Love Next Door (2024)

Not the best but not the worst

I really wanted to like this and had high expectations but sadly, my expectations were not. There isn't anything inherently bad about this drama. I actually really loved the first 4 episodes but it went downhill from there.

I did not like some of the family dynamics and the romance. Obviously, we all know that the FL's mom is kind of abusive to the FL. Like the way she repeatedly got mad at her daughter for decisions she made without even listening to any reason made me mad for the FL. Also, throughout the episodes, we clearly saw moments where it showed that the ML was in love with the FL but I feel like we never got those moments from the FL. We never saw moments where the FL started to realize that she saw the ML as more than a friend. Their romance was just not convincing enough because of this.

I loved the FL. I think she is a great character who loves and cares for her family and friends so much. She especially cares for the ML, someone who she grew up with and is like family. I think all the decisions she made in the drama were what she thought was best for her family and for herself. I don't think anyone should judge her for those decisions especially if they didn't go through what she went through. A lot of people in the comments mentioned that they didn't like that the FL strung the ML along after his confession but I think it was the opposite. It seemed more like the ML did not want to get rejected and was just delaying it by saying that she can respond to him by the milk expiration date.

I did not like the ML. Some people love the ML and hate the FL but for me it's the opposite. I did not like how he started to act cold to the FL after overhearing that she still loved her ex especially since he only heard part of it. I get that he wanted to protect himself but ignoring the FL and blaming how upset he feels on her was not it especially since they were just friends at that moment. I think he could have said he just wanted some space in a kinder way. Also the way he reacted to finding out her secret was absolutely horrible. How he questioned whether he was truly a friend to her for keeping such a big secret was just so irritating. The secret doesn't involve him at all and the FL's first thought in that type of situation was probably whether or not she would survive. If I found out my best friend went through something like that, I would just try to be there for them and make sure they knew that instead of making it about myself. I especially hated that he thought he could be mad at her for not telling him when he literally ghosted her because he saw that she had a boyfriend. He apologized for everything but I still think the ML is an immature and petty person. I just can't like the romance because I don't like him.

I also did not like the ML's parents all that much. They're in their 50s but still couldn't have a proper conversation. Their misunderstandings could've been resolved so much faster if they just talked to each other. Also, both of them are pretty bad parents. Misunderstandings a huge trope in this drama because the FL's parents also went through some. I think I liked the FL's dad the best. He was at least a bit understanding.

In regards to the second couple, they were definitely better than the lead couple. I loved watching them both realize they had feelings for each other. Also loved how the SFL was such a good friend to both the FL and ML. The SML is such a kind and caring guy to the SFL. I love the family they both created with each other.

Overall, I did not like this drama as much as I would have liked. The way everything was handled in this drama was just not how I would have liked. I think some people would absolutely love this drama but it's just not for me. Beware that this drama has melodramatic parts to it so don't go into this thinking it's a light and breezy romcom.

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MDL inflated rating

Where can I start with this mess?

- Watch it if you want to see Jung Hae In doing acting acrobatics, trying to make something out of nothing.

This is an example of a K-Drama that needed to be 10 episodes, not 16. There were many storylines, and some of them ended messy, and some others were wrapped up in a hurry. I think it is worse than Love Alarm.

Maybe I am missing more cultural context, but FL and her mom's relationship never made sense to me. She is a beautiful lady, but this is the character that needs a whole re-write.

I didn't think there was chemistry between the main characters.

If the whole message is to pursue your true life interest and leave behind a stressful job, the way this was presented at the end was underwhelming, because the scene immediately after focused on a silly lovers' spat.

The cancer and the dementia never made a point, and they were just devices to move on the story, but in a sloppy way.

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One word...DISAPPOINTING

I'll start off by saying this show was such a let down.
The production has the right ingredients( the actors) but cooked a subpar meal.
For some reason the ml and fl seem to have more chemistry off screen while they look so disconnected while on screen. I overlooked that at first when they were friends but it became unbearable when they got together and their interactions didn't get better or have that spark.
There's also barely any build up of the romantic feelings that they claim the ml and fl share especially from fl side. I love the second leads but their love also seems rushed especially from Danho's pov. Regardless i loved watching their little family with Yeondu.
The lack of music in certain scenes and then the wrong music too is disappointing.
The writer tries to be progressive in the multiple issues that they bring up but they some how taking a traditional resolve to it or barely doing it any justice. Their moms are also insufferable and the constant bickering between the leads at their BIG AGE??? Or even the lack of proper communication. The writing is awful and it shows in the way the writer constantly has to invoke a problem( whether is cancer or alzhiemers or cheating or grief)as a way of furthering the plot. Then they make this problem a big issue for like 2 episodes only for it to be Magically fixed withing minutes of the 3rd episode. I dont even want to get started on the ml's behaviour towards the fl. Do they think the constant shouting or brushing over her insecurities is cute? ?Simply tiring

