Tom

If it's taken a page from anywhere it would be HCCC, since it's the same writer/director and production team. I guess it's more right to say Samdalri took a page from HCCC, too.

And there we go, Love Next Door hitting a new high for episode 4 with 6.6%. Deserved! Saturday ratings are always lower, we saw that especially clearly with QOT, but it's a general rule at this point.

I need a new great KBL. Not really enjoyed any of them since The Eighth Sense.

I don't rate dramas until they're finished, but I have no complaints so far. It makes sense that the rating is high, because the first four episodes have been a great start to the drama.

It is odd to choose two roles so similar to one another back to back. Especially since he probably got offered much more interesting scripts after Under the Queen's Umbrella. I can't help but wonder if he should've picked better scripts where he's not necessarily ML to build his career since he's still so young. These under-seen dramas with so-so reception won't lift his profile.

Part of succeeding as an actor is to make smart choices when it comes to scripts. Choi Hyun-wook could've done ML already if he wanted to, instead he picked three excellent scripts in 2521, Weak Hero Class 1 and Twinkling Watermelon. All as SML, but all excellent. memorable dramas.

Wouldn't be the first time Korean TV audiences miss a diamond right in front of their noses. Even if it doesn't rise in domestic TV ratings (which matter less and less because young people stream), it's still a huge success on Netflix, where it looks set to stay put on the Top 10 list until it ends in October.

Well obviously, until now they basically are like siblings, having been close childhood friends. That's why he said she has no gender to him in the last episode. 😭 Their dynamic will obviously change as they realise their feelings for one another 😍

My man was shook, did you see how red his ears got 😭

Lol who's everyone? It's got 8.7 here and is top 5 globally on Netflix.

Yes they referenced his backpacking trip to US during college first, then showed him visiting her.

Waiting for new episodes every week is a struggle, but I'm happy and grateful I get to spend eight weeks with this drama, because if all the episodes were out, I would have finished this in like two days 🤣

If you want a drama with a random murder mystery thrown in and other contrived plot elements to keep your attention, you should probably look elsewhere. Realistic dramas built around character dynamics don't need all of that. It's funny to say "nothing happened" when the episode titles and how they change throughout each episode literally spell it out for you.

I fear this perfect blend of melo and comedy was tailor-made just for me (and for Jung Hae-in). The romcom is romcoming and I'm laughing a lot, but it's also thoughtful, not too fast-paced, with lingering camera work and a vibe that makes you feel at home with the characters. It makes the world of the drama seem more real (some recent similar dramas lacked this kind of emotional realism for me).

Yes, they intend to grow and hire more people; they even talked about it in the episode.

It feels like the camera work is more melo somehow? Romcom direction can often be more frantic and obvious. Whatever it is, it works well and is grounding, as you say.

The power of the babyface

They actually decided on the English title of the drama very late. All the episodes were written and they had been filming for months. The Korean title is Mom's Friend's Son. That was the English working title. Then they changed it to Golden Boy, before finally ending up with Love Next Door. Which, as it turns out, is entirely perfect for these four people.

Except that's not true. They've announced the casting of his ex-girlfriend. Clearly you are projecting some of your own issues on to the character here.

I love both couples so much! My heart is full after today's episode. Love next door x2 🥰

This is a tiny bit too violent for me at times, but it's worth it when the revenge is carried out. Really great main cast, and Lee Je-hoon leads it expertly. I'm not surprised it's been very successful in Korea.