Mom’s Friend’s Son (2024)

PAINT BY NUMBERS

Massive K-Drama Fan... South Koreans are Masters at the craft of compelling stories. Superb acting and off the charts OSTs. So, it pains me to offer some critical analysis of "Love next door". So far the only thing this show is doing well is the wonderful last 5 minutes of the first 2 episodes. The female lead is over-acting to the point of being grating. The male lead comes across as someone who wishes he were somewhere else. The Mothers of each are uninteresting cliches... the writer and director have sacrificed spontaneous acting for hard and fast "Yang style" aggressive females...a trend that is becoming boring. Don't get me started on the cliche characterizations of the Father... and the Male leads "Office" friends make we want to slap them for the over acting Simp portrayals. The only compelling couple is the Reporter and the EMS girlfriend of the female lead. This production is just high gloss "Paint by Numbers" and I blame the director and possibly the writer. It all seems staged and un-organic...
The Producer...director and writer have chosen to overdose on discord & antagonisms creating,,, harmonic dissonance like a song or a symphony with too many notes and to many sharps and flats... I am reminded of my niece who believed one could make a better chocolate chip cookie by doubling the number of chocolate chips and adding an extra cup of sugar.

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Pleasant ride that got bumpy

I like a good romcom and slice of life, it's of the genres I enjoy the most, but I very much dislike melodrama, and this show at points wanted to cross the line for the simple fact of having something to tackle in the plot. This was not necessarily bad and compared with other dramas I think it's was done quite ok, but there are certain elements in the execution of those situations that were lacking for me.
But first of all I would like to talk about the positives:

I liked the characters and I enjoyed that they were generally rounded and each had their own positives and negatives.
I know that Seok Ryu has received a lot of hate for her personality or the way she acted in the romantic moments. For me personally the only thing I disliked the most is the way how they made her roughhouse his brother and ML. I get they wanted to portray that closeness and with ML specifically that almost sibling kind of relationship but it was certainly a bit jarring and unrealistic for her age. Otherwise I could relate with her in many aspects both in her family dynamics as well as ending up being used in work environments because of working well and being a perfectionist. I totally get her. I also understood her reasons for not telling her family about the cancer considering how they treated her and the expectations put on her, she couldn't be weak and she didn't want to disappoint. This kind of upbringing just basically ends up giving you anxiety. When you become that level independent that you don't ask for help even when you're physically suffering it also takes effort to warm up to people around you, even those that technically you knew for your whole life. She might have been best friends with Seung Hyo, but that doesn't mean he actually knew the ins and outs of her that well. For that reason as well it totally makes sense from writing a character like her that she would need the time to get into the relationship fully, the weariness of something potentially going wrong or how much you can trust the person you like. I think overall her relationship with Seung Hyo and how it starts is very realistic and it's a breath of fresh air in terms of romantic developments in dramas because most times it's either love at first sight head over heels for someone, or if someone is shown as more reserved and initially distant is the guy, because it looks "cool" in society for guys to be that way.
I also loved the storyline of Seok Ryu quitting what she did previously and searching for what she wanted to do now and her growth to get there. That thing at the end when she's using her previous skills in programming for her restaurant was chef's kiss for me. That feeling that even the so called mistakes can come in handy at some point in the future. As someone in a complicated situation right now, it warmed my heart a bit.
Many people has also called Seok Ryu selfish for not telling about the cancer to anyone, both characters in the series like ML himself as well as viewers, but let me flip it, isn't it selfish to expect anyone to tell you they have cancer? It's their life and their privacy. I think it's selfish to be angry at someone for not satisfying your need to know and process it the way you want when it's the other person the one actually suffering. He was putting his emotions and his right to know above her pain (although this doesn't make his feeling not valid obviously). Also she tried to contact ML multiple times during that period and he never picked up the phone. I don't think anyone owes anything to a friend or family member that only wants to know the news if you're ill but they're not part of your life for the rest of it. There are so many times people can reach out to others before they understand they're ultimately alone and they have to deal with things alone, and FL be like that here, her independence and reluctance to reach out is because she has been burn out many times already. It's difficult in that situation to rely on others and open up. And this applies to her parents as well since they have repeatedly proven, especially the mother, that they only care about her success and her doing the expected thing.

It's a bit more difficult for me to say what I liked about Seung Hyo, I think his overall journey was interesting between what he wanted to be versus what he ended up doing because of his injury. His personality was frustrating at times and there are certain things that at points annoyed me a bit, like his jealousy. Yet, most of my complains about his personality added to the authenticity of his character and the realness of imperfection, but that doesn't take from the fact I do think he had some things to tackle that are a bit of a problem.

