Love Next Door

When Friendship Should’ve Stayed Friendship

I went into this for two of my all-time favourite actors, half-expecting to be let down, and sadly, I was. It’s one of those shows that proves not every long time friendship needs to turn romantic. Seok-ryu and Seung-hyu were much better off as friends.

What worked (for me):
The second leads easily outshined the main couple. I was far more invested in them. Seok-ryu is a strong, resilient character (as much as the script allows), and her journey had real weight. Her friendship with Mo-eum was a highlight - warm, supportive, and believable. Performances across the board were solid, with Hyun-jun’s quiet loyalty standing out. I also appreciated that the show at least attempted to touch on mental health and its impact on relationships, even if it didn’t go deep. Mo-eum and Yeon-du were adorable together.

What didn’t (for me):
The romance just didn’t land. Once they got together, it became a string of cheesy, overused tropes. Character consistency went out the window. Stoic, grounded characters suddenly started behaving out of character for convenience. The writing also took shortcuts: years of resentment and misunderstanding resolved in a single conversation felt unearned.

The male lead, in particular, was frustrating - emotionally immature, avoidant, and prone to making everything about himself. His reaction to her trauma was especially off-putting, and unfortunately, her mother wasn’t much better in that regard. The contrast with the best friend’s simple, empathetic response made it even more glaring.

Pacing didn’t help either. The story dragged unnecessarily. This would’ve been far stronger as a 12-episode drama instead of 16. And the casual use of outdated tropes (like the “it’s okay if he’s gay” logic) felt jarringly regressive.

Overall:
Started strong, then steadily went downhill after the first third. A frustrating watch by the end. The performances are the only reason it holds up as much as it does.

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Difficult to review this one

Things I loved:

1 The scenes from the past. They were well done and the little children were adorable. Their relationship was great.

2 The little girl, the niece of the 2ML. Great actress and such a cute child. The character as well was great.

3 The friendship between the FL and the 2FL. It felt real.

4 The last episode. I think it was one of the best along with the one titled sweet love. The ending was moving and funny and rewarding for those who spent so much time watching this long series. I loved how they gave us a glimpse of everyone's future and current life.

5 The partner of the ML in the architectural firm. I loved his character. He was necessary to break some over the top seriousness sometimes.

6 The actress of the ML. What a beautiful woman and good actress. Actually I liked most of the acting. I think they were all quite good.

7 The will of the male leads and the partner to help the old lady with her house and then preserve the neighborhood.

Things I liked:

1 Even though the women could be annoying and their fight were sometimes ridiculous, I think their friendship was great. When needed they were there for each other.

2 I also like the siblings relationship. I have two sisters and two brothers and we love each other to death but we can fight and their relationship reminded me especially the one between my younger sister and younger brother. They don't hit each other but they can tease each other mercilessly.

3 I liked that she changed careers and went for what she dreamed.

4 I liked the ex of the FL. He was a kind person and I was sorry he had to go through all this.

5 I liked the relationship between the brother and the girl from the firm. It was sweet and I'm happy to imagine them together in the future.

6 I liked the ex of the ML. Beautiful and poised and also a decent human being.

7 I liked the second couple, I just didn't love it. But compared to other series where I don't care at all for them there it was quite good.

Things I disliked:

1 The clothes the ML wore. What the heck? Sometimes he looked like a child in men's clothes. So distracting and stupid to overlook this. Don't they have eyes?

2 The relationship between the fathers was over the top sometimes. I mean I understand the drinking, but what the heck? Almost every encounter between them was around a bottle of alcohol. Their reactions were more ridiculous than endearing sometimes.

3 The scarce the mother of the ML had. It was underdeveloped and frankly idiotic. It was an insult to those who truly have issues actually. They should have found something else to write about.

4 The fights between the women. Over the top as well and so unnecessary. Drama just for the sake of drama.

5 The nonsensical theme of the restaurant that never had any clients and yet he's supposed to have enough money to support his family. That didn't make sense from the start.

6 I hated that the FL wasn't playful enough, that she didn't show how much he loved him. We saw some glimpses but it was mostly him and that bothered me. I don't know. Sometimes I felt they had chemistry especially when they saw something from the past or when they bickered at the beginning but it never really felt like they were crazy in love and that's important to me when there's romance. So I don't know what to think about their chemistry.

