This review may contain spoilers
Dynamite kiss, damp fuse.
Dynamite Kiss tries to be a fresh, flirty rom-com, but the execution lands in an odd middle zone between cliché, chaos, and unintentional discomfort. The Female Lead? Lovely. Human. Grounded. Ahn Eun-jin brings charm and emotional sincerity to every scene. She elevates mediocre writing and makes you want to root for her happiness. She deserves a co-star who can meet her energy — or at least not sabotage it.
The Male Lead? A puzzling combination of styling and behaviour. I’m not sure what happened here. Visually, he’s styled as soft “boyfriend material” — eyebrows so faint they practically disappear under lighting — giving him a gentle, harmless, almost doe-eyed look. But then the writing and performance ask him to behave like a petty, immature arsehole: He makes the FL work late to “punish” her. He forces her into water even though she can’t swim. He literally runs off and leaves her with a hospital bill. He oscillates between broody, chaotic, and irresponsible in ways the soft aesthetic can’t justify. The result is a character I simply cannot like. If you’re someone who values emotional responsibility in romantic leads, this one is a giant red flag wrapped in good cheekbones.
The Acting: Depends entirely on the script and direction. This ML was wonderful in My Mister and perfectly fine in The Atypical Family — but both of those shows had extremely tight directing and writing that played to his strengths. Here, with weaker material and a lighter rom-com tone, his limitations show. He becomes one-note, stiff in emotional transitions, and unable to sell the “arsehole but secretly charming” trope.
Chemistry? Mostly carried by the FL. Their romantic beats rely heavily on her expressive warmth. The show keeps telling us they’re a great couple, but the behaviour and acting make it hard to believe.
Plot & Tone: A mix of fun moments and baffling choices. There’s a chaotic charm, but also a lot of recycled tropes, implausible coincidences, and scenes that feel emotionally off-key.
Bottom Line: A rom-com that wants to be sweet and modern but keeps tripping over its male lead. If you’re forgiving of immature ML behaviour, you may enjoy the ride. If you prefer men who act like adults — or whose eyebrows exist — this may not be for you.
The Male Lead? A puzzling combination of styling and behaviour. I’m not sure what happened here. Visually, he’s styled as soft “boyfriend material” — eyebrows so faint they practically disappear under lighting — giving him a gentle, harmless, almost doe-eyed look. But then the writing and performance ask him to behave like a petty, immature arsehole: He makes the FL work late to “punish” her. He forces her into water even though she can’t swim. He literally runs off and leaves her with a hospital bill. He oscillates between broody, chaotic, and irresponsible in ways the soft aesthetic can’t justify. The result is a character I simply cannot like. If you’re someone who values emotional responsibility in romantic leads, this one is a giant red flag wrapped in good cheekbones.
The Acting: Depends entirely on the script and direction. This ML was wonderful in My Mister and perfectly fine in The Atypical Family — but both of those shows had extremely tight directing and writing that played to his strengths. Here, with weaker material and a lighter rom-com tone, his limitations show. He becomes one-note, stiff in emotional transitions, and unable to sell the “arsehole but secretly charming” trope.
Chemistry? Mostly carried by the FL. Their romantic beats rely heavily on her expressive warmth. The show keeps telling us they’re a great couple, but the behaviour and acting make it hard to believe.
Plot & Tone: A mix of fun moments and baffling choices. There’s a chaotic charm, but also a lot of recycled tropes, implausible coincidences, and scenes that feel emotionally off-key.
Bottom Line: A rom-com that wants to be sweet and modern but keeps tripping over its male lead. If you’re forgiving of immature ML behaviour, you may enjoy the ride. If you prefer men who act like adults — or whose eyebrows exist — this may not be for you.
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