I Need Romance: Episodes 1-2
by girlfriday
New TVN cable drama I Need Romance premiered this Monday and Tuesday, and I checked it out because the premise — thirtysomething single women dealing with life and love – seemed like it had potential for fun. I was actually surprised to like it, and though I don’t have time to recap it (there’s just no way to bend the space-time continuum that way), I think it’s worth sharing my thoughts in an intro/review.
EPISODES 1-2 REVIEW
Though it tries WAY, way way way, too hard to be Sex and the City (like carbon-copy music and girls in the city intro) it actually ends up finding its footing in the arrangement of characters and the quick pace of the story. It feels like a risqué version of The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, with three close friends and hijinks, just with lots of frank talk about sex and love. And that’s always a welcome change on the k-drama landscape. (Of course, the fact that it’s not network TV is the main factor in that difference.)
Heroine Sunwoo In-young (Jo Yeo-jung) is actually really relatable, though it probably has a lot to do with the Carrie-Bradshaw-esque first-person voiceover that takes us through the show. I don’t usually mind the use of that as a device as long as a show doesn’t use it as a crutch to tell me what I’m supposed to feel instead of showing me what the heroine is feeling. But In-young is as open and readable as she is flawed, so it works decently.
At the outset she and her friends are 33, and we rewind ten years to see the start of her dreamy romance with Kim Sung-soo (Kim Jung-hoon), when they’re both 23. They’re cute and sexy, and it’s sort of worth watching for the kisses alone. Not gonna lie.
Over the course of the first episode, we watch their budding romance turn into a ten-year comfort relationship, where passion gets replaced with routine, and hot sex replaced with tingle-less touching. The love fades and he starts to drift away, just as his 10-year struggle to become a film director takes off.
It’s a guarantee we’re going to be on her side – she supported him for ten years (with her career in the hotel industry—why, every drama ever, why?) when he was nothing and no one. But the second he debuts, it’s twentysomething actresses and fame. And she gets left in the dust.
But what’s great about In-young (and what convinced me that I liked her) is that when faced with the prospect of being 33 and alone or staying in a loveless relationship, she chooses to break up with him. She follows her friend’s advice, and with a kiss, she says goodbye by the end of Episode 1.
As I did with The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, I find that the girls’ friendship is the best thing about the show. In-young’s two best friends are Park Seo-yeon (Choi Yeo-jin), bold, beautiful model, serial dater, and Kang Hyun-joo (Choi Song-hyun), sweet, virgin, bride-to-be.
The mix of the three girls’ dating experiences gives a range of perspective on all topics, and though the character types are stock, their friendship is really cute. Over dinner the girls run into one of Seo-yeon’s exes with his very pregnant wife, alerting them to the fact that he was totally married while dating her. Oops. But on impulse, she ends up letting him in when he comes knocking, and before she knows it he’s half-naked on her couch.
She calls Hyun-joo in a panic, reminding her that she can’t think straight in these situations, and asks to borrow her brain. She means it literally, and so with the phone pressed to her ear, she just turns to the guy and repeats what Hyun-joo tells her verbatim, and kicks him out, in his boxers.
I love that. It’s so cute that she trusts her friend that much—it’s not just lip-service that she called for advice—she literally needs to borrow her friend’s brain to get herself out of a bad situation. It’s comical and adorable.
Meanwhile, In-young, reeling from her break-up, cleans out her house of all things that remind her of Sung-soo. And the thing that makes her the saddest, that she can’t manage to part with? The condoms. She decides that throwing them away would be like throwing away hope, and “I’m still young, the world is wide, and there are many men.” Holla!
But the breakup turns out to be messier than she’d realized, with ten years of history, and it seems like it’s going to be a big point of contention throughout the show. It’ll be an interesting dynamic, between the ten-year-ex, and her hotel underling-with-a-puppy-crush, 27-year old Bae Sung-hyun (Choi Jin-hyuk).
So far, the drama manages to stand up at both ends of the spectrum, in terms of comedy and drama, because it’s not afraid to go to extremes. Episode 2 ends with Hyun-joo being stood up on her wedding day… via TEXT MESSAGE. Damn, that’s cold.
And her solution? Easy, just hire a guy to be her groom for a day. How’s that for hijinks?
Overall it’s a fun, breezy watch and there are some great moments of girl talk as well as realistic adult romantic conflicts where love and sex are complicated, messy things. I appreciate the way the drama’s sense of humor cuts the dramatic moments and plays with our expectations, but also knows when to let the scene play for emotional resonance. The setup is certainly nothing new in all of TV land, but it feels fresh in present kdramaland, and the execution is light and fun. Looks like I’ll be tuning in.
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Tags: cable programs, Choi Jin-hyuk, Choi Song-hyun, Choi Yeo-jin, featured, first episodes, I Need Romance, Jo Yeo-jung, Kim Jung-hoon
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51 alissa
June 17, 2011 at 6:45 PM
I absolutely loved episodes 1 and 2!!! Just wanted to share with you all that I just found out that dramafever.com is subbing the episodes :)!
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52 acuvue09
June 17, 2011 at 8:33 PM
Dramafever is subbing now! Ep. 1 and 2 :)
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53 Sobia
June 18, 2011 at 4:08 PM
GF, thanks for recommending this show! It's the first drama in a long time that I've watched and gotten excited about. I like the lead character, in that she is not 100% cutesy all the time but can be pretty brave and realistic. I'm so inspired by her when she asks her boyfriend head-on about his crush on the actress and when she breaks up with him. On to the second episode...
