Love Your Enemy

Love it

It's been a while since I've watched a kdrama and gave it over 8 rating.
And mostly I think it's because the old cast, not by age but by experience.
If you are an old kdrama fan, since 00s or so, it feels different to watch actors from that generation -the one that got famous in 00s or 2010s- like the two leads, you slightly feel nostalgic as if you are back to the time you first started watching kdramas.

Enough with this into now to get to the drama review.
Story is just flat normal enemies to lovers with nothing exceptional or unique, you have seen this story before and it's quite repetitive, but its 12eps only so if you started to get bored or anything because of the story at let's say ep9 or so you would only have to watch 3 more and that's it.

What I liked it that despite being repeated, the story is light, nothing to piss you off, even "bad" characters aren't that bad, either funny or just didn't appear much, it's all about the two leads which is the main reason this is hardly boring.

Cast was on point, I didn't think ji hoon would make me laugh like that, it's kinda odd as I always think of him as a serious actor who is too stiff but have a funny side, he surprised me here, and I can't love him more.

It's a very good drama if you want to get sucked back into mid to late 00s romcoms that depends mainly on funny leads with simple story ~~

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The real monster of this story is the female friend...

Love Your Enemy

Genre: Romance
Episodes: 12
Streamed on: Viki

Plot Summary:

Jiwon and Jiwon were born at roughly the same time, and grew up frenemies from the crib. With a family rivalry that resemble the Montague’s and Capulets, they’re pretty much destined to be at odds.

Well no-one gave them the memo and they fall in love. 18-year-old love being what it is they end up in a fight and an almost fatal disagreement between the elders (and some psycho supposed friend) separates them for 18 years.

Meeting again as enemies shenanigans ensue that can hopefully mend the hurt of the past and maybe even rekindle old flames.

Characters & Cast:

Main Characters:

Ok, so we got:

- Ju Ji Hoon
- Jung Yu Mi
- Oh Ye Ju
- Hong Min Ki

all playing older and younger Ji Won’s lol


- Villains:

Sure there was the whole property fraud and negligent homicide thing but actually, the real monster of this story is this b!@#$ female friend. Just… Wow… probably isn’t technically a crime, but it should be.

Best of OST:

There’s just something about this track that keeps me coming back to it. Something in the vocals.
https://youtu.be/92B0Nb14C-s?si=oi75OYkdpw-lXiKT

This has the sound of a classic. I could chill to this for hours…
https://youtu.be/lDMLRtMD_r0?si=jSFUw7PaTPMsvnNN

This track almost has me in tears…
https://youtu.be/KJT1lvp2rgQ?si=VhGYafdwPffkjajl

Okay, so not every track is a banger, but as a whole this is a great OST, and with the few amazing tracks, this OST is really elevated.
https://youtu.be/SgiETOXwsGk?si=fefoYeCaX7wDUJid

Re-watch:

**Would I watch it again?**
Yeah, this was a really touching drama. I’m close to the adult characters age too and feel their struggles.

**Would I watch it with my brother?**
For the sheer audacity of Kim Ye Won’s character I’d try, but this isn’t his bag.

**Would I watch it with my kid?**
Yes, I think this show would be really good to watch with my daughter.

Final Thoughts:

I felt the heartbreak. And the 18 year regret. I feel really bad for my main characters. I was really touched when the FL basically discovered his actions over the years and promised to make it up to him. This drama was a tight 12 episodes with hardly any fat. I’d recommend it for sure.

Rating:
8.9/10

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Finally, a true romcom!

This was really cute overall even though it took me a while to finish.

Love Your Enemy tells the story of Yun Jiwon (FL) and Seok Jiwon (ML) (whom I will call "Yunji" and "Seokji" going forward to avoid confusion; thanks Dramabeans for the easy monikers) who grew up as childhood frenemies that fall in love as teens before separating and reuniting as adults, this time as enemies. To make it worse, their families are also at war with each other; the high school where Yunji is a teacher was chaired by her grandfather until Seokji's father took over and now plans to build a golf course on the land, and of course, Yunji's grandfather is absolutely against it.

My major issues with this drama is that it had a lot of moving parts, and yet everything felt disjointed. There's Yunji and Seokji's beef, and of course the beef between their families (particularly Seokji's dad and Yunji's grandfather) is at the background, but it never really felt like the issues between their families had much bearing on their own relationship.

I thought the villain of the story was set up okay, but honestly was that plotline needed? It just seemed like a distraction from what I was truly there for, which is Yunji and Seokji's reconciliation, and not even a very interesting distraction at that.

Then there's the main conflict, which is between Yunji and Seokji, but imo how they got back together wasn't really as coherently handled as I would've liked. There's so much backstory between them and in terms of what caused their break-up as teens, but it's never really properly addressed when they get back together; even with the copious amounts of flashbacks it still feels like what happened when they were teens and what's happening between them as adults happened to two different people. And the main cause of their break-up was glossed over so quickly and easily that it almost makes me wonder what the point of everything was. Also, for instance, why did Yunji decide to be a teacher, out of all professions? There's just so many disconnects in the story.

The love triangle, as with most K-dramas, was absolutely pointless. I really didn't see the point of the 2ML except to make the ML jealous; they set his character up quite nicely with the backstory he has with Yunji and his own trauma/struggles, but then it's never really used in the story until the end when he randomly decides he's going to return back to swimming? I also didn't care too much for the school politics; the beef between the dad and grandpa had more potential but again it's not really integrated into the story that well.

