Dynamite Kiss

Oh what a mess

The first episodes where intense and good and the story was decent. But then it started to derail and the last episode was the epitome of comedy.

First of all, the story starts with Da-rim's sister stealing their family's money. Throughout the episodes she's not even mentioned once, and mind you she's the reason the plot exists (Da-rim goes to Jeju because of her wedding, joins Natural Bebe because they don't have money, etc). Finally when the writers decide to acknowledge her existence in the last episode, Da-rim goes to Jeju island to search for her but then somehow forgets she went there to search for her sister. This is a huge plot hole that I cannot ignore, even for a Rom-com.

Second, I strongly disliked the dynamic of the second couple. In the beginning of the drama, Kim Mu-jun's character was very charismatic and likeable, partly because he seemed to be a good father, however the writers messed up on his storyline when they decided to make him Da-rim's love interest. I do understand that human feelings change and someone can develop something stronger when the situation feels threatened (as in, the appearance of Jang Ki-yong's character in their life disrupted their relationship dynamic thus developing jealously), and because of this I will forgive the writers for how they handled it. However, the second female lead storyline was a mess. Starting from the beginning, she'd always beg for Seon-u attention even though he clearly stated numerous times that he didn't want anything with her. But surprise surprise, they end up together in the last episode. You can say that it was implicit after Ha-yeong went to search for his child, however after denying her several times, it just doesn't make any sense for them to have a relationship. And that last scene in the gallery with the foreigner? That was very awkward.

Third, well, let's talk about that last episode. What a mess. The memory loss was really unnecessary, they could've taken more time to develop another part of the story. What happened to Tae-yeong's investigation in the last episode? Was he guilty or not? Why even showing Ji-hye's police statement if that plot was not developed? Did she feel remorse in the end? I guess we will never know. There were things I liked, such as Jang Ki-yong's mother getting the company in the end (sweet revenge) and the TF team member's getting together and having a baby (wholesome and I wish they showed us more about their relationship).

There were too many time jumps in the last episode and too many undeveloped storylines for my taste. They could've easily created an entire second season with that last episode but I guess Netflix didn't give them the green light.

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Wasted Potential

I was really excited for this show and enjoyed the first few episodes immensely, but unfortunately, it didn't hold up.

Storyline: 7/10
There's nothing really extraordinary about this show's storyline, but frankly that's exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a simple rom-com to pass the time. This show starts out reminiscent of 2017-2018 era K-dramas in terms of how it's filmed and the overall vibe. It's packed full of well-loved cliches: misunderstandings, fake relationships, chaotic love triangles/squares. It starts out SO good, but it falls flat. The main misunderstanding of this show, in my opinion, should've been dealt with by the halfway mark at ep 7. Instead, they drag it out too long and ruin the funny chaos with unneccesary angst. I guess it's meant to make you think the story is "deep" but it's really annoying. The thing is that this show never really "commits" to whether it wants to be a lighthearted drama or a meaningful one, so it ends up not really saying or meaning anything. You think they'll make a point about how hard it is to be a working mom, or the effects of cheating on families, etc. They build you right up to it and then...walk back away. And frankly, it's frustrating to watch a show that doesn't know what message it's even trying to send you. All they had to do was keep things lighthearted and silly and it would've likely been a hit. Very disappointing.

Acting: 9/10
I will be honest, I watched this show for Ahn Eun Jin. I LOVE her acting, I think she's phenomenal in everything she does from Hospital Playlist to My Dearest and everything in between. She plays Go Darim in a way that's awkward and endearing but refreshing at the same time. As for Jang Ki Yong, I've only seen him in My Roomate is a Gumiho, and I frankly was not a big fan of that show. But I also think his acting was incredible from the episodes I've watched. He does it all: the dramatic pouting, the jealousy, the yearning. He pulls it all off incredibly well. The supporting actors are lovely as well. It's really disappointing that the story unfolds in such a messy and meaningless way, because it's a waste of two capable actors who also have great chemistry. Such a shame!!

Music: 8/10
As I always say, I'm not a big OST person but it was fine so 8/10.

