Love Is for Suckers

Why am I feeling so tired...?

I started watching for two reasons: the presence of Choi Siwon as one of the protagonists (I never saw him in a drama before) and a short clip of John Jang and Park Ji Wan (Park Yeon Woo and Son Hwa Ryung) from the show. I also liked the premise enough, but unfortunately things didn't go as smoothly as I hoped.

This show has two main weaknesses: it tried to use certain tropes and elements of the story way too much, to the point that it got very boring, and at the same time it introduced multiple interesting themes that could have been explored more but ended up being set aside.
The love story between Yeo Reum and Jae Hoon could have ended in the span of the first few episodes (after a few fixes here and there), but instead the writers tried to drag it for longer, which made the series oddly tiring for me to watch. Any kind of obstacle that comes between the two main characters doesn't feel threatening to their love in the slightest (not Han Ji Yeon, not Kang Chae Ri, nothing at all), so it ended up feeling as entertaining as watching paint dry. I was half-hoping that this long wait could be useful for the two of them to actually mature, but that wasn't the case either.
The show actually introduces multiple themes that could have been explored better: not only the environment behind the production of a reality TV show, but also eating disorders, mental illnesses, past traumas, relationships with family and colleagues, and so on. All of these themes ended up being neglected in favor of the boring main plotline, so I couldn't help feeling robbed in the end.

Like many others both in the comments and in other reviews, the only reason why I didn't regret watching this drama and why I'm giving it such a high score is the unexpected couple of John Jang and Park Ji Wan. John Jang went through a beautiful character development, and Ji Wan's character also got to show multiple sides of her character. That, combined with the lovely plot they got, turned them into the most interesting part of the entire drama. I wouldn't mind watching the series one more time just for their moments.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this drama. It was entertaining and I was able to finish it, but I didn't enjoy myself all that much. I only recommend watching in case you don't have anything else to watch at the moment.

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Starts strong, but doesn't hold up in the last half

I felt the female lead was irredeemable. I didn't want them to end up together, because she just selfishly used him the entire time. Then he became so boring, spineless, and puppydog-like that I stopped feeling bad for him and figured they deserve each other.

This drama starts so strong! I enjoyed the first few episodes so much, I can't believe it completely lost the plot and went in way too many directions. I actually liked the "reality show" direction, but I feel they could have done better with it. I was also disappointed that the humour (which was well done) didn't really carry throughout the show.

Ultimately, there are a lot of likeable, well-written side and secondary characters... but they kind of wrote them into the dirt in the last half? They didn't really *do* anything with them, and they became flat uninteresting and one-note in the later half of the drama.

Would I watch this again? No, probably not... but maybe? There is one couple who very much redeems an otherwise uninteresting show, and makes me happy I watched it. Overall, I've never seen anything start so strong and end so dull.

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Rare friends turned more trope that is good but not great

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean romantic comedy series with 16, 60 minute, episodes.

I will provide a synopsis first then review.

Synopsis
Goo Yeo-reum (Lee Da-hee) is a struggling production director for the reality section of a production company. She is aware of her biological ticking away and is anxious for success in love and her career. Park Jae-Hoon (Cho Si-won) has been Yeo-ream’s close friend for many years and is the first person she thinks of when encountering life’s difficulties. Jae-Hoon once had a promising medical career but past tragedy has him now doing plastic surgery in a clinic. He is cynical about love and spends most of his time with Yeo-reum. When the two wind up working a reality show together will the feelings they long held for each other surface?

Review
Friends turned lovers is one of my favorite tropes. This was very good for that particular slice of romantic drama. Si-won is always a great male lead because he has that bon next door charm. I liked their friendship a lot particularly when, later in the show, you learn why he is so devoted to her. Their group of friends were all very kind to each other and to others as well so it made you want to see them succeed in love and life.

