Love Next Door review: Is the Netflix release worth watching?

Love Next Door starring Jung So-min, Jung Hae-in, Kim Ji-eun, and Yoon Ji-on aired its final episode on tvN and Netflix on October 6, 2024. Love Next Door is based on the story of two best friends Bae Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) and Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in) who spent most of their lives including childhood, teenage, and early twenties together as their mothers were also best friends since their high school days.

Bae Seok-ryu, depicted by Jung So-min is a product manager who has never placed second in any exam or competition. After resigning from a well-known company in the US, Bae Seok-ryu returns to South Korea to find herself. Meanwhile, Choi Seung-hyo is an architect known for his charming personality and his remarkable accomplishments.

Love Next Door gets interesting as Bae Seok-ryu and Choi Seung-hyo reunite after years of living and develop romantic feelings for each other. The romantic comedy-drama focuses on friendship, affection, and belongingness while also throwing light on serious topics like mental health issues, family and parental pressure, and more.

Disclaimer: The article reflects the writer's opinions.

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Love Next Door review: The Netflix drama offers Feel-Good energy and a little of a rom-com

Love Next Door illustrates the friendship of four women in their fifties who have children who also turn out to be friends, bringing to life the most common saying friends say:

“I wish our children grow up to be best friends too.”

The four ladies Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young), Seo Hye-suk (Jang Young-nam), Do Jae-sook (Kim Keum-soon), and Bang In-sook (Han Ye-joo), create a wholesome environment as they stuck around each other for over forties despite their differences.

Meanwhile, their children Bae Seok-ryu, Choi Seung-hyo, and Jeong Mo-eum bring a chaotic energy to the scene with their friendship. Despite the delightful picture created by the relationship of the friends, the show also highlights the negative aspects of relationships that severely affect individuals. The character development of Bae Seok-ryu’s mother Na Mi-sook is notable as she changes her outlook on success in one's life.

Na Mi-sook’s coercion and expectations push Bae Seok-ryu into a corner which leads her to keep secrets big enough to send shockwaves through her family and friends. Her secrets including past relationships, work life, and illness, keep viewers on the hook for a while but it fails to bridge the gap between the hints given in the earlier episodes and the climax.

Furthermore, the sequence of Choi Seung-hyo and his mother Seo Hye-suk detangling their issues also seemed to be quickly wrapped up which missed a chance to explore the depths of their complex relationship.

The Korean title of Love Next Door is, “Mother's Friend's Son”, which exactly describes Bae Seok-ryu and Choi Seung-hyo’s relationship. The anticipation of watching Jung So-min and Jung Hae-in as an on-screen couple was at an all-time high. The two actors nailed their roles as friends but at times they lacked chemistry as a couple.

Moreover, the storyline also seemed to be dragging with all the exaggerated arguments between Choi Seung-hyo and Bae Seok-ryu in the early episodes of Love Next Door which may make it difficult for the viewers to continue the show. Their friendship also appeared to be flawed as they claimed to know each other well, however, failed to understand each other even after spending most of their lives together.

Perhaps Love Next Door creators intended to showcase the other side of their friendship but appeared to be poorly executed, making it awkward for the viewers to watch. Notably, the show also explored Na Mi-sook and Seo Hye-suk's twisted misunderstandings which is interesting to watch.

In conclusion, if you are a fan of Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min you would want to tune into Love Next Door to experience their friendly banter on screen. Despite its imperfections, this feel-good drama provides a sense of belongingness to characters through shared affections and is a delight to watch. However, some may not enjoy the show due to its tedious story development.