Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Cosy comfortable with a shot of blood

Once you get through the obligatory starter course of processed cheese, the first four or five episodes turn into a gentle, warm, carefully observed drama-romance with credible characters. Then the romance stretches like melted mozzarella for a number of episodes before just about righting itself; the cottage cheese style comedy tries to spice itself up with some hot chilli crime and the plot turns into gruyere, with holes so big you could run a mouse through them. Unfortunately, I could see where it was headed like I had a grandstand view down a wormhole.

Okay, let’s put some spoiler-free depth to those claims.

First the romance. This is a noona romance and visibly so. I have no problem with the age of the FL, or the fact that the characters are played by actors with at least 10 years between them. But at times I found myself wincing because in the script the FL acts more like the ML’s mother than anything else and at one point the ML behaves like a teenager, and those things I did have a problem with. However, once the romance got going things settled down a bit, but there is precious little chemistry going on. It’s all very cosy and comfortable, so be prepared for that.

It seems that the writer wants to give the drama a bit of weight and chose to do it in two ways. One of which definitely added something—educational child abuse in pursuit of excellence. Because of the setting in a tutoring academy it was fully explored and provided some real depth by documenting the impact on the students. This part of the drama was good and was credible alongside the romance. But the other theme—heavy-duty-crime—really didn’t mesh well and was totally unnecessary imo. Also the execution of that whole plot thread was obvious and clumsy.

There’s a fashion at the moment to try mixed genres, but it rarely succeeds. Okay I admit, it could be that I just need to change, get with the program and embrace something new, but … I think that there are genres for a reason. And that’s because any drama is an exaggeration of life in a certain direction. The imaginary world created by a romance is fundamentally different to that of a crime thriller because it is designed to evoke different emotions and responses. Things that are credible in one world aren’t in the other. When you mix the genres it’s like being emotionally and psychologically pulled in opposite directions so that you twang like a rubber band from one to the other. In the time it takes to cut to the next scene the viewer has to heave out one universe and drag in another. Jeez, it wears me out…

A bunch of corrupt mothers were required to fulfil both the comedy and the serious commentary on educational abuse. But neither the writing, nor the acting/directing was subtle or clever enough to exploit this killer opportunity for black humour. Satire is an art-form, and anyone who wants to check it out at its absolute best should watch “Heard it through the Grapevine”. Here it was mostly a clumsy mish-mash.

Hwang Bo Ra was delicious again as the mercurial but minor character, Lee Mi Ok. She could have made a much better job of the self proclaimed leader of the mother’s group than Kim Sun Young and brought out the dark humour. She is such an underrated actor imo. Lee Chae Min as the student Lee Seon Jae and Jang Young Nam as his mother were notable, and the scenes between them were little gems. He’s a Song Kang lookalike but with acting ability… In general the performances were really good and that is what kept this drama afloat for me.

To quote Skitc’s excellent review for “Stranger’s Again”— beware the trebuchet!!!! Another traffic accident. Really!!!

Okay if you are a writer in need of ideas of how to injure someone in an urban environment that doesn’t involve a car, here are some pointers (feel free to add more in the comments below)
• bitten by a zombie escapee from “Happiness”;
• pushed down a manhole into the sewer;
• Dorothy’d into the sky by a tornado;
• half encased in setting concrete;
• an eye gouged out by a drone;
• garrotted by a kite string;
• savaged by a flurry of rabid hamsters.

F**king anything pleeeeeease except being hit by a car.

What my rating means: 7+ A watchable drama, but nothing exceptional. Good enough to qualify for the race, but finished with the pack. The sort of thing that promises more than it delivers.

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A warm and fuzzy rom-com drama with a touch of thrill

Before this drama finished airing on Netflix, I avoided the drama for some reason. I eventually came to watch the drama because it is convenient as I am a Netflix subscriber and as it turns out, it is available within the Canada region. The plot is very easy to watch, but not boring - as they have melodramatic plots as well.

