Back in 2020, streaming sites released tons of series with fresher concepts and storylines. One of those series is Lovestruck in the City which stars Ji Chang-wook and Kim Ji-won. This web series employs a mockumentary style of narrative to tell the story of its six characters and how their lives intertwined with each other.
The narrative style makes the story’s very common theme – break-ups and relationships in general – interesting to watch. The characters often break the 4th wall and talk to their viewers (or the documentary crew) to tell us their takes on what was happening in the series or the lives of the other characters. It might be off-putting to some but for me, it’s the series’ most charming point as it would make the viewers feel they are part of the characters’ journey. It gives a semblance of “reality” in the series as if we’re really delving into a real person’s personal life, which I think is the series’ main goal – to show a realistic take on romantic relationships.
Its main couple’s story, however, didn’t feel that realistic at all. The romance between Park Jae-won (Ji Chang-wook) and Lee Eun-o / Yoon Seon-a (Kim Ji-won) is the most dramatic storyline in the series. The mystery around their break-up was dragged on for most of the series and only then would the characters be more relatable. Ji Chang-wook and Kim Ji-won, though, were great in their roles despite their characters’ unimpressive arcs.
The second couple – Choi Kyeong-jun (Kim Min-seok) and Suh Rin-i (So Ju-yeon) – have a more grounded storyline. Kyeong-jun and Rin-i’s love story started in high school. In the majority of the series, their relationship seems to be smooth sailing but their major conflict exploded right in their faces in the latter part of the series. I enjoyed the build-up to their break-up and how the series showed their differences from the beginning and how some of it went unresolved. Their part has the best pacing among the three stories and conflicts that are encountered by most couples who started as young lovers.
Another mature type of romance introduced in this series is the story of Kang Geon (Ryu Kyung-soo) and Oh Seon-yeon (Han Ji-eun). These two characters aren’t really as focused on their love lives as the other characters. Kang Geon focuses mostly on writing his novels while Oh Seon-yeon is a tough PE teacher during the day while enjoying her dating life at night. At first look, it may seem that only Oh Seon-yeon has commitment issues but I do think Kang Geon also has a hard time committing fully to a relationship. For this reason, I think the ending for these two characters is very apt. They had a clean breakup after clearing the misunderstanding from their initial messy and very public separation.
The series also has a very strong Western influence with mature characters not shying away from talking about topics like physical intimacy. They utilized their chosen narrative style to smoothly transition with each of the stories. There might be some filler scenes inserted here and there that disrupts the overall narrative and could be sometimes confusing but the ensemble cast’s chemistry made up for it. Its plot is also not complicated and sticks mostly to its romantic tropes. Overall, Lovestruck in the City is a decent drama to watch if one is looking for an easy-to-binge K-drama.
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