“Love Is For Suckers” has premiered last night, and here are my thoughts on its premiere episodes. Does it live up to expectations Or not? Let us discuss!
Note: this article is a first-impression review, it doesn’t mean this is the writer’s final thoughts on the drama. This is a spoiler review.
“Love Is For Suckers” came out as a surprise when I first heard of the casting news. I didn’t personally ever anticipate such a pairing but here we are. It definitely piqued my interest initially because of the pairing.
It might feel like its been an eternity since I’ve seen Lee Da Hee but its been roughly a year so not that far ago but it definitely feels like its been at least two years. I am glad she’s back on my screen.
The pairing of Da Hee and Siwon honestly surprised me a lot because I would have never pictured them together in a kdrama, its definitely interesting.
For starters, it seems the screenwriter has an interest in showing us how society labels women who are in their late 30s, so there is definitely a lot of potential there. However, it falls into the same cliches and reinforcements of the said ideas it wants to criticize with the way its edited and written.
What I mean by that is the following, a scene in which Park Jae-Hoon comes to aid Goo Yeo-Reum dressing like a gentleman, driving a sports car and showing up with flowers. In the same breath, the scenes prior to it attempted to discuss how society views women in their late 30s and how tolerable they tend to become because they know they need to sort of ‘find someone’ or ‘get married’ so even if you screw them, they had to tolerate because they are running out of options…
In the next scenes, Goo Yeo-Reum is still shown to be rescued by Park Jae-Hoon which in turn makes the potential love interest jealous and baffled. So it resorts back to the same ideals that women still need some sort of ‘savior’ despite what appears to have been an attempt to criticize the way society in South Korea thinks.
That particular scene was cringy and my least favorite in the premiere episodes.
I mean, if you want to lean into typical romance cliches for people in their mid to late 30s, go for it. But don’t attempt to pull in viewers with that ‘emotional’ buildup and story arc to only reinforce the same idea in the next scene.
You might say I am reading too much into it, but I wouldn’t have pointed it out if the screenwriter didn’t feel the need to make us especially sympathize with Goo Yeo-Reum bringing up some interesting societal issues women struggle with, before reverting to the same ideals forced upon women, the fact that no matter what you do, if you’re in your late 20s to 30s and don’t have a man who is ‘worthy/ of a certain status’ you’re ‘lacking.’ I don’t expect the younger generation to get it or agree with me, but its still sad whenever I see it.
Screenwriter Kim Sol-Ji is behind this drama. She’s been writing since 2009. She’s made some dramas I have never seen or heard of in the past. This makes for an interesting situation as I’ll get to find out about her writing style as we progress. Will it be another cliché take on the friends-to-lovers trope or will she surprise us and attempt to address the said societal issues she brought up in the premiere episodes? We’ll find out in the coming episodes.
“Love Is For Suckers” plot targets the people who enjoy such type of content to begin with. If you came in to watch with this in mind, I highly doubt you found this drama annoying or bad. From a very superficial POV, the drama was nice.
It was not too much, not too crazy and not too cliché. It was fine. On the chemistry note, I think they’re ok, they definitely don’t feel shy or awkward around each other which is a good starting point but I have seen Da Hee with other actors and she shared amazing chemistry with them so I have the bar set high. There is definitly room for improvement.
Does it stand out? Definitely not, but I don’t think its attempting to do that, to begin with.
I think it will be a sort of ‘comfort-safe’ kdrama to watch. Nothing that is too thrilling or controversial or suspenseful, just your average romance kdrama. Sometimes, thats what people need. I know that too.
It likely won’t be any different but I don’t think anyone who tuned in to this was actually looking for that. Was I looking for it? Not really, but it never hurts to have some expectations that it will be surprising.
Having said this, if Screenwriter Kim Sol-Ji attempts to get a bit philosophical and address the said societal issues beyond just using them as plot devices to encourage ‘investment ‘and sympathy among viewers on a superficial basis, I think we’re in for an interesting ride.
I have some hope because Da Hee has previously chosen some amazing kdramas that champion for women’s right and issues to be heard. Siwon’s choices are mixed but when he strikes gold, he does.
The drama will be 16 episodes which already puts a strain on what it can do, so let us wait and see if it progresses for the better or worse.
Definitely an okay start.
so these were my thoughts on the premiere of “Love Is For Suckers,” what did you guys think of this drama premiere, did you like it or not?
