Love Next Door (2024)

OK For What It Is ....

I ran into this one based off all of the raving reviews and I should have known better.

As with all dramas, I go into one with zero expectations, because in most cases they're so predictable, I don't want to immediately be disappointed.

I was sold for the first 10 episodes, leading to the first kiss. After that, everything seemed to be messy. Focus became on all of the side characters so much, that I more invested in Mo Eum and Dan Ho's relationship than the actual leads. It honestly felt like it was bottom of the barrel scraping to get this drama to 16-episodes.

The acting was great for what the story was given. The over-exagferated proud parents, the long ago lovers. The actors portrayed them well and convincingly. Despite the messy story, the relationships were convincing, minus Han Joon Woo's portrayal of the ex. Something didn't fit with all the other characters.

"What Are We" by Ha Sung Woon and "Reaching For You" by ZEROBASEONE immediately went on my regular rotation. I loved the array of songs and how fitting they all tie into the drama.

If I did re-watch the drama, it would be ONLY to fast forward to Dan Ho and Mo Eum's relationship.

Overall, it was a drama with a lot of potential, but instead of pushing it in the focus of a the 30-year old romance we were all led to believe it was about, we were sent on a wild goosechase with all these other characters with a sprinkle of "Oh, here's the leads, but we lost the plot."

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Skip this, they are so much better dramas than this

I really need to say this; ML parents are literally the cheap copy of ML and FL from queen of tears, kinda the same damn story in an older version.

14 episodes and it doesn't get any better.

I hate that they sold this as a "comedy" episodes 1-5 are boring and no, there is no comedy... episodes 6-8 (the only good thing is the second couple) but yes still boring but on an even worse level, episodes 9-10 TOO MUCH DRAMA and for what lol this stomach cancer trope was so unnecessary, episodes 11-14 finally ML and FL are together but the writing fails because we don't have a POV of FL and that makes it feel forced since in a lot of scenes I don't feel like she's in love... Anyways I'm still watching for the second couple because their chemistry is so much better and their history is so interesting and entertaining

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The Story Did Not Deliver

Originally, I had planned to watch another drama, but that one did not have any official streaming platforms where I could watch it, so I decided to join dusty on her journey. I had also promised Jojo I would watch it and well, two birds, one stone. I also remember all the hype surrounding this drama, so it couldn’t hurt to try it out, right?

I was wrong. Tell me wHY THIS DRAMA IS SO UNNECESSARILY LONG? WAE??? Some of the episodes were 1.5 hours and for no reason. Love Next Door had no business having sixteen episodes that were all over an hour. The story could have been nicely wrapped up in 10-12 episodes. Would I have given it a 10 at that point? No, I wouldn’t have, but it wouldn’t have left such a negative impression on me. The drama has no substance and is overrun by extended filler scenes, ridiculous and too long mini subplots, and extended flashbacks. I get it. They have been friends for over thirty years. It has been established, move it along! By episode 11, the drama had become a chore and this was extremely disappointing. Why didn’t I drop it? I couldn’t since I watched it as part of a challenge.

To add insult to injury the main male and female characters are extremely unlikeable. They are both whiny, sulky, immature pseudo adults who lack communication skills. Actually, most characters were unlikeable and served no purpose to the story other than to extend the runtime and test my patience. This did not change much as there was little to no character development throughout the show. The drama could have had a nice ending at around episode ten. But no, there were six more super long episodes which were filled with more nonsense. Another thing that did not work for me was that after such a perfect ex-boyfriend, they took him away from me and I was back to facing a bleak, romance-less viewing. Jung So Min had so much natural chemistry and great on-screen chemistry with Han Joon Woo. Their scenes were incredible; whether they were cute or heartbreaking. This was the point where I was most invested in the drama. So, it was really hard for me to believe that Jung Hae In and Jung So Min made a convincing couple since their chemistry, as lovers, was practically nonexistent. Anyway, I hope Hyeon Jun is living his best life after leaving South Korea. He deserves it.

I cannot comment on the OST because I honestly cannot remember a single song, not even the instrumentals. This has no rewatch value for me. I never want to talk or hear about this drama again. I’ll stop here.

