While everybody was busy binging all the holiday classics or catching up on Start-Up, Netflix released one of their most unique k-dramas that flew under the radar: Lovestruck in the City. This was one of the k-dramas that I placed in my to-watch list ever since I saw the trailer with Ji Chang-wook in it.
I found some of his projects to be great, like Healer, as well as The K2, which made our list of the best k-dramas for Gen Z. So I had some sort of expectations for this k-drama — not a lot, but some.
The first two episodes didn’t deliver a super strong impression like most k-dramas, but it looks like it’s going to head into an interesting direction soon. Now you’re probably asking: should you watch Lovestruck in the City? Read more to find out our answer.
And yes, we are keeping things spoiler-free!
The show follows six good-looking singles and their complicated love lives at the heart of South Korea’s capital… and that’s basically all there is to it. It isn’t really as complicated as other k-dramas that throw every plot twist they can to prolong the show.
At least, not yet.
Lovestruck in the City dares to be young and different with its storytelling format alone. A documentary crew follows our characters as they get interviewed about their romantic lives.
We follow the love story of 32-year old architect Park Jae-won (played by Ji Chang-wook) and 29-year old Lee Eun-oh (played by Kim Ji-won), who works in marketing. As the interviewer asks them questions related to their romantic lives, we cut to flashbacks about their summer fling in Yang Yang and the eventual fallout.
We haven’t really gotten to the other characters’ stories yet, but we do know Choi Kyung-joon (played by Kim Min-seok) and Seo Rin-yi (played by So Joo-yeon) are in a long-term relationship. No drama yet, but we’re basically just waiting for the other shoe to drop with that couple!
Rounding out the gang are author Kang-geon (played by Ryu Kyung-soo) and I-break-hearts-for-breakfast Oh Sun-young (Han Ji-eun). They’re huge question marks right now because we don’t really know how they fit into the other characters’ lives just yet.
After watching the first episode, there was one thought that I couldn’t let go of: this is such a Netflix original. Everything felt and moved like those quirky lower-budget rom-coms produced by the streaming giant.
They aren’t necessarily groundbreaking, but they all leave you with that warm fuzzy feeling after watching it. I’m talking movies like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Kissing Booth — hell, it even reminded me of their reality shows like Dating Around and The Circle.
There’s something about a show’s production that reminds you of Netflix originals, like the lighthearted story, the small but cute animations, the irresistable soundtrack, and the gorgeous setting. All of which Lovestruck in the City has in spades.
Despite what the title of the show implies, we don’t actually see much of Seoul yet.
Most of the first few episodes are spent in the beautiful Yangyang Beach, which adds a lot to the young, modern & fun vibe the show is all about. It’s a lot like I’m Drunk, I Love You where the beach setting and the vibe is half the enjoyment of watching it.
It’s a joy watching Ji Chang-wook’s portrayal of Jae-won, primarily because it’s great seeing him out of the action-suspense genre and into straight romance territory. On the other hand, Kim Ji-won won me over with her portrayal of the happy-go-lucky Eun-oh. Her persona fits so perfectly with the carefree nature of Yangyang Beach.
Everything just works together to breathe life to the show. You may not remember what the story is about, but you’ll remember how it may just have been the most visually-stunning kdrama you’ve ever watched.
The documentary format also works extremely well because the show has to keep things snappy and dynamic. Ultimately, it’s a double-edged sword because the interview scenes are probably the weakest part of the show. It feels necessary though, because they’re weaving together all of these narratives in the space of thirty minutes an episode.
Yes, you heard that right: one episode only lasts thirty minutes which makes it a great show to binge-watch. Again, with that kind of bingeability, it’s a k-drama trapped in the body of a Netflix original.
Lovestruck in the City is just not like the other k-dramas I’ve watched before because the presentation is so unique and different. It’s not that at all surprising because in Korea, it is distributed by KakaoTV and does not have to play by the same rules as cable and network TV stations.
Given that, you can definitely feel the heavy Western influence throughout the show.
I literally gasped when the “Rated 16+” warning showed up in the beginning of the second episode because there was sex involved. It was interesting to see these characters openly talk about and engage in sex, only because the topic is annoyingly avoided all the time in k-dramas. These are grown characters and it’s so important for sex to be covered in a show about romance.
Unfortunately, Lovestruck in the City doesn’t really wow us with the plot in the first two episodes. While the visuals are a delight to watch, the k-drama will leave you with a resounding “that’s it?!” when the credits roll.
For the viewer with a short attention-span, the stop button would be too tempting to press halfway through the first episode.
The 30-minute running time works against the show in that regard, but at the same time, it’s not really an excuse for the underdeveloped story. Lots of shows have hooked us in from the very beginning and have given us more exposition in a smaller window of time.
And that’s the problem with having the show revolve around six characters: their stories will need some time to cook.
Even the story of Kyung-joon and Rin-yi’s first time was too short to have any kind of impact on the viewer. It felt like a free sample without any of the good stuff. For now, they’re nothing but side characters that don’t really add anything to the show.
And don’t get me started on Kang-geon and Sun-young, whose names I had to Google before writing this review because their impact in the show was close to nonexistent. I’m sure I’m going to end up loving them, but it sucks that they got lost in the shuffle in the first two episodes without as much as a set-up of their upcoming character arcs.
Obviously, patience is key for this series, but even then, I am not holding out for a groundbreaking plot with this one. Lovestruck in the City seems perfectly content with delivering us picture-perfect shots and whirlwind romance as opposed to delivering a captivating story.
Which I guess is fine because not all k-dramas have to change the game, but for the viewer who is bored with watching usual romcoms, this is not the show to start with.
Lovestruck serves you the most basic romcom plot while covered in all the glitz and glam. It’s not all bad, but it can be a bit bland.
I know that the good parts are enough to make me stick around for the next few weeks. The second episode left me with more hope for the show since we actually got to a more interesting predicament in the end; something the pilot failed to do.
Lovestruck in the City is one of the freshest k-dramas to hit Netflix because of its heavy Western millennial TV influence. If you’re not into k-dramas, either because you’ve clouded your mind with too many preconceptions about the genre, or because it’s too much of a commitment, then I would personally recommend that you give this a chance.
For the picky k-drama enthusiast, it may just be alright to skip this one because it lacks some flavor that makes it stand out from much superior titles. The first two episodes have not given us a real reason to really vouch for it. Maybe the time will come when it progresses beyond its cute presentation and gives us more conflict to chew on.
If the show manages to pick up its pace and develop the supporting characters better, then it might just end up being a memorable k-drama.
There is some potential there. But from what it’s given us, it’s nothing more than a show that’s good for a quick binge through a weekend.
Did you enjoy Lovestruck in the City? Let us know how you found it in the comments below!
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