The spring of 2022 was a good year for romcom lovers with shows like Business Proposal and Shooting Stars delighting their romance-loving heart. Another project that aired during that time was Crazy Love, which stars Kim Jae-wook and Krystal Jung.
The KBS drama tells the love story of a math institute CEO and his secretary. The plot sounds typical and the tropes used almost feel like the old Korean romcoms in the early 2000s. The series though was still entertaining to watch, much thanks to its wacky characters and fun – although predictable – scenes.
Here are the things to look back to in Crazy Love!
A classic take on enemies to lovers
Enemies-to-lovers nowadays have “softened” as showrunners finally realized some borderline problematic attitudes of characters in old romcoms. It was a bit jarring, at first, to watch a male lead treat the female lead in a very hostile manner. I had to adjust my viewing expectations and remind myself this is a silly exaggerated romance story. Once I got past that expectation adjustment, I finally enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers relationship between GOTOP CEO Noh Go-jin (Kim Jae-wook) and aspiring teacher Lee Shin-ah (Krystal Jung). Shin-ah’s “revenge” also helped the show become watchable. It was fun seeing her get back to her annoying boss but at the same time, finally see the other side of Go-jin – his more likable traits. Some would probably argue with Go-jin’s slow character development but he still redeemed himself in the end.
Old School Romance Plot Tools
This is one amusing rollercoaster rom-com ride of a show. It used a lot of old-school romance plot tools like fake amnesia, misdiagnosis, fake relationships, cohabitation, and even the trite love triangle. Baek Soo-young (Yoo In-young) as Go-jin’s ex and first love put some tension in the series. Although she’s the kind of antagonist I couldn’t hate fully, I appreciate how her character shakes some sense to our idiots-in-love couple.
This wouldn’t be a rom-com series without having a cute sub couple. Shin-ah’s best friend Chu Ok-hee (Park Han-sol) and brother Lee Su-ho (Yoon San-ha) are delightful to watch even in their short screen time. It is really funny how they tried to hide their relationship from an oblivious Shin-ah. I think it is also one of the things I like about romcoms – everyone seems to fall in love or is already in love.
Mystery on the side
Spoiler Alert: The main antagonist of this series was Oh Se-gi (Ha Jun), Go-jin’s close friend and the Vice President of GOTOP. I was suspicious of him early on so it didn’t surprise me when they revealed he was behind Go-jin’s accident. His motive is cliché but he is still an effective nemesis. I don’t usually order my romcoms with mystery on the side but I don’t mind having a pinch of suspense in this series.
Happy Ending No Matter What
What I like the most about watching Crazy Love – and romcoms, in general – is the assurance that whatever the plot takes us, the two main characters will end up together. In Crazy Love, no matter how complicated Go-jin’s problems are or no matter how hopeless Shin-ah is, I know that in the end, they will get the happy ending they both deserve.
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