is finding her dream instead of being the good daughter. Yes, this is also triggering for eldest daughters everywhere.

There was so much laughing and also so many tears. It is a perfect romcom with the emotional roller coaster.

DNA Lover – 5/10

Not feeling this one. I tried so hard to love it. The story has dragged on for too long with very little substance. I feel like they added a murder subplot just to keep us hooked and it worked. They made the female lead a hot mess. This portrayal doesn’t make sense because her job requires a high level of education and intelligence. I love Choi Si Won and Jung In-Sun but they’re not carrying this story. Or it’s just poorly written.

I tried really hard to love this one but it sucked. Don’t watch it.

Cinderella at 2 AM – 8/10

Loved this show. It was adorable, perfect number of episodes, with great characters. Definitely worth watching. It’s not your typical chaebol poor girl trope. You have a smart, independent, reliable woman paired with a kind and sweet rich boy who gets along with his brother.

I didn’t expect much from Shin Hyun Bin when she was in Hospital Playlist but she is a gem. I loved her in Tell Me You Love Me and she was great in this show as well. Ladies, let’s admit, Moon Sang Min is quite the cutie.

Serendipity’s Embrace – 3/10

I know that Kim So Hyun was a child actor and very experienced. I just don’t find her relatable or convincing. I feel like she is great at following instructions but hasn’t found her own flavour yet. She’s lacking the ability to invoke an emotional response.

I was looking forward to this one because I loved Chae Jong Hyup in Castaway Diva but I guess Park Eun Bin carried him. Him and Kim So Hyun had zero chemistry. Am I being too harsh?

My Sweet Mobster – 7/10

This one was ridiculously cute. I’ve only see Um Tae Goo in minor roles or as an extra. There wasn’t anything mind blowing or crazy emotionally moving about this kdrama. It was just easy, sweet, and funny. It’s a great watch when you want to shut off your brain and smile.

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