Things I hated:

1 That it was advertised as a rom com and that it wasn't. I hate when I start a series with certain expectations to get disappointed and this one disappointed me even though it was well done. It still wasn't a rom com.

2 The cancer story. Too heavy and although emotional and had its place in a drama it hadn't any place in a rom com.

3 I hated with the passion of thousand suns the words the NL led used before they had sex. I hope it was just the translation because if he really referred to having sex and especially with someone you're supposed to be in love for thirty years as unhealthy thoughts and bad thoughts, they all need to see a psychiatrist. I don't see the need to use such vocabulary. I may not care to see explicit scenes in a series but for heavens' sake behave like adults. There's no romantic relationship without the need to be physically with someone you love. Otherwise it's called friendship. There's nothing unhealthy, bad or I don't know what other stupid word he used to describe how he felt.

4 I also hated the way the main couple but also the second couple in some way behaved. We are talking about people who are 34, not 15, not 20, not 25. 34. And they can't talk about their relationship as adults? They can't express how much they want each other and how much they love each other as adults? They behave as if the were 15. Lamentable. This is the first series in which the couples were so old and behaved so juvenile.

5 I hated that the series made it sound like the parents could ever have any saying in the relationship of their 34 year old children. I get the families that are close and that are interfering in each other's lives but here ridiculousness reached a new height. And really for a year after they got together they didn't live together? What the heck? That's why I said it's difficult to review this series. So many things I liked but also so many I disliked. It started well but got lost somewhere on the road.

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The milk never expired.

Okay, before i talk about the story. The leads in this drama are absolutely, breathtaking. The visuals are off the chart. We are probably not going to see the jung jung couple anytime soon. But they gave their full potential. Amazing chemistry with the leads.

This drama has everything a "drama genre" will have. The parents, the situations, the visuals, everything was very cliché. But it was done good.

The family was the main thing that this drama is in a drama genre. They gave their own problems, and even push their problems to their kids.

The ex was just there as a purpose for seok ryu to go back , and he was just there to make seung hyo confess. They gave him a super confusing role. But , the way i switched sides when they showed that he didn't cheat. Like poor man , I was hating on him for nothing. Bro lost a diamond though (Seok ryu)

Seok ryu had the most confusing, realistic and the most frustrating role in the drama. Her having a break down with her mom was super sad to see, the sibling partiality was shown so good, it felt real and it makes you feel bad for her.

Seung hyo is the whole reason I didn't drop this drama midway, cause i mean mannnn, the edits of him flooded my feed after watching this drama, and i ain't complaining!!. I felt so bad for him in the whole drama, like imagine the girl you loved, your bestfriend growing up hid that she had cancer. (Gosh his acting when he found out.) I mean I also was frustrated, i mean this man loved her for a decade without confessing. He stole the show for being an absolute hottie .

This is the first drama I LOVED the second leads. I need a whole drama for them. Their relationship was so cute. The paramedic girl (Mo eum ) and her mudflats man (Dan ho). Their first kiss was kinda awkward, Since they showed a guy grieving for his late wife to Mo eum, and this girl kisses him and runs. And we found out that Dan ho is not the actual father to Yeon du , very cliché but thank God they added that or else their first kiss would've been so awkward. Mo eum was amazing character, the cool kid i would love to be type, smart and an absolute baddie. Dan ho was an amazing parent to Yeon do, that made him so hot.

The parents love story was different genre. I mean them literally writing the drama queen of tears as seung hyo's parents. It felt like actual hae in and baek hyun woo when their old. Anyways I wished they focused more on the main leads though.

The relationship of Dong min (seok ryu's brother) and the gym girl (the one who had a crush on seung hyo) was disappointing , they could've made them date. I loved how the gym girl was a girl's girl and not a scheming one you typically see in other dramas

The drama went downhills when their exes came. I mean I loved seung hyo's ex , she was way better conveying her feelings than Hyun jae . Although she did kinda frustrated me when she was stealing seok hyo from seok ryu slightly. But it made them realise their feelings so I ain't complaining again.