Rewatch Value: 1/10
If I could give this a 0 I would, but I can't so I'm going to give it a 1. I wouldn't re-watch this show even if someone paid me.

Overall: 6.5/10
The most disappointing drama I've watched all year. It's got all the things you'd expect from a classic fan-favourite rom-com Kdrama, and yet the writers fumbled it so badly. Save your time and sanity and don't watch this.

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should have been called The Clumsy & Injured Woman not Dynamite Kiss.

I've never seen a woman get injured so many times... a record...

it should have been called The Clumsy & Injured Woman not Dynamite Kiss... is absolutely disappointing...

So many accidents, injuries... nothing profund... so many clichés, unfinished storyline... so superficial and haotic...Ridiculous, annoying, boring, disappointing, messy, rushed, and extremely cliche.

Yes, we have a Green Flag Man. The chemistry between FL & ML is fire, is Dynamite. But after the first two episode they have lost the script.

The SML did not deserve any relationship with SFL. She deserved better. She was so lovely and treating him so nice, and he did not deserved her.

​​I'm tired of so many rescues, emotionally immature women. It had mega potential, their chemistry could have been a mega drama, both are very good actors.. but the script was absolutely horrible.

The chemistry between the main couple carried this drama. That's why has so much success. Otherwise it was a 6.7 raiting.

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Adorable and Likable Rom Com

If you are into the son of a Chaebol-type of romantic Kdrama, you will enjoy this one. I enjoyed it very much and glued myself to Netflix as soon as each episode dropped. Just a warning, in my review there are some major spoilers.

Strengths of the story:
1. The couple didn't hate each other in the beginning, they were just thrown into an awkward situation and mutually used each other to their self-serving benefits. The spoiled, rich, self-serving Chaebol son fell first, fell hard, and pursued her relentlessly.
2. The story flowed nicely from one point of tension to another. There were subplots that were also interesting. There were few awkward transitions between scenes, and few unnecessary scenes that were placed into the storyline to make it longer but didn't seem to fit. Most of these came in the final episode which I've discussed below.
3. The best part of this story...the likability of the characters. I really like all the characters, even the secondary ones and the nefarious ambition-driven ones. You will enjoy the two main leads. They both have high likability, no annoying qualities, and you find you just want to hang with them and drink some soju.
4. The story ended in a circular fashion that was very satisfying. The writer did manage to wrap up most of the storylines by the ending. It's always fun to stay tuned at the end to see how the credits are given. Some writers and directors do this in a fun and creative style and this did not disappoint. Don't just turn it off with that last kiss and smile, watch through the credits. You'll enjoy what you see.

Weaknesses of the story:
1. What happen to the sister???? I thought we were going to find out, but the writer just left that hanging. It's not a big deal as she was a minor figure, but still....
2. The amnesia part was stupid. This type of thing, unfortunately, is par for course with Kdramas. Unnecessary plot lines to fill the story to the right number of episodes.
3. The last episode was the weakest of them all. It was full of awkward ways and unnecessary haracters to tell the story. The most awkward was the complete stranger talking to Seon U at his photo exhibit. I know this was done to wrap up his storyline with Ha Yeong, but this was major cringy.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable Kdrama, so give it try. This was my first drama watching Jang Ki Yong. He did well in his leading man role, and gave all the female viewers a swoon, including me. My favorite however was Ahn Eun Jin. She was a main actress in one of my all time favorite dramas, More Than Friends. She doesn't have to over act to deliver. Part of her strength as an actress are the subtle facial expressions, and being able to communicate feelings through her eyes. If you want to see more of her work, I highly recommend More Than Friends. Totally different from the Chaebol-son Rom Com, it is a slow-burn drama with a great ensemble cast that gives a message that self-love is important to be able to share love with another.

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Stupid, but somewhat watchable?

I have had so many contradicting opinions on this drama, Immediately hated it and almost dropped it within the first few minutes and only stayed because Jang Kiyong is so beautiful that I couldn't look away and I'm glad I did because the first 2 episodes are fantastic up to that last part where the most idiotic misunderstanding was introduced, I truly cannot care how urgently you must go, taking a few seconds to knock on a door or at least write a note is the logical reaction, but drama land is what it is...