Anyways the best parts of the drama to me were Yunji and Seokji, both as teens and adults. I only wish their romance was better written. I thought the acting was pretty okay overall; really enjoyed watching Ju Jihoon's comeback to romcom, even though it was a bit awkward seeing him trying to act funny sometimes. Jung Yumi's portrayal as adult Yunji was a bit unconvincing, especially when she's still annoyed with Seokji. But they eventually both grew on me. The younger actors playing their teen versions were really good though; the younger cast as a whole was quite excellent, even though, again, what's the point of their stories (the teens in present day)?

I also wasn't really a fan of the casual physical abuse from Seokji's father; it felt at odds with the rest of the story and he's not really held accountable for that. In fact their whole family dynamic really confused me; I think it needed more fleshing out.

Overall though, Love Your Enemy is a pretty low-stakes watch, which is what I expect from my romcoms. The most dramatic parts happen in the last two or three episodes and are honestly easy to skip over. I really hope to see more romcoms with older actors, but hopefully with less miscommunication.

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Watch this Amazing series with Direct Link and Enjoy Must Watch

After indulging in countless Korean dramas filled with dramatic tension and unpredictable plot twists, this particular series offers a delightful change of pace. It weaves a charming narrative that unfolds slowly and delicately, emphasizing heartwarming moments and playful interactions between characters, rather than delving into the more intense and heavy emotional themes commonly found in many other shows.

This refreshing approach fosters a warm and inviting atmosphere that resonates with viewers, akin to the beloved series "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim." The interactions are lighthearted and engaging, filled with humor and relatable situations that bring a smile to your face. Each episode feels like a gentle hug, making it a truly uplifting viewing experience. Overall, this show stands out as a feel-good gem, perfect for anyone looking to escape into a world of sweetness and joy.

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I'm a sucker for romcoms but these past years people are drawn too much in kdramas they're too biased with the casts that they forgot judgement and make lame kdramas popular. This is why i don't trust people's recommendations. This drama was aired the same time as When The Phone Rings and people were more drawn to that than this. People like wattpad crap so went more to that and it went so bad. I AM A VICTIM LOL. I can't even imagine how bad that was. It's messy I can't stand it. I hate my past self. I put this feel good drama over a garbage. Anyways, I love this. Obviously. I love the chemistry between the younger self and the old ones. I love how they did not drag a plot too much since theres a lot going on. My new feel good drama. I cannot believe kdrama can still produce good romcoms. Thanks to webtoon honestly lol.

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Cliché

This drama started out...decent...it wasn't extremely captivating or unique and i remember watching the first 5mins and thinking it was a low budget drama and clicked out...that was until i saw on MDl that Ju ji-hoon was part of the cast (that was when i realized it wasn't a web drama tbh)...So I went back and watched it and I finished it with mixed feelings.

THE GOOD:
1. the younger cast had great chemistry and they embodied their characters really really well...tbh I wish they kept the youth part a bit longer rather than short flashbacks
2. The redemption arc of many characters
3. Pretty decent chemistry

THE BAD:
1. The friend gaining/losing feelings was rushed....she was manically in love with ml but after she gets to know ml and fl are dating she just forgets about them? makes no sense.
2. The comedy was not funny, they overused the grandpa's feud to make it seem funny but it felt really boring and i found myself skipping those scenes with fervor
3. Random characters randomly being introduced for no good reason and there was too much going and no real direction
4. The chemistry between the adults was just not there- I couldn't sense the spark of attraction when they reunited after so many years nor feel any real romantic tension until just before they started dating
5. The characters experience waay too many cliches and it was very predictable
6. Unnecessary 2leads
7. Very forgettable, no impactful scenes

All in all it wasn't horrible, infact it was a textbook version of enemies to lovers, wouldn't recommend it to everyone, still if you are in the mood for enemies to lovers this won't particularly disappoint you (though I can't guarantee you'll love it)

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Middle-Aged Romcom I'm In.

As I grow into an adult, I found a pure romance drama is not my cup of tea anymore. I do watch, but I don't find the thrill between the lovely chemistry of the main lead or the cute plot that many people fall in love with. But!! Love Your Enemy just dragged me back to the feeling of blanket-kicking, giggling, butterfly-on-my-stomach effect while watching the flashbacks of the main lead (both Jiwon) during teenage year and unfold new story again together as adults (or the past just never gone). It reminds me that a simply good plot with extraordinary actor and actress who pull perfect chemistry can be a very fun and healing drama as well. For me not only Ju Jihoon and Jung Yumi (their chemistry no doubt, hits the roof) but Hong Mingi and Oh Yeju who played younger Jiwons, give a very significant point on why I love this drama so much. It feels very nice that I can enjoy a romcom drama after awhile without getting bored until last episode!

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There’s still no hope to raise expectations

I really enjoy the tension and bickering in relationships driven by love and hate. It usually adds a fun dynamic, and you find yourself eagerly waiting for that spark to ignite. However, I found the behavior of the two adult characters in this show quite childish. It seems like they haven't moved on from high school. After 18 years, shouldn't they have gained a bit of maturity? I thought that was kind of ridiculous.

I haven't seen enough chemistry between the couple yet; their younger selves were way more exciting to me. It feels a bit early to do a deep dive into the story, but I definitely need more details about their past. Otherwise, it’ll just feel like a high school romance that was never resolved. They may have loved each other a lot, but with all those years gone by, life should have brought them some adulthood. It’s like there was a time skip, and they’re still stuck in the same year. But hey, they're 18 years older now, lol. Like, after they graduated high school, time just stopped, and then 18 years later, they picked up right where they left off. No matter what happens in their relationship, they should be able to handle it more maturely now. One's a teacher and the other's an architect, so it's really not that hard, right? :)))


I found the performances of the male and female leads a bit over-the-top. I hope we get to see more of how their lives went on while they were apart.


I’ll keep watching, but I just hope the story becomes a bit more grounded.

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