Dynamite Kiss

A Sweet Romance Carried by Its Leads ✨

“It's such a blessing to love someone wholeheartedly.” Indeed, that perfectly reflects what Jin Hyeok and Da Rim are to each other. Both carry heavy emotional baggage because of their families, yet being together somehow makes those burdens lighter.

Their time in Jeju Island became an unexpected source of healing, though it ended too soon. Even when they met again as employer and employee, things were far from simple—especially with Da Rim hiding the fact that she lied about being married.

What truly stands out in this show is its cast. Jang Ki-yong and Ahn Eun-jin delivered one of the sweetest romantic comedy pairings I’ve seen so far. Even if the series itself may be forgettable in some aspects, their chemistry made it easy to finish and genuinely enjoy. I especially liked the “hide-and-seek” around the female lead’s fake civil status because it revealed what kind of man Jin Hyeok truly is—a gentleman who tries to stay on his own path despite being clearly in love with her.

I’m also among the minority who appreciated the second male lead. He was never a distraction to the story; he naturally belonged in it. Rather than forcing his way into the romance, he was pulled into the situation by the female lead herself. Contrary to what others say, he simply fulfilled the role of a second male lead: he fought for his feelings without forcing them, and he remained understanding and open-minded, much like the male lead. The same can be said for his female counterpart—they added to the story without overshadowing the main couple.

While the romance itself is easily five-star worthy for me, the final two episodes suddenly felt disconnected from the drama’s main arc. I understood the business sabotage angle, but it felt rushed, as if it was added only to say that part of the story existed, even when the logic felt weak. The amnesia arc gave the same impression.

Although I often dislike how some dramas stretch into traditional 16–24 episode formats, in the case of Dynamite Kiss, it would have been stronger if it had stayed within the newer 12-episode format. Omitting the last two episodes would have easily earned a much higher score from me.

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Another cast wasted by the writers

This drama started strong with its first two episodes but it began to decline from then on and I think it’s all the writers’ fault. Many unnecessary plots and cliches like the love triangle and the memory loss in the last episode were completely unnecessary, as was the scene where Godarim is slapped by the CEO (?).
Also, while I loved Godarim’s character, her inability to read the room when it came to her friend and Jihyeok was simply frustrating as was Seonu’s character. It’s another rom-com that starts well but the writers falter as the episodes progress.
However, it wasn’t all bad. The acting was good, as was the OST and the chemistry between the leads is incredible but wasted. As a rom-com fan, I enjoyed it and it was really fun but there were several moments where I wanted to drop it because I really didn’t understand where they were going with the story.
I think it’s a good drama to pass the time if you don’t have too many expectations like I did but as I always say, it’s just my opinion. I definitely think you should watch it and give it a chance.

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Engaging and emotionally satisfying journey, especially for weekly viewers. The storyline is appealing, though it does feel a little draggy in parts. The drama’s symmetry—starting and ending with two kisses at the same place—adds a poetic and fulfilling sense of closure. The second lead was strong and memorable, but the second-lead arc could have been developed more. The sister’s storyline felt weak, and the mother’s unexpected comeback raised unanswered questions about whether she was truly ill. Despite these flaws, the end credits were very impressive and unique, making it a good overall weekly watch.

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A promising start that fizzles out in a rushed ending.

“Dynamite Kiss” started out with all the ingredients to be a memorable drama: a sparkling premise, obvious chemistry between the protagonists, and a tone that perfectly balances comedy, romance, and moments of emotional intensity. The first few episodes are genuinely funny, romantic, and refreshing, managing to put an attractive spin on a classic trope like “poor girl meets rich CEO.” It felt fresh and promised an entertaining story.

However, the plot takes a turn toward fake marriage and lies. And well, although at first it is sustained by the dynamics between the characters, the process of maintaining the lie becomes a bit tedious, humiliating, and repetitive, prolonging conflicts that could have been resolved with a little more communication.