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Missed The Train

I'm dropping it after 8 episodes. This is hardly a rom-com. Idk why they misled viewers like this. Please take note that I am an easy to please kind of viewer and being critical is the last thing on my mind but I had to put my feet down on this one. I was tagged along with all the hype about this show, and after 8 episodes, I don't think this drama is worth the buzz. Coz usually by now, for a rom-com genre, I'll be all giddy, excited and anxious to wait for new episodes every week. But this drama is doing the opposite. It's frustrating.

I guess I have to miss the train on this one and to everybody else who is still onboard, have a safe and pleasant journey.

Story
The show opens up with the introduction of the mothers (Suk-sisters/ Lavender), which is adequately interesting. We can see the dynamics and the rivalry of who has the better daughter/ son. However as it progresses, somehow their relationship felt a bit forced especially when the characters (not all) acted way too comical than it should, by age appropriately. I'm not saying that adults can't be childish and act silly but usually they don't. Yes, I have issues with my parents/ siblings/ friends (that includes wrestling with my brother but it stops as we grow old) but no matter how disappointing/ annoying/ hateful they can be, there is always room for privacy, not some public service announcement out in the street. So, aside from cursing, hitting, head-locking, bantering or physical altercations; Is this the kind of comedy the show would offer? For example, the news about Seok-ryu's broken engagement and quitting her job, were revealed in a most chaotic (unhealthy) setup and it made me hard to relate and empathize with any of them including Seok-ryu herself. So, is this scene served to be funny? If it is, I'm finding it hard to laugh and wish I could go back in time and skip/ fast-forward the whole shenanigans.

Respectively classic childhood-neighbour-friends-to-lovers trope is definitely superior in general, but for me, I've seen too many and it has caused me to be critical/ skeptical of this setup, and as of now LND seems to be nothing new or special. I can't help but to compare it with previous similar settings like in the REPLY series or the recent Lovely Runner (idol/ time travel hiatus), My Sweet Mobster (long-lost relationship/ redemption arc) and Dr Slump (rivalry/ mental health). So I'm searching for that 'it' factor which would make LND stand out and shine on its own, so far there is none. They did some flashback/ parallel scenes (like in LR); They even did a 'he said she said' with their childhood perspective (like in Flipped, an American movie; if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you do) but both couldn't deliver the same effect that I had as the latter.

Some of the plot was revealed so abruptly that it doesn't fit well to the story; somehow it doesn't reflect or do justice as to what was happening in the present. For example, Seong-hyo's accident; How can Seok-ryu forget that he lost his Olympic dream due to an accident. I'm a bit perplexed as to how it was scripted/ presented. It's a major setback in his life, so for her to diss and shrug him off about having a dream is mind-blowing to me. To make my point even stronger, she can recall him being hurt because of the fence back when he was a child, but clueless about him being injured in a car accident when he was a teenager? Yeah, mind-blowing pfft.. and not to include the bomb that they dropped in episode 8. There, I rest my case. Goodbye LND.

Casting
Main Couple :
Jung So-min is a versatile actress and I really love her works in this genre. In LND she portrays Seok-ryu as this competitive-chaotic gal, who does and says as she pleases, come and go as she wants and hardly takes no for an answer; in other words, imho came across like a big sister who likes to bully around. Her tone sometimes sounded a bit condescending and it's not really that funny being all bossy. I'm not really charmed by her but I still hope that her character is redeemable and is actually a work in progress. Other than her setback in her career/ love life, I still couldn't really relate with her. Even if she still holds some unknown baggage, I'm not that curious about finding it out. Unfortunately, that unknown baggage caused me to drop the whole thing.

