Romcom of the Year
Love To Hate You (2023)Like
1. Finally a straight up romcom without murders or fantasy elements!! I wasnt planning on watching this until i saw the preview. Enemies to lovers? Top star and lawyer? Sassy lady vs Cool guy? Count me in!
2. I love Miran. She's feisty, assertive and can beat the guys in any game or fights. No wonder Kangho was so impressed at this "unusual" woman. He doesnt get to meet a lot of them in his work. I love the maturity of their relationship even the dates and bed scenes looked more age appropriate and natural.
3. I also like Kangho he looks cold but is actually playful and romantic when he finally got past his trauma. His bromance with his bestie was so funny and cute. I wouldnt have minded if they ended up together!
4. Probably this drama takes a jab at actors and actresses who look like they are friends in public but actually hates their guts in private. And all the insider rumors that go around the industry. Again, fans and netizens should also stop obsessing on their faves and let them live their own lives. Im imagining Lee Seunggi as I watched this show and how awful fans have been to him because of his upcoming wedding.
5. The ending although is not bad is also not especially fantastic. But it also feels like it's more realistic.
Dislikes
1. The second leads are cute but I wasnt as charmed by their story like the leads.
2. Sometimes the vocalizing background music didnt fit the scene.
Rating: 8.5/10
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This review may contain spoilers
Entertaining and easy-watch
I came to this drama with zero expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. It's entertaining, it's an easy watch and it's more mature than other shows I've seen recently and I very much welcome it.It's not one of those overly cheesy, love-explosion dramas, so if you're looking for something like that this is not it. The relationship here grows step by step, flowing from dislike to tolerating one another to friends to love.
FL is a strong character, so if you prefer delicate/weak female characters then this drama will not be for you.
There are a few things I found to be a bit lacking but I understand because of its run time. I think overall the length was good and if it had been longer it would have dragged way too much story wise. The start felt a bit not so interesting to me but then it picked up. Last two episodes are a bit dragged and unnecessary in a way, and it's clear they're there to create the final drama.
Characters are good and more typical of romcom, so not a lot of nuances are presented in them, it's kept light.
I don't think this drama was presented as a "all men are bad, all women are good" at all, there were plenty of good men in the show apart from the main two leads, even the FL's ex was not presented as a complete jerk despite of cheating and they remain friends throughout the drama. Except for maybe a couple of comments all coworkers at the firm were also nice and welcoming.
FL has flaws and they're presented in the drama, FL's friend had also flaws and in fact she was a bit tiring with her back and forth when it came to the second ML. The first girlfriend of ML also had many flaws as did the actress FL represented legally. People be seeing a strong FL and already give a tag and run with it...
I liked the relationship of the two ML in the beginning, very healthy bromance, and I kind of wanted more of that, it was cute, but it was soon put to the side.
I did think second ML had more charisma and more depth in his character than the ML, I find this tends to happen in this type of romcoms, they want ML to be perfect so they give more realism and nuance to the friend, what is a shame.
A couple of things that irked me a bit were that the turning point of the show is a gay scandal (I get it, it's Korea afterall, but...) and the trope of "you're not like other men/women".
That being said, I have to applaud this drama for tackling a bit certain aspects of patriarchy and abuse in a country where sexism, gender inequality and domestic violence are high. Sure, it could be better, and it could be sooooo much more in-depth, but considering they're walking a fine line and that it's not the main plot of the drama, it's still commendable.
I think the ML and FL were a good fit together. Not so much the second couple, but mostly because of the way they decided to portray that relationship than the characters themselves. Do Won Joon didn't seem that much into Shin Na Eun, and she was into him but the way of showing it was anticlimactic and a bit of a mess.
Overall I would recommend, it's easy watchable, not long and it's entertaining.
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Kim Ok Vin and Teo Yoo are the real bad-ass!!
Love to Hate You is a new romantic comedy that I strongly recommend you all to watch it as soon as possible. It has 10 episodes only and for your all information, I finished watching it in just one day.For the record, I have been watching so many romantic comedy series and I absolutely enjoyed this one from the first episode. What I love the most about the series is the bad-ass female lead and the fast-paced dialogue and scenes.
I guess I don't need to talk about the chemistry between the main leads, why? It is simply because I haven't seen anything that as natural as their romantic scenes in any other Korean dramas. Mostly when the main leads in other dramas have a romantic scene, they tend to have it forced. But Love to Hate You is a different case. The main leads (Kim Ok Vin and Teo Yoo) had successfully made me ask for more. Their visuals and body language in the series are undeniably gorgeous.
In addition, this series is Teo Yoo's first romantic comedy and he portrayed his character satisfactorily. Pairing him with Kim Ok Vin is a very perfect choice. They definitely complete each other. Too bad this series has very short episodes, if only it had 16 episodes like normal episodes of Korean series, I believe it would have been a big hit. But, I'm still glad I found these two gems.
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Is this going to be the next new view of women? Tell me it isn’t so.
I watched the first episode. My reaction was immediate. Tried second episode. Didn’t get better. Third. Gave up. Why is the main female lead so out of control from the get-go. After all she just beat the crap out of a thief. So she must be a tough female hero. Wow. “Love her, right?” Not. The premise of this character is pretty warped. Is this how women want to see themselves? Of course I assume she will somehow find her “way”to “true love.” Right?The big question for me is this.
Why would ANY woman who cares about herself, and takes pride in herself, go out and have one night stands, and sex, with the kind of men she utterly utterly despises. How sad and pathetic is that? And WHY? Revenge? A turn on? Apparently not. What? Why? Getting even? How? Pathetic and ridiculous, really.