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Friends to lovers a favorite trope. Sweet and heart warming romance

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16, 70-80 minute episodes.

First, I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis


Bae Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) seems to be living the perfect life abroad as a upper manager in a global company.  Her career appers to be going well and she is doing well in her personal life with a prestigious international lawyer fiancé, Song Hyeon-jun (Han Joon-woo).  Her mother, Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young) has a lot to brag about she feels to her friend and rival Seo Hye-sook (Jang Young-nam).  Hye sook is the mother of Seok-ryu’s friend, Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in), who she grew up with.  When Seok ryu decides to return to South Korea suddenly to “reset” her life, she finds herself interacting with Seung-hyo frequently as their mothers are friends and they are in the same social circles. Mi sook is not happy with her daughter’s decision to upend what she perceives as a perfect life path. Can Mi sook convince her family and friends she made the right choice? And what about her childhood friend who suddenly sees her as more?

Review

I read a lot of reviews before watching this and, there were a lot of positive reviews but there were also some more negative reviews. I have watched over 300 dramas now, mostly Korean but some Chinese, Tiawanese and Japanese dramas as well. I have watched all of the outstanding dramas so I am really picky when it comes to new dramas. But I loved this drama from start to finish. It has everything I love about a good drama. There are so many heartwarming moments with the family, the friendships, side romances, characters overcoming difficult situations, and of course, with the main couple that it is just a spectacular drama. I would watch it again, even seek it out, and I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of any of the actors (they all did outstanding, this type of drama, or are just fans of Korean drama in general.

Spoilers

Let me just say if you haven’t watch this yet and are looking at reviews to decide if you want to, I envy you. Because, if you decide to watch this, I think you will very much enjoy it. You could be among the few that enjoyed it less. But I can see why the majority that I read, really loved it.

It ends very happy. The main couple are together, obviously well on the path to marriage, but, more than that we can see what their future life will be like together. They have a little fight in the end and we see how they will come through conflict like that. All of the side romances are either together or you can see very easily where those relationships are headed. There are some sad moments, but we don’t live through the sad, it’s just telling what happened in the past with her illness. So, it’s what I like to call a happy sandwich. It starts happy, there is some sad event in the middle, but it ends happy. I do not like sad content and will avoid it like the plague but can deal with a little saddness as long as everything resolves and ends happy. I don’t need a rehash of life where that is not always the case, life is usually what I am trying to take a mental break from in watching dramas.

So many nice bonus romances in this. There is main guys mom and dad. Where she was an ambassador so focused on her career she forgot about her husband and son. They are on the verge of divorce, because they aren’t communicating what is really going on with either of them, and then she has that alzheimer/dementia scare that brings home what their true feeling for each other are. That family had to do so much healing and the drama did a great job of taking us on that journey. Surprisingly the mom Seo Hye-sook (Jang Young-nam) was one of my favorite of the older, female characters.

Lead female character’s mom, Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young) and her emergency medical technician (EMT) friend’s mom, Do Jae-sook (Kim Geum-soon) were what, through so many dramas, we come to expect with a drama mom. They are hyper controlling of their child’s lives even into their 30s. I do not know how true to the culture that is. Asian friends have told me their moms are like that but I don’t know if that is still super prevalant. I found lead female’s mom infuriating at times. Even I, sitting in the 4th wall, knew there had to be something more to the female lead’s sudden return thatn just a “reset”. So the way she treated her, when she first came back, seemed abusive. But, it was a true character type. I knew an American mom that was very much like her. She so did not want her children to make the mistakes she made in her life, that she was completely intolerant of them trying anything remotely similar. They feel like they know the outcome. But two people can do the same thing with different results. It is just harder when you watch one of your children roll those type of dice.

I thought the romance between Jeong Mo-eum (Kim Ji-eun), and (Kang Dan-ho) was on par with the main romance. Not quite as good but reqlly close. She always liked superheroes and the whole “Mudflats Man” concept was cute. They were really very much alike. It was such a wonderful story and the thought they would both be raising the little girl was very wholesome. I felt annoyed when Moeum’s mother was originally opposed to their relationship and even a bit cold to the little girl, but was glad she quickly came around.

