A fun journey in which we cherish the friends we made along the way!
---------------The Feeling
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A week has gone by since the finale of the drama has aired and I have a bittersweet memory of watching this drama throughout its entire run. I started watching it when it had already aired 6-7 episodes and was getting all the buzz from viewers and rightly so. A heartfelt Rom-Com with great cast is a sure shot success these days at least internationally.
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The Phases
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Now, coming back to the drama, it can be divided into 2 phases. The first phase comprises of all the episodes till end of Ep 11 where a major conflict is resolved and all build up tension fades away and the second phase is all about the remaining episodes from Ep 12 till Ep 16. Fortunately the best phase of the drama from narrative and drama point of view is the former one that lasted longer than the weaker latter phase of the drama which only had fluffy romance and felt like a epilogue of some sort.
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The Title
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The drama superficially might look like as the title of the drama suggests it is "Love Next Door". But I can assure you that its more deeper than that. Currently, in India I live with my college friends in a high-rise apartment having 10 floors in which I don't even know about who lives next door. This is in stark contrast to my family home where everyone knows everyone and are deeply involved in everyone's lives to the extent that all trials and tribulations are faced together in the society.
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The Setting
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Similar to what I described above, at the very start of the drama we are introduced to a bunch of women who live in the same neighbourhood and have been friends for last 40 years. Not only them, many of their children went to the same school and are really close friends for past 30 years as well. Mainly we focus on the trio of childhood friends :-
a) "Seung Hyo" played by the very handsome Jung Hae In who is an lead architect in a start up
b) "Seok Ryu" played by the gorgeous diva Jung So Min who is a project manager and I can't tell further without going into spoiler territory
c) "Mo Eum" played by my current crush Kim Ji Eun who is a paramedic and works along side firefighters. Apologies in advance as I will not be able to give objective views when it comes to her as I am currently completely floored and enamoured by her beauty, sassiness and personality in all of her recent dramas.
Latter a fourth character "Dan Ho" also comes into the picture who is played by Yun Ji On and works as a reporter for a major Korean media outlet.
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The Plot
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The plot is a good one actually and you will be at the edge of your seats in certain moments and episodes praying for K-Drama Gods to save the day. I don't want to give any spoilers regarding any specifics but I will say one thing : there are many serious emotional themes and issues that are dealt very maturely in the drama which could trigger some strong response from the viewers. So keep that in mind that its not only about the 2 couples and their fluffy romance and waiting for when they will end up together. Its also about some issues we are facing as a society which we all need to work together to solve and make it a better place. Show some empathy and support your closed ones in their darkest times.
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The Jobs
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All 4 leads have different kinds of professions and due to very solid writing, we are able to deep dive into what motivated them into taking up that profession and we are also given first hand knowledge of how a normal day goes for them. I already knew much about the profession of news reporter, paramedic (from other K-Dramas) and project management (I work in the field of Computer Science) but this drama gave such a great portrayal of how architects work and the thought that goes into their creativity and theme of their designs. Its such a cool profession and the writer did a good job at peeking interest of the viewers into something which may look very mundane from outside but which is actually very challenging and interesting from the inside.
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The Chemistry
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Main Leads : Its not as explosive and electrifying as you want it to be. Its subtle at the start and slowly and slowly blooms into a mature flower which then blossoms as if its spring season. There is one swoon worthy scene in which the level of intimacy is severely levelled up for a K-Drama and for obvious reasons none of the viewers complained about it. The drama showcases the beauty of a childhood friendship that always had love and care embedded into it. Where 2 individuals support each other in their darkest as well as the brightest times together unaware of the fact they have always felt for each other but didn't bother to give a tag or name to this relationship and feeling.
Supporting Leads : They are hella cute together and their back and forth with each other complements the show so well that sometimes we as viewers are more interested in their relationship than the main couple for the reason that they form a bond from scratch in front of us and didn't had any past between them. As I told before, I am currently simping for Kim Ji Eun and can't take my eyes off her when she is on the screen and Uff! her personality as a paramedic is so likeable and respectable that in real life I would have completely devoted myself at her service as soon as we became friends. Apologies for the corny lines. Yun Ji On is one lucky MF who gets the chance to romance her on screen. I can't write good stuff about my love rival anyway. Ha Ha :-)
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The Family
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To be honest the USP of the drama is the relationship dynamics between the main characters and their family. Everyone playing the parents are veteran actors and they did their work wonderfully. The arguments, the quarrels, the drama, the making up after a verbal fight feels closer to my heart as it reminded me of my own family especially my parents and my elder sister. The strong bonds within a family and sometimes the situation when everything is pretty loose and tied by a thin thread of trust which if broken could lead to irreversible damage leading to collapse has been captured beautifully by the writer Shin Ha Eun.
