Was It Love? debuted on Netflix this week, and The Fangirls took a stab at watching it. Come see if it’s worth adding to your to-watch list!
The Plot
I really do like leaving the plot description to the professionals. Here’s what MyDramaList had to say:
“Tells the story of Noh Ae Jung, a movie producer and single mom who has been living on her own for 14 years. Despite having already given up on romance, she suddenly finds herself embarking on an unexpected second chapter of her story when four men walk into her life at the same time.
First up is Noh Ae Jung’s ex-boyfriend Oh Dae Oh, a bestselling novelist who is described as a “charming bad boy”. Oh Dae Oh is irresistibly tempting to women, even when they know they should stay away.
Secondly is million-dollar smile A-list actor Ryu Jin, who is described as “pitiful” even though he’s “great on paper.” Despite being seemingly perfect in every way, Ryu Jin has a surprisingly different kind of appeal hiding behind his movie-star persona.
Next is Oh Yeon Woo who looks cheerful and confident. A physical education teacher who “makes women’s hearts’ flutter” in spite of his young age. His endearingly pure-hearted desire to win Noh Ae Jung’s affection is certain to win viewers over.
Last but not least, Koo Pa Do exudes a tough, manly aura as the “scary but sexy” former gangster who has turned over a new leaf and is now a CEO. The flower in his hand hints at the warm heart hiding behind his intimidating exterior.
Finally, peeking out from behind Ryu Jin as a A-list actress, Joo Ah Rin, will add another layer of intrigue to this complicated “4-against-1 romance.””
The Characters
We have quite the lineup in this one, drama fans! In fact, Was It Love? is described as a reverse harem and a love pentagon (!) drama, among other things. Yeah, we’ll see how that plays out.
First up is our female lead, Noh Ae Jung, played by Song Ji Hyo (yes, that Song Ji Hyo from Running Man). She’s a single mother who desperately wants to provide a better life for her mother and her daughter, and is fighting to keep the film production company she works for afloat after the CEO scams her and leaves.
Our first male lead is Kim Min Joon (G-Dragon’s brother-in-law!), who plays scary gangster Goo Pa Do, also known as Gangster Dad. He’s pressuring Noh Ae Jung to succeed or to pay him the 1 billion won her CEO took out as a loan. But not everything is as it seems with our gangster…..
Then we have Koo Ja Sung (Secret Life of My Secretary) playing the adorable Oh Yeon Woo, a PE teacher at Noh Ae Jung’s daughter’s school and an old friend from the neighborhood where Ae Jung lived around the time she got pregnant.
Next up is Song Jong Ho (Reply 1997) playing Ryu Jin, a sunbae from Ae Jung’s college theater program. He’s best friends with Oh Dae Oh, played by Son Ho Jun (hello! the whole reason I’m here), who was in the same program and was dating Ae Jung in college after a very awkward first meeting. (It was definitely NOT a meet-cute!)
First Impressions and Unfiltered Thoughts
Karie the Maknae: I absolutely adored Son Ho Jun in My Secret Terius and Go Back Couple, so I had to check out Was It Love?. Plus, the trailer was AMAZING. I’ve never really watched Song Ji Hyo in anything (I’m trying to erase Lovely Horribly from my mind), so I didn’t go into it with any expectations.
The story is pretty interesting and layered, and it’s definitely got a “Who’s the father?” theme running. Song Ji Hyo’s Ae Jung waffles between being audacious and being weak, having had to spend too many years bowing and scraping to other people to get by. Her freakouts during the first two episodes were a turnoff, but were also easy to fast forward through.
Son Ho Jun’s character is downright mean, but I can see that there’s hope for him. What’s really carrying me through is Gangster Dad’s mysteries and Coach Yeon Woo’s adorableness.
Drama Geek: I have been distracted by other things lately and couldn’t really tell you what was coming out this week. LOL. But I needed a different kind of distraction and saw this bright colored thumbnail as I scrolled through Netflix. I totally forgot that Son Ho Jun was going to be the lead in a new drama. He doesn’t get a lot of lead roles so I was excited to watch. I’ve found that JTBC has had most of my favorite dramas over the last few months, so that was another reason to check it out.
The female lead character is a bit pitiful and her character can be a little loud, but scraping by as a single mom and trying to make it in the world isn’t easy, and I can see where her desperation comes from. Both in the interview and during the school meeting, she stands up for herself and for her daughter, and I appreciate that. She’s strong when she really needs to be, which feels very true to life right now. LOL.
I’m not sure how Kdramas make me fall for the gangster characters with a soft heart, but they do. His character intrigues me, and a revelation about his character toward the end of episode two had me interested in how he’ll fit into her life.
The male lead isn’t as prickly as the synopsis makes him out to be. Yeah, he’s not exactly nice to the female lead, but he’s a lover scorned and wants his revenge. Except … was he ruthlessly dumped the way he believes? We don’t get a straight answer. We’re also not sure if he’s the dad, or if it might be one of the other men she knew in college.
As for the actor and the teacher. I don’t know that either of them are strong contenders. The teacher is played by Koo Ja Sung. He feels typecast as the puppy, and I’m having a hard time connecting with him. The actor character feels like maybe there’s a secret behind his relationship with both the female lead and the male lead. He leaves me wondering if he’s more invested in their relationship than he should be.
MiataMama: I will confess I have been in a drama funk since Mystic Pop-up Bar finished and I had no shows lined up to immediately jump into. But thankfully Was It Love? popped up on Netflix and I’m very glad I gave it a whirl! This drama is really giving me Go Back Couple and Reply 1997 vibes. And maybe that’s just because we’ve got actor crossovers going on?! Either way, I like the flashbacks and baby-daddy mystery woven throughout the first two episodes.
I could really live without Song Ji Hyo’s over-the-top freak out moments. But I’m otherwise wrapped up in her heartfelt portrayal of the struggling, yet strong, single-mom. I felt her stress, but also her determination, very keenly.
As far as all the love-line related characters go, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to have second, third, and fourth-lead syndrome before this story comes to a close! The enigma that is Gangster Dad definitely makes me want to know more about his story. I also need additional details on Actor Sunbae – how exactly does he fit into the puzzle of the past? And then there’s our Jilted Writer. We know deep down he still cares for our leading lady, whether he wants to admit it or not. But for now, I’m ALL about the noona-crush radiating off our adorable PE teacher – he’s such a sweet puppy!!!
Will We Keep Watching?
Karie the Maknae: For now, yes. I’m going to give this drama at least two more episodes to hit its pace and see where it’s headed. It helps that Kim Mi Kyung is playing Ae Jung’s mom — I adore her! She’s always mom goals. ALWAYS. (MiataMama: Healer Ahjumma is the BEST!!!)
Drama Geek: This could be the fun side show that I need right now, so I’ll be sticking with it unless something goes sideways. I also really like the daughter and her relationship with the boy at school. The show has a lot of potential to be both fun, and sweet.
MiataMama: I think this is going to be my feel-good show for the season. With a good cast, a solid start, and an interesting storyline, I’m fully on board after just the first two episodes!
What do you think, drama fans? Will you be watching? Drop down in the comments and let us know!
Until the next freakout, we remain —
Karie the Maknae, Drama Geek, & MiataMama
Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