I don’t have to spend too much time on just how endearing lead guy was. One of my favorite tropes is the friends to lovers trope because friendship builds such a strong base for a relationship. He was just so there for her it was completely sweet to watch. Yeah he had that error, where his jealous feelings got the better of him and she was reaching out to him during her cancer and he was ignoring her. But he didn’t know she had cancer and she seemed to be clearly with someone else. In a lot of other dramas that would be second guy. Second guy who is her friend, but has feelings for her, but then always misses the timing to tell her. Then, when he tells her, it is too late. What we essentially got to see was second guy successfully get the girl. And I love that. Sweet, loyal second guy is usualy the loser in those situations. It just doesn’t feel as much like he is second guy because we only see her relationship with her ex fiancé in flashbacks. I love the actor. He has the smiliest eyes. And he just portrayed all the emotions so well

I loved Jung So-min in “Alchemy of Souls” so I am biased that it will be good whenever I see her in something. And this did not disappoint. The way she brought out all the emotions in a character that went through something like she did, and the ways she showed the hidden love with lead guy blossom, I loved every minute of it. She is one of my favorite Korean actresses.

The friendships was what set this apart from a mere fuzzy feel good, no depth romance. Thise long standing, with you through it all friendships is the type of connection we all aspire to. The dads were funny drinking buddies. The moms were as volatile as you would expect with a group of close female friends. Watching the bromances and female friendships was like flavorful icing on an already delicious cake. You think you do not want or need it but it is there and it is nice.

This is the type of drama that, when it ends, you miss people that don’t even really exist. It makes me understand, a little, how the actors may feel as they dive into a character and interact for months in another world. As they bring it out and we are feeling all the emotions of events they have to play that through their actual emotions too. I imagine this was a harder one for them to move past as it was so immersive. So I am always so thankful when there is a good drama to everyone that worked so hard to make it possible. I saw an interview with Jung So-min where she talked about this and how much she enjoyed acting with Jung Hae-in and it showed. I though they had amazing chemistry and could see them as a real life couple.

When we learned the real reason she had suddently departed the United States and returned to South Korea, it was such a highly emotionally charged moment. The writers and actors did an exceptional job of illustrating how each family and friend would feel when something that important was kept from them. And yet they were able to make us understand why the main character would have withheld that, in that moment. I wish they had heard more on the way they treated her as someone beneath them because she was a foreigner. Only lead guy really knew that. Because for her to work through not only the fight for her life with cancer but that completely toxic work environment, it was a wonder she didn’t break sooner.

I thought I was going to dislike her ex fiance, Song Hyeon-jun (Han Joon-woo), but was pleasantly surprised I did not. At first I was annoyed he pursued her to South Korea. How dare he come disrupt this beautiful relationship. But, as they built their back story, and he revealed his character it was evident he was not a bad guy, she had just unknowingly had been in love with main guy nearly her whole life. The way he let her go without bitterness showed that he did love her enough to just want her happiness. Same with lead guy’s ex girlfriend, Jang Tae-hui (Seo-hyo). At first I am like who is this love killer but they told their backstory and why she liked him as much as she did that I understood. She also let go of him at the right time and exhibited that she loved him enough to want him to be joyful.

#LoveNextDoor #JungSoMin. #ParkJiYoung. #JangYoungNam. #JungHaeIn #HanJoonWoo #KimGeumSoon #KimJiEun #YoonJi-on

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Hit show (Read with an "S" in the beginning)

Love Next Door attempted to blend several genres—romantic comedy, slice-of-life, and even elements of drama—but ended up feeling disjointed. The shifts in tone from light-hearted moments to more serious themes often felt jarring.
Additionally, with each episode running for 1 hour and 30 minutes, the extended runtime felt excessive for the plot being told. The pacing dragged, leading to drawn-out scenes that could have been condensed. As a result, what could have been a fun, engaging story turned into a tedious watch.



First of all, the good point about this drama is its lead actors. Jung Somin and Jung Haein are the only reasons people even fw this drama.


Love Next Door unabashedly positions itself as a romcom, yet the supposed "comedy" is conspicuously absent. For a drama that claims to reside within the romantic-comedy genre, it displays an alarming deficiency in humor, delivering not even a modicum of wit or levity. The comedic elements—if they can even be called that—are stale and unimaginative, often falling flat or feeling forced.