There are scenes in the drama in which parents and their child are fighting over career decision and it is very similar to what we face on day to day basis in middle class Indian households. Even in India, stability of a conventional job after college takes priority over unconventional jobs that passionate kids want to pursue which leads to struggle between parents and their rebelling kids.
Shoutout to both Park Ji Young and Jun So Min for their stellar and heartwarming acting while performing as mother & daughter in some scenes where we as viewers were so engrossed in the drama feeling for both sides.
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The Shortcomings
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The longer length of the episodes (almost all are 80 min) is a serious issue here as in most of the cases you feel that the episode drags on unnecessarily and it would have been prevented by either chopping off the runtime of the episode or by recompiling the drama into a 21-22 Ep series each having 1 hour episode. The pacing is an issue and since this is a slow burn romance for the majority, the longer length will make you impatient quite a few times.
As already mentioned the first phase of the drama is superior to the second phase as the latter phase has no major conflict to resolve so it just becomes a feel good slice of life drama in the last few episodes barring few scenes. So, if thats your cup of tea then you will not mind but seriously for me it was too much. They could have structured the story in a better manner for the latter half in my opinion.
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The Review
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Overall its a good one time watch, nothing special about it apart from the family dynamics shown in the first 11 episodes and for people who likes romance its a stellar drama having great character writing which guarantees all the feels and swoons you expect from K-Dramas these days.
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Like Seok Ryu, maybe I deserve to cry too, maybe I deserve to heal too
Often times, we live in this world inside a big tall wall that we build ourself. We lock our dirtiest secret, most painful stories, our vulnerability inside of it. I lock the door from inside, then guard the key with my soul. I let nobody peek what I hide inside,But it always harder to hide what inside from a person that lurking around me even before I build that wall. They always accidentally see what shouldn't be seen. They always curious what hidden inside. They always know I inside, and if they care enough, they will knock the door, or in extreme, bam the door, break the wall.
That is a story of Bae Seok Ryu and Choi Seung Hyo. Two person that in one time of each their life decide to break each other wall.
.
Review is always subjective in nature, but I always try to put objective perspective and technical perspective as much as I can. But for this one, I'll skip most of it (I believe there is hundreds of review waiting to tell this perspective). I think this story is important to be told even with all the flaws it has.
There is a lot of Seok Ryu exist in this planet. Some of us lucky enough to have a Seung Hyo to break our wall, but a lot doesn't get to be that lucky. Maybe, just maybe, you can consider to make a little window for yourself. Let the sun shining on you. Let yourself watch when the rain pour outside.
And maybe, just maybe, a secret seed inside your heart can grow into a beautiful pomegranate tree.
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I have a mix of admiration and frustration when it comes to the writer.
This drama is absolutely worth your time, though it’s important to note that it isn’t a typical romcom. It’s more of a melodrama with elements of slice of life, and a dash of romance and humor. While no work is perfect (at least for me), I found it enjoyable. It made me both laugh and cry, and gave me plenty of those heart-fluttering moments. The beautiful promotions and the charming off-screen interactions between Haein and Somin only enhanced the experience, making it even more memorable for me as a viewer.<<>>
But I have to be honest, the writer seems lost here. It feels like she's wandering aimlessly, much like a person stumbling down a path without clear direction. I respect her attempt to make things relatable and realistic, but when it comes to the core element "romance" she completely missed the mark. The unnecessary twists she introduced really hurt the development of the main couple's relationship. Thier love story had so much potential but would have been more impactful if we also got her perspective, like when she began to fall for him or when she started seeing him as a romantic interest. Her love for him feels underdeveloped. Her actions alone aren't enough to convey that connection to me as a viewer; something crucial feels missing.......HER FREAKING POV, DAMN IT.
I don’t mean to sound negative, but I’m a bit let down by the writer. There were so many wonderful opportunities she could have explored, like the big event for the award and his injury. It would’ve been nice to see something like her shaving his face or a similar sweet moment. I’m just feeling a little frustrated!
On the other hand, his perspective is one of the most captivating in K-drama history. His character completely won me over; I especially appreciated how he had realistic layers, with his own flaws rather than being purely fictional. However, it was his actions and words towards her that were crafted so beautifully, and Haein’s brilliant performance elevated it even more.