As for Jung Hae-in, depicting Seong-hyo as this stoic-aloof guy, who marvels in his work but kind of circling in his own orbit. I find his portrayal to be not that really appealing, even when he delivers his witty lines and opposite reactions (says one thing but does the other). He is becoming predictable to the point that I didn't find any exciting element in him anymore. Despite that, I still hope to see some more colour in his expressions and fresh antics rather than being poker-face all the time. Because it felt way too repetitive and becoming a bit bland; especially in this genre. I get it that he is a newbie, but Uhm Tae Goo also made his first rom-com debut in MSM and he delivers. Sorry, I just can't help but to compare because both do have that same good-looking-stoic face.

Their chemistry? I hate to say it but... feels a bit mediocre. Why? Because as of now, I'm not really drawn towards them or rooting for their development. Usually by now, I could have picked a side and root for him/her to succeed but currently I'm still in the middle, undecided and sort of confused. The revelation/ introduction of 'he fell first and probably fell harder' trope somehow fell flat and ineffective. I mean, how can he forget about his time capsule-letter? It's quite acceptable if he has it way back when he was a little child, but as a teenager? Shouldn't those feelings linger and stay on a lot longer? And even if the feelings were being ignored/ gone, he would have still remembered it at the back of his mind, right? Even Mo-eum is aware of his letter. It's not adding up. Especially if Seok-ryu is that ONE person who really gets him, calls his bluff and pulls his leg (or pants); his so called biggest supporter whom he can't seem to hate and likes to be around. So the contradiction here is hard to overlook.. so yeah sorry, I'm not buying it. Not even the revelation of Seok-ryu's POV is going to make any difference.

Supporting Couple :
As for Mo-eum and Dan-ho, both actors are commendable. Their introduction is simple, short yet effective and pretty solid. I'm sold at a kind-hearted-klutz guy versus a strong-dependable gal. Their chemistry is good and probably still brewing. I look forward to their development despite their limited screening-time, but I guess their story is not that strong enough to make me stay around. Sorry.

Other Cast :
Suk-sisters/ Lavender - Love the dynamics and the antics. Kudos to Mo-eum's mom, whom I think is the anchor of the group.
Seok-ryu's Family - Relatable at certain points however pretty hard to watch especially with the over-reactions/ exaggerated bickerings and banterings (including the drum).
Seong-hyo's Family - Intriguing but awkwardly sad. My heart goes to all who have difficulty in communicating with their spouse/ children/ parents.
Atelier In - Okay and skippable at times.

Music
I was surprised with the intro. I guess it wanted to give the old nostalgic feelings but honestly not my cup of tea. Overall it's a bit mellow for a romantic comedy.

Should I rewatch it all again?
Nope.

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a lot of marketing for nothing!

a lot of marketing for nothing! a boring series with boring and boring protagonists, the main couple didn't even look like a couple, they looked like brothers, they just kept fighting, not to mention they didn't have any chemistry, only the secondary couple that had chemistry and good development, it's not worth wasting time with this boring series!
a lot of marketing for nothing! a boring series with boring and boring protagonists, the main couple didn't even look like a couple, they looked like brothers, they just kept fighting, not to mention they didn't have any chemistry, only the secondary couple that had chemistry and good development, it's not worth wasting time with this boring series!

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A refreshing story with missed potential

This show had the potential to be great but missed its opportunity by a thin margin. 7.5/10

Let's start with the notable positives:
- Fairly realistic characters
I must say that the characters were really fleshed out. I especially liked Seok Ryu's backstory since it is similar to mine. I liked that they highlighted that always being hard working and "perfect" is not a good thing and anyone can fall down and take a break to recover. Moeum and Danho also had charming personalities and just shone on the screen. Even SeungHyo who is seemingly perfect has his immature and stubborn sides which made him seem more human.
- The casting was perfect
The casting couldn't be more perfect. The actors had great chemistry with each other and it seemed real. Especially the actor for Danho, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. What a great discovery !
- Complex family dynamics
They really showcased the different family dynamics well. Not all family seems the same as it does outside and all families have their own problems. I liked that the parents were not always likeable and had their own flaws which is how most parents are. The writer is definitely talented in writing fleshed out and real characters.

