What Comes after Love (2024)

A Poetic Journey Through Love, Loss, and Reflection

This series felt like reading a beautifully written novel—the kind that lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. From its poetic storytelling to the way each episode title is carefully structured (그건 참 맘에 들었어), everything about What Comes After Love carries a quiet elegance.

What stood out the most to me was the peacefulness of it all. The narrative flows in a measured, almost contemplative rhythm—never too much, never too little. It embraces a somber yet soothing atmosphere, allowing every moment to breathe without unnecessary dramatics.

Lee Se-young once again proves why she’s such a fine actress. As Choi Hong, she delivers a performance steeped in sincerity and depth, effortlessly embodying both the hopeful, open-hearted version of herself and the one irrevocably changed by heartbreak. It’s almost as if she’s playing two different people, yet the connection between them remains achingly clear.

Kentaro Sakaguchi is just as compelling in his role. His portrayal of an aspiring writer who gradually becomes a published author is filled with subtle grace. We watch him transform—from a young, ambitious dreamer eager to experience the world, to a more reflective, quietly regretful man who understands the weight of his choices.

The story unfolds across two parallel timelines—five years ago in Tokyo and the present day in Seoul. Through these shifting perspectives, the drama explores love not just as an emotion but as a deeply human experience. It reminds us that behind every relationship is a person, with their own emotional needs and vulnerabilities. Love alone isn’t enough to sustain a relationship; empathy, understanding, and emotional maturity are just as crucial. Because at the end of the day, when we are young and carefree, we can be selfish without even realizing it.

The soundtrack? Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Let’s just say it’s been on repeat ever since I finished watching.

I really appreciated how the narrative ebbs and flows, maintaining its serenity even in moments of emotional turbulence. There’s an artistry in the way this story is told—a fitting choice for a drama adapted from a novel.

If you’re looking for something that slows down the pace and allows you to feel, this one’s definitely worth watching. 8.5/10.

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Slow paced love story full of regrets & realization

Not perfect, very slow paced despite the few episodes.. Tried to be more artistic..
Brilliant acting by Lee Se Young, hard to explain the flaws but something just felt off.

Don't understand why people are saying FL cheated, when she was completely honest and direct with 2ML. She was trying to move on for the last 5 years, she bottled up her feelings.. A surprise encounter is all it would take for such feelings to come back immediately.

It was clear from the beginning she was always looking at 2ML as a friend, maybe it was unfair for the 2ML but after he confessed his feelings to her after her being broken, maybe she needed someone by her side to push her to move on, that completely makes sense.

Furthermore, 2ML chose his career over her, despite knowing what she had gone through. He wanted her to move to US with her, which is basically going right back into exactly what she experienced before. A new country with no one she knows, and a resident probably has even less time than a part time worker to give to anyone. His promise of making her never feel lonely was never going to be true.

It was right for ML and FL leads to go back together, as it was clear they both never moved on, they were just empty shells reminiscing their old memories with nothing but regret. They would never be happy with anyone else in their life. The realization from both that they were both at fault for their break up is the main plot point of the whole story.

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Melancholy at its finest !!!!

If you're into melancholic dramas with too much angst, this one is for you. This story revolves around a Korean girl named Hong who travels to Japan and rebelliously starts to live and study alone there, even without notifying her parents. There, she meets Jungo, a Japanese boy around her age. Their encounter blossoms into a passionate love soon. The plot revolves around them after their breakup. The cinematography of this drama is top-notch. The acting is also good . This drama is the first drama I've watched with leads from two countries. I enjoyed it, was a good watch.

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Amazing photography and score music

This collab is just magic. Despite being just 6 episodes, it delivers a lot in the photography and perfect management of lights and shades. Every scene, specially those that have a lot of emotion, match the incredible score that was done for this one. Even the main song is beatiful. The acting of the main couple of course is on another level, they had good chemestry and were able to portray and carry us from joy to tears and then back to hope. Beautifully executed, this remains a big small gem of just 6 episodes. What's more, they gave us a happy ending full of forgiveness and hope.

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10 OUT OF 10!!!!!!

This drama is EVERYTHING. I usually watch kdramas so I'm familiar with the Fl and i love her acting, however I'm new to the ml and didn't know what to expect but he blew me away with his acting.

Less than 2 minutes into the drama where the main leads meet i knew i was going to be hooked. The Chemistry between them just staring at each other is off the charts. I love the gentle nature of the ml and how the fl balances him out. They sort of give calm bf and hyper but reserved gf energy.
Gosh their love is so apparent even in the way the look at each other and even the way their dialogues are written. Very much giving soft love
The Angst too is another level. Like i can cut through the tension between them that's how good it is. The actors just go together and it's obvious that they do not have to do too much to establish the emotions between them.
Also the directing of this drama is chef's kiss. The progression of scenes, the colour grading is well thought of and does a good job potraying the central idea & emotion of each scene.

