One-sidedly liking someone instinctively for 10 years without finding a fix to overcome it can be tiring, More Than Friends trudges on a sympathetic story about discovering and nurturing love between friends.
In its first two episodes, More Than Friends introduced two characters whose presence in each other lives indelibly runs. Both aware of how they feel for each other; one harbored a long-running fixation that is considered a love curse; while the other is firm not to reciprocate that love, but firmly wanted their deep bond to go on.
Ong Seong Wu and Shin Ye Eun did a great job painting the initial chapters of this new jTBC series. Because as soon as the ending preview for the next episode appeared, my K-Drama fangirl heart screams more episodes to appear. *wink
abbyinhallyuland watched More Than Friends on iQIYI
Recaps: 01&02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Finale + Review |
More Than Friends Opening Week Story
Marking her 12th failed relationship, Kyung Woo-yeon (Shin Ye Eun) meets her close circle of friends for a drink. As she wallows in alcohol feeling dejected, she looks back on the memories of the sole man her heart can’t seem to forget.
That man, Lee Soo (Ong Seong Wu) is Woo-yeon’s unreciprocated first love. Shielding her from high school bullies, they created a connection while being in the same school club and living in the same neighborhood.
Back then, Woo-yeon aspires to become a writer and has been a school pride winning writing contest left and right. Lee Soo, on the other hand, enjoys photography and has grown indifferent owing to the traumatic effect of his parents’ divorce.
Woo-yeon’s First Love Confession
As their connection grow deeper, Woo-yeon settles to a firm realization that she sees Lee Soo not as a friend anymore.
One Christmas eve though when they went out to watch movie, play at the arcade and eat, she learned of his move to study abroad. All night, she went through an internal struggle, processing the future days that will not be filled with Lee Soo anymore.
In the morning, backed up by her mom’s encouragement, she runs to the airport to confess her love. However, Lee Soo politely acknowledging what she feels, responded how he sees her only as a friend.
Woo-yeon’s second love confession
Seven years and a few unsuccessful relationships later, Woo-yeon, who has had a habit of drunk-calling Lee Soo’s number, placed another phone call. Unaware that Lee Soo is back in Korea for some personal business, he reunites with their circle of friends and accepted a handful of physical punches from intoxicated Woo-yeon.
Facing a beautiful night scenery, Woo-yeon wasn’t able to hold back her emotions and confessed how she still feels the same for him. But, again, Lee Soo can only promise to stay by her side – as a friend.
10 years later…
Finding time to rejuvenate and work on her personal calligraphy project, Woo-yeon goes to Jeju Island and stayed at a guest house. Unknown to him, Lee Soo is related to the guest house owner, and is also there for business.
While touring the island, the two eventually bump at each other, and when Woo-yeon fleed hurriedly, she fell down and hurt her leg. Inadvertently turning Lee Soo to a human ambulance, her old friend demands compensation with food and drinks.
On Woo-yeon’s last day in the island, she says goodbye to the warm welcome she received from the owner. Suddenly, a ladder being used by a maintenance man lost balance and almost hit Lee Soo if not for Woo-yeon’s quick reflexes.
Annoyed by her mindless act of protecting him, the two argue and Woo-yeon rushes to leave and do her pending activities before her flight at night.
Woo-yeon heads to Cafe Eunyu to give her sample calligraphy postcards. Unaware that Lee Soo is also there to meet On Joon-soo, a CEO of a publishing company. Lee Soo notices his phone number on his business card as a familiar one.
Woo-yeon also had a short encounter with Joon-soo at a book shop when her hair got tangled on Joon-soo’s jacket button. When they see each other again, On-soo inquired about her postcards a little.
She explained that she composed the text on her calligraphy postcards just like her own diary. Joon-soo praises her in doing such a great job for its healing messages.
Woo-yeon breaks the love curse
After a heartening chat with a stranger, Woo-yeon thinks of Lee Soo and wonders why he is such a bad guy when a stranger can be sweet to her. Just then, Lee Soo cuts in surprising Woo-yeon’s moment.
He buys her apple juice (an implied sorry) and helps her sanitize the wound on her knee. Later, he also joins her in rounding the book stores to give her calligraphy postcards.
While resting, Lee Soo buys bubble tea for them and hands her an old school compass. Telling her how he hopes the trinket would appease her in times when she needs it, he mutters how it is okay to be lost – the compass he gave would remind her the way.
Facing a stunning sea view, Woo-yeon announces their short interlude ends there and hopes they won’t meet again. That infuriates Lee Soo who wants to keep their connection still.
Confessing to Lee Soo how her failed relationships has been brought about by her inability to move past her deep infatuation with him, she declared breaking that curse. She tells how it is giving her a hard time and really wants to stop it for good.
Lee Soo refuses her idea as it is not his concern and he wants to keep being friends with her and to keep seeing her.
Determined to stop the curse, Lee Soo and everything about him, she inches closer to the man she has loved for a decade, and plants a kiss on his lips – leaving him on a trance, unable to process what just had happened.
Opening Week Peak Points + Musings
Such a soothing watch, More Than Friends established two important things for its viewers. One, to push Woo-yeon not to give up on Lee Soo. Two, offer Lee Soo to translate his emotions or cure his trauma, because we definitely know he’s lying about not feeling the same way as Woo-yeon.
Full of heart, the opening week episodes of More Than Friends would surely tug the hearts of those who have suffered from unrequited love. Feeling the weight of the heartache Woo-yeon has to carry, strangely still didn’t make me cheer for her to give up on her cursed love. Interestingly, I still want her to push for it.
At the same time, Lee Soo’s indecisiveness springs from the emotional void left by his parents’ constant fighting when he was growing up. That could explain why he is guarded to commit in a love relationship, because his first hand memories coming from his parents are chaotic.
Admittedly, we know 10 years is already a long time for him to realize that delaying to return Woo-yeon’s love might cause him an inevitable hurt. But for all those pain he indirectly caused to Woo-yeon, in the future episodes when the love tug-of-war emerges, we can only pat his head and tell him, “it’s your fault”.
What to look forward to?
Emancipating herself from the shackles of her “cursed love” Woo-yeon and Lee Soo head to a love chase 10 years in the making. Throwing a formidable man in the mix to create a love triangle, would spice up the series even more.
Of course, we know that side stories involving the main leads’ circle of friends will be highlighted too.
Will the kiss-breaking-curse really end Woo-yeon’s love predicament? Or will that kiss break the unexpressed love of Lee Soo that he has bottled up all those years?
Catch More Than Friends on JTBC every Friday and Saturday.
Opening Week Rating: 
Read “More Than Friends” Recap Below
Ong Seong Wu Is Determined To Keep Seeing Shin Ye Eun In “More Than Friends” Episode 3
Photos/Videos: jTBC
Streaming Site: iQIYI