And they kinda threw that cancer part again they just needed a reason for them to fight. The ex not cheating, made the story better. Cause seok ryu was having a hard time moving on, at first i was annoyed, Girl i know it will take time to move on, butttt he freaking cheated on you??!. Then they showed that he's not a cheater but an green flag. I mean okay i kinda get you girl.

Her ex , was a mix of emotions. I'm sure everyone has their ups and downs , but the difference between him and seung hyo is , seung hyo is ready to hit rock bottom with her, so he could tell her she's not alone, but Hyun jae wasn't ready to do that. I respect it though, it's human nature, just because your girlfriend has cancer doesn't mean you have to mourn and devote yourself to her all day.

Some of the quotes I loveddd:

"My mom and dad didn't come to meet but as i looked at the girl who skipped her exams for me, I realised after meeting Bae seok Ryu, There wasn't a time when I didn't like her" -Choi Seung Hyo

"Don’t force yourself to laugh if you feel like crying.” — Choi Seung-hyo

"That milk expires today but my feelings for you won’t spoil tomorrow or the day after.” – Choi Seung Hyo

"Without you, time seems to drag on… Without you, every day feels bland.” – Bae Seok Ryu

"It feels unfair that there isn’t an expression better than I love you. Because that’s how much I love you.” – Choi Seung Hyo

SEE HOW MOST OF THE GOOD QUOTES WERE SAID BY SEUNG HYO, HE PRACTICALLY CARRIED THE DRAMA.
This drama is truly good for the romance, they're chemistry , the visuals, the acting, and the story was well written. I will recommend this drama to person who like slow burn with awesome chemistry.

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I wish it had less unnecessary drama

Tbh this had more drama than comedy, at least before the 11th episode. I was struggling to watch it until that episode because of how much unnecessary drama was added. Because of that I think it has a very low rewatch value. As much as I love the story and the casting, the music was pretty underwhelming. Nothing special. And I was actually pretty dissapointed with the last episode, I wish we had gotten a proper 1 year time-skip so we could've seen the wedding and Moeum and Danho meeting again. Besides that I'm happy with the closure we got from all the plotlines that were going on, and the episodes from 11th to 16th were really enjoyable. I just wish I had enjoyed the other episodes as much, which I really couldnt because of how annoyed I got from the drama lol.

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Second lead couple stole the show

So first of all, this drama started off really fun and interesting. i loved the main actress so much! This was my first time seeing her in a drama and I was totally swooning 😍 she was so beautiful and cool!
At the beginning seeing her hide from her parents was funny too but then het mom beating her up made me feel SOOO annoyed!!! Such a toxic relationship!!! I also just in general hated how ALL the mothers were behaving!!! are they grown adults or teenagers?? it was just ridiculous at times and NOT funny at all.
Another thing I didn’t quite like is all the cringy lovey dovey scenes. It was a bit too much tbh.
I did like her wanting to become a chef tho. That was a very pleasant twist. And for me the real highlight was the second couple, The best friend and her neighbor who is the “dad” of the little girl. That was suchhhhh a wholesome storyplot and I wish we saw more of them rather than the main couple being cringey and over-the-top 😅

All in all the drama did have a few good points but in general it didnt excite me much and i also didn’t really get much out of it.

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Honestly, I don’t really know how to feel about this show. I had a great time watching it and loved almost everything, except for the character Bae Seok Ryu. I just couldn’t root for her or feel any sympathy. She comes across as childish, arrogant, and aggressive.

Jung Hae In has worked with actresses like Son Ye Jin (Something in the Rain) and Han Ji Min (One Spring Night), where the chemistry was explosive. Those pairings made me believe in the romance and really cheer for the characters. That just didn’t happen here. The chemistry between Jung Hae In and Jung So Min was honestly pretty meh.

Instead, I spent the whole series rooting for Mo Eum (Kim Ji Eun) and Dan Ho (Yun Ji On). Ji Eun and Ji On are absolutely adorable together. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their interactions feel sincere, genuine, and believable. Mo Eum ended up being my favorite character. If there were ever a spin-off about her and Dan Ho, I’d definitely watch it.

On top of that, the supporting cast is fantastic and often stole the spotlight. I loved the “Lavenders” and their friendship. Park Ji Young and Jang Young Nam, playing the mothers of the leads, gave outstanding performances. Even the fathers won me over. Their initially reserved friendship blossomed into them becoming total besties, which was so fun to watch.

