Mom’s Friend’s Son (2024)

Lost interest

[Updated] Wanted to like this one but lost interest halfway through. The reasons:

1) The acting's great, the leads are good together and the mom group is interesting, but
2) The side stories are forced and formulaic filler with zero character development
3) There's a bit of over-acting
4) Too many annoying flashbacks
5) Typical character setup: overbearing mom/pliant dad; ML is sure, successful and has annoying assistant/FL is lost, searching and has bubbly side friend
6) Typical kdrama plot habit: they start off light, airy and funny and then halfway through the "dark and tragic past" backstory kicks in and they get all dark and depressing
7) [Update] Gave it another couple episodes and saw yet another annoying trope: hiding their relationship from everyone for no justifiable reason.

I was forcing myself to watch by episode nine and once I hit that point it's just work and not a fun watch. YMMV.

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The 3 ep

I have been watching this drama with my friends on weekends. I watched three episodes in one go. This is a Korean drama full of warmth and romance. The story revolves around the relationship between the heroine and the son of her mother's friend, full of the fireworks of life. Although the hero's styling in the play is a little bit not so good-looking, the plot in the second half is still quite attractive.

The plot is novel and real. The heroine reunites with the hero in the ups and downs of life. The setting of childhood sweethearts makes their feelings have both sweet memories and realistic collisions. The two people have known each other from childhood to knowing each other and falling in love as adults. Every stage is delicate and moving. The portrayal of family relationships in the play is also very profound. The contradictions and reconciliations between the heroine and her mother show the complexity and warmth of family affection.

The actors performed well and interpreted the emotions of the characters vividly. Their interaction is natural and smooth, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in their stories, worry about their love, and be moved by their growth. At the same time, the production of the series is also very sophisticated, with beautiful pictures and music that sets off the atmosphere just right.

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❤️ Love Next Door ?

Eomma Chingu Adeul is a multigenre drama that does justice to each and every genre it tackles. It incorporates some of the most used cliche tropes of 2024, yet they are executed and concluded in a highly satisfying way, delivering meaningful life lessons. Whether its the terminal illness trope, quitting a job due to depression, the childhood friends-to-lovers arc or the exes storyline, each one is handled in a gratifying manner. Many shows i have watched this year that use these tropes tend to disappoint but this drama managed them far better.

The chemistry between the leads is exceptional. From the very first scene, they felt so natural together, as if they truly were childhood friends, the kind of vibe that made their bond believable. As the episodes progressed, their connection only grew stronger. There were plenty of ups and downs in their relationship but everything was justified. The progression of their relationship felt smooth. While some might say Seokryu jumped into a new relationship rather quickly after her breakup, i think the buildup was convincing, so it didnt feel strange at all.

The acting was phenomenal, especially from Jung Somin. She was incredibly natural in every scene, whether it was emotional, happy or sad. She absolutely killed it. Other actors like Jung Haein and Kim Jieun also impressed me. The supporting cast, who are veteran actors, delivered solid performances as expected. I never got a fake or forced feeling from anyone’s acting.

This slice of life drama excellently portrays the different phases of life in a highly believable way. Each storyline is given proper buildup and a satisfying conclusion, all while teaching that life is about growth. Every character has their own story to tell. The leads and secondary characters are depicted with their flaws, just like real people. I appreciate that the drama didnt idealize the lead characters like many others do. Here, they are shown with both their strengths and weaknesses and every action they take has a reason behind it. The more you try to understand things from their perspective, the more you will enjoy their stories. Whether its the parents, the brother or the leads themselves, each one follows their own moral compass. At times, you will see the parents at fault, while at other times, you will understand that Seokryu made mistakes by not being honest with them. Once you grasp where they are coming from, the show becomes even more meaningful.

Friendship and family are the highlights of this drama. Whether its the bond between the four neighborhood ladies or between the three leads, these relationships are cherished, though they also go through their ups and downs. The same applies to family dynamics.

The slow burn romance is executed perfectly. Waiting 10 episodes to finally see the leads romance unfold was worth it. Their sweet relationship, which began after weathering the storm, made it even more enjoyable. The show does an excellent job of handling the angst between episodes 6 and 10 and then giving plenty of time for their relationship to flourish from episodes 11 to 16, with plenty of sweetness. Most romance dramas fail at this, introducing conflict in the last two episodes, which often results in a rushed ending. But here, it doesnt feel that way at all.