Spoilers* When the ex boyfriend comes back I did a lot of face palm to forehead reactions. So this guy does not tell you of his plans to leave the country and thinks you can just leave your job and join him but does not have the respect for your relationship to consult you first. then when you react as most people would when something messed up like that is sprung on you he leaves you at a rest stop. He did come back you find out later but still his first reaction was to leave her when she was crying. And this was after he asked her to marry him so this was her fiancé. He comes back a few years later, declares he is not over her and asks her again to marry him. And our foolish lead girl, biological clock ticking and parents eager to get her married, says yes. She was so lucky she found out he got another woman pregnant and called it off. It would have been a life time of misery with someone who has so little regard for your input.

Then our lead guy finally confesses his feelings to her albeit a little soon after the cancelled wedding and she cruelly turns him down. The way she did it was out of character for her and was not the way I think you would treat such a close friend. I was happy he gave her the cold shoulder she deserved it.

The 2nd girl was annoying in her pursuit of him. I have noticed in some South Korean dramas that there is this general expectation if someone likes you then you have some kind of romantic obligation toward them. I think people are responsible for their own feelings you cannot make someone love you. She was very pushy that way but not just that she played guilt trips on him. I thought he was as kind to her about her feelings for him as he could be. She knew she was stepping in the middle of a friendship verging on something more.

I did not like the way our lead girl let the other director push her around and I thought she was finally going to tell her off. But she never did. Not in any forceful or meaningful way anyway. I also wanted the head Director to tell the other program director that he had our lead girl work the project with her because she took things too far and the lead girl was there to balance her out. There was no acknowledgement of the many times our lead girl saved the show. In the end it does not show the lead girl returning to her job and having some of those discussions.

The ending was happy but, after she was abandoned prior to the wedding twic by the other guy it would have been so satisfying to have it end with their wedding.

#loveisforsuckers
#leeDaHee
#ChiSiWon

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A little slow and dull

Choi siwon and Lee Da Hee have visuals! So they look good together. Their chemistry was not sooo steamy.. they were good friends for a long time, were involved in other relationships and were always there for each other. How they transitioned from good friends to lovers was a bit blurry, not so clear cut. But he fell for her first.

I liked the concept of the reality show- Kingdom of Love. In fact I liked the couple chef John and Park Ji Wan more than any other couple- they had good chemistry and a good storyline. I did FF a bit here and there. A little dull and slow, but cute and an interesting watch. :)

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watch the first 9 episodes, skip to the finale

this drama can be easily cut in two half. the first half is actually about the over 30s male and female leads friendship, their jobs, dating among pressure to settle, and the male lead trauma (the complete story is revealed and resolved in ep9, and choi siwon gives such a heartbreaking performance in it, that's why I recommend to watch up to that point).
the dialogues are fresh and interesting, there are some really funny scenes, and the story is coherent. there are also some very mature innuendos you don't usually see in kdrama.

by the end of this first half segment the useless reality show is introduced and the writer forgot the main leads, to focus on many unnecessary "real scenes" from the dating show, introducing 8 new characters, and wasting everyone time.

even worst, the writer made her Female lead so inept and unlikeable that I started wondering how the Leads friendship could be ever mended.. only to have them suddenly confess, after not sharing a single significant scene for almost 4 episodes, turning the male lead into a pathetic yes man, whatever she decided he was ok with it, from being accused of being a murderer, being harassed on and off line, taking the blame for the female lead ineptitude at doing her job, etc.

both Lee Dahee and Choi Siwon evidently got tired/frustrated as much as the viewers because the amazing chemistry they have in the first half (and in every promo or behind the scenes video) was lost by the time the couple got together.

it has the worst and most annoying and pathetic second female lead ever.

I've listened to the whole OST and the instrumental tracks have a nostalgic feel to it I love it, despite not remembering many of those , so they were either unnoticeable or didn't fit the mood of the scenes, a part from the scene where the ML runs while all his regrets for not acting upon his feeling for the FL are shown in a nice montage. the track is titled JaeHoon's Heart Fluttering and adds so much emotion to that perfect scene.
there are also some nice jezzy-ish tracks and the "male pole female pole" is really sexy.

my vote is 8,5 for the first half and 5 for the second half.