A little overview of the drama:
Choi Chi Yeol (ML) is a well known and successful private instructor who is also known as one trillion won man. Nam Haeng Seon (FL) is an early-retired athlete who owns a small side-dishes business. FL has a teenage kid who excels in her studies, a brother who has Asperger's Syndrome, and a best friend who helped her with her business.

The drama could be just like any other rom-com drama, however, they have a good script writing, which led this drama getting a high-rating. What I love about this drama is how they portray each individual's flaws - as dramas who has "rich man poor woman" theme often portray the man as a perfect all rounder and untouchable. In fact, the ML has many flaws, and he succeeded by his own effort, which I appreciate very much. On the other hand, FL is okay in her economic perspective, not too poor and not rich either. However, she got a full loving family that stands by her side.

What I admired very much is how FL is very kind-hearted, to the point where she quit her future athlete career to take care of her abandoned niece (now as her daughter). She is very selfless and always want to help people in need, just like her mother.

The story tells how ML has many mental health issues due to stress primarily, which causes him to become malnourished most of the time. However, after he came across FL's side dishes coincidentally, he was reminded of the time where he had no money but was taken care of by an Ajumma. He immediately felt warm after tasting the food, which led him to the FL.

I also love FL's daughter because she's very mature for her age. Despite being only in high-school, her behaviour seems very put-together and this can be seen as how she is beloved by her friends- plus she has brains too!

As for the sides characters, the drama portrays how rich families has many problems, especially when it comes to how they raise their children. For instance, Cho Soo Hee chose to become a dotting mom and her daughter has mental health issues that resulted from her being a perfectionist. Meanwhile, Jang Seo Jin, who's also a well respected lawyer, chose to become an extreme tiger mom, where she pushed her sons to become "perfect" in her eyes no matter the cost. In fact, one of her sons became a "Hikikomori" where he locked himself in a room without any life, purpose and motivation because of her.

In the end, though Cho Soo Hee became somewhat a changed woman, Jang Seo Jin is the one who has the most character development, which I love. She has peace with her husband, and her sons, where she took her Hikkomori son on a trip together. And we can see that in the end, her son surprised her in her office in the middle of his military break and shared a warm hug.

All in all, the drama was very enjoyable to watch. I'd say, if I have one thing to complain, the chemistry between the 2 leads are not the best as I don't see any sparks between them. Usually it is harder to make a chemistry work in the public eye, since the leads has an age gap, but to take "Romance as a Bonus Book" for an example of an age-gap drama that can show a very good chemistry between the lead. However, aside from the chemistry issue, I think the drama is worth the watch.

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Crash Course in Romance? More like crash course in blotchy mystery featuring romance as a side dish

일타 스캔들/Crash Course in Romance, as a social commentary, showed the unfortunate norm of hypercompetitive education in the Korean society well. Although it was not groundbreaking since there are already shows that only focused this issue, but it was still distinct on its own in that it added some flavor to the story literally and figuratively, especially the cuisine, romance, and towards the latter part, mystery/thriller.

The budding romance between the star teacher Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho) and the nation's best side dish maker Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon) is as typical as a Korean rom-com story can be. There were some clichés as expected, but for this show, its edge is that it was a middle-age adult romance done realistically. What also added to the successful execution of the romance part was the chemistry between the actors themselves. They knew how to act their characters well and their emotions and mannerisms were just amazing onscreen. There were issues regarding the FL's age and fashion that honestly didn't made sense with me as someone who doesn't like pure rom-com Kdramas. I am more concerned with the romantic connection and not the petty unrelated stuff.

The plot was well built-up. There were several substories in the beginning and the later episodes that were portrayed well and thus, making the pacing exemplary on the 1st half. Won't be spoiling them but basically, it was just entertaining to see everything, from the different side dishes, to the dizzying world of math (shows how weak I am on this subject LOL). In terms of flavor, the romance and proper pacing on the 1st half represents the sweetness.