Now lets move onto the notable negatives
- The hot and cold pacing
The pacing felt choppy. Some major issues were solved very quickly while some minor issues were dragged out. Some incidents happened so out of the blue that it was obvious to be a plot device. Something in the plot direction just didn't feel consistent.
- The lack of romantic tension
I actually liked the second couple more since they had more romantic tension than the main couple. Even if they were childhood friends, some sort of tension is required for us to relate to what they're feeling. Maybe because the actors are too good, the image of them being childhood friends was etched too strong in my mind. Their interactions in the story after that weren't strong enough to change that image. They absolutely had chemistry but not enough tension to keep me on my toes.
- Repetition of the same plot with obvious tropes
Every few episodes had the same framework. Seok Ryu gets caught for something by her parents, they fight, SeungHyo supports her, they reunite..... the same thing happened like three times in only 16 episodes. Then there was the ex-boyfriend arc which is to be expected at this point. But I couldn't stand the characters always talking to themselves. It was like in every episode and was just awkward to see mid 30s characters talking to themselves. Plus the PPL of the products were too obvious and felt like watching an ad in the middle of the episode.

Overall thoughts:
I Don’t mind slice of life dramas, they're actually healing to watch. I actually understood from the first episode that we're gonna see more about each character's growth and a slow burn romance. But I didn't expect that the pacing to be this choppy and the plot to have cliched tropes. They could've made it more iconic like "When the camillia bloom", "Welcome to Samdalri" or "Hometown Cha cha" but something was missing and left me unsatisfied in some aspects. In the end, I enjoyed myself to some extent and taste is subjective so this might work well for other viewers.

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I lost sleep thinking about how bad this drama turned out to be

I feel tricked. I was SO hyped for this drama. I love me some friends to lovers action, and the fact that we were getting Jung So Min and Jung Hae In as the faces for it this time? I was SOLD. Besides them, the cast was packed, and it was perfect. There was so much potential, and the first couple of episodes seemed to be fulfilling it, until they weren't.

The fault lies in this being marketed as a romcom. It was NOT a romcom. I could count on my fingers the number of comedic scenes we got, but only if they are memorable enough, which they are not. You would think, well, even if the comedic aspect of it flopped, we still have the romance, right? We don't. The romance was worse than the comedy. So forced, so uninspiring, so bland. By the time we actually got to the romance after all those intense storylines -- that we did not ask for -- were done and dealt with, I did not care. If I did, I would have loved every second of the abundant amount of fluff we got in the remaining six episodes; instead, I wanted to just fast forward through the whole thing.

The biggest reason why was the lack of good development. The writer was so honed in on making the sad storylines impactful, she spent little to no time on gradually building up the romance. I genuinely felt like the leads were picked up and dropped into a relationship, and I was expected to immediately be invested in them. That is NOT how it works. You're supposed to make me root for the characters to get together. Give me some angst, some tension, those little cute moments when the leads know they like each other but haven't confessed yet, like those furtive yet admiring glances cast at the other when he/she isn't looking, accidental occurrences of physical touch that leaves them flustered, etc. You have so much source material to work with, and what do you give us? Nothing.

The second leads' romantic storyline seemed much promising in comparison, but they ruined that too. Mo Eum's strange obsession with being Yeon Du's mom was so weird. When she confessed to Dan Ho, the first words out of her mouth were, "I wish I could be Yeon Du's mom." Then, when they did start dating, and it's time to break the news to said girl, what are Mo Eum's first words? "Can you give me the chance to become your mom?" I bet you a hundred bucks that if the roles were reversed, and it was a man insisting on being the female love interest's daughter's father, it would raise several eyebrows. By the end of this drama, I was convinced she was dating Dan Ho to be with that little girl, because they shared none of the physical intimacy that would indicate they were in an actual relationship. It was drier than the Atacama Desert.

I could spare a couple more paragraphs for how unfulfilling the romance was, but I'll end it with what I once never thought I would say: Seok Ryu and Seung Hyo should have stayed friends. They were way more bearable together when they were at each other's throats all the time.

A couple other things I dislike were Mi Suk, which most of the viewers agree with; Hye Suk and her husband's reconciliation and subsequent honeymoon phase (was that vow renewal ceremony necessary?); characters making up with each other only after the other was on the brink of death, which is such lazy writing; storylines unfolding in a non-linear manner, which kept the confusion and questions going for several episodes, to the point of it being infuriating as hell; the friends never bothering to figure out WHY Seok Ryu left America and broke her engagement in the beginning and whether she was okay, just for the sake of dragging out the story even more; Seung Hyo's ex being such a blatant plot device instead of a subtle one.

