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Love Is for Suckers korean drama review
Completed
Love Is for Suckers
3 people found this review helpful
by XXI
Dec 2, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

The title says it all so that's what viewers should expect for the romance

While this isn't the greatest drama, I'm one of the few who doesn't think it's as bad as some are making it out to be. If you're looking for flawless characters who aren't realistic & a perfect fairytale type of love story, then you probably won't enjoy this drama much. Although I can't say I loved the characters (except for Jiwan) & some of their actions were frustrating to watch, I was able to understand where they were coming from (except for Chaeri who was just awful). & while understanding their actions didn't mean that I liked them, they certainly kept the point of the drama's title - that love can be sweet & salty.

Yureum, the FL, wasn't my favorite but it's important not to ignore her circumstances so you won't hate her too much. Because of her age, she feels the lowkey pressure to be in a relationship with marriage being the outcome. Yes, I know we think who cares you can be a single, independent lady but not all cultures/societies/families think that way. That feeling & need to make her parents happy leads her to make a decision that will make viewers think she's being foolish. As expected, she's left to pick up the pieces of her disappointed heart. Amidst that & work problems, Jaehoon, the ML, confesses his feelings. The rest of their story shows her accepting her feelings & fears that come with falling for a friend while having a working relationship with him too. A lot of viewers were unhappy with how she dealt with a certain situation while filming for the reality tv show but they weren't acknowledging that she has a job to do & can't give him special treatment because of their friendship, however harsh that may appear to be.

There are times when you may think "Jaehoon, just move on already" but, as we all know, it's not easy to control the heart. He's had feelings for her for as long as they've been friends, which is about 20 years, so they weren't going to disappear like that. I guess some can find it unbelievable that his feelings wouldn't end but we see glimpses of them through the years that show there's always been something there between them. (It'll be important to remember that when she finally confesses to him.) To some, he may come off as a pushover when it comes to his feelings for her (& I agree to some extent but I personally don't think she was selfishly trying to take advantage to hurt him as others thought) but, once again, that ties back into the message of being a sucker when you're in love. (I'm not saying that's a good or bad message.)

There is no love triangle but there is someone with an unrequited crush on Jaehoon. I sympathize with unrequited love but I failed to find sympathy for Jiyun. From the start, & throughout their entire interactions, Jaehoon was always clear about his feelings & intentions. It actually got boring, & kind of cringe, seeing her stick to him. Maybe he shouldn't have been as nice as he was in his delivery but the messages were clear. I can't feel sorry for someone who knows the situation they're in & lowkey tries to make the other person feel bad. However, she's harmless & not like those other vindictive secondary lead characters who continuously plot to tear the couple apart. (Also, because this point kept being brought up while the drama aired, I want to make it clear that if Jiyun was a man I would've felt the same way about the character. Actually, my reactions would've been worse watching a man who can't accept multiple rejections.)

As for other characters, they missed the mark with Chaeri (who many found to be the most interesting character). Her character & story could've been more developed if they focused less on the filming of the reality show. What I mean about that is they gave us tiny snippets to show us why she is the way that she is but they fell short. I think they wanted to create acceptance for her character, & even make us feel sorry for her at times, but I was just left bothered (& confused at times) by her horrible actions & not liking her at all. (To give one example, her sleeping with one of guys on the show - especially because of who it was- was unnecessary & felt like they wanted to give us a plot twist.) Aside from her, most of the characters were okay. I wish we would've gotten more screen time for Yureum & Jaehoon's married couple friend. Jiwan & her unexpected romance were the scene stealers of the show. I was also pleasantly surprised watching chef Jang's character development.

Once the episodes about the reality filming begin, expect the focus to be more about it & Yureum & Jaehoon as individuals rather than them as a couple. However, they don't have many sweet moments & when they finally get together it can feel abrupt for viewers. (I think the writers were counting on the fact that they are friends of many years to make us okay with not much communication between them before getting together.) So, if you want a sweet & easy romance to be thrown in your face every episode, that is not happening here. I actually didn't mind seeing the reality tv filming plot but I do agree it should've gotten less screen time or instead the drama should've promoted that as the main plot . Anyways, the actors all did well enough in their respective roles to make me watch episodes. I really don't rewatch dramas (so 5 is my standard ratings for dramas that weren't a waste of my time) but I would say it's an okay drama to pass the time, especially if you don't have high expectations. I don't know the music that was used, & I'm not going to search for it, but it was fine in the drama, which is why I gave it my standard rating for osts that weren't memorable to me but were nice as I watched the episodes.
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