I really liked how the ex story line was tackled. Not only because finally we have a drama where the main characters have exes (sure, there are others but seriously I can't even remember the last one), putting an end to the overused troupe of 30+ years old character that has had no relationships ever and is waiting for the ML/FL of the drama, but also because of how the whole story line was presented on both sides. I enjoyed that Seung Hyo's ex while had certain intentions of getting him back she was not immature about it. Sure, she created a situation but was straightforward to ML about it, didn't beat around the bush and didn't get in-between the main characters, she stepped to the side in a mature way as soon as she realised the situation. I also really liked the flashbacks and the differences between what it was like and what kind of relationship they were looking for at that time compared to the present time. I liked her, and as someone that likes pottery I did enjoy her bits, I almost wish we got a main character in a drama whose main job is making pottery.
On the other hand while I do think FL's ex was quite toxic with his stalker behaviour, I did very much enjoy that their breaking and parting was not one based on typical drama and that it was acknowledged that there were still feelings there, because they just don't disappear from one day to the other. On the other hand though, I didn't like the ex much as a person. He was quite toxic with his stalker behaviour, not taking 'no' for an answer and he was very selfish in his incapability of understanding of FL's situation in the past and everything she was going through. He's the type that you tell him you're very unhappy and he tells you "just be happy then". Taking out his stalker behaviour what is crossing the line, I think his past incapability to relate or understand what the FL was going through was quite realistic as well as his automated and emotionally removed actions and responses when dealing with her cancer and her depression after.

I enjoyed the family dynamics sporadically here and there only and I also liked the relationship of the Lavender group in concept if somewhat repetitive at times with their bickering and I would have liked to see deeper or more development. I think generally it was presented quite superficially. FL's mother and ML's mother's arguments and fights were kind of boring for me and never funny.
I overall also enjoyed a lot the relationship of Mo Eum with Dan Ho and towards the end it was adorable, BUT I didn't like how Mo Eum approached her crush for him and she was very pushy and at times it felt she was crossing the line.

In things I didn't like:

- First and foremost the use of illness to excuse behaviours. It's used at least twice that I can recall and I found it quite problematic even if plausible in certain family dynamics, yet I wished for more growth.
I didn't like Seok Ryu's parents, especially her mother. I think her father was a bit of the funny airhead of the family what is ok, and I liked the insights about what he would have wanted to do in his life and what he ended up doing, but he clearly has an alcohol problem and it's never tackled at all, it's seen as the most normal thing. Points for realisticness I guess in a society where it be like that, but it's difficult to let it slide that much as a viewer.
But Seok Ryu's mother is so bad in my opinion and she never really changes in any way. The best part of her is that quirk of playing drums when angry, it was funny but everything else about her was so irritating!!! I absolutely despised that everything she had done (and by extension the father too, even if because of being an accomplice of the mother) is pushed under the rug once they know she had cancer. The mother learned absolutely nothing and she only cares about showing off and her position in the group of friends. It was not enough in my opinion, 30 years of treating your daughter like that and being the main cause of the way she is doesn't disappear because of a cancer pity party, but that's what they did. It's not even how she treats FL alone either, she treats her husband terribly as well, and spoiled her son so much that she wasn't really allowed to complain when he got into that problematic supplements business. Yet there is zero reflection or change in her, she was annoying to watch and it was annoying there wasn't any growth at all. Yet at the same time as much as I disliked it I have a feeling if they had tried to make a redemption ark it would have been pretty bad and full of excuses as usual because parents do no wrong in Korea, so maybe it's actually better they left her as she was. The father at least had a tiny bit of growth. But I still hate that the catalyst was the cancer, it was lazy and overused and overly dramatic.
Equally frustrating it was when illness (or potential one in this case) was used with ML's mother to sweep under the rug all the problems and miscommunication that had happened in their family dynamics. It was lazy in my opinion. I think if they were going to invest that much time in ML's mother as a character then there should be more direct resolutions than that. Hinting at illness for drama only is lazy writing again, and in this case the diagnosis in the end didn't even make sense seriously, it was weird. There is also never a resolution in the relationship between ML and his mother other than a couple of sentences, I think she mentions the necklace thing, that's pretty much it. It's just forgotten with the same thing of the potential illness and her falling in the woods.

- As mention previously Seung Hyo's behaviour at times was edging on problematic towards the middle of the show and although it brought a realistic and complete character I can't help but wish it was tackled more directly. I certainly think that in the course of the show Seok Ryu changed and grew more than Seung Hyo personally.