I have watched plenty of romance or romcom dramas this year but honestly, this one has the most meaningful script. While there are a few romance/romcom dramas i liked more, i cant deny that this one has a solid story and script. There is so much depth to the characters and the story that the more you think about it, the more fresh perspectives you gain on various aspects of life.

All things considered, i would give this a solid 9.5/10. It satisfied me from start to finish and i even enjoyed the angsty phase between episodes 6 and 10, which was disliked by many viewers of this drama

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Curb your enthusiasm

I know that there are many people who thought that Love Next Door was going to be another hit romantic comedy from tvN - blame the marketers for advertising this show as Jung Hae-in's "first romcom".

However, Love Next Door is NOT a romcom. It is a family drama with romantic and comedic elements. And if you go into it looking for a romcom, you'll be disappointed (as many people watching the show as it aired were).

And so I'll be reviewing this show as it is and as what it tries to achieve, many of which did not hit the mark, at least for me. From the synopsis, what I expected from this show was the story of two life-long friends who find love and comfort in each other as they navigate the ups and downs of life. Unfortunately, what I got was a show trying to balance a million storylines and ending up doing none of them any justice.

(Possible spoilers from here on out so beware)

Love Next Door tries to follow an episodic, slice-of-life format. Each episode is somewhat self-contained with a particular theme it seeks to explore. However, what the drama doesn't do as well is linking these different mini-plots together so that there's a main plotline that takes us through the whole sixteen episodes. So these plot points and themes feel like they really serve no purpose other than filler rather than furthering the plot in a meaningful way.

We also don't see a lot of the characters grow in any organic way; their characterization is as the plot demands. This is not to say that characters need to be perfect; in fact, I loved how all the characters were flawed in many ways. But it's expected that they should develop as the story progresses. What we get instead is some growth at the end of an episode, and by the next episode, they're back to square one, and this pattern continues until the last two episodes where all the growth is seemingly jam-packed. As a result, none of their realizations seem natural or earned, especially because of the writers' obsession with using illness and/or catastrophe (combined with illogical fake-outs) and miscommunication tropes to force character development.

The romance aspect was also poorly developed. The biggest error they made was centering the romance on Seung-hyo's POV and not giving us any gradual build-up in their romantic tension. Even until the end, it felt like Seung-hyo was carrying Seok-ryu along in their relationship. And no, flashbacks to their high school days aren't enough to establish Seok-ryu's feelings, especially when she was literally engaged after the fact and would have married her fiancé if not for her cancer. For me, this resulted in a distinct lack of chemistry in their romantic scenes.

The second couple aren't any better to me, even though it seems they're popular with a lot of people. Mo-eum is one of my favorite characters from the show, but I'm still a bit weirded out by her obsession with that little girl? It feels like she was all their relationship was built on. And did the writers forget that Mo-eum's dream was to go to Antarctica before trying to shove her into this family that already has death/abandonment related trauma?

Even the dialogue was so overwritten. There were often these clever or touching moments, and then the characters would keep talking and beating you on the head with the themes instead of said themes being shown to us organically through the story and their actions.

My favorite part of this show, and basically all I stayed for, was Seok-ryu following her dream of becoming a chef, and I really liked how they tied that into the cancer plot. I also like the Lavender crew, even though I could have done with less of their scenes. And there were some truly standout emotional and comedic scenes.

I'm sad to give a review like this to a show I anticipated highly, because I really love So-min and while I've not watched any of his stuff, I know Hae-in is an amazing actor. To be honest, the cast did well with what they were given, but I don't think the writing wasn't as great as it could have been.

