Mad for Each Other (2021)

Funny & Touching Kdrama About Healing

This drama was not on my radar at all and I only heard about it from seeing a clip of episode 1 on Youtube. I finally gave it a try recently and the drama really surprised me. The drama poster gives a comedic vibe but the drama has some really great touching scenes about mental health and issues in society. The comedic scenes definitely helped pull me in at the beginning because it gave me a great laugh but it was the characters' story and relationships that later kept me going. The main characters' backstory and pain made me understand why they have become the way they are. Min Kyung and Hwi Oh are also a cute couple as you keep watching. They are funny and relatable.

The chemistry between the leads also surprised me because I did not expect to like the two together but they are actually a good pair together as I kept watching. There are so many good scenes of them interacting, but my favorite was when he bought her a new pair of sunglasses so she would look at the world more happily. I believe this has a double meaning because our perspective of the world can really change how you feel and I think that was a message of those sunglasses. Min Kyung was slowly learning to trust people, starting with the sunglasses. I love how realistic the writing was about their relationship as well. It would be impossible for Min Kyung to completely trust others and that is why she had the argument with Hwi Oh about that misunderstanding. It was great seeing Hwi Oh change as he fell in love with Min Kyung as well.

The conflicts in this drama were carried out nicely. The argument between Hwi Oh and Min Kyung made complete sense and the villains' motives made sense. There was a purpose in their actions, even though it was so hateable. The script was also written well for 13 episodes with each episode lasting around 35 minutes. It flowed smoothly and I loved how we saw the characters grow. I didn't feel like there were any filler scenes except for the parts with the convenience store part-timer. I felt that her storyline was unnecessary and did not have any role except to fill up some space. It would have been much better to leave her out of it.

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So much potential

This was so good for 12.5 episodes. The chemistry between the leads was good and the back stories were good. There was not a lot 2nd lead action, but it was a cute story. The comedy was good, it had a few annoying side characters, but they were tolerable.

Then the story shit it's pants, with a ridiculous plot twist that left so many loose endings and so much potential on the cutting room floor. Why do these writers do this, do they think it's cute, are they hoping for a second season or there some cultural masochism that eludes me. There are so many things I would like to have seen tied up, but I won't spoil it for you. It's still a good watch, I binged it all the way through.

I was going to rate this at least an 8.5, but I ended up at a generous 7.5 because the beginning was so good. If you want to be happy, stop at the last kiss; you should know it when you see it.

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A comedy that was more than a comedy

I picked this show because it broke the kdrama tradition of being 16 episodes ninety minutes long. It was a rather swift show but one that nonetheless delivered a deeply moving story.

The story of two mentally troubled people living next door to each other with all the comedic encounters set the tone early for what our lead pair - and the town they lived in - were like. Lee Min-Kyung suffered from OCD and an extreme anxiety that meant she had difficulty trusting anything and anyone. Hwi-oh's anger issues was what landed him in therapy and the way these two interacted early on *through* their mental illness was done really well; this is a comedy show but it didn't insult people's mental illness. It was funny without being disrespectful.

As the story progresses, the comedy becomes less prominent and you understand why it has to: the backstories of both Min-Kyung and Hwi-oh make it difficult for the show to remain completely light-hearted, especially where it concerns the abuse Min-Kyung went through. As the show progresses, her ordeal tells a good story of what it is like for women in abusive relationships, the fear of trusting again. Her relationship with Hwi-oh was done organically, built over a gradual trust sprung from his genuine decency and devotion to keeping her safe and happy. The way they first kissed sort of alluded to that; she is totally fine sleeping with him around because she trusts him. Because he listens to her, because he believes her.

Which is what this show is really all about. It's about Min-Kyung needing someone to believe her, to give her that feeling of safety and reassurance her ex-partner took from her. Throughout the show she struggles for that, but finds it in Hwi-oh. We see the importance of why believing her is better than not. The show tells a good message there; sometimes in a relationship, what's not important is whether your partner is right or not but whether they think you believe them or not.

Hwi-oh in turn finds something in his life he can now lose, and it puts him always on the verge of erupting, of reverting. She thinks she's broken him, but the beauty of the show is how they both subliminally helped each other grow and heal a lot, but the final part of the recovery needed to be done by themselves.