- FL's brother is not very explored but also I feel like he did the things that were expected of him in the end and they're showing me he has changed but not sure if because of the execution or what but it was hard to believe when he had spent most of the drama being a spoiled piece of work. It was unsatisfactory to me, as it was the introduction of that last minute romance with Na Yun, it felt forced even though it had already been hinted.

- As also said Mo Eum being so persistent with Dan Ho was bad, but also was they took so long to tell us Yeon Du was his niece. Mo Eum's relationship with Yeon Du was also pushy. I know that it's a big thing in Korea being with someone that already has kids and whatnot but it still baffles me, so the reaction and initial disapproval of Mo Eum's mother was kind of annoying.

- Special mention to the specific situation of FL's parents being annoyed at her towards the beginning for cancelling the wedding to the point of trying to push her to marry the guy against her will, calling him against her will, wanting to send her back to the US and the mother later trying to make her date and ultimately marry the ex. All that is obviously forgotten with the cancer but what did I watch seriously. They were treating her like she was 10 so many times, telling her what she could or not do.

- Somewhere between the resolution of the cancer/FL's ex plot and the end I found it a bit dragging at points and I do think they could have used those moments to explore deeper other things that were lacking, like anything written above.

- Generally I'm not a big fan of the childhood friends to lovers. I do think here it was decently well because they had lives and other partners in-between but as a concept I find it too overused.

- Some of the product placement was very on the face.


I would say if you don't want any drama avoid this since at points it has more drama than romcom. If you don't like long episodes and slice of life avoid this. If you want an explosive love at first sight this is not it either.
If you like the opposite of the above then watch it, it's enjoyable although bumpy ride. At points you love it, at others it gets a bit too dramatic and at others it drags a bit before you get another loving bit. It be variable like that.
Acting is good and the main actors did great for me, but when it comes to the main two actors I might be a bit biased since I've seen them in other stuff and I generally have liked all that I've watched of them. So if you want to watch because of any of them I would say to give it a go.
I think Yun Ji On is a bit stiff at times and I can't tell if it's the character that is supposed to be that way for certain or also his acting a bit. I think all the parents did good acting but certainly my favourite was Jo Han Chul.
I rarely rewatch dramas but I probably wouldn't this one if only to not have to relive Seok Ryu's mother as well as the more overly dramatic moments.

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Warm, fuzzy, heartwarming that brings a smile when feeling down.

To be clear, the story wasn’t very revolutionary or new as there were a lot of cliches used and many themes have been explored. But I can’t help to feel happy whenever I watched a new episode. The vibe of the entire series is just so wholesome and warm, which is something we need in this depressing time and age. While I do agree that the drama tends to be draggy but it doesn’t really stick on any particular conflicts and drama for long, which helps. Everyone’s performance are really top notch, but I do feel that the parents performances tend to be overtly exaggerated for my liking. I also like how the heavy themes were cleared before ep 10/11 as the writers really don’t hold back in giving all the sweet stuff that fans deserve. There were a few plot holes that made certain parts underwhelming. For instance, Dan Ho initial vehement rejection to be with Mo Eum was because of insecurities. But I legit thought it’s due to something bigger based on his reactions… Music was the biggest letdown here as I expect better songs for a kdrama, but most of it were forgettable except the Wonstein song which grew on me.

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Wish fulfilment trash targeted towards lonely woman

So we have guy who is super attractive and successful, rich
But some reason he is a virgin who kept his v card for his childhood trash friend who was happily enjoying sex in abroad.. wtf?????.
There is another show with similar premise but gender reversed. " Fight for my way". There they were dirt poor(both). FL had feelings for ml but ml is dense. But guess what she had 3 prior relationships before ml. And ml also had relationships , that makes it so natural and fair to both.
When I started this drama( love next door), there is immediate alarm in my system that we are going to get another simp ml and trash fl.
And oallla..

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Love Next Door: A Charming Tale of Love Hindered by Emotional Disconnect

The story follows the rekindling of childhood friends Choi Seung-Hyo and Bae Seok-Ryu as they navigate their evolving relationship and budding romance. While the premise is simple, the narrative reveals deeper complexities that make it intriguing. However, Jung Hae-In's performance sometimes lacks the emotional depth needed for impactful scenes, making some moments feel forced. Despite this, I found the film enjoyable, though my expectations settled into a "so-so" mindset as I watched. Ultimately, I would rate it a 7 out of 10, appreciating the engaging storyline while wishing for more emotional resonance.

FULL REVIEW: https://diyarisks.blogspot.com/2024/10/love-next-door-2024-series-review.html

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