Speaking of sides, the side characters were just as entertaining to watch as well, most notably, Su-a's mom. She really epitomizes the tiger mom "I don't give a damn as long as I'm the #1" attitude with just 1 goal. She may not be as dark as the FL in Sky Castle, but she too, had her almost dark moments. In terms of flavor, she represents the bitterness.

But why won't I give a perfect 10 rating on the story?

First and foremost is the mystery. As mentioned, the story was well built-up and that includes the mystery part. There were some plot twists and misleads, but it still added some tension and grit, in a way. It's just that after the shift from romance to mystery in the 11th episode there were little to no moments on the relationship anymore. I wanted to know more about them, and the mystery was a necessary for this show to hit 16 episodes. Still, I was accepting with how it stole the screentime, thinking that it may be a turning point of some sort. Yet it only culminated in just a splash, literally. It was disappointing and blotchy with how it ended. In terms of flavor, the mystery represent the sourness.

Also, is the out-of-the-blue almost slapstick "romance" between 2 side characters. It was just a "stop trying to make fetch happen" Regina George to Gretchen Wieners moment. It wasn't needed since it was obvious that it was more logical for them to have a brother-and-sister relationship, and it was just better if it didnt happen. Although in real life, I won't be complaining since I can't control their feelings. However for this show, I was salty about it, hence the salty flavor it represents.

The finale tried to salvage the messy thriller somewhat successfully, but it was already predictable at that point. It gave the boost needed from the mediocre previous episode. The charm was still there, and it wrapped the story as necessary. There was fluff and redemption from various characters, albeit some were rushed.

Contrary to some, the last "obstacle" for me was expected and was not contrived at all. It was a decisive moment for Haeng-seon and Hae-e's relationship and love for each other.

Then again, this show was more on being a social commentary about Korean education rather than just a pure romcom. It was not expected to fix the system overnight, but this show was quite successful in conveying its message across.

With that in mind, Crash Course in Romance? More like crash course in blotchy mystery featuring romance as a side dish.

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Crash Course in Laughter

It is hands down the best kdrama of the year, and we're only a few months in! As a self-proclaimed comfort K-drama enthusiast, I was so excited to watch this show, and it did not disappoint. One scene that I particularly enjoyed is the one involving the belt, which takes place after Chiyeol spends the night at Haengseon's house and is discovered by her best friend and Chiyeol's assistant. The resulting hilarity is pure gold, as the two try to explain themselves and the situation spirals out of control. It's a classic comedy of errors that will have you laughing out loud.
But what really sets this show apart is its ability to balance humor and heart. While you'll be rolling on the floor with laughter one minute, you'll be reaching for the tissues the next as the characters confront their deepest fears and vulnerabilities.

If the chaotic family dynamics and crazy competitive mothers were not enough, the addition of Mr. Ji's plot was excessive and unnecessary for a romantic comedy that could have been one of the best. As such, the murder plot was the only aspect that I disliked. Minus 0.5 for that.

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Annoying FL but good storyline

I just finished this.. I would say second half is definitely better than the first half. Many opinions did not like the mystery/ crime aspect, but I actually found that more interesting and engaging.

The biggest issue I had with this drama was the FL. Had to have 3 pauses, could not binge watch in one sitting as I found her character too annoying. It’s not the actress’s fault.. it’s the writers. They tried to make her look like a late thirties woman? With comments like “she looks too young to be Hae-Ee’s mother” DID NOT HELP at all. I understand many productions use actors and try to write them younger or older… but in this case it backfired. Also- her character was TOO DARN annoying!! She talked wayyy too much, was too nosy trying to butt in and control every situation. The first half of the drama was just intolerable to watch… I only continued because I DID LIKE the storyline and found it engaging!

Some reviewers also commented on the FL’s dressing and hair- also not her fault but the writers and producers. I did not like her hair, and even though she is a working mum per say, having a tough life juggling the business, raising a daughter and taking care of her brother.. she could have been dressed better overall.