I don't want to go into too much details but if you're reading this, you have to go watch What Comes After Love. Rooting for Juno and Beni and i hope the story unravels in their favour😭

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Love Is Its Own Reward

What comes after love? - a pensive title for a nostalgic story. What indeed comes after love? In asking, it is already considered that the love has ended. Now, questions arise. Why did it have to end? Was there no way to fix it? How heartbroken will I get?

Such were my questions when I encountered this title. I was hesitant to venture, however, seeing the trailer, I knew I needed the poetics that came with it. Like I predicted, I fell for it right away... but like love, it's easy to fall, it's a struggle to stay. And these are why.

What I Love:
1. As a romantic, my need for a poetic storytelling was fulfilled: a) The use of flashbacks and symbolism (Beni's hair being curly in her in-love phase and being straight in her moved-on phase), b) The use of quotations from Dongju Yun's Counting the Stars at Nights to introduce and conclude the story, c) The use of snow and sakura adds much-needed drama, and d) a soulful melody to sing the melody your heart wants to play. So much love.
2. Lovable casting. I guess they're one of the pairs you would watch even if, theoretically, the plot is a flop. Seyoung is so yeppeoda. I love her in all her phases, even when she's angry. Kentaro plays as his character requires on top of being striking of course.

What Are Lacking:
1. Story Pace.
I said I loved the poetic storytelling with the flashbacks, but hey, too much flashbacks is annoying. This could have been done in one movie - 2 hours only. Show the past, show the present, then show the ending. Use in-medias-res, sure. Use flashbacks too, just not too much. There are a lot of poetic movies that executed excellently - The Lake House or August Rush. This took an unnecessary 6 episodes and weeks. I go whaaaatttt happpeeeennneeddddd? did the story progress? at episodes 3 to 5. Move!

2. Characters. Ugghhhh!
Jungo. I can't believe it. I went to the point of hating how timid he was. I have high expectations from him because he was supposed to love her which meant fight for her. But, he didn't. I guess he didn't love her enough to pack the bag and bring it to Korea. She basically gave him a chance by giving him her address. Also, yes, I have the same question as Beni, why did he just let her go? And the most annoying part about him is, he can learn English and be so fluent at it, but how come he did not consider to learn Hangul????? If he ever considered reconnecting with her, he could have tried to find a way to talk to her, so then, he could be the one to try to understand her like she understood him? I'm so annnnnooooooyyyyyyeeeeeeddddddd!

Secondly, fate gave him a plenty of chances to talk to her, but, he mostly just ended up riding the taxi away or her driving away. Then, when given the chance during his last night, he just had to flunk it. Why can't he just tell her that he loves her still? He should have held her hand and begged her to stay.

Lastly, I wondered if he ever planned to find her. What if the publisher of his book wasn't her father? What was the goal of him writing the book at all? Just to reminisce? If he ever thought the book would get to her, why did he not prepare? If this were real, I hope he truly learned to keep her.

Beni. Alright! So, maybe I was a too harsh on Jungo, but he deserved it. I am naturally on Beni's side, not because we're both women, but because, she was very giving without getting back what she deserves. She was in a foreign country. Initially, she was happy because she's hyped up by all the excitement and that her friend was there. However, loneliness soon got to her because, well, she was technically alone. It could be depressing to a lively character such as herself. Some call her needy, but not without reasons.

What I love about Beni is her spontaneity. She jumps on the plane to escape her family. She falls in love. She doesn't hold anything back. However, because of this, she jumps back to the plane, buries everything, and acts like she moved on already. I don't even know where she left her shame to make Jungo pack all her belongings and send them to her. Lol. I wonder if she left some cash for the transport. Haha. Kidding aside, she has indded changed a lot, but her love for him never changed.

Comment on the Ending:
So, I was seething about the ending of Episode 5 because hey, where are we headed? The last episode is almost here. Halfway through Episode 6, I was like, ok, I think this will end in mutual and happy separation (60%) and Jungo will stay (40%). Although, in my heart, I was hoping he will stay, because hey, love could also be what comes after love. My mind was made when she started running. I just know (hope actually) Jungo got down from that taxi and would soon come running with (not after) with her. And he did. And my poetic heart understood. That was worth all the frustration.

Overall:
If put on a scale, the lacking will surely outweigh the loves. However, this is still recommendable. To all poetic authors - for inspiration. To all who experienced the same - for a deeper appreciation of what comes after every failed journey. To all romantics - to feed your hearts.

