Love to Hate You Review | Leisurebyte
Director: Kim Jung-kwon
Date Created: 2023-02-10 13:30
3.5
Love to Hate You (연애대전) is the latest romantic-comedy K-drama that premiered on February 10, 2023, on Netflix. Directed by Kim Jung-kwon, the plot surrounds a woman who dislikes every man she meets and a man with deep suspicions towards women. Ultimately the cut-throat rivalry blossoms into a beautiful relationship.
Starring Kim Ok-vin as Yeo Mi-ran and Teo Yoo as Nam Kang-ho in the lead roles alongside Kim Ji-hoon as Do Won-jun, Go Won-hee as Shin Na-eun, Lee Joo-bin as Oh Se-na, Song Ji-woo as Hwang Ji-ye, Kim Sung-ryung and more. The story is written by Choi Soo-young and is produced by Binge Works. The show consists of ten episodes, each with a runtime of approximately 50-55 minutes.
-No Spoilers-
Love to Hate You Review
Yes, it is a cliched enemies-to-lovers plot, and yes, the story is predictable, but that does not take away from how incredibly it is executed. The series starts by showcasing the lead characters and their awful experiences with the opposite sexes that have forced them to harbour preconceived and generalised notions about the people around them. Afraid to get hurt again, they refuse to open up.
Mi-ran’s hatred towards men stems from watching her father disrespect his wife from a very young age. Growing up, she unconsciously cultivates resentment against men and struggles to become independent in every aspect. On the other hand, Kang-ho develops an anxiety disorder following a tragic break-up, due to which he cannot maintain relationships.
However, the polar opposite people cross each other’s paths coincidentally and begin to spend more time with each other than they hoped for. The story progresses from a light-hearted fun comedy to an emotional drama seamlessly. However, the plot is predictable and not out of the ordinary. It is a guilty pleasure and thirst for romedies that will keep one engaged with the series entirely.
Furthermore, most of the jokes will manage to bring out a chuckle from you, and the intense suspense will keep you on edge. The dialogue remains precise, and each scene contains the substance to keep the show interesting. Sound effects were appropriately used to elevate certain elements of the show.
Feminist subjects were the major theme of the series, yet it lacked depth and followed the usual norms to display a “strong and self-sustaining” woman. The lead character is shown to be “different” from the rest of the women, which is an archaic and weak attempt to display women’s empowerment. Purposely villainising the feminine characters in 2023 is not the right approach.
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Nevertheless, the romance makes up for all the dreadful plot points. The drama will certainly make the single folks long for a partner. The anticipation, the kissing scenes, and the brief eye contact will leave you flabbergasted. The costumes and the styling were on point, along with the natural makeup, which showed off the actors’ best features.
Kim Ok-vin stole the show with her incredible acting skills. She adequately delivered a strong performance and did justice to the character. The second lead syndrome occurs as one cannot look away from Kim Ji-hoon and his charming presence on-screen. Other supporting actors were also committed to their roles.
Final Thoughts
The series is entertaining from the beginning till the end, with little to no dull moments. The rom-com genre is finally reviving, and the show will be great to watch during Valentine’s week. This one is highly recommended if you are searching for a binge-watch series.
Love to Hate You is now streaming on Netflix.
Did you watch the latest K-drama? Let us know in the comments below!
I Devoured this series in one sitting! I just couldn’t get enough, I was up till 6am finishing it! I thought it was sooo good. The Cast makes you instantly fall in Love with them! Overall I thought it was a refreshing feel good drama, full of cute and quirky with lots of laughs and many swoon worthy, squealing moments! It’s been hard to find something as good and addictive as Business Proposal and I have to say Netflix really hit the nail on the head with this one! Also I feel like the vibe was the perfect blend of mature yet still fresh. I thought it had a more settled atmosphere, with the male leads being 40 in this drama and our female leads being independent and strong. There was little to no drama and I feel like that really made it enjoyable. My score would be 5 Stars