As for the romantic dimension, it was equally unconvincing. The connection between the protagonists lacked the effervescence and warmth typically seen in successful romcoms. The romance felt stilted, as though the writers were merely ticking off the requisite boxes without any genuine emotional depth or progression. What was meant to be a charming exploration of love unfolded as a mechanical, uninspired portrayal, devoid of the chemistry and playful banter that is the hallmark of the genre.

In Love Next Door, the writers tried to mix a slice-of-life and healing theme into the romcom, but they didn’t create smart or deep characters to make it work. Slice-of-life stories usually focus on real-life moments and personal growth, but the characters in this show felt simple and shallow. They didn’t have the kind of thoughts or emotions that would make these themes feel real.

The brother in Love Next Door was probably the only realistic character in the whole show. He reminds me of my own baby brother—super irritating.

The writers of Love Next Door completely squandered the undeniable chemistry between Jung Somin and Jung Haein. Their natural connection was one of the show’s greatest strengths, but the way the romance was handled left no room for it to fully bloom. By the time the female lead confesses her feelings, there was no anticipation or emotional tension left for the viewers to savor.

Love Next Door - somehow managed to ruin the best friends-to-lovers trope, despite the fact that it’s a genre that’s practically impossible to mess up. This storyline typically succeeds because of the natural, long-standing bond between the characters, filled with history and emotional weight. But the show turned what should have been a compelling transition into romance into a bland and overly sweet narrative that stripped the couple of any real depth.

The second couple had a lot of potential, but the writers seemed to focus too much on making them overly cute. This forced attempt at charm, unfortunately, drained their storyline of depth and left their relationship feeling bland. Their chemistry could have been explored in a more natural and compelling way instead of relying on repetitive cuteness, which, while endearing at first, lost its spark over time.


The mother of FL really does become insufferable as the show goes on. Initially, it felt like her strictness came from a place of tough love when she whooped the FL in the first episode. But as the series progresses, her behavior crosses into petty, jealous territory. She reacts negatively to almost everything, especially when it comes to her daughter’s happiness or independence.


The arrival of both exes, creating a love pentagon, significantly diminished the overall experience, even though the exes themselves were well-written characters. Instead of enhancing the storyline, their presence muddied the romantic focus and detracted from the chemistry between the main couple.

The sole indelible moment in Love Next Door was the poignant flashback of childhood, portrayed with remarkable authenticity by the child actors. Their nuanced performances elicited a sense of nostalgia and depth.

I thought this would be a drama where I would love the main couple but hate the story. However, it was so bad that I don’t even like the on-screen romance now.


Despite securing a prime time slot on tvN, Love Next Door underperformed compared to other dramas in that slot. While it maintained respectable ratings and often ranked first in its time slot, it didn’t reach the high ratings that many prime slot dramas typically achieve.This can largely be attributed to its underwhelming storyline and frustrating character arcs, which failed to engage viewers on a deeper level. The script lacked the dynamism and complexity needed to sustain a prime slot drama, leading to a disconnect with its potential audience.



It wasn’t the worst drama I’ve watched, but it’s definitely the most disappointing. The hype was high, especially with Jung Somin and Jung Haein.
It was profoundly disheartening to witness actors of Haein and Somin's caliber acquiescing to a script as lackluster as Love Next Door when they undoubtedly had more discerning options at their disposal. Their remarkable aptitude was regrettably squandered on a project that failed to exploit their full artistic potential.Ultimately, the writers must bear the brunt of the responsibility for failing to realize the potential of this ostensibly promising premise.

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Good Potential Wasted by weak writing and horrible music choice.

ThIs drama had the potential to deal with mature themes of burnout, loneliness, career breaks, family and marital relationships. It started on a good note setting up the story in a manner where such themes could be delicately explored but it has fallen flat on that promise.
after 9 episodes, nothing happens, there is no significant progress in the story. The drama is filled with troupes which are done half heartedly.
I love the actors who play ML and FL individually, they have given some solid performances previously but this writing is extremely weak.
Even though I mostly like the casting, the lead pair lacks chemistry. THAT COULD ALSO BE Because of the lazy background score which is mismatched and not conveying the correct emotion. For example, in romantic scenes, there is Elevator music, in serious angsty scenes, there is again elevator music.
The SFL is amazing but her story has nothing to offer. There is unnecessary meaningless conflict and the story has no connection to the main plot - it's like watching a second boring drama inside a drama.
what a waste!!!!!

