What Comes after Love: Spoiler-Free Mini Review
Updated: Sep 24
Title: | What Comes after Love (2024) |
Platform: | Viki |
MDL & IMBD Rating: | |
Genre: | Contemporary Romance/ Melodrama (Japanese/Korean Hybrid) |
Episode Count: | 6 |
Parental Guidance Rating: | PG-13: Fade to black scene, more physically affectionate romance (esp. in episode 2), but the rating is accurate. For more info: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33204672/parentalguide/ |
Starring: | Lee Se Young (The Red Sleeve) Sakaguchi Kentaro (Okaeri Mone) Hong Jong Hyun (Dear X) Nakamura Anne (Sai) |
RBTS Rating: | 6.7/10 Stars: A melancholy look at the aftermath of a failed inter-cultural relationship, where former lovers reunite by chance and must reexamine the past to determine the future they truly want.
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Cast From Left to Right: #LeeSeYoung, #SakguchiKentaro, #HongJongHyun, #NakamuraAnne, #MiRam
Synopsis:
Choi Hong is a Korean student studying in Japan. She meets Aoki Jungo, and they fall in love with each other. But, they break up due to different thoughts about love and practical problems. Five years later, Hong and Jungo meet in Korea. @MDL
Spoiler-Free Mini Review:
The latest in the newfound wave of Korean/Japanese crossover dramas, What Comes After Love is a melodrama that explores the aftermath of a relationship ended without closure. I thought it ultimately leaned more Korean than Japanese, but it respected both cultures and gave an interesting look an intercultural relationship. Lee Se Young did a great job speaking Japanese, and it was food for thought to see how cultures collide.
The drama dives into the history of what tore our lead couple apart, and we can see the artifacts of the relationship, and the scars it left as the character excavate their feelings in the present; cultural disputes, time conflicts, and expectations were the enemy of the pair. A litany of outside forces kept them separated, although neither really wanted to part. It's a very realistic relationship and its end felt grounded and relatable. I have my opinions on who was more at fault, but the drama doesn't have a designated bad guy, nor does it try to assign blame.
Episode 1 and 2 were adorable; but don't let that fool you, because gloom and melancholy is the overwhelming tone of the drama. Lee Se Young should be cast as a dementor in the HBO Harry Potter remake because she sucked the life out of every scene she was in. I don't mean that in a bad way, but her character was majorly depressed, and her failed relationship and time abroad proved to be an unfortunate turning point in her life. Aoki Jungo is also down in the dumps, as he never got closure, but with age became wiser, and misses the time when he was foolish and in love.
The drama is a real bummer and six episodes didn't give the story enough breathing room, nor ample time to develop into a satisfying conclusion. The cinematography, multi-cultural commentary, and melancholy were done nicely, but it didn't leave me feeling great. I felt exhausted. I do recommend, but have your chocolate and your Patronus spell at the ready.
Trailer:
Director: #MoonHyunSung (Seoul Vibe)
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