Some things I liked, I guess, to balance it out:

- Seung Hyo and Seok Ryu's first kiss. It was beautiful and sweet. I almost cried during it.
- Seok Ryu pointing out the double standards between her and her brother, which I really related to as an older sister. Every time Seok Ryu confronted her mom about how unfair she was to her hit hard.
- The Lavender sisters. I genuinely enjoyed all of their scenes. Their chemistry was amazing.
- Scenes where most of the cast was together, like Geum sik's last night at his restaurant, or Seok Ryu's belated welcome home party that Seung Hyo planned and them going home together and joking around afterwards, etc. The actors and their chemistry with each other was the saving grace for this drama, because the story was hellbent on being bad.
- Seung Hyo and Seok Ryu's banter in the earlier episodes. I enjoyed every second of it. At least the friends aspect of the friends to lovers trope was done well.
- Seok Ryu and Seung Hyo as kids. The child actors were PHENOMENAL, especially the girl who played Seok Ryu. They were so adorable.
- In the earlier episodes, Seung Hyo showing up whenever Seok Ryu called even though he said he wouldn't come, or following her around while pretending it was the greatest inconvenience ever.
- Whoever styled Jung So Min for this show deserves a raise. Her outfits were ALWAYS so good, and the one thing that I really admired was Seok Ryu sporting different hairstyles at times instead of the same straight blowout, which imo takes away from the realism of the drama.

There are a lot of other minor and major details that I absolutely loved. It's just sad that the story being so inadequate in quality dimmed its luster. All in all, I don't think I'll rewatch the drama; maybe I'll just revisit Seung Hyo and Seok Ryu's scenes from the first couple of episodes to feel some of that excitement that was so palpable when the drama first started airing.

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So so boring

I believe the main issue with how bad it was is the story telling. Everything is a sequence of a sequence and it's not a causality, you're only told the cause when you're no longer interested in knowing. The situations aren't revealed, they seem to be tailor made to fit a very explicit and simple narrative.

I was expecting it to be at least average but it wasn't. It's boring, long, without a purpose and, as the episodes amount, it becomes unbearable.

I don't know how to put this, but at some point it seemed like ¡ncest. The leads look very physically alike, they could be siblings in real life. To add to that, they build a very strong and long friendship relationship without any signs of romance. They were raised like siblings, treat each other like strangers and then go back to behaving like siblings. It's like things just happen without a rhyme or a reason. Then they show you the reason but it feels like something they made up to account for what happened. It doesn't feel true.

The acting was too plastic, fake even. Over exaggerated fights and screams, they looked theatrical instead of believable. You can't portray truth if it isn't mildly believable.
The paramedic could be young at heart and like and maybe believe in superheroes without acting childish or speaking in a childish manner.
I don't blame the actors for any of this, actors do what directors and writers assign them to do.

There were some interesting themes but they weren't properly developed and I find that sad and a waste.

Something that has been bothering me is how Korean dramas portray the ownership of a restaurant as something the owner does themselves and by themselves. You can't physically be the cook, the dish washer, the waitress, etc of a restaurant. Restaurants are businesses, they need profit. You can't have two tables and say it's a restaurant, it won't have enough turnover to even break even. You can't have the same person who's cooking tending to the tables. Has anyone in the kdrama world ever worked in a restaurant or been in a restaurant and looked around? This is not the first kdrama that portrays restaurants in this manner. If, indeed, Koreans have to do all those things by themselves, then I guess that's a part of why they have a mental health crisis, because it's physically and mentally impossible to run a restaurant or even a café without staff.
Yes, this seems a very petty thing to have an issue with, but the little things are what makes a story believable or not. If it really works like that in South Korea, storytellers should be criticising how that's not sustainable or ideal, because it's not.

I'm leaving this review here because this platform seems to have a problem with real opinions that don't put their favourite media on the same pedestal they do.
We can only build better media by being honest in our opinions.

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Yawn………use this instead of a pill to put you to sleep

So tiring, boring, long drawn……
It’s more about the parents’ 40 year old friendships and their growth and reconciliations.
Could’ve just called it “Next Door”……… the Love part was so tiring.

Two brilliant leads couldn’t salvage a mediocre story.
The romance between the second couple was so promising, but they dragged it out and made it boring too.

It almost feels like a drama from the nineties…….. a mother still beating her 34 year old daughter because she quit her job and returned home……..seriously …….. move on with the times please!

I think the main problem is classifying the genre of the drama.
If they had classified it as a neighborhood slice-of-life story about middle aged friendships, then people like me would not watch it because that is not my chosen genre.

However if you classify it as Romance and dish out other nonsense, then I’m sorry- you give us no choice but to drop the ratings.

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