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High expectations led to disappointment

You know what’s crazy I know these actors can act. I’ve seen Jung Hae In provide stellar performances before, and I’ve watched Jung So Min have so much chemistry with Seo In Guk in The Smile Has Left Your Eyes that they make guest appearances together in new dramas years later. But this isn’t hate toward the actors, it’s hate toward the script or directors because the episodes are just too long and too slow. It feels like nothing is happening and everyone is running around in circles. We got so much of Seunghyo’s pov so we know how much he likes Seok Ryu. But we hardly get any perspective of Seungyho from Seok Ryu’s pov.

We are shown one glimpse of her when she was a kid saying that she liked him, but that's genuinely it. Like their confessions lacked sincerity and if you’ve watched enough dramas I feel like you can tell they’re just following a script if that makes sense. There’s no casual skinship that a normal real couple would have. And jumping to marriage when we’ve barely even seen them date just feels jarring. It looks like Seok Ryu is just reluctantly accepting his feelings and only confides the truth when something huge happens to Seunghyo or when it’s convenient for her. Like her confession to this boy that’s been in love with her for years, is simply “I realised I’m bored without you for like a day so we might as well date”. And the main thing is NOTHING IS HAPPENING IN THIS SHOW. The plot doesn’t move forward and no one learns from their mistakes.

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A mediocre drama at best

I started off with high expectations for this drama as it seemed promising with the case and the writer. However to my shocking disappointment, I was proven wrong within the first week of its release. The plot was lacking material and it felt like I was watching something with no substance. Nonetheless I endeavoured to continue due to lack of options with other kdramas at that time. And still I was left disappointed with each upcoming episodes.


The main characters have no chemistry between them. What is supposed to be portrayed as fun banter comes across as sibling energy and constant yelling. It doesn't help that the story doesn't give them many opportunities to explore deeper perspectives and truly get to know the characters. I have by some miracle watched up to episode 14 and till now I wish I dropped it in episode 1.

One positive thing I will acknowledge is the lovely romance progression of the second leads. They have HEAPs more chemistry compared to the main leads and honestly both characters are refreshing to watch as it gives the audience to be exposed to a new portrayal of love. It surpassss all the bs yelling and childish behaviours and only focuses on central ideas. Special shout out to Kim Ji Eun whose acting skills were top notch. I will definitely make sure to watch out for her future projects.

If this was not enough to save you from wasting your time, here is a list of things I found that gave the drama the mediocre rating:
-lack of personality of main characters
-poor storyline. I feel like every week they decide to pick up a completely different issue and drag the whole drama long. They touch on a lot of big and intense issues (without giving spoilers) and then only to ditch them after two episodes like it miraculously fixes everything
- the FL is kind of annoying as each episode progresses. It's sad because I started off quite fond of her and then everything about her character didn't make sense and her personality that they tried to make outgoing and childish-cute only appeared to be exhausting and low-key red flags.
- the ML is portrayed as a green flag who just seems to be a doormat for the FL. I would have loved if the drama got to explore more of his experiences rather than gloss over them.
-the FL's parents are also quite annoying. The constant yelling and hitting gets old when you have to sit through it every episode. I eventually found myself skipping those scenes because they are such an eye roll. But I will give them the acknowledgement that I found some of the interactions between the FL's parents cute in ep 14.
- I feel like they have so much potential to explore the FL's brother in terms of his experiences and also success. I sometimes forget she has a brother because of how limited screen time he gets.
- something about them being childhood friends to lovers still doesn't sit right with me. But then again, I don't have a childhood male friend so I wouldn't know. It doesn't help that the actors kind of look similar.
- the kdrama has the best exes one can with for. And I feel, IN MY OPINION (plz don't come for me), both exes were done dirty by the main leads. And that is a whole another conversation

I honestly don't see where this drama will go in the next two episodes and I'm not even interested. I will still keep watching just for the sake of completion but can say that I bet it won't be worth the time. The drama lacked both the romance and the comedy in romcom. Would I recommend you watch this drama? No. But if you still want to pursue watching it, I can say that you will enjoy the second leads way more than the main ones. And even the FL's and ML's parents romance more than theirs.