The storyline is cliché to the max, love triangle where the second male lead is by far the best choice, fake relationships, misunderstandings you name it, this drama has it, I have despite that been actively watching because it is funny, is inoffensive and entertaining.

I am though greatly disappointed about what happened in episodes 11-12. the first being, Kim Seonu perfect beautiful Seonu waiting until the last second to reject Yoo Hayoung, that conversation should've happened the moment she expressed interest in him, I'm disappointed but still believe he's the best and second the last secret is unacceptable there is no reality in which something like that would be and I truly cannot understand why instead of yelling at her, firing her they had Jihyeok's father slap her in front of everyone to make it even worse.

This mess of a series is finally over and I should've listened to my first instinct, although it was entertaining at some point it eventually felt like a chore. To be completely honest I skipped through most of the last two episodes just to get it over with, it could've been great but as most rom-coms this years it ended up not being worth it. I mean there is something in there if you have the patience to sit through all of the garbage.

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Just a generic rom com dud with mediocre chemistry and not worth your time.

Just another drama added to list of cliche generic duds with nothing new to offer. The leads have little to no chemistry and it's funny that for a drama titled "Dynamite Kiss" they literally had leads kissing like dead fishes. I still wonder why they even for the leads actors and what spark they saw in these two.

The latter half of the drama is literally ripped from King The land but only worse plus added that cliche breakup before final episode crap. Even KTL wasn't something new and was generic to say the best but damn the leads had some serious chemistry also a healthy relationship built on trust where both of them chose to deal with issues together instead of breaking up.

The second leads too have almost zero progression when it comes to romance so far and I am sure their plot too will be rushed just to give a happy ending.

I don't even need to waste my time to watch the last 2 eps to know how it will end.

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Missed Potential but fixable!

This drama has great potential starting out strong with ep 1 but then fizzling out a bit through ep 8, so far. The preview for ep 9 looks promising. I hope the writers snap out of their tiring love triangle trope which was completely unnecessary here and fix the dragging they’ve created. The FL needs better character development they’ve written her too clumsy and too victim minded. She needs to show her feelings for the ML more and not seem so disinterested. The ML is showing way more interest and angst than the FL which makes the “romance” lopsided. Please fix this drama’s direction before it’s too late!

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Dynamic start & amazing chemistry, with a somewhat lacklustre, frustrating and 'tropey' execution

Started off very strong, the chemistry was over the roof, and the concept sounded amusing. The first episode was magical, and although I knew that the misunderstanding would be at the core of the storyline, I did not expect it to become the protagonist of the whole drama. The 14-episode length sounded questionable to begin with, and I was proved right, it should have been 12 episodes and saved us from the misery of all the overdragged misunderstandings and lies to keep the job/protect the family trope.

It had all the potential of a fun and exciting office romance, but it really just fell flat soon after the first few eps and took a completely boring and different tangent, in which this was trying to be more makjang than rom-com. So many bits and plotlines could have been easily left out, as they really took away the focus from the romance/couple and added nothing valuable whatsoever to the plot. The second leads' arch seemed so unnecessary at times, I couldn't even get myself to root for them in any way or form. I feel like they ruined two otherwise nice characters and made them and their story unlikable by forcing a love triangle (square?) that was literally the most unfortunate part of the whole drama. The least they could have done was wrap it up way earlier. Just when I thought the last few episodes were getting better again, we get more conflict and misunderstanding and whatnot, and it ended up being a very messy and rushed wrap-up, too. The last episode could have focused on some other plot points that would have been nice to see.

There were many cute moments, though, and there's no denying the chemistry and tiki-taka between the leads and their acting, which initially raised my expectations, but sadly, it was mostly wasted and lost in the plot, with their characters' poor decision-making, the hot and cold behaviour and inconsistency in what the director promised us with the premise of the drama and the amazing cast, to what we ultimately got which felt very lacklustre. That last episode was a social experiment, I'm not gonna lie. I was just in for the ride.