The last episode was a little rushed in that some of the subplots seemed wrapped up too quickly - maybe that's the drawback of being a short series, but I enjoyed this show a lot. It was sold by the terrific acting, particularly on Oh Yeon-Seo's part. I feel like this is a feel-good show I can return to a lot and still enjoy it.

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Watch this for a more serious kdrama with realistic depictions of relationships

I never write reviews but for this drama I have to. I don't hear nearly enough people talk about this beautiful masterpiece of a show. Not only does it deal with all sorts of heavy topics within just 13 episodes, everything was done well and concisely. I think this drama is definitely for older, more mature kdrama lovers who watch for more than just a handsome cast. I ended up falling in love with the two main characters so quickly due to their natural chemistry and superb acting. I also really loved the writing, but be warned, this drama is a rollercoaster of emotions. I was laughing one minute and crying the next. I thought this would be a light-hearted drama, but the heavy topics dealt during these 13 30-minute episodes will have your heart wrenched in every direction. I really wish this drama was longer, because I feel like the writers would've done great with slightly more time to flesh out more aspects of their relationship.

This drama isn't about soulmates, you're not going to watch two people who were destined to be together since they were in middle school fall in love and live happily ever after. This is kdrama about adults meeting with their own respective problems in life and deciding whether being together, despite the challenges, is better than being apart. I personally found so much hope after this drama, because of how realistic and relatable the characters and situations were. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a different kind of drama, one about life, love, and trusting oneself.

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Two Maddies Catch Some Baddies And Pi$$ Off The Condo ☑ Association Too! °7.7° °VG°

He's a cop with anger management issues. She's a fearful, paranoid mess.

They run into each other on the street. She feels threatened and pepper sprays him, so you could say they didn't hit it off. Next they see each other at the therapist's office. Apparently they've been complaining to the same therapist about each other. And next they see that they live next to eachother. WHOOPS!

From that point on, it's the mayhem one could anticipate from two unhinged (but good, underneath it all) persons who each try to bend the other to their will, and in doing so, give no space for peace. They drive each other truly crazy.

Before the end, they'll get the gangsters and drug dealers involved, another neighbor will help Nah Hwi-oh dress up as a woman so he can go undercover while on suspension, thus, the cops jump in for a round along with the convenience store clerk, a deliveryman, parents, the condo association, and the neighborhood watch. High drama it ain't. It's meant to be fun and to make us smile. It is. It does.

They include a K-drama trope in the last couple scenes that usually is awful, and it is the same here: MSS, or mandatory separation syndrome. MSS involves couples, who once they get together, must separate. 'I love you! Finally, we're together! Now I'll catch you later...' Huh? Sometimes, it's a good thing - a generous 15% of the time. On top of that, most of these people are pushing 40. They ain't getting any younger. All flights appear to be grounded as well, because, even if the separation is 4 years, they never seem to visit each other in that time period. In MFE it is brief, we can let it go with a warning.

MFE is 13 half-hour episodes, so it is less than half the usual length of other Kdramas. So get the popcorn, sit back, watch, and grin.

Directing 8
Acting 8
Romance 7
Flutters 5
Warmth 6
Action 6
Thought provocation 5

Age 13+

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Les contraires s'attirent et plus on se déteste au début, plus on s'aime à la fin !

J’ai beaucoup aimé ce petit drama sans prétention, qui, sans prendre de grands airs, réussit quand même à aborder le harcèlement sexuel, la violence en couple, et la tension stressante à laquelle les policiers peuvent être soumis.
Le ton reste toujours dans la comédie, les rencontres des deux héros sont souvent explosives et fort frôles, chacun considérant que l’autre est plutôt dérangé ! ! Les acteurs sont excellents ! Je découvre ici Jung Woo, qui n’est pas une jolie crevette refaite et dorée sur tranche mais un homme « ordinaire », mais quand même plutôt très bien foutu !! Il joue avec beaucoup de naturel, aussi bien le mauvais caractère que l’apaisement, montrant alors beaucoup d’humanité et de compréhension. Od Yeon Seo est parfaite dans cette femme qu’on prend au début pour une psychopathe bourrée de tocs mais qui va se révéler peu peu. Elle ne perd jamais son sens de la répartie et son énergie et ces deux-là que tout leur entourage respectif traite de « fou/folle » finissent pas conclure qu’en fait ils sont les seuls à ne pas l’être !
Le format est facile, 13 épisodes de 35 mn, et il convient très bien au propos.
Je le conseille vraiment pour passer un bon moment sans ‘ennuyer, avec un scénario bien ficelé et pas bête, et de très bons acteurs (mention spéciale au comité de femmes qui « gère » la résidence ! )