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you have been warned...

This drama isn’t that special. It’s got an amazing cast, but the story isn’t doing anything new or having anything else to offer for it other than the cast that portrays what is happening. I fear this one is one of those cases of being hyped up for the cast, and it’s not me discrediting them, but all the pieces have to fit together for this to really be that good.. and the ratings on here are waaayy higher than this deserves. It’s a bit maddening, just because of how normal this drama is, and how the good reviews make me wonder what I’m missing?

I can’t find the specialness here? The first episode is really boring, and sets up what we know in the trailer. It’s a drama that doesn’t need nearly this much time to tell a childhood friends to lovers.. unless it adds something else.. but my attention isn’t being grabbed nearly that well to fully want to get myself into this drama.

The supporting casts drags this story through the mud, and it’s frustrating to see. I really don’t like the mother characters hitting their children and for that to be played off as a joke? Just because the FL isn’t engaged anymore or doesn’t have a job.. the mother is horrible to her. I don’t get why people would want to watch something that frustrating. The FL doesn’t stick up for herself and drags the ML into it for some reason.. a lot of little plots here and there don’t make sense. The writing is below average because of this, and it gets quite annoying seeing these seasoned actors say such things.

Like Alchemy of Souls had romantic comedy elements and it was great! So it’s not Jung So-Min, it’s her character and the attitude given to the character. I get development is one thing, and you need to start from somewhere.. but to start her off it’s just written so poorly and wastes its time then. She is someone who can’t explain herself and is a bit annoying because it’s frustrating to have someone sit back and run away. The flashbacks shown are with her and her childhood friend, whose relationship seems so lonely. Like you see them interact as children and with other characters that just aren’t character? the children characters are filler and it makes this drama seem all the more like a set cast and not real people. I get that it’s not real, but it is portraying a story in a realistic setting so come on. Match things up here and there, and maybe that’s too much to ask for the first handful of episodes.. I just have seen dramas have stellar first episodes and instead this is just so boring and cliche.

Female lead comes back after years, meets childhood friend.. it goes from there. Her brother is pretty fun, I always like sibling relationships.. but it’s immature to me seeing how they act with eachother and they are both adults. It just is unfunny.

The ML I can’t say much of his character besides the intro that his mother had for him. It’s honestly so laughable that’s all I got. I doubt this one will get better and people will flood it with good ratings just because it’s pretty? But the cinematography isn’t amazing, and for a romantic comedy it’s just not doing anything new or interesting. I’m really serious with that, this drama is frustrating and I dislike all the characters because of the fact they are caricatures of tropes without being self aware. It is hard to watch but here I am.

To fix this it could have more heart, and not be so blatant with the parts it wants to tug are your heartstrings. Everything here panders to the audience. Like I’m too stupid to sit and think why something is sad or why it’s funny, the effects and music are over the top and the directing is as well. The characters are so unrealistic with their actions, especially with how immature they are as people, with each other.. goodness. Do people act like this? Do people tug at each others hair and tackle eachother? Adults? No… like maybe in a high school drama, but this is about adults? Not that adults can’t have fun but people have consciousness and the general knowledge to not act stupid, have some sense of shame.. stuff like that.

Instead here it is nonsensical, poorly written, over acted, not my cup of tea. I just don’t find this funny, instead I’m frustrated at the idea of how a drama with this premise is being told like this? Is it an unrequited love, childhood friends to lovers.. the direction they took it is comedy and it’s just not funny and instead boring and pandering to be funny. It sets up the relationship too quickly so it drags out because of that. I’d rather have balance here and there, where they pause and reflect seeing eachother again, instead of the out of touch reactions to get a laugh. They are just way too comfortable after not seeing eachother for years..