Everything else I quite enjoyed. The superstar teacher, the crazy mums pressuring their kids to study hard, the romance etc.. although there was this one scene where the FL came out of the door, and the ML was looking completely smitten by her ( I went ewww.. not likely! I’m ashamed to say but that was my first thought) The chemistry between the leads were mediocre, just couldn’t jive with it. The romance between the teens could have been explored more- did hae Ee really make Sun Jae wait for TWO years before giving her answer? That’s tough man!

Anyhow.. give this a try. It does get better after episode 9 ish.. The last episode was good, found myself tearing quite a bit. Just have a few pauses in between if you’re getting annoyed ;)

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It's a lot more better than people say it is.

Despite some of the reviews here. in the complaints about the age gap and the lack of chemistry between the cast and how the female lead was not right for the part is total garbage.

we'll have a different perspectives and this is mine I thought the casting had great chemistry the age gap doesn't bother me at all I really don't care I thought the female lead did a wonderful job. it's my understanding the show didn't do so well in Korea and apparently a lot of people don't like the show and are complaining about the fact that I got a high rating list on here. I definitely think the show was worth checking out even if you end up not liking it it's different than your typical Romance romcom drama there's a lot of interesting side stories to it which made it more appealing and interesting for me I know some people complained about it and felt like it was unnecessary but I felt like it added more to the show.

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Started off strong, bogged down by nonsense and useless plots

This show started off strong with some great character things and romantic development. It made math fun for a bit! Unfortunately, this show suffers from "should've only had 12 episode"-itis and it showed. Once it hit 12 episodes, everything was nonsense. The murder plot was not only ridiculous and needless, IT WAS ALSO RESOLVED POORLY without any of the emotional impact it could've had. Was this only added to pad the episode count? What was the POINT? The last-minute unearned redemption -- NOT character development as others will say -- of several characters who have never shown remorse until the last episode was salt in the wound. The teens were awesome. Haengseon and Chiyeol, when not bogged down by that ridiculous murder plot, were amazing. Haeyi and Haengseon are really the heart of this show. Too bad it failed them.

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This has a promising storyline, a classic really. Famous celebrity teacher falls in love with a normal working "mom". I really wanted to watch the story because of the backstory of FL and how she decided to raise her niece. I expected a long backstory but everything was explained in one episode, maybe in five minutes of the show. Kind of disappointed, personally I was looking for a build-up of their storyline. This was the main reason why I decided to give this show a chance.

ML has his charm and FL I didn't know how old she was until an article came out about her in her 50's as she plays a mom. I assume they were thinking of someone in her 30's? She was able to pull it off for someone in her 50's so I give her props for that. They were a cute couple and their love line was expected to happen, I just felt the pace was a bit off for me.

I love the side stories of the uncle and the daughter. I think they were adorable. But just like every other kdrama there has to be a bad guy with some mental or psychological issue that is related to one of the leading couples. I personally do not like having these weird side stories added on because it was predictable and I already knew who was behind it.

It was entertaining but I skipped through a lot, I personally wouldn't want to watch it again. Giving it at 4/10

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Extremely weird romcom

I read that older female leads are often paired with younger male leads to attract the large female viewer share but this drama takes it further than I've ever seen before. The FL looks to be about twenty years older than the ML. It strains credulity to pretend this could happen especially given that there is absolutely zero chemistry between them. It's pure older female fantasy fiction. 30 something handsome rich man is going to fall for 50 something women who is neither particularly attractive or well off? She is too old to even bare children for him. How does that even work? Ironically he sees a female therapist who would be a much better and more natural match for him. They look really good together and it leaves the viewer wondering why he doesn't pursue someone like her.

On top of all that there is a muder and police drama subplot out of nowhere. It's like they thought the story was too boring as is and decided to throw in the kitchen sink. Weird weird weird drama.

