For people in their 30s, having a relationship like the one Yeo-reum and Jae-hoon share in Love Is For Suckers is really what you need and you are all set!
ENA channel’s new midweek series embodies wit and realism that people in their 30s can really relate to. Coupled with the natural portrayals of the lead pair and the supporting cast; the first two episodes can push you to a watching spree in case you missed the launch week, just like me.
abbyinhallyuland watches Love is For Suckers on Prime Video
Opening Week Rating:
Love Is For Suckers Opening Week Story
Friends for a long time, Gu Yeo-reum (Lee Da Hee) and Park Jae-hoon (Choi Siwon) live in the same house occupying the top and bottom spaces. Pushing to meet John Jang, the young chef she’s been in a fling relationship, Yeo-reum bets with her best friend that they will finally hit homerun.
However, the homerun that happened is an official closure of the fling they’ve been having. John Jang expounds that aside from their age difference, they lack chemistry albeit they have the same preferences. Obviously, it was not a good “fling breakup”. Thankfully, she has Jae-hoon to listen to her humiliating almost-there-but-not-quite relationship story – yet again.
Since she is the producing director of the food entertainment show John currently appears, awkwardness is expected. At work, her show is also not performing well. To cushion the chagrin at her expected meeting with John, she asks Jae-hoon to pose as her boyfriend for one day.
“I don’t care about relationships. My life is already busy and tiring without it. But sometimes, I feel so pathetic. Since I reached a certain age, there hasn’t been anyone who liked me. It feels like there’s something wrong with me.”
While getting more video clips for the show, Yeo-reum overhears John through his lapel mic advising someone that having a fling with older women is cost-effective. Obviously, the trash that he is, he also boasts how he did not sleep with Yeo-reum when he can do it because he only sleeps with women, he is really curious about.
As rage begins to overwhelm Yeo-reum’s system, it deflates right away with a pressing filming concern. The pricey drone they borrowed is missing and inside it is the memory card for the entire filming. If they can’t find it, they will have to reshoot the episode. Fortunately, she finds the drone, but she had to endure the mudflat to retrieve it back.
The happiness shared with her team is short-lived since she spots John Jang staring at her messy self. Just then, Jae-hoon arrives in a not-so-worthy-to-flaunt-as-boyfriend look. Instead of feeling rescued, Yeo-reum gets mad.
When he chances upon her back at their house, he apologized for the prank he made. Unable to explain her self-esteem that keeps dropping, Yeo-reum pours out the pent-up emotions she’s been holding after her fling with John ended.
Jae-hoon argues that it’s not worth her effort and time. Wondering why she is having a hard time letting go of someone like John, she explains how sadly, there’s no one who gets interested in her anymore and puts the effort into her as well.
“I’m sorry, but if you are going to embarrass someone like this, don’t show up to a blind date. People are curious about the blind date once the time is set, hoping that person is going to be the one.”
Later, Jae-hoon learns from their common friends Dae-sik and Hye-jin about John Jang’s comment on Yeo-reum which explains the emotional outburst he faced the last time.
Thinking about Yeo-reum, Jae-hoon absentmindedly attends the blind date his mom set up for him. Because of that, he got an earful on how rude he was to nonchalantly attend a blind date. He was lectured about how inconsiderate he is to the other person who took an effort and looked forward to the meeting.
Quickly realizing he was in the wrong, Jae-hoon chases after his blind date and apologizes sincerely. When he arrives at work, Jae-hoon, who is actually a plastic surgeon, sees the nurses laughing happily because of a celebrity post. Apparently, John Jang captured Yeo-reum’s muddy look and posted it on his SNS.
Jae-hoon sees red and calls Yeo-reum so he can visit where she’s filming. Donning his best dapper look and driving his shining shimmering sports car, he went to where Yeo-reum is.
Fortunately, Jae-hoon has really impeccable timing and he rescues Yeo-reum who is in a verbal spat with John. She was cornered into confirming that she hoped for a relationship with him. Thankfully, her best friend arrived and tells him that he is someone who likes Yeo-reum a lot and would never treat her as a fling.
“Do you remember me catching your vomit with my bare hands? After breaking up with In-woo, you were always drinking and vomiting. Eventually, I started carrying a plastic bag with me.”
Celebrating their feat against, the two go for lunch, but the place they want to dine, unfortunately, is on a waiting list. Unknown to them, Yeo-reum’s ex-fiance is also there.
The next day, Yeo-reum’s work problem continues as she is warned that the show is on a discussion of being cut off. Meanwhile, Jae-hoon again meets his blind date Ji-yeon (Lee Ju Yeon) who hopes they can be friends by sharing meals together. Relenting to her request, they agree on a set date.
