K-DRAMA REVIEW: “What Comes After Love” Commits to a Beautiful Understanding of Romance

Is there such a thing as unchangeable love? Or will those beautiful feelings just come to an end one day, leaving us with unforgettable wounds?

In a well-written and beautifully filmed drama, viewers follow the story of two people who fall in love despite their differences yet have to go their separate ways until they fatefully run into each other one day. Will they get a chance to rewrite their ending? Or is it already too late?


What comes after Love Series Quick Recap

In a cross-cultural romance story, two ex-lovers get reunited five years later. Will this reunion mark their new beginning? Or is it already over for them?


What Comes After Love Series Highlights and Musings

Stories featuring reunited lovers are nothing new. Yet, aside from the cultural differences aspect, the drama managed to stand out and make itself memorable through its tight story, top-notch dialogue, impeccable acting, and excellent execution. Everyone did an amazing job in their respective roles and the short episode count made for a tighter story without any fillers or unnecessary scenes.

The drama kept its central focus on our leads’ stories while also giving our second leads a fair share of the spotlight without dragging out their stories or turning them into caricature villains. They were just people who fell in love yet weren’t lucky enough to have their feelings reciprocated. Having realized it, they bowed out gracefully and continued with their lives.

Honestly, I was bracing myself for a sad ending right from the beginning. As the story progressed, I became even more convinced that my theory would hold true. However, the drama reversed those expectations and delivered a happy ending. Not that I’m complaining. The best part was that our leads’ happy ending felt well-deserved and not just a convenient resolution thrown in to please the audience.

When we first met them, our leading lady, Choi Hong (Lee Se-young), had just arrived in Japan after running away from home. Having come across our male lead, Jungo Aoki (Kentaro Sakaguchi), Hong fell in love with him at first sight and Jungo was just the same. One thing led to another, and the two of them started dating. They looked adorable together and the spring setting also added to the sweetness. Then winter came, both literally and figuratively, and things began to go wrong between our leads until they were forced to part ways with each other.

On the surface, it might seem that it was wholly Jungo’s fault that our leads had to go through that harsh breakup, having left Hong alone in a foreign country and made her feel so lonely. But after reading the book Jungo wrote based on their story, Hong realized she was in the wrong too, having been fixated on Jungo’s shortcomings and failing to realize he had it hard too.

There are countless feelings that people may experience after love ends. But according to the drama, only after love ends do we get a proper understanding of what that love meant to us. And with that understanding, our leads acquired their second chance at love. Even after 5 years apart, our leads were still in love with each other. It is just that the things left unspoken festered in their hearts and formed deep scars.

Afraid of getting hurt again, Hong put her walls up and avoided Jungo with all her might. While Jungo wanted to hold onto the chance and get back to Hong. But it was only after they realized what went wrong with their relationship that our leads could find their way toward each other and get their happy ending. There might not be a love that doesn’t change, but even if the season of love changes, we have to keep faith that after the snowy winter comes the warm spring.


Photos and Videos: Coupang Play

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