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Male lead’s late-game choices felt frustrating

Love Is for Suckers had a promising setup—a friends-to-lovers storyline with grown-up stakes, emotional hesitation, and the chaos of a reality dating show in the background. At first, it felt like it was going to do something a little more grounded and mature than your typical rom-com.
But by episode 12, the emotional logic started to break down.
I couldn’t get behind the male lead’s choices—especially how quickly he went back to the FL after multiple rejections, as if nothing had happened. She’d pushed him away more than once, and still he circled back without any real processing or growth. Meanwhile, the second female lead was everything the FL wasn’t: clear, emotionally steady, sincere. She honestly deserved a better ending—and better writing.
That said, the real reason I kept watching was for the supporting cast, especially Park Ji Wan, who brought so much heart and honesty to her role. Her story had emotional weight and felt more grounded than the main couple’s plotline. I found myself more invested in her arc than the leads by the final stretch.
The drama had charm, good visuals, and some great commentary on how love plays out differently in public and private—but the payoff didn’t land for me.
Pros:
✔ Strong premise with early emotional promise
✔ Park Ji Wan and the supporting cast were fantastic
✔ Relatable moments about emotional timing and missed chances
✔ Refreshing use of a dating show backdrop
Cons:
✘ Male lead’s late-game choices felt frustrating
✘ FL rejected him repeatedly but still got the easy ending
✘ Second FL deserved more closure and respect
✘ Emotionally flat final arc
Would I rewatch?
No—but I’d rewatch clips of the supporting characters, especially Park Ji Wan’s scenes.

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Love Sucks!

Love Is For Suckers finally close the chapter after 16 episodes. I have so much expectations from this drama as I really love the main leads in their previous work. Lee Da Hee as a cold hearted woman in Beauty Inside amazed me, while Choi Siwon as a cool and reliable second male lead in She Was Pretty really did an amazing job. From these two drama, I started to fall in love with these two. Such a promising talents. Therefore, with this combination in a romcom drama would be feast for my eyes, in a way that I would love to be served with a deep and meaningful matured love story (considering their ages and the background story) - friends to lovers troupe.

I started the first two episodes with so much expectations and it didn't disappoint. It was good, there's humor here and there. It's a lighthearted watch. With then, I expected the remaining episodes will continue to be a great story until the end but my expectations were far too high and I were let down by it. My biggest problem with the drama was the storylines. It was messy and so much 'huh' moments that I could feel after watching the second half of the drama. I didn't expect much romance from the leads but it was barely there that I have to question myself, is this drama are meant for them? In my pov, it wouldn't bother much with the existence of romance between them if it's executed properly. But in this case, with a messy plotline, it makes everything else become messy.

On the other hand, im quite interested with the supporting casts backkground stories. It has much more depth and interesting plotlines. I love the second female lead, she's likeable and i can't help but feel pitied for her. I think she has the bigger role in this drama than others because she's the forces, the medium that unite the main leads. Also, love the character of John Jang and his love interest, it was pure and cute to watch. Others? Not much to say.

All in all, this drama might have potential to be a good drama. Something you will love to watch after a long and tiring day. It isn't much conflict exist in it, it was pretty straightforward, no heavy plot twist. But, I think it failed to reach the standard that audiences, like me, wanted. My conclusion after watching this drama is that, i think love sucks! So, is this recommended to watch? I will say no.

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I guess I am a sucker.....

It's not that this plot is anything special but I didn't feel like it was as bad as the bad reviews out there. Maybe it's because I love the cast and/or maybe it's because this was so much enjoyable while wine-ing.