But the real problem is not the development of this, but the disappointing and rushed ending that leaves a feeling of incompleteness. The story closes with too many unresolved emotional and narrative gaps, as if the writers had run out of time, leaving many points that could have given continuity to the drama: The protagonist and her sister, one of the most painful and personal conflicts, is completely abandoned. We never see a final encounter where Go Darim can confront her sister for the damage she caused. Everything related to this character ends abruptly and frustratingly.

Then, the protagonist Gong Jihyeok and his stepsister: A necessary emotional confrontation is missing. After so much resentment and conflict, we deserved a cathartic scene where things were cleared up, but the plot avoids it. In addition to the main loose ends, the drama completely wasted subplots with enormous emotional potential. The story of Gim Seoun-u (a single father) and the rich girl Yu Ha-yeong falling in love again could have been a narrative gem, exploring mature love, the formation of a non-traditional family, and overcoming class prejudices. Instead, it remained as if he had always been in love with Darim and there was no real development in this.

Another big mistake was not giving more prominence and weight to the team of working mothers at the company. They were the practical heart of the baby products business, and their struggle against being looked down upon as “just moms” in a professional environment was a powerful and modern theme that deserved its own arc of empowerment. Instead, they remained a recurring joke or side support, missing the opportunity to give the plot a layer of realism and female strength.

In short, “Dynamite Kiss” is a drama of two very uneven halves. It starts off strong in terms of entertainment and promise, but its weak ending, full of loose ends, leaves the final experience feeling incomplete and frustrating. It's recommended if you enjoy the genre and the initial chemistry, but be prepared for an ending that may leave you with more questions than answers and a sense of missed opportunity. It's saved by a good start and a charismatic main couple, but it fails to live up to its potential.

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Good to watch in holidays

This is a perfect example of the high quality and professionalism of the actual Korean movie/drama industry.
While it is a sum of all K-drama tropes and cheesy moments, it is so lovely and carefully made that it is worth watching.

Excellent music, perfect accurate acting, top make up and visual details, world class camera work.
I have not seen yet a K-drama with so many kissing scenes that are so detailed that they might be true.
All actors are excellent (excepting the two westerns that sadly appear in random K-dramas and that are embarrassing bad). Personally I liked most Woo Da Vi and Jung Ga Hee and the two mothers. Ahn Eun Jin gives a stellar representation. She had two work at least twice as the others, because, in my opinion, it was the wrong cast: she looks rather 18 yet she had to represent a person aged 30+, so she had to overcome the blatant discrepancy with acting above any human limits.

A cute and curing romcom with wonderful music, excellent choice to watch in holidays, e.g around Christmas.

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Good Start, Horrible Finish

This show has a decent premise with a great start.

Go Rim's friendship and relationship with the father/ her friend was natural and wholesome. Nothing felt romantic (more on that later) and on top of that, both being pursued by wealthy love interest made for a fun dynamic. The Main lead is a bit cold, but not overly emotionless as some other leads. The SFL lead was fun and probably my favorite character, with the side couple being the one I paid more attention to.

So, with all of that going on, I was really looking forward to watching both relationships unfold and getting through the series until...my enjoyment was immediately snatched and burned right in front of me due to one writing decision.

The SML loves Go Rim too and always has? For years upon years, he's loved her but never confessed?

What in the cliche, boring plot reveal is this?

Adding a second male lead into a story where the female lead is 100% going to choose the other guy doesn't build tension. It builds annoyance.

And maybe the show writers didn't consider this or didn't care, but if SML has been in love with Go Rim for forever, what does that make the woman he had the child with? The writers could have easily made his reluctance to date the SFL be about his inability to move on from his first love, but no. We get a boring, random love triangle introduced instead.

Even after being hit with a wave of disappointment, I tried to keep going and skip over any scenes related to the love triangle, but my interest declined every episode, until I eventually just skipped to the end.

This drama reminded me of how much I don't enjoy second male leads. As I stated previously, even after his interest in Go Rim was revealed, him and her had no chemistry, and no other reason other than to make the male lead a little more jealous than he already was.