The lead script writer is a guy in his fifties. Think about that. Probably looking for a script that is “different, kookie and catchy.” If you think this is somehow a feminist “story” think again. Seriously. Not even close. The creation of a woman denigrating herself again and again, is about what, exactly? Changing the world of cheating men? Bizarre. lol.
You can tell me to lighten up a bit. You can tell me the movie is just a lot of fun. But the premise it begins with is a warped view of women in general and especially this “concocted” woman who, in the real world, should be hanging out a lot with a really good psychiatrist. Like I said, there is no doubt that a “happy” ending was created out of the mess, right? Right? Lol.
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Flawed But Watchable
Shaky first episodes, often clumsy scene sequencing early on, playing games with viewers in final episode, around a cringey even potentially sexist attitude toward strong, smart women, but they eventually got it right with good closure that calls out public shaming, doing it through affirmation of both strength and love. The cast is very good and work hard with the director for some enjoyable and sometimes charming moments. Recommended as a watchable but not superior drama—which is totally on the writer in this drama for not having a clear plan for the message being attempted. In an age of superior international movies and dramas, that cannot stand, and neither can the weak drama.Was this review helpful to you?
an enemies to lovers dream !!
The chemistry between the main characters is undeniable, and the progression of their relationship from enemies to lovers is both entertaining and heartwarming. Throughout the series, there are many humorous moments that will have you laughing out loud and rooting for the couple to overcome their differences. The female lead is a breath of fresh air, with a strong and independent personality that is a refreshing change from traditional female characters in romantic comedies. Overall, "Love to Hate You" is a must-watch for fans of enemies-to-lovers romance.Was this review helpful to you?
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The title implies my opinion for the show
A new KDrama of 2023, Love To Hate You is a show which feels like it will make some valuable contributions to address misogyny in the society, restricts itself to a romcom show which is nothing new in a Kdrama world.Undeniably, the series got to a fair start with girl vs boy stereotype, but rather being an interesting turn of events in their romance, it was just a dull realisation of each other's feelings that made me disappointed towards the characters as well the story writing of the show. Well atleast it gave a happy ending within 10 episodes without dragging more unnecessarily than it already was starting to become.
My Rating : 5.5/10
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He fell first and He fell the hardest (tip :ML confessed in ep 8)
Lately, I've been trying to get out of my k-drama slump and watch some lighthearted rom-com's , Business Proposal did the trick but I wanted more, If you are in the same position as me , you can watch this drama. It's relatively shorter (10 ep)compared to the other standard k-dramas(16 ep), so you can probably complete it in a day or two of binge watching . The drama tell the story of Yeo Mi Ran (FL) she's a lawyer, and is also good at mixed martial arts, she's pretty brave, selfless and speaks her heart. The ML is a famous actor and generally gets anxiety attacks near women. I personally think that the ML really knows how to set boundaries and to show the people who are trying to break(first love) it that he belongs to FL. Although the FL is quite experienced with men, but she didn't really have a heart-fluttering romance until the ML came along. Their romance is starts with a dating contract due to a scandal coverup. The ML's manager/best friend and FL's best friend start to have some feelings towards each other later in the series. Both the ML and Fl have been cautious and suspicious of the women/men approaching them in their lives. ML's reason being the ex(celebrity/actress) . The ex returns to act in a drama with him and she can't seem to grasp the idea of him getting over her and starting a relationship with FL(commoner/non-celebrity/not-so-pretty) and tries to act all coy and tries to start the usual drama like, "oh! he didn't tell you that we were each other's first love ,I guess I shouldn't have told". Anyway, It's looking good so far, hope to see a happy ending for both the main and side couples.Was this review helpful to you?
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Ruined by misguided feminism
To say that I was disgusted by this series is an understatement. I only started watching it because it was the only English dubbed kdrama I could watch on Netflix. Oh boy I think staring at a blank wall would have been so much better than watching this nonsensical show.What I didn’t like about the series.
First of we have our fl, who has a body count of 100+, she brags about how men to her are just for sex, she changes them as fast as she changes her clothes. But since she is the fl we should root for her right? After all she is such a cool fighter who feels justified in beating the shit out of any man who she deems guilty.
Also what was that with the ml and 2nd ml being all in each other faces, kissing and all that? I ain’t homophobic or anything but it kind felt like they were just forcing it seeing both men were clearly not gay. Maybe one of them was but I never got that far to find out. I just felt like since we know the main couple will be m/f spare us the queer baiting please.
The message I got from this show is that all men are bad, cheaters, worthless, and women are justified treating them like crap and judging them without any clear evidence of them actually having done anything wrong. I’m sorry I’m all for equality and lifting everyone up but not at the expense of trashing the other gender. I don’t like shows that preach such a message that it’s okay for women to do the things and be what they hate men for.
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Light rom com
After watching several dreary and boring dramas on Netflix, Love to Hate You is such a refreshing strange.First time to see both leads, (can't remember them fro Arthdal) and love their chemistry. It is always nice to see a kdrama with mature actors. They bring in a totally different vibe.
Kim Ji Hoon is now one of my fav actors. He's proving his versatility by tackling different roles since I first saw him in Flower of Evil. He is also one of the characters I like in Money Heist. I wish he would be given a lead role in a rom com soon.
I wish this drama was longer (around 12 episodes), but the pacing is fast enough that the viewer doesn't get bored at all.
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Eh
I was recommended by another person to watch this drama. it started off boring but some people were saying keeps watching it get better. as i gotten to ep. 6, it did not get better. the plot is very boring, the comedy tried very very hard to be funny when it just made me cringe. it felt very dull and this was my second attempt watching this.I can agree that when you first watch this series. it is somewhat entertaining because you get hitched. but who ever directed this movie really tried feminism in the wrong way and that’s coming from a woman.
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