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54 Dayan
June 19, 2011 at 5:10 AM
I saw episode 1 and it was sooo fun! :) Loving this!
The subs are not as fast as City Hunter's but I am willing to wait..
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55 akemi
June 19, 2011 at 9:10 PM
I like the drama
wait Chapter 3
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56 Crickettu
June 21, 2011 at 12:44 AM
I watched ep 1&2 last night and am now can't wait for ep 3. It seems like the subs aren't coming as fast as some of the other dramas. But I can't wait.
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57 Hipployta
June 23, 2011 at 10:50 PM
Having just finished the first episode...I love this show...and it's not really SATC. It has it's own direction and is great.
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58 JJ
June 24, 2011 at 9:10 AM
i just started watching this & woah there's a lot of kissing already from epis 1, i like kim jung hoon, missed him & glad to see him back again doing drama, i like Jo also the lead actress, they look good together! too bad JB et al can't recap this one coz of so many already you're doing!
thnx GFriday for sharing! i'm really liking this drama better than baby faced beauty i suppose where i get bored with incessant talks about styles/designs, it wld be ok if there's not much of that & they just sort of focus on the romance point of view but every episode seems dealing with stuff like what type of fabric to use, what style arghhh i just stopped watching this baby faced sorry!
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59 sj
June 29, 2011 at 12:38 AM
i think the more you watch it gets better. i caught up to 5-6! i hope you review it!
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60 V
July 8, 2011 at 12:20 PM
I watched the first two episodes and liked it, was looking forward to watching more. But now I do not like it anymore. Why? There are several reasons, let me list them all.
1. When two guys are after one girl, it is interesting to watch because as a girl I put myself in the role of the main character. But when there are two girls after one guy - this is not pleasant to watch. Now the guy becomes a two-timer and I want to kill him!
2. There is way too much sex and not enough sexual tension. I love dramas with lots of sexual tension - when the guy restrains himself at least till the last episode where they get married and then kiss. Here all they do is have sex, and there is no "touchy" feelings, when he actually looks at her lovingly.
3. As for her girlfriends, their lives are so shallow. The episode with the pregnant lady was interesting, but to sit and watch how they talk about nothing is really boring.
4. The main girl herself acts very foolish, it is hard to develop an emotional attachment or any empathy for her. She has been with the guy for ten years and was okay with him not marrying her. Who would buy a cow if he can get milk for free? Of course he is not going to marry her now.
5. The show resembles the Korean version of "Sex and the City". Please stay true to great Korean dramas that are much more about character development and feelings. If I wanted to be entertained, I would watch the American shows. I am not here for that.
Hence my question: is there any way I can send this message to the producers of the show? I can give them a couple of suggestions to turn it around and make it really good.
Love you all. Saran-he!
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61 30s
July 11, 2011 at 8:42 PM
Why isn't there more recap?
This is a wonderful drama. Enjoy it very much with realistic background.
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62 Leslie7622
July 16, 2011 at 5:59 AM
Why does it seem that Kim Jeong Hoon is always the second lead? Has he ever done a drama where he's the 1st leading man??
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Kim Yoonmi
July 20, 2011 at 12:35 AM
He is the lead in this drama. He's going to get IY, though no one wants him to, 'cause of the cast listing. Cast listings never lie.
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63 Lilian
July 17, 2011 at 10:33 PM
I started watching this becoz I had some time then I got hooked. It's quite different in terms of dialog compared to other Korean dramas, definitely more frank!
And I think here they also show that not all things are lovey-dovey after u end up together , which is how most Korean dramas end. Just showing the couple end up together...
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64 Songie
July 24, 2011 at 11:43 PM
I was hoping to multi-task and get some work done today, so i thought i'd put on something that wouldn't require me to stay glued to the screen and keep my ears open. HOLY GOSH, wrong choice! Kim Jung Hoon is steamy hot . I like this sexy dimension of him.
Another bait is that of the character Kang Hyun Joo. I don't think it was a coincidence that she's played by Choi Song Hyun! ~~ the coolest prosecutor everrrr. Her character is somewhat paralleled to Prosecutor Jin, the character she played in "Prosecutor Princess".<3 PP is like my baby, so the prosecutor reference with her role in this drama has me reeled in where i should be!
I think what i find conflicting about this drama is that there is no one character that i can hate all the way, with the exception of Kang Hyun Joo's fiance in the beginning. Even that 23-year-old actress has some charm that makes her likable-- not justifiable for the sin Sung Soo committed, but still. Each woman's story is equally intriguing and exciting! And the men in this drama, the men! Sexy gorgeous! I want to know where i can find a delivery man service too!
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65 katherineca
July 26, 2011 at 5:25 PM
..waahh, haha) can't wait for the last 2 eps. 15 & 16 ( ..& eps 11-16 with english sub- Please!!!)thank you!!!
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66 Foxxypnay
September 28, 2011 at 3:18 PM
I will highly recommend this drama to my late 20s, early thirties girlfriends that r still single. I was entertained watching this drama. The plot is relatable in so many levels for all sorts of people. I have been in a long term relationship, but after 5 yrs, I had to draw the line. Marry me now, or don't waste my time and hit the road. I think after being together for that period of time, and having an awesome relationship, one should start thinking as to why her man has not pop the question yet. the cast men and women are all easy on the eyes. And sizzling bed scenes. Korean drama kisses still looks weird to me. Rubbing ur face and lips together does not really constitute a sexy kiss.
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