What I loved:
Cast: ML FL I've been a fan of from their other works
Bitchy producer: Fine example of antagonist w/o having to backstab someone for a love interest
AGE appropriate casting: I appreciate this part so much! It seems that lately so many K dramas fail as they cast age inappropriate actors for the characters.
Unhatable 3rd wheel. She as very likeable
The webtoon fat girl. I was definitely hoping she would find true love.
The dating show , how scripted it is. It was fun for me to showcase the unreality of it.
Spin off typical drama tropes: instead of randomly reaching for something high up and falling into a kiss scene this was more of trying to kill a Mosquito.
Best friend couple so supportive of the ML & FL.

What I disliked:
The implausible plot of that HOT of a FL (with good personality) could be the laughing stock of lack of love interest through the years
The instant on/off like button from the ML

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this is a tasty salad.

what I mean by salad? this drama has a bit of everything. you LL find love, one sided crushes, family issues, friendship, revenge, hatred etc.
I really liked this drama but it is far from perfect.

the main plot line revolves around our FL and her work as a pd on tv channel. she faces issue in her private and professional life.

the story per SE is compelling and entertaining. the strong point of this drama to me is its realizability. we have a far from perfect main leader. she is almost 40, not married, chaotic love life and her carrier as a pd is not at the point she wishes. fortunaly she is surrounded by good friend and a loving family.
let my tell you... the side relationships in this drama are the best parts. it could stop my self from tearing up at every interaction of the FL with her parents or her married couple of best friends. the side relationships are really sweet.

her best friend turns out to be.. surprise surprise... her main love interest. nothing groundbreaking there but I feel even though she was a bitch to him sometimes, the struggles of going from friends to lovers are real. if you ever experienced it, it is a bit of a confusing moment.

I liked that the FL wasn't a Mary sue. she was far from perfect, messed up but always owned up to her mistakes.

what I didn't like about the drama is that with 16 episode they could have done more. many themes were inserted but never explored. the other pd family history? never gets explained.
one of the reality show contestant facing ed issues? never explored. and so on.

i wish they did more with the rivalry between the 2 pd's.

the reality show scenes were kinda boring to be honest. we never get to know the contestants that much. it was really shallow . I think It was a wasted opportunity.

the last couple of episodes also feel a bit crammed. there was too much stuff they could have explored better in more episodes.

overall it's a good drama. nothing shocking but it leaves you with good vibes.

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Drama only saved a bit by supporting cast

My interest in the drama fizzled out as soon as ML confessed to FL about having feelings. Not sure why ML was so impatient that he had to confess right after FL had a broken engagement with a broken heart. Right after this ML and FL started behaving divorced from reality. ML was artificially rude to FL and FL sarcastically shallow.

It's not like drama was bad initially. Initially it felt like we will witness something new in friends to lovers story. Lee Da Hee with her noble persona Choi Si Won with his quirkiness, everything seemed in place for a great drama.

Only good point was the subplot of John Jang's transformation. It was like the saying - you never know how someone will turn out eventually.

First 5-6 episodes are good, after that not so much.

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What a mess series!

I watch this series because I'm a big fans of Siwon. As always, Siwon's acting never failed. Even this drama is a bit slow but Siwon success to make it alive. Even this drama is slow, I'm still excited for every week. I really want to know what will happen to the love story between Jae Hoon and Yeo Reum.

But……….for the last 2 episode of 13 and 14, I start to feel uneasy and bored. And I’m wondering did the editor of this drama did not do their job? Isn’t it they have to edit first before air the episode? We still can see the mic, equipment, the string especially when the FL fall from the building. Urghhh!! Spoiled!

The only thing that makes me still stick to this drama is because of siwon and chef John. I want to know how this chef and park ji wan will end. Really these two episodes spoiled my mood.

I will not surprised if the rate for this drama become low because the messy were just too obvious. I started with excited seing Chef John and Park Ji Wan but suddenly change because I saw the mess.

I’m still watching and will continue watch and wait for the last episode. I hope, really hope that no more mess again. No mic, string, or equipment can be seen.

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