For a romantic comedy it’s got to have some ‘drama’, fantasy element, something over the top hilarious to make it fun. Here there is nothing that is that funny to me. I’d prefer a story like this told from another perspective where it’s more grounded. The FL sees the reality of a failed marriage and lost job, reconnects with her friends and family realistically without forced conversations and comedy. Extraordinary Attourney Woo would be a better approach, have a slice of life with methodical story beats, the woman comes back and has a process to regain some balance in her life. Coming back to her family for their stability and love she didn’t get from abroad, have it go by each day and separate story and she meets her childhood friend through chance instead of him just being there.. like make the guy swoon worthy. Make the ML a puppy dog that is loyal and believes in her when her ex didn’t. Goodness, I can’t believe this drama but I’ll keep watching!!


Yet unfortunately but not surprisingly the writing gets worse every episode. They have subplots for the sake of filling time, make characters do stupid things.. nothing amounts to anything in this drama. So in the end it gets worse each episode and is just plain dumb! Don’t ask for more reasoning. I spite myself for giving this drama any time of day after the first twenty minutes. LA DOES NOT HAVE SEASONS

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It was promising until it wasn't

The series started quite promising - the actors managed to bring us in and believe their past, their friendship and also their complicated feelings for one another. With the mystery surrounding the female leads happenings in the US, and the explosive nature of the relationship of the leads, there was enough to keep us wishing the next episodes would be released sooner. Until there wasn't.
A lot of what happened throughout the 16 episodes was either too obvious, lame, or unsurprising. The biggest downer was the drama of the cancer diagnosis of several years back - yes it is horrible to go through, but making such a dramatisation over 2 episodes then dropping it for the rest of the series? Unbecoming.
The chemistry between the leads was severely lacking. The ML accomplished filling the obvious gaps that the FL left. However, her "wake up" in the last 2 episodes where she supposedly recovers her outlook on life (and is finally thankful for the ML) somewhat compensates for the dreadful 14 previous episodes of her expressionless gloomy existence. Watching their final kiss scene it was (again) painfully obvious that the FL can't kiss to save her life - what a disappointment. Unfortunately, the series did not live up to the hype.
The secondary couple's story, development, romance and chemistry were much better than the leads'. And the highlight of everything was the vegetable fight between the women.

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So disappointing

I had such high expectations from this one. I'm so disappointed after 8 episodes. One boring episode after another. Problem is mainly with the writing. Good actors have been wasted. The writing did not give potential for any good chemistry between the leads. The editing is off. Flashbacks when not really needed. Weak storyline.

updated :
12 episodes in, it ain't getting any better. The leads chemistry is still so off that their kiss felt like siblings were forced to kiss.
The writing is not improving. I feel this drama might have been better if the cast was changed, Lee Sung Kyung would have been a better choice as FL. She would have brought the chemistry that Jung So Min is lacking. Jung Hae In is so overrated. His expressions are so limited. I thought he did well in Something In the Rain, but now I give all credit to Son Ye Jin.

Updated: After 16 episodes, I'm thankful this ended. No change in how I feel bout this drama. Fell flat for me.

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Everything feels forced

I was really excited to watch *Love Next Door* because it's by the creators of *Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha*, a drama I absolutely adored. So, I was surprised to find myself struggling to get into this one.

Almost every character seems designed to fit into predictable rom-com tropes, making the show feel too manufactured. There are very few moments that feel genuinely authentic. While I really admire Jung Hae-in as an actor, I’m starting to feel like rom-coms might not be his strongest suit—or perhaps it’s the writing in *Love Next Door* that’s failing to showcase his abilities in this genre. I also love So-min, but her characters overuse of bickering and shouting as comedic devices is starting to wear thin.

One scene that unfortunately stood out to me as cringey was when she "discovers" what she wants to do, and Hae-in’s character watches her smile, seemingly realizing he still "loves" her. The moment felt incredibly forced, rather than heartwarming or authentic.

Honestly, everything just feels forced and some scenes are overdramatic for no reason.

I’ll keep watching and hope for improvements, but I’m not feeling too optimistic about it so far, which is a shame.

Edit: I forced myself to finish this drama and wow, what a disappointment. This should have been 10 episodes max, it was too dragged out and boring!

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