I really liked Warm and Cozy starting out, but got really frustrated with it in the middle. Geon Woo does a lot of "push and pull" - he'll imply he likes Jung Joo just enough to keep her interested, but then he'll do something stupid to push her away again. However, he obviously learned these tactics from the off again/on again relationship he has with Mok Ji Won, who wholeheartedly admits to being a gold-digger and is out for the richest husband she can find. Geon Woo just doesn't have enough ambition to satisfy her desire for wealth and status. But she doesn't want anyone else to have him, either, so every time Geon Woo and Jung Joo start getting closer, she shows up to throw a monkey-wrench into the machinery.
There isn't really anything exciting and new about this drama - it relies on the standard romance tropes. Love triangle. Drunken night out. Piggy back rides. Sudden illness requiring a loved one's tender care. Misunderstandings. Disappearances. Separations. Couple having to live together b/c of unfortunate circumstances. You name it, they're in there. There's also a mystery arc.
However, Kang So Ra and Yoo Yeon Seok's chemistry was off the charts (to me, anyway), so it was easy to root for them to be together (when I wasn't wanting to throw a brick at Geon Woo for being so pigheaded). There are plenty of laugh out loud, funny moments to relieve the tension (especially with Hae Sil and Jung Geun, the secondary couple). The mayor is strange but hilarious. Last but not least, he last two episodes contain one of the most touching confessions I've seen (well, two of them, really), and then what I think is one of the best Kdrama kisses I've seen so far - a sexy, **mutually desired**, passionate kiss - So at the end, I felt putting up with the push/pull antics was worth it.
The secondary pairing is also a lot of fun to watch, and it's also fun to finally see the lead female tell off the evil ex-girlfriend (which seems to be a kind of a rarity so I really enjoyed that bit, too). They share a recipe for something cooked at the end of each show, so that was cute, too. So, while the plot line may not be the most original and it's full of the usual kdrama tropes, it was still a fun, enjoyable romantic comedy. Music is wonderful and they did a good job using it to set the mood in different scenes. My favorites are Butterfly, A Little Closer, and Don't Be Seen. Rewatch value is good - there are several moments I like to rewatch and I will probably watch the whole series again soon. If rom-coms are for you (and I love them), then you'll probably like this one.
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