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You can't ask for more

I will keep my review short. This is an excellent drama from story to acting to OST. I loved everything about it. It is short, and I never thought it would be this good. I can rewatch it, again and again, to live through the funny moments I lived while watching it the first time.
What I love about the story is how they kept it clean with no useless fat in it. Most dramas have a knack for stretching the dramatic or tragic aspect in them to make it to the 16th episode. The fat in those dramas makes me heartache and usually I drop them if they continue to delay things and complicated them. Often, I fast-forward while watching the last episodes to avoid ruining my mood. Well, this drama doesn't fell under this category, it's the opposite.

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O que faz um bom drama

Loucos Um Pelo Outro –
Este K-Drama, que eu assisti no lançamento, e hoje pela 3 vez, ele consegue de um jeito muito suave e divertidíssimo mostrar alguns traumas, que de certa maneira, guardamos ou que descontamos nos outros e/ou por causa dos outros. Lee Min-kyu tem uma enorme mania de perseguição e procura por todos os meios se sentir segura em seu mundo. Noh Hwi-oh tem incríveis acessos de raiva que dá a ele o apelido de Cachorro Louco dentro da delegacia onde trabalha. A relação destes dois começa quando, em um certo dia chuvoso, eles se encontram na sala de espera do mesmo psiquiatra e ainda pior, descobrem que moram no mesmo condomínio e no mesmo andar. A partir daí eles se envolvem tanto na vida um do outro que não dá mais para saber quem é o mais louco nesta história. Mas toda esta loucura é muito bem justificada em 13 episódios de +ou- 40min.

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Senhor, que drama de louco KKKK, mas eu amei!

Pra falar a verdade, desde a primeira vez que vi ele no catálogo da Netflix, ele me interessou. Não sei o porquê, mas não comecei ele naquela época. Hoje entendo o motivo: simplesmente não era o momento certo.

Foi a minha primeira vez com basicamente todo o elenco. Conheci mais dois novos atores, e descobri que a Lee Soo Hyun atuava, o que foi uma novidade até chocante apesar de eu ter minhas suspeitas. Costumeiramente, aos tiros rsrs.

O tiro aqui tá mais pra um tiro de ódio. Sério, o antagonista desse drama recebeu todo o meu pacote de raiva. Até hoje tô Zen com a vida, porque enviei todo o meu ódio pra ele. Eu soquei o colchão de uma forma que se ele fosse gente, tava gritando de dor até hoje. Que lixo humano, que praga... gosto nem de lembrar daquele encosto. O ator foi de um papel tão lindo em Sweet Home pra um vômito daquele.

Enfim... desabafo completo, agora só elogios. A atuação, a química entre o casal, o desfecho, tudo foi aprovado! Super recomendo e amei!

Concluído por mim: 17/04/22

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Outrageously far out there but entertaining and cute

The first episode was a bit hard to sit through because Min-Kyung’s character was so outrageous and jarring. But I really liked Hwi-O’s character and kudos to Jung Woo for portraying someone with an anger issue with such charms. The only thing about him was that for a cop, he repeatedly incriminated himself. Like didn’t he know how the system worked?

As for Min-Kyung, I get that she was traumatized and violated but I had no reference as to how people like that act. Personally, I felt like her character was over done but still likable.

Most of the side characters worked fairly well. I thought the ladies of the neighborhood association were fun addition as well as Hwi-O’s cop buddies. The only unnecessary ones were the cross dresser and the singing part-timer. They added nothing in my opinion.

The length of the show was perfect as well. There were some slow spots but thirteen episodes of thirty minutes were perfectly concise and didn’t allow for much unnecessary fluff. All other k-dramas need to follow this format.