● Note : Haein and Somin's authentic performances and incredible on-screen chemistry truly carried this show. While no disrespect is meant to the rest of the cast, it's undeniable that they were the key factor in its popularity.
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best 2024 friends zone to lover, slice of life vibes
heartwarming, blooming in kind of way, no up and down, characters are not toxic and stable, they have their own stand points which bring out the good characters between their personalities (I guess the MBTI plays a big part in this plot)throughout the story, Jung Hae In and Jung So Min never disappoints, they sure delivered! they did such a great job while bringing out the best of both sides of stories, I praise them for that. Director has got vissionaire that helps run the story smoothly (which made me finish the whole series in one day)
the pictures/scenery are really nice, I enjoy all the pictures frame and colors working in different scenes a lot
well done 💕
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slice of life with amazing chemistry must watch ignore haters
seriously i literally dropped most of kdrama this year so i wasn't excited about lnd too 🤣but i just start watching bcoz of somin i loved her old shows ik she is not going to dissappoint me
this show mix of all genres angst, slice if life, romantce, comedy, healing. story line us kinda slow but u r going to relate to each and every character. specially both fml i really loved their story. this show is about life is not always full of rises and star but everyone have their flaws how they recover from it
really really loved somin and haein chemistry they both literally carried this show with their on and off screen chemistry i seriously want to see them again in another drama they seriously look hot together
last its not typical kdramas full fake fantasies but more focus on real life struggle i kinda enjoyed it its in my top 3 in 2024 fav. drama
i hope somin and haein won best couple
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Meilleurs comédie romance 2024
Le point que j'aime le plus c'est que l'histoire est originale pour une romance. En plus que ce soit ZB1 qui fasse l'ost était une super idée. Chaque épisode m'a surpris, il y avait tellement de rebondissements. En terme de comique, c'est très drôle, certains drama dans leur genre est écrit comédie romantique mais ici on retrouve vraiment l'aspect comique. Je recommande vivement. Le casting est de très bonne qualité. J'aimerais voir l'acteur qui joue Danho avoir un rôle principal au moin une fois. Et qu'il prenne un autre rôle que l'homme discret et timide. J'ai mes beaucoup le fait qu'il est des lunettes aussi car souvent les acteurs privilégie les lentilles de contact au lunettes mais je trouve que cela rajoute du charme à cet acteur la. La jeune fille qui joue Yeondu a aussi une grande carrière sur son chemin, j'espère la revoir.Was this review helpful to you?
Love from the UK
I enjoyed Love Next Door even though I sometimes threw a cushion at the screen. It wasn't perfect but I would recommend everyone to watch it. I have looked forward to seeing it every week but I wish Netflix didn't hold back episodes like it does. I have watched other series on week nights which is a shame ...Actors from the smallest to the older were lovely and there were no weak links.
For scripting and direction, I hope there will be a part 2 - in which case I would like to see more passion and dialogue time for the main leads. If the parents can be nice in the end, there is no need for them to be like ogres in the beginning and being more human suited them.
Don't waste such gems like Jung Hae-min and Jung So-min - making them just kiss and hold hands for weeks and weeks when the poor lad has been waiting for years just doesn't seem realistic!
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Best RomCom of 2024 ???
Wow, I can't believe love next door is already over, Honestly, its been a really honour of watching this drama & it has become my comfort drama of 2024. Kudos to all actors and actresses for creating this masterpiece ❤️❤️🙏🙏.If you a big fan of romance, comedy, friends to lovers, slow burn, friendship, all this elements then you will really love this incredible drama. First of all, Jung Soo min and Jung Hae in a.ka Jung-Jung couple ❤️. These two chemistry throughout the drama was chemistrying like the bickering, their love and their humour was so awesome to watch. Second of all, our second couple Danho and Moeum was really amazing too, like i really love and adore their relationship,they were so funny and wholesome together. I would love to see them in another drama again..
And to the lavender sisters, I really wish i have the type of friendship they have, the bickering between our leads' mums were the best, they bicker but they still love each other like any other friendship and also the dads too aka drinking buddies, they were the best and so cute together. And our cute Yeondu, she slayed her role at such a young age. She is such an amazing actress and have a bright future ahead of her.