Halting the development of a relationship for the SML and the SFL (who end up together anyways!!) just didn't make sense to me. But, oh well.

Other than the love triangle, the other thing I didn't like was how the ML treated the SFL. While he was not aware that Go Rim wasn't married and felt guilty regarding his feeling for her, he suddenly becomes a man who's willing to force the SFL into an arranged marriage, despite the fact he didn't want that same arranged marriage forced onto him?
That's not heroic and it doesn't make me sympathize with him feeling sad. He just ends up looking selfish.

Overall, I'd said this show is a 5. Good start, good actors, but kind of feels like the writers didn't care by the end.

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How to ruin a good drama,...what a shame!

Sooo, this drama started really strong. I had the butterflies, i was into the story and yes that hadn't happened for a while.
And of course i was asking myself why were the ratings so low if it was this good ahahaha.
I understood why starting from episodes 5/6 : too many cliches, yes you can be naive , but not dumb, because we (the general public) are not dumb lol.
The moment the scriptwriter thought of us as dumb , was the moment this drama lost its appeal to me.
Starting from episode 6, i couldn't enjoy this drama anymore.

What a let-down. I had high hopes on this one.
For me 6/10 and of course i wouldn't rewatch it.

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Cute, comfy, ultimate mid … then WTF!

✨ THE GOOD (IT’S NOT TRASH, RELAX):
The leads have decent chemistry , nothing electric, but warm enough.
Some genuinely sweet moments sneak in and do their job .
It feels like a proper rom-com while it’s happening, like the perfect mid ever.

🙄 THE “WE’RE TAKING OUR TIME… TOO MUCH TIME” PACKAGE:
The show slow-walks its way through the romance like it has all the episodes in the world without mentening the fu**king slowmotion anywhere and everywhere .
Lots of build-up with damn slow motion , soft tension, shy looks… okay cool, we’re kinda invested.

🤦 THE “WAIT—THAT’S IT??” ENERGY:
Then the ending hits like a shrug.
Super fu**ing unticlimactal "shonen" without even a real climax, no emotional punch ,nothing just “welp, guess we’re done here.”
Feels straight-up cut short, and what supposed to be 2hours became two damn minutes like someone pulled the plug mid-kiss.

💔 THE “YOU HAD ONE FU**ING JOB” DEPARTMENT:
good idea but flimsy delivery soooo flimsy even for a rom-com
and what really bothers you, is this one had enough ingredients to be a solid rom-com.
But it never quite commits. Characters feel mildly in love, mildly unsure, and mostly either polite about it or too damn stupid.

🎯 FINAL VERDICT:
A decent, cozy rom-com that builds nicely… then forgets to finish.

✔ Watch if: You want light romance and low effort comfort.
❌ Skip if: You need payoff, closure, or an ending that doesn’t feel unfinished.

💥 Best paired with: Mild enjoyment, mild disappointment, and yelling “THAT’S THE END?!” at your screen.

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A Drama for Chores and Quiet Evenings

The beginning was strong, but deep down I was always anxious that the story would eventually become boring, since the most exciting part of a rom-com had already happened early on. Still, because Jang Ki-yong was the male lead, I kept trusting his choice of script, even though I couldn’t shake the concern about how the story would carry itself for 14 hours.
In the end, it turned out to be exactly what I expected: a drama you can watch while doing household chores. It’s not something that makes you stare at the screen, fully absorbed by the intensity or the story, but I still watched it until the end because I really like Jang Ki-yong. So, I’d say it was worth it overall, but it’s definitely not a drama I would rewatch.

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This could have been one of the best romantic dramas ever made... but it is not.

The premise of this drama is unique. It feels like a one-of-a-kind story that cannot be easily replicated again by another drama. It is for this very reason that my expectations for this drama were very very high. It could even have been one of the best romantic dramas ever created in my view.

In the first few episodes, this is exactly the kind of story we're seeing. But gradually, one disappointment after the other happens. Why??? The writers making bad choices regarding the development of the story throughout the episodes.

