Loveholic (2005)

I don’t know exactly why I wanted to watch this because I don’t like the main actress (saw a movie of hers) and I had never heard of the main actor. The fact that Lee Sun Gyun had a role and that the premise sounded like it would make for an angsty romance kind of made me curious if this drama was any good…

Story- The first 3 episodes are in a school setting and this is where most of the forbidden student/teacher relationship takes place. Then by episode 4 the accident takes place and there’s already a time jump of 5 years. This is when the main male character is suppose to start rebuilding his life becoming a chef with the help of the main female character while slowly rekindling what they once had right? Nope! There was only like 2 or 3 eps where Kang Wook is in an actual restaurant training to be a chef. The rest of the series is just so repetitive with make ups/break ups, multiple awkward/filled with tension conversations/meetings between the 4 main characters, and your basically waiting till Yool Joo finds out that the accidental death is her fault and what will she do about it. The romance in this was really lame and the ending was anticlimactic but happy I guess. The only reason I was able to keep watching is because the episodes went at a good pace and kept me from being bored.

Acting/Characters- Starting with the best actor in the group, I would say Lee Sun Gyun did the best at portraying his character. He is a prosecutor who is all about doing the right thing but when it comes to Yool Joo he is conflicted but adamant about protecting his love/Yool Joo and throwing everything away for her.

When it comes to the female lead Kim Gyu Ri, all I can say is she could have done better. Her delivery was flat and she held back when it came to her emotional scenes. I didn’t believe her when she wanted to leave Tae Hyun again for Kang Wook or even when she was so adamant about turning herself in to erase Kang Wook’s criminal record. There just wasn’t enough passion.

This was my first time watching Kang Ta and for his first major acting role (he was an idol back then) he did a pretty good job. His eyes did all the work and when he was angry I believed him and when he showed his love for Yool Joo I believed him.

Music- I really liked the score and there was this one song they played over and over which I remembered even outside of watching the show.

Rewatch- I don’t have an interest in watching this again. Only good for a one-time watch.

Overall Loveholic is kind of disappointing but it’s still watchable. Just not something that will memorable.

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STORY & ACTING: I came across this drama by chance I was drawn to the cover picture and the synopsis. Initially I was a bit off put by the lead actress as I had only seen her in a film before (Poongsan Dog) and had disliked her character in that. So I was fully prepared to loathe her again & drop the drama after a couple of episodes. I must say I was pleasantly surprised, admittedly she was quite a bit younger when this drama was filmed, however she played her role of an innocent optimistic teacher quite well. I do agree with the other reviewer & felt that she was quite stilted when it came to the emotional scenes, she lacked conviction. She did not emote well & I did not believe that she was genuinely in love with anyone. The male lead I had never heard of before, considering he was an idol & didn’t have much acting experience he did a wonderful job.

The story itself is angsty and a little too drawn out. The initial meeting when Kang Wook is a student meets and falls in love with his new teacher Joo Wol all that happens within the first four episodes I wish they had spent longer on developing this part of the story. Then the tragic event happens and Kang Wook ends up in prison, by ep 6 he is out and the story resumes from where they all are in their lives at that point, 5 years later.

Lee sun Gyun played his role as Prosecutor & second male lead well. I didn’t like the characters of Kang Woo’s two classmates who are obsessively in love with people who don’t return their feelings a familiar theme in Kdramas.

MUSIC: I loved the theme song it fit perfectly with the mood of this drama. There is a sad ballad played in the later episodes which I also liked. There is also a lullaby which Kang Wook sings in a an angry heart rending way when he is in prison (its in episode 5) I found this scene so moving and poignant.

Overall I think this is an underrated drama and I would recommend it to fans of angst-ridden, romantic melodramas. But it is drawn out & felt like there wasn’t “enough meat on the bones.” It could have been so much better if they had more story/dialogue to pad out the 16 episodes or alternatively if it had fewer episodes. Its still well worth a watch though.

A couple of my favourite moments were right at the end of the last episode they show their very first meeting captured in the photograph, linking back to the early episodes of the drama, so sweet. I also loved the way the episodes ended with the red string showing how their fates are intertwined.

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