An Overrated K-Drama I Enjoyed but Wouldn't Rewatch

 

"Love Next Door" is overrated. Is this a hot take? 

I want to start by saying that this isn’t meant to be hate toward anyone involved in creating or acting in this drama. I appreciate the effort that goes into making a series, and this is just my personal opinion as a viewer. When I found out Jung So-min was in this, I was really excited because I truly believe she’s talented, and her performances always stand out. The actors were all phenomenal, but for me, the issue wasn’t with them—it was with how the characters and storyline were written.

"Love Next Door" is about a woman who returns to Korea to restart her life and ends up reuniting with her childhood best friend with whom she shares a complicated history. 

Going into it, I expected a romantic comedy, but instead, it felt like one tragic event after another. While I understand the importance of emotional depth, I think they could have focused on healing without making it so overwhelmingly heavy. The romance was slow, and instead of building their relationship naturally, the story kept piling on unnecessary arcs that took away from their dynamic. Rather than focusing on their love story, the drama revolved around the female lead’s illness and family conflicts, making it feel far from the lighthearted rom-com I anticipated. In the beginning, it seemed promising, but after a while, it felt like they ran out of ideas and just started throwing in random elements to fill the gaps.

My biggest frustration was how many storylines were introduced but never properly explored. For example, they brought up the male lead’s past as a swimmer and how he couldn’t do it anymore, but then it was never mentioned again. They even hinted that his mother had dementia at one point, but it turned out to be nothing. Then there was the female lead’s sudden cancer diagnosis—already a huge plot point—but instead of letting that be the focus, they also threw in her being bullied at work in the U.S. It felt like they were adding drama for the sake of it rather than actually committing to meaningful storytelling.

The character development was just okay, but nothing special. Many of the characters lacked communication skills and were frustratingly avoidant. The female lead’s dad was unhappy with his job, her brother was irresponsible, and her mother barely paid attention to her—prioritizing her son while being much harsher on her. The male lead’s parents also had zero communication that almost led to a divorce. To start, you have the husband who thought his wife was cheating on him with her boss when all along, her boss was gay. Then, you have the wife who was a workaholic that prioritized work over family.  I just believe this misunderstanding would've gone away if they just communicated about it and confided in each other from the beginning. Overall, she could've been there more for her family and he could've communicated better about the misunderstanding he had. It was just frustrating to watch so many characters go in circles without much growth.

With all these side plots overshadowing the main storyline, the drama felt messy and unfocused. If they wanted to explore her having cancer, why add so many unrelated conflicts? It was poorly structured, lacked direction, and definitely didn’t feel like a romantic comedy.

The only aspect I really resonated with was the female lead’s career change. A lot of us work hard just to make money, but we don’t always follow our passions. Her journey—shifting toward a healthier lifestyle due to her illness and eventually becoming a chef to help others—was one of the few things that felt meaningful. But aside from that, even the chemistry between the main leads felt weak. In the end, I was more interested in the second lead’s relationship than the actual main couple.