And other actors and actresses such as the exes of the leads, the child actors and actresses, all supporting roles, they did so amazing. 👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️❤️
Overall, you will enjoy this drama if you like the elements I stated in the intro, and most importantly enjoy the drama, the chemistry between the actors and actresses were really top notch🤎🔝🔝🔝 so you will love love love it.
Thank you for choosing to watch this if you haven't already and thank you for taking time to read my review. God bless you 🙏🙏
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Love Next Door did not disappoint; it turned out really great and became quite a decent melodrama with elements of a slice-of-life drama. Not everyone might like the story since some people could expect something else from the genre, but I was deeply satisfied and grateful for what this drama got me through.
The actor played the iconic role of the father to Bae Seokryu. I just couldn't help but cry in so many scenes because he acted so well. His naturalness and well-acted performance gave so much weight to those emotional moments in the show, much like the theme itself-a truthful theme in general. This is quite a drama that heavily relies on realism, and given that, it's bound to receive a mixed bag of opinions-some good and some not quite as great. However, I definitely stand on the positive side here, since the strengths of the series far outweigh its flaws.
But while it may prove slow for some viewers, the slow-burn romance develops organically and further adds to the drama's feel of realism. The way Seokryu and Seunghyo transitioned from childhood friends into something more flowed naturally and paralleled the subtlety of real-life relationships. It is a very realistic tale of family dynamics, friendships, and all those little yet strong moments that mold our lives.
There are those, of course, who would have liked a more conventional ending, but for me, this open-endedness worked. It allowed the characters to move on from what we had been seeing on screen. For anyone who can appreciate a drama that actually focuses both on emotional growth and subtle, significant moments, Love Next Door is rewarding.
Ultimately, it is a series of delicacies regarding everyday life, emotions, and personal ties. Although it may not be up to everyone's standard, the positives surely outweigh the negatives in this beautifully portrayed story.
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This review may contain spoilers
Achieving Your Dreams while Benefitting Others
Love Next Door isn’t just a love story between the leads, but also a touching exploration of love and compassion for others. Lifelong friends finally find their way to each other after 30 years of missed opportunities. Choi Seung Hyo, the male lead, achieves great success as an award-winning architect, though it wasn’t his first dream. His passion for swimming was cut short due to an injury, but his resilience and determination led him to a different kind of fulfillment.The female lead, Bae Seok Ryu, lived most of her life chasing her mother’s dreams, leading her to a personal and emotional breakdown despite achieving "success" in the States. Returning to Korea, she seeks to discover her own dreams and break away from her controlling mother. I loved how her childhood friend Seung Hyo supported and guided her toward her true passion—cooking.
However, I was upset when the writers introduced a stomach cancer storyline for Seok Ryu, which added tension to the rest of the drama. Though I was relieved there was no relapse, I found myself worried until the end. In the end, though, it became a meaningful reason for Seok Ryu to create healthy food for others who might face similar health challenges.
Ultimately, the dreams of both leads evolved into something bigger than themselves—doing good for others. Seung Hyo turned down big corporate projects to focus on architectural work that revitalized his older community, while Seok Ryu chose to cook healthy meals for everyone. The positive message that came through—that personal success is best when shared with and benefits others—is one that the world truly needs to hear.
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Close to Perfect
This drama was as close to perfect as you can get. It was laugh out loud funny, pulled at your heartstrings, and just felt smart. The leads had amazing chemistry and excellent banter. I truly believed that they were childhood besties who had grown slightly estranged because one of them had developed a massive yet poorly timed crush. The family dynamics felt very real and like many Korean families I know, from the types of expectations they have for their kids to the way they can bottle up emotions until they become explosive to the love and guilt and hopes they cherish for each other. The story really nailed all of the friendships, too - for both the parents and the children. There was a lot of affectionate arguing (which is extremely common in Korean households), the type where familiarity breeds affectionate insults (which could have been translated better, IMO, thank you Netflix) as well as unintended slights. It felt consistent in its themes and wrapped most everything up with a soft set of final episodes. I couldn't be happier!Was this review helpful to you?
everything happened too fast?
i won't say a lot because i can't fully remember everything BUT i felt that, after seunghyo confessed to seokryu everything was so fast, specifically when seokryu also confessed to him and listen, i understood that she was kinda into him when they were kids but i still felt that something was off. i wasn't expecting a lot about this drama because i'm not a big fan of childhood friends to lovers trope in dramas but it was okay.the good part from this drama was the dialogues, i loved them so much. specifically when moeum and seokryu confessed, they were so cute and made me so happy :(
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