Unfortunately, they almost ruined the show toward the end. When the ex-boyfriend showed up and Hwi-O finds Yang. The way Hwi-Oh lost control and went crazy and didn’t even bother defending himself at the station was a bit too much. It was a clumsy attempt at creating a major conflict at the end. Oh, and that car chase… sigh…

All in all, a recurring theme for me is the likable characters. Realistically or unrealistically portrayed, I got to feel for the people and grew to root for all of them. I will miss them.

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Mad for Each Other was a random kdrama I picked up after seeing it on Netflix. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with both characters and relate so closely to them dealing with life, trauma, ptsd, depression, and more.

--Spoilers Below--

I love Lee Min-Kyung. Her character is so lovable and comforting. The actress who plays her does such a good job with showing emotion and getting that across in just her facial features. While her backstory was sad, I loved watching it slowly unfold and her work through her trauma. A guy lied, took advantage essentially, and then started becoming abusive... all the while his family stalking her. I could feel her pain through the screen every time a member popped up. I hated the way even her mom viewed the situation and didn't even give her daughter the benefit of the doubt. She only listened once Hwi-Oh talked to her. It made me feel so awful for Min-Kyung and it also helped show how truly alone she felt with her situation. Her slowly opening up to Noh Hwi-Oh and trusting him, but also being weary and still scared from her last relationship was so relatable.. I was rooting for them all the way to the end and almost got tricked by it.

Noh Hwi-Oh's story is interesting but doesn't give you too much to go off of. He treats Min-Kyung so respectfully, but also playfully bullies her. They bicker like little children, but he loves and cares for her. One of my favorite scenes is him trying to teach her self-defense just in case. Him speaking to her mom and telling her that he looks out for her and takes care of her warmed my heart. He was always there whether she knew or needed or cared. The tie up of him catching her ex who was also a criminal was really nice, and it helped catapult him back to the police. I'm glad he got to be with her in the end.

The side characters I feel deserve a thumbs up as well. You get small glimpses of their lives, especially Soo-Hyun. Her many jobs put her everywhere in the story, and all her mini plots add such a nice distraction from the other story. I loved her struggle with money and how relatable it felt that she was working so many jobs just to be able to live comfortably.. I loved her and Samantha's friendship and how much it blossomed. Soo-Hyun didn't judge Samantha at all and saw her as a normal human. The wrap up of their story and them running her singing channel made me so happy and was a good addition even though it didn't tie in too much to the main plot.

The 3 land-ladies were annoying but added nice feisty characters that matched well with the depressed and sad ones. They had some funny moments, but the most memorable moment of them for me is where they overhear the conversation about her past and judge her immediately. They didn't ask or try to clarify at all.. just kicked her out without hearing her out. After Hwi-Oh talks to them they come around, but them even kicking her out in the first place was ridiculous. They help him get with her at the end and make sure they end up together which helps make up for it.

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A hidden GEM!

Like all avid drama viewers, I often find myself in a rut of not being able to find a worthy show enticing enough to binge. Sometimes I settle and rewatch my ult favs but a lot of the time I spend HOURS, like actual hours searching for the perfect drama to gobble up.

This drama came to me in a moment like this, I didn't hear a lot of hype about it really anywhere, and initially forgot about it. Then! I saw a few hilarious clips that were part of a funny compilation and off I went searching for it.

The premise of this drama follows two people who coincidentally meet and find themselves completely at odds, with an equal distaste for each other. They bicker, fall into absolutely laugh inducing misunderstandings, and then eventually they learn to heal together and fall into a very unique type of love. In truth the main characters are flawed individuals dealing with their issues through therapy, which is quite ordinary. What makes this drama rich with intrigue and deserving of being deemed binge worthy is the raw depiction of the psychological turmoil any kind of trauma can cause and its normalization of seeking help from professionals and people close to us.

It starts off light and then we are invited into both of the main character's personal struggles. I cried, I laughed, and I throughly enjoyed the experience of watching this drama it was exciting for just how unexpected it could be. I fully encourage anyone who wants to watch a humorous, romantic and surprisingly healing drama to take the dive into this selection. Its definitely not something I would have picked for myself off the bat, but I can say now that it is one of my new favorites and I loved every character, especially the main leads so much!

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