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Could’ve been Interesting ended up being bland

Honestly i am quite sad that i didn’t end up enjoying this kdrama. i absolutely adore somin her acting and her other dramas, and from interviews ive seen she also really enjoyed portraying the fl and the drama… but to me the drama just felt kind of boring and bland.
friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and the plot could’ve been good but it just felt overdone at some point. it felt like the writer tried to write a mature adult romance but somehow still stuck with very much non mature plot lines. the bickering could’ve been cute but it was just to much in the end, and some characters where somehow not at all like able. the mom from the fl for example absolutely annoyed me.
i don’t think i’ll be rewatching this

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Good beginning with more deep stories perfect chimistry between two leads full of joy

اعلى من توقعاتي مثل متوقعت بس بعد احلى اجواء الدراما ممتعة وحلوة ومريحة وتمنيت حلقة ٣ تنزل قبل ما اكمل حلقة الاولى وتنزل الثانية تمنيتها مكتملة الظاهر حيقتلنا الانتظار، الكل متحمس الها و الكل يحجي عنها بكل مكان فيس انستا تويتر تمبرل يوتيوب بكل اللغات وتوقعت حتصير ضجة عليها بس كلشي فاق توقعاتي الدراما ارضت جميع الاذواق

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Heartwarming Story

Only two episodes barely aired in the US, and I am already in love with the stories and the actors. There always gonna be an unsatisfied audience no matter how much work the talent and the crew invested to make the show possible. The last show I work for was the Last of Us, and even when the show got a lot of nominations and awards, we always got a lot of unsatisfied people. The way I'm looking at this show is as a brilliant heartwarming piece of art. It tackles on some social issues and family dynamics. One of those issues is portrayed through a short scene where an elder is carrying material to sell as recycle. Without making it a long scene, the writer and director were able to convey the problem we are facing as society globally when it comes to poverty, lack of opportunities for elders, and how societies tend to neglect those who aged. Jung Hae In & Jung So Min are just fantastic together! their chemistry is undeniable, and they are both such great actors. I am looking forward to the resolution of their love story.

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This kdrama is a scam.

The REAL main character is the aunties. I think it goes like this.. the writer of this kdrama is an auntie who wants to write a kdrama. Of course she learnt, if you want to write a love drama, you have to express it as if the main character is yourself and all of the things you want to happen for you and something like that.
So she started writing based on that motivation. OF COURSE she started it with the scene of some aunties talking and joking because she's the aunties and she wants some attention to herself.
Then she imagined the female MC as her most FAVOURITE and ideal daughter that could ever be,, then the female MC personality comes up.
Also, all the other main character is just coming from an auntie who's creating her own ideal favourite children as the character personality based. The MC's bestie of course is some overachiever who wants to be a superhero because it's the typical auntie who really loves it when some child aiming to do more good deeds in this world. The character literally a random AUNTIE'S ideal children. ??

No need to stick around. With that kinda expression and motivation, this kdrama is a BIG disappointment and a huge flop.

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Yılın en kötü yapımı

Dizi tamamen şişirilmiş bomboş bir yapımdı popüler oyuncular ve onların çift uyumları olmasaydı konuşulmaz izlenmezdi çünkü romantik komedi adına vad edilen hiçbir şeyi vermedi 6. Bölüme kadar zor dayandım atlaya atlaya izlemek zorunda kaldım yan karakterin ön plana çıkması başrol kadın karakterin saçma sapan davranışları erkek başrolün donuk bakışları kızın etrafında dolaşıp bir türlü sevgisini göstermeyi becerememesi sürekli drama itilmesi güya romcom tamam tamamen komedi romantik sahneler beklemiyorum arada dram olacak vs ama bu kadarda fazla olmamalıydı. Yazar ve yapım ekibi senaryoya değil kadroya güvenmiş sürekli diziye yapılan gereksiz Pr çalışmaları sırf izlensin diye oyunculara yapılan kasıtlı sevgili haberleri ayrıca diziden soğuttu samimiyetsiz bi hal aldı hatta sevdiğim kadın oyunculardan biri olan Jung somin den bile soğuttu şu dizi, allahtan bitti de kurtulduk. 8.4 puanı hak etmiyor 8.1 bile fazla şu diziye . Bu senenin en büyük hayalkırıklığı şu dizidir.

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I'm adding review after watching episode one. Episode one really nice no single boring plot. Drama seems interesting. Little cliche but we already know its romantic comedy, so okay. All cast acting is too good. Female actress too cute. I love her from alchemy soul.

I'm watching this drama due to jung hae in. His my favourite actor from snowdrop. I watched snowdrop because jisoo. She is biased. then i know hae in. I have watched his all dramas. Those who'll read my reviews please watch hae in all dramas you'll find them interesting. If Also all other supporting cast had worked in good dramas.

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