Well done to all the cast and actors, though, the acting was really on point, and the support cast was full of talented people, which made the drama shine when the storyline couldn't.

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Great Chemistry, Questionable Writing

There is nothing wrong with clichés. I actually love them. When they are placed well and executed properly, they elevate a drama. The problem here is not that Dynamite Kiss uses tropes, but that in the second half it starts throwing everything in at once, hoping something will stick. Most of it does not.

Dynamite Kiss started phenomenally. It had the right amount of familiar rom-com setups mixed with small twists that made everything feel fresh. Ji Hyeok may look like the classic cold rich male lead, but he is actually goofy with a soft, puppy-like heart. Da Rim seems like the typical kind and pure heroine, but she is surprisingly assertive, witty, and fun to watch. Because of that, the clichés felt enjoyable instead of tiring.

The first half delivered lovable characters, great comedy, butterflies-inducing moments, proper pining, and well-structured internal and external conflicts. It made me excited to keep watching. Unfortunately, the second half replaced that charm with unnecessary stupidity. What bothered me most is that it mostly affected the female lead, and that is never a good writing choice.

Da Rim’s writing fell apart. She went from genuinely good and strong to unrealistically naive and careless. The writer turned her kindness into stupidity just to push a weak plot forward. That kind of downgrade is frustrating, because character growth should add depth, not erase intelligence. What could have been meaningful development became lazy writing.

Ji Hyeok was not as infuriating, but still disappointing. The drama introduced him with a solid internal conflict and emotional complexity, yet later he barely grows. He stays mostly the same: smart, loyal, kind, and capable. That sounds nice, but without challenge or transformation, it becomes boring. The story stopped asking anything interesting of him.

Ironically, the second leads were written with more nuance than the main couple. I liked how the drama explored different priorities, especially between people with and without children. The way responsibility shapes choices was one of the smarter parts of the script. Yoo Ha Yeong was especially memorable. She seems spoiled at first, but turns out hardworking, honest, and flawed in a human way. Her pushiness created both warmth and discomfort, which made her feel real.

One of the strongest parts of the drama was the mothers’ team. They were not instantly portrayed as perfect workers. They were entitled at times, tired, and unsure of themselves. With Da Rim’s leadership, they learned to see themselves beyond just the role of “mother.” That theme was heartfelt and genuinely well done. It reminded me that people are more than what society labels them.

Where the drama truly failed was with its villains and business conflicts. Ji Hyeok’s father, sister, and Tae Yeong were stock characters with little depth. Their arcs were poorly built and added almost nothing. Instead of forcing typical corporate drama, the story would have been much stronger focusing on family dynamics, emotional struggles, and how those affect love and work. Ji Hyeok’s mother, in particular, deserved much more screen presence because her story was one of the most emotionally compelling.

As for the romance, the initial misunderstanding between the leads was actually fun. Some characters knew the truth, others did not, and that created interesting tension. Ironically, the best part of the relationship was before they officially got together. Once they became a couple, the spark dimmed because the plot focused more on forced drama than emotional connection.

The final episode was especially messy. The memory loss trope felt unnecessary and rushed. Instead of deepening the story, it weakened the emotional payoff. Combined with overextended misunderstandings, lies, and “protect the family” clichés, the ending felt dragged rather than satisfying.

Overall, I truly loved the first half of Dynamite Kiss. The chemistry was strong, the characters had personality, and the tone balanced romance and comedy well. Once the leads got together, everything crumbled because the writer piled on clichés and made everyone suddenly incapable of smart decisions, pushing romance and humor into the background.

I am giving this drama an 8. The first half was easily a 9/10 for me. It was also my first time watching both leads, and despite knowing the issues from spoilers and reviews, I wanted to judge it myself because of the initial hype. I do not regret watching it. It is flawed, but its strong start, charm, and early chemistry still make it worth experiencing.

I might have been more disappointed if I had watched this for the leads, since that usually comes with higher expectations for the script. Thankfully, this was my first drama for both actors, so it didn’t hurt my rating as much as it could have.

Dynamite Kiss is a drama that shows how powerful a good beginning can be, and how fragile a story becomes when writing forgets to respect its own characters.

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