Lovestruck in the City (2020)
Quick Take: Lovestruck in the City (2020), Ji Chang-wook and Kim Ji-won. 8.7/10. 17 forty-minute episodes.
Synopsis: Lovestruck in the City is a Netflix Original. The narrative frame is that the six characters in their late twenties / early thirties are being interviewed about their lives and loves in Seoul. Two of the six are in a long-term relationship; the other four are single but have a history. The main story line is that of Park Jae-won (Ji Chang-wook) and Lee Eun-oh (Kim Ju-won). A year earlier, they shared a crazy wonderful time at the beach. When Jae-won gets called back to work, they set a time and place to meet in Seoul — but she never shows up. She ghosts him. Without any explanation or closure, she disappears from his life. It makes him crazy. He drinks.
Review: Because Korea doesn’t allow tv episodes to be interrupted by commercials, Lovestruck in the City has half-length, 40-minute episodes. The shorter format works well with such frothy fare, but I’m hoping it doesn’t become the norm. It might, because capitalism. Still better than commercials every 12 minutes.
This role is a waste of Ji Chang-wook’s considerable acting talent though of course he’s always a pleasure to look at.
The end of Lovestruck in the City left open the possibility for a Season 2, which would presumably add new lovelorn characters as well as finish up the unresolved subplots from the first season. I don’t know that I would watch another season. I have a limited tolerance for lovers who are separated only because of a misunderstanding (bad enough) or a unilateral emotional pseudo-issue on the part of one of the lovers (even worse). As in, “He’ll be better off without me,” or “I need to discover who I am,” or similar BS. After much misery, the obstructive lover sees the light — poof! — and the problem is gone. Seriously? We suffered through 300 pages of a novel or multiple hours of tv or film for a trite BFO epiphany?
One thing I really liked about CLOY is that the issue that divided them was real.
Rewatchable - 3, Compelling - 3, Plot/ Story/Writing - 7, Acting/Casting - 9, Production - 10, Bonus - 5. Bonus points for Ji Chang-wook.
Notes:
Ji Chang-wook
has been acting since 2006. He has an impressive filmography and several top-rated television dramas, including The Empress Ki (2013), Healer (2014), The K-2 (2016), Melting Me Softly (2019), and If You Wish Upon Me (2022).
Kim Ji-won
has been acting since 2008. See her also in The Heirs (2013), Descendants of the Sun (2016), Fight for My Way (2017), and My Liberation Notes (2022).
Kim Min-seok and So Ju-yeon
make a cute second couple! See him in Descendants of the Sun (2016); see her in Dr. Romantic 2 (2020).