Yeo-reum and her closest circle huddle at Dae-sik and Hye-jin’s restaurant for an early birthday celebration for Yeo-reum. Just like any other close circle, Yeo-reum’s ex-fiance, Kim In-woo resurfaces. Even when the two besties were walking home, Jae-hoon reminds her of his dark times accompanying her to get over her previously called-off wedding.
At that time, when she received the proposal, she was too focused to achieve something in her career. She refuses to join In-woo when he was offered to work overseas.
“Our job is someone else’s dream job. A cable TV producer is a special job. There’re many who can only dream of his job and just watch from afar. It was the same for me. Before this became my life, I desperately wanted this job, too.”
With a goal to save her variety show that could be axed, Yeo-reum works hard with the team. In their next episode, they plan on mixing seasonal crabs to ramyun. Thus, they go to a boat to catch fresh ones.
When the boat captain refused to have Yeo-reum onboard, she gives the task to Sang-woo (Lee Daehwi) to lead the filming. Earlier, she saw a resignation letter he meant to give to her.
Remembering the car key is with Sang-woo, Yeo-reum is thankfully saved by Jae-hoon with convenience store coupons to help her with her dinner.
At that time, Jae-hoon is on a date with Ji-yeon. But when he sees something on TV about how dangerous a port could be, he finds himself in front of the dozing Yeo-reum and lets her sleep in his car while she waits for her team.
Successfully finishing the shoot, Yeo-reum drives her team back. At a rest stop, she had a meaningful chat with Sang-woo about loving the highs and lows of their work.
She tells him how she takes responsibility for being given an opportunity to a job that is also a dream job for many. Ultimately, her pep talk inspired Sang-woo and he decides to stay with his job.
“At some point in my life, birthdays became insignificant. My 20th birthday was full of laughter and joy. My 37th birthday is just like any other day of the year. A day when my show got cancelled. A day when I secretly cried while calling my mom and dad. A day when I ate tuna kimbap for dinner by myself. It’s okay. It doesn’t matter. It’s just another day.”
On her birthday, aside from waking up with a mosquito bite, she receives the bad news that her show can no longer proceed. While her team scrambles to survive by working at other shows, she receives a call from Jae-hoon and she insists that she’s busy and okay. Jae-hoon then meets Ji-yeon for dinner while Yeo-reum eats by herself.
When she reached her place, Yeo-reum finds In-woo waiting to announce that he’s been back a few days ago. Forcing the flowers and cake he brought for her, she remains indifferent and refuses his request for them to talk.
From afar, Jae-hoon sees In-woo leaving and Yeo-reum holding back her emotions. They go inside and prepare to celebrate Yeo-reum’s birthday. Putting a smile on her face with his signature birthday dance gift, they go for a heart-to-heart talk after.
Jae-hoon asks how she felt seeing In-woo after a long time, she responds that her show got canceled. She also tells him that she will only talk to In-woo on a good day, and not when the career she strongly fought to have is not in a good situation.
For the first time, Jae-hoon speaks about how In-woo wasn’t fair to have a one-sided decision back then without considering she has her own life, career and dreams. He also proposes how until there’s no one who will come along in their lives, they can be each other’s, favorite person.
Struggling to fight the steamy tension of setting up the female and male poles for Yeo-reum’s mosquito net; they finally raise it to cover her bed. Inside, a big mosquito appeared. In the process of competing who can kill it, they fall on the bed, at the closest proximity they’d probably been in their 20 years of friendship.
Love Is For Suckers Opening Week Musings
Running thoughtful messages about how building a future makes people often sacrifice cherished love, Love Is For Suckers takes a sincere route in discovering romance for people in their 30s.
Piercing lines about singlehood really hit staunchly in this so far cleverly written series. It’s hard not to feel the emotions because of how the characters are really communicating well the profound lessons in the story.
Time breezes when you’re having a good time. This series is such an oasis for anyone who needs a refreshing K-Drama break.
Devoid of intentional creative plot elements, the series leaves a strong and lasting impression on contrivable love and relationship realities.
How the relationship between Jae-hoon and Yeo-reum proceeds along with their career struggles is something that is not new in Korean romance series. But the neat writing and fascinating portrayals are just effortlessly addicting.
Viewers can sense that Jae-hoon might have been in secret unrequited love with his best friend. But he could be holding back because he knows she has not yet fully healed and could be happy just by being at her side.
Interestingly, we can look forward to how the narrative branches out since the love interests of Jae-hoon and Yeo-reum were already introduced.
The vibe, the characters, the overview and the direction of Love Is For Suckers is truly worth anticipating. If you have not added it yet to your watchlist, make sure to include it.
Get lessons on love, life and career in the vibrant and happy world of Yeo-reum and Jae-hoon in Love Is For Suckers!
Photos: ENA Channel
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