Last but not least, the lying: To lie about something as serious as having a husband living overseas when in fact the lead has never been married is just too much for a Westerner to comprehend. Lying is used extensively in Kdramas as a lazy plot device leading to misunderstandings but the amount of both very serious black lies and completely unnecessary white lies for the smallest bit of convenience sake leaves this viewer wondering if lying is the norm more than the exception in Korean daily life. I mostly love the characters in Kdramas but the non-stop lying for no good reason always leaves a sour taste. Not giving up on it yet but close.

So now I have watched the entire show and have to change my review to the lowest rating possible. I have never seen such a thing in my life. I ended up just fast forwarding through the last episode. Spoiler Alert!...................The show mixes a light hearted romance with a serial killer story. One minute the show is focused on romance and the next minute the ML's teaching assistant is murdering and kidnapping people (including a main character) and then literally kills himself while the ML helplessly watches. Five minutes later show drops that plot point entirely and none of the characters ever mention or reflect upon it again. We never see the reaction of ML's other assistants to these developments either. The last we see of the guy is him dead on the sidewalk after jumping and never a single mention of it ever again. WTAF! Insane!!! Do not watch! OMG!

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#1 (EARLY 2023) IN ROM-COM FOR ME

Overall:
Personally I love dramas where you find soft romance. This is the perfect example so far in 2023. Unlike some dramas of 2023 (if you know, you know which one I'm talking about) this one is not toxic, doesn’t have unnecessary moments, doesn’t have thousands of secrets for each character, doesn’t have up & down storytelling. It's very simple & subtle. The story flow is awsome & enjoyable for pretty much everyone. This is my overall thinking about the drama. Now let's hop onto the story.
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Story:
This rom-com genre drama tells us a story about two mature people slowly falling for each other. A mature women who runs a dish store somehow (which you'll get to know once you start watching the drama) gets involved with the most famous teacher. This stroy also shows educational system & it's present reality which imcludes stories of students, also the guardians. It also shows a series mysterical events which is happening in the town. The male lead seems to be cold outside but he actually is very gentle & thoughtful. The female lead is very positive & has a wonderful personality. The story portraits how they get involved in each other life slowly & gently.
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Casting:
This drama has 100/10 casting. For real. The character development is just awsome because of the mastery of acting by the main casts as well as the support characters. You will agree with this term "Age is just a number" after watching how the casts develops a sublte romantic relationship.
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Can't wait for the next episodes. There was a time when netflix used to release a series in a day. NGL I need that for this drama. Again it's kind of sad that only 6 episodes left.

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Heartfelt watch with criminally miscast FL

Let me start with stating that I have nothing against Jeon De Yeon but she was simply not suitable for the role. The role required FL to be in her late twenties to early thirties but FL is 50 years old in real life. I was bewildered when someone in the drama mentioned how FL looks too young to be a high school student's mom (this is also a plot point) whereas she was definitely looing the part. She was styled horribly even for her character. There was zero chemistry between the ML and the FL and this for me was the biggest fault of this show. I just could not watch their scenes together, not because she was 11 years older to the ML but because that was not the story they were telling.

Jung Kyung Ho (ML) did a wonderful job. He was charismatic and funny but the romance was really meh. This show has such a delightful supporting cast, it was an entertaining ensemble of familiar faces from some of the most popular dramas of recent times. Props to Oh Eui Shik for playing a character on the autism spectrum, I was impressed with his portrayal. Roh Yoon Seo was terrific and I am sure she has big things in store for her. Even the younger support cast was lovely, I was low-key more interested in their dynamics than the main lead.

The story is a bit troupey but there has been an attempt to make it in the best possible way. This also means that there is no novelty in the plot and it is ridden with several sub-plots, some of which are not explored properly. It has a bit of suspense, trauma, drama , comedy and cringe-worthy romance. The music is forgettable, the production value is at par with the shows of current times.

TVN threw all their money on casting this show with popular names but did not consider testing the chemistry of the main leads and that will reflect throughout the show, I wish they went with some other FL and this show would have been better received.

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