Ep 1/2 were absolutely perfect. They nailed it. The dramas story and the FL is introduced perfectly. The drama seems very promising.
Ep 3/6 were nearly perfect as well. The confusion and drama that happens is just perfect as a result of the ML discovering the "truth" about the FL.

From this moment forward there will be (a few) more detailed spoilers.
Ep 7/8: this is where the drama starts dropping. The writers start to make bad choices from now on.
1) A love triangle appears out of nowhere. There is no indication in ep 1/3 that 2ML even likes FL, but then he suddenly does from ep 6/7 onwards.
2) The 2FL keeps pursuing the 2ML despite the fact that he actively pursues the FL. The 2FL is being treated badly and she happily accepts it. The 2FL's story keeps getting worse and worse until the very end of this drama.
3) This is by far the biggest problem. The lies of the FL are dragged on for too long. As the viewer, you can predict how many issues there are still going to be after the ML discovers the FL's secret. The story will be far from over. The writers decided that ep 9-14 would be enough episodes left for the remainder of the story. --> They were wrong.

Ep 9 is, yet again, a great episode.
Ep 10 is an episode with more nonsense following the bad choices made by the writers in ep 7/8.

But then, yet again, writers made some bad choices around (ending of) ep 10-11. The writers provide themselves with a unique opportunity to save the 2FL and 2ML romance story by giving them a second chance. A very short moment during the fire shows how the 2ML instinctively protects the 2FL with his own body. A romance could have been developed from there. But what did the writers do? At first, hope is given, but then... a flat-out rejection. Any hope for a second lead romance in this drama is gone. And if the 2nd leads would have ended up together, it would have not have made sense either given the events occuring in eps 5-12.

Then what about the main leads in ep 11/12? Their story seems great, although it feels a little strange and forced at moments, especially the acting. The acting in ep 1/6 is more natural, so is the chemistry.

And then... ep 13/14. I was worried about the preview after ep 12, and while watching the last episodes, I realized that I had severely underestimated my fears. What a horrible horrible ending does this show have.
Why??? --> bad choices by the writers, once againg, and quite many of them.
1) The premise of this drama is unique. It is a unique story, but what do the writers do in ep 13/14? They fall back to one classic typical kdrama trope after another. Typical kdrama tropes simply did not fit in this story for the very reason that this story is not typical. It completely ruined the ending.
2) So many side stories were written into this drama, and pretty much every single one of them has been rushed off (some of them even ofscreen), not in a satisfying way or with a satisfying ending. ML's mother struggle for a divorce --> 2 scenes... 2FL father who wants to marry off his daughter --> nothing... FL's sister --> nothing... ML's secretary romance with one of the employees --> 3 scenes...

In short, several episodes could have been cut short and rewritten entirely to cut down the nonsense and give room to actual story, character and romance development. --> the result? 8 minutes.... 8 freaking minutes of happy ending, that's it.

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It all begins when the sister of the lead character gets married and, ashamed of her, sends her on vacation to Jeju Island. There, she meets a handsome man with whom she falls in love, but suddenly leaves him to return home to her mother, who is hospitalized for illness caused by the married daughter's debts.
Burdened by debts (house and hospital) she applies for a permanent job but among the jury there is him, disappointed at having been rudely dumped, who refuses to hire her.
But he finds himself being her boss in this department specifically created by his sister to put him in difficulty. The team works hard and he will protect them even when it emerges that his employee isn't married and falsified her CV to get hired.
The problem is that she's been passing herself off as "married," and he becomes jealous. So, he decides to rush things by marrying the girlfriend chosen by the family. Then he discovers that his employee isn't actually married (but did it to get hired) and that her girlfriend is also in love with her "husband."
They get secretly engaged. After overcoming his brothers and putting his mother back in charge of the company, he gets hit by a car and loses his memory. He leaves her, and a year later they meet again on Jeju Island and start their relationship over again. The situation after a few years: they're married with two children, and the couple they've known are still just friends (too bad).

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