So, even though I wasn’t really invested in the main couple, the show still explores the complexities of love, friendship, and family beautifully. It delivers plenty of heartfelt stories and romances that warm your heart, balancing the funny moments with deeper emotional beats.

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Holy Grail Drama

Having watched this drama the 4th times and I would probably rewatch this again in many more years to come, this drama no doubt sits in my holy Grail list.

Evaluating a drama based on its rewatch value is an interesting concept. Most dramas would not last repeated evaluation and scrutinization. Even harder if the drama is able to evoke the same feelings and tension on a rewatch. This drama does these for me. Big time. I still cry like a baby on some of the scenes. And I watched with glee when the leads finally connect romantically.

Jung So Min is just so so amazing. I remember really loving her in Alchemy of Souls and the major disappointment when her role was switched to a different actress on the second season. She has the most expressive and beautiful eyes. They carry myriad of emotions, and in this drama, straddled happiness and sadness with such talent and conviction.

Each time I watch this drama I noticed new things that I love. The 4th time round I really enjoyed the gentle and kind nature of the journalist who conducted interviews. His questions were so on point.

The Lavender group a major star in this cast too. They are almost as good as my fabulous Reply 1988 family.

Watch this if you have not seen it. I have seen some negative comments about this drama and I am not entirely sure why. It tugs my heartstrings repeatedly and I really wish there are more dramas like this, as well as more of Jung So Min.

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I cannot watch anymore of this.

I don't even know what to say if I'm being honest.

It started great. It had been a while since I last watched a K-drama, so I felt very excited watching the first episode, then things started going downhill FOR ME the moment it was revealed to us that the ml likes the fl. I understand why he's reluctant to tell her how she feels, but I've seen this story A BILLION times before! Moreover, I don't like how he started treating her like trash in order to distance himself from him, in response to having realised his feelings. The worst part is that the FL just kept taking all his BS and kept chasing after him, I understand why she did that, but personally, it's not something I intend to tolerate any further.

Another reason why I have decided to drop this show is because of the same old tactic - throwing in exes whenever the candle won't burn any longer. Like, please, can we move on from this guys?

I normally prefer to complete shows whether I like it or not, but at the moment I'm too irritated to do so. I will most probably finish this drama at some point, considering that, as a serial K-drama binger, there's nothing else for me to watch lol, I may even have much better things to say about this drama when I have reached the end. However, at the moment, I'm considering dropping it for a while.

Note: This is not to say that the whole show is completely terrible, as I have not watched all the episodes yet. I may even be venting out all the frustration shared by many viewers at some point who have good reviews of the show. Therefore, watch it or not? It's 50/50.

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You need to use the right ingredients for a food, and it was missing from this drama!

Everything started out good, until the cancer plot! The writer ruined the whole show with that storyline. Why? Well, because it doesn't make sense at all. She said, they removed 70% of her stomach, but we have never seen her struggling with her illness more than once, and that was all about a stupid love triangle as well! I'm pretty sure we've seen her eating food that she shouldn't eat. Anyway, it wasn't realistic.

Their chemistry was great as friends, but after they became a couple, it was awkward most of the time. When they were bickering, it was fun, but all the unnecessary drama was frustrating.

For me, the secondary couple was 10 times better! It was more realistic and original.

The story with the parents was also madness, but sometimes, it was really fun, until they included Alzheimer storyline, and they didn't do anything with that either.

This show don't deserve a high rating, because it feels like the writer wanted to do so many things, but other than the romance plot, she didn't finish anything else.

EVERYONE in this show is CRAZY and an IDIOT! The only character with a functional brain is the little girl.

I want to mention this, because the main plot is basically the romance. All of these characters are 30+ year olds, yet, they're still acting like teens. I usually don't care about these things, but the kissing scenes were boring, so to speak. I don't even know if we can call those real kissing scenes.

Most of the time, the writing was over the top, and too much!

So yeah, it was a disappointment, BUT if you don't think about the plot too much, it's a fun show, but forgettable.

If you watched one romance Kdrama, they won't surprise you. I knew what's gonna happen from miles away. One of the most predictable show.

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