My First Impression of Love Next Door Kdrama

 

Finally, the Kdrama that I've been looking forward to has finally been released. Jung Hae In and Jung So Min are coincidentally both my ultimate favourite actors in the Kdrama industry and the casting director might have just read my mind by pairing them up in this series. 

I would say that the premise of this drama - which is about the love-hate relationship between two childhood friends, or more accurately, frenemies - is something typical in the Kdrama scene. However, the scriptwriter must have added a twist by making both of them very successful in their respective fields, and having both mothers being good friends who like to compete with each other. 

I would say the premise reminds me a bit of Welcome to Samdalri with all this childhood friends theme and with the leading lady being away from home and the male lead being successful in his hometown but I hope this is where the similarities end. 

Dialogues are quite lengthy as the characters are chatty but good thing so far is that this part makes it seem realistic and shows you the dynamics between the characters. Chemistry between Seung Hyo (Hae In) and Seok Ryu (So Min) are just exceptional and natural that I am convinced that they are friends in real life lol. 

So far, I think this series looks promising. The bit about quitting your job without any backup plan just seems so relatable. Career break. When you hit your 30s, which is supposed to be your career peak era. 

Hope the subsequent episodes won't disappoint. 

To Watch or Not to Watch? Miss Night and Day

 

When I first came across this new Kdrama on Netflix, I was completely hooked. The plot seems interesting, the dialogues are funny and the casting is great! It has a combination of mystery and comedy (which reminds me of another Kdrama from Netflix, Behind Your Touch.) 

My favourite among the three main casts is Lee Jung-eun, the actress who portrays the older Lee Mi Jin. This endearing ahjumma appeared in many hit Kdramas, such as When the Camellia Blooms, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and Daily Dose of Sunshine. 

I initially liked the fact that this drama is made up many interesting supporting characters, such as Lee Mi Jin's parents, portrayed by Jung Young-Joo and Jung Suk-Yong; Mi Jin's bestie who is an influencer who is portrayed by Kim A-Young; and the Kpop sensation, Ko Won, who is played by Baek Seo-Hoo. 

However, as the series progressed, to be honest, I could not help it but to be a bit bored with the slow pace of young Lee Mi Jin's scenes with the leading actor. Like, why are you so boring and awkward when you are with the guy that you like, Mi Jin? Initially, the chemistry was great but as it went on, I felt that they both kinda lost that chemistry? It was quite draggy at some points that I had to change the playback speed so that I could watch Lee Jung-eun's scene. For me, the scriptwriter could not be consistent in engaging the audience especially when it comes to Mi Jin's parts. It fell into the long list of Kdramas that I felt was interesting at first, but fell flat towards the end. I haven't even watched the ending even though it was already aired on Netflix as it has failed to hook me and arouse my curiosity. I think it should have been a 12-episode drama instead of 16.

In the midst of watching this drama, I could finish watching Daily Dose of Sunshine and Little Women and currently, I might finish The Green Mother's Club before dragging myself to finish the last 4 episodes of Miss Night and Day. 

Then again, I could be wrong. But for sure, I think, this is a light-hearted drama series which is watchable but you can speed up or skip some episodes and you won't miss much. 

Watching this drama is comparable to having a crush on someone who gives you a good first impression but fails to consistently live up to your expectations afterward.

My verdict? I would give it a B-, which is a 6 out of 10.