Theme:
Love is its own reward. Love is what comes after love. It's the consolation prize, but, it is also the ultimate prize. A consolation for a love that is lost. Ultimate for a love that was treasured whether it was lost or kept. For a love as pure and true as they both have experienced, there are no regrets. That love will be a part of them. For that, their life is worthwhile.

One star for memory.
One star for love.
One star for sorrow.
One star for longing.

What comes after love is all of the above. Now, I see, the lines that open, close.

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The story telling is slow. However plot twist make the episode special. Obviously it is gonna catch the viewers.
Another special matter of this drama is the collaboration of south korea and japan. The drama delves into themes of fate, love, and the idea of whether relationships have an expiration date. The drama's central theme revolves around the aftermath of a passionate relationship. It portrays the raw emotions individuals experience when their romantic connections dissolve—sadness, confusion, and a search for closure. The film is introspective, with a focus on character development and emotional depth. Its storytelling is intimate, often using flashbacks to provide context for the characters’ pasts and how those pasts shape their present.

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The current rating isn't set and is subject to change so could go up or down.

So far it is good to see Japan and real Japanese actors plus the language not being sabotaged.

In saying that, this drama is all about a Japanese man and Korean woman and their relationship followed by a break up then meeting again in Korea 5 years later which is in the synopsis.

So...

What hasn't been good to see in just the first 10 minutes is all the luggage the main female character is carrying every step of the way from Narita airport when it could have easily been delivered directly from airport to door. Hassle free!!!!.

Unless of course that has changed...

Wonderful memories have been brought back with the bridge scene and what could have been a drone shot of Shibuya, Shinjuku or Akihabara.

Looked more like Shinjuku or Shibuya.

Winner so far just for giving me a walk down memory lane.

The story line isn't original when it comes to man meeting woman or woman meeting man, but what is refreshing is seeing more of a backbone when it comes to speaking ones mind or standing ones ground rather than apologising for everything whether the person is right or wrong.

Don't think there is any excessive bowing either...not yet anyhow.

Just so you know it does go back and forth between the past and present which for some will probably teeter on annoying whereas others won't mind. It has only been two episodes so this could change, of course.

I reckon the chemistry is a bit better between "Beni" and the Korean guy rather than her and the Japanese guy, "Yun Oh", although both act their parts well.

It is slow and not upbeat like some yet has it's light moments and own story to tell.

One thing I wish would change is all the drinking and getting drunk because in the first 30 minutes there is a number of scenes with drinking going on - maybe 2 or 3 so I hope this isn't going to be in every episode.

I think AA is needed in Korea and Japan like yesterday.

The piano music at the very start reminds me of that famous composer who composed Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The piano has been pleasant to listen to throughout and I would buy it if it is ever made available to buy.

Am crossing my fingers that there will be one or two hit songs that will be good as Butterflies or Stay With Me. Even just one!

Early days yet so will be back to write more as only two episodes have been released so far.

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masterclass performances

What Comes After Love is based on a 2005 novel co-written by Korean & Japanese authors, Gong Ji-young & Tsuji Hitonari. Likewise this short, 6 episode drama series is a K/J joint project, filmed in both countries with K/J leads & spoken in 2 languages as the settings alternate.

I've seen Lee SeYoung in a few shows now & she is absolutely amazing. Lee has impressively mastered her character's fluency in Japanese, showing no sign of awkwardness in delivering her lines, & allowing the emotion of her character to fully flow through. I'm less familiar with J-dramas but Sakaguchi Kentaro easily matched intensity with his portrayal. These two basically gave a masterclass & their performances carried the entire show.

The drama weaves back & forth through time but never feels choppy. It very smoothly tells the very simple story of Hong & Jungo in a relaxed pace, revealing events as they lead to the main conflict which is their reunion, 5 years after a very difficult break up. Do they come to a reconciliation? I couldn't really guess what would happen, so I only hoped it would end satisfactorily either way, and it does so as Jungo learns to run by Hong's side, both figuratively and literally, & they each come to understand one another.

The show is also beautifully shot, with the spring blossoms & stark winter cold perfectly setting the stage of the characters' relationship at different times. Each scene is a work of art.

One final detail which I can't ignore because I'm a pet owner - I still find it disturbing that Asian dramas treat house pets as decorations & portray them in situations bordering on neglect. A dog confined to an outdoor courtyard, alone, & in near freezing temperatures is not humane. There are no scenes of anyone in the household providing any care for the animal or interacting with it in any meaningful way. As Hong is an avid runner, why not take the dog running with her?

Doggy aside, the show was otherwise a delight to watch because of the two powerful performances.

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