The drama may have started a little tropey, but I just loved it- the heart, the underlying flutters, and the complex nature of each relationship portrayed.
Seok-ryu’s Asian mum stereotype may seem overwritten, but boy, did it hit my heart in so many ways . That’s probably because it reflected my own relationship with my mum in some ways. Whatever it was, I was teary during that argument scene in Ep. 2.

@missvictrix thank you for the recap.
I enjoyed the first two episodes and think this will be a keeper. I hope that it has an interesting main theme as Dr Slump had mental illness and Welcome to Samdalri had the island location and haenyeo and The good bad mother had the revenge long game.

I was struck by the focus on the oldest child being the exception in the family with both Dr Slump and Love next door and how the younger brothers in both were not expected and encouraged to shine in their own lane whatever the field.

I initially thought the dad fainting was a detraction strategy to save the daughter and wonder why, he who clearly knows his daughter best, did not call his wife to her senses sooner as ‘beat now, talk later’ parenting is never going to be an effective strategy to find out what led to such a dramatic change in the daughter’s circumstances.

I also cannot understand why any parent would call the person their daughter has ended a relationship with to get their view on the situation, it is NEVER going to be a helpful conversation.
The male lead’s parents relationship, oh gosh poor him growing up in that household.
On the whole I am interested in seeing what happens with the main couple, journalist and paramedic friendship group. I also really liked the discussion about the memorial building and wonder if we will see that by the end of the drama.

I liked the first two episodes, even though I’m still a bit wary. The main couple is definitely selling it to me, no questions about it! Like their chaotic dynamic & banter, and their (already obvious) deep understanding for each other. It’s unclear to me whether the three friends stayed in contact while she was working in the US, but it kinda looks like it. That’s a plus! (Compared to Samdalri, where FL arrived home with lots of unreasonable expectations to her estranged group of friends - not here!)

Now, the dysfunctional relationship between both leads and their moms: oh my. Hard to look at. I’m wondering why FL even came home to her family - and didn’t just stay with her bestie to get the loving support she needs. 🫣 She fully expected it to be a rocky start with her mum, and their reunion was absolutely ugly. I don’t understand how mum’s behavior was somehow accepted by anyone there, and even worse: the show tried to make it seem a bit comedic, while the whole scene was just deeply hurtful. “Making it up” in the end with giving her a room (and food! I can’t even) doesn’t really cut it yet. They have lots of work to do. As does ML and his family… I’m sure we’ll get more into that dynamic later, as this was only hinted at so far.

I’m also not a big fan of the (mostly oversized) styling. 😵‍💫 Even though FL’s Steve-Jobs-like outfit in the first scene where she was introduced was kinda hilarious! 🤓

Looking forward to the next episodes though, and do hope the families will be able to work it all out (preferably without the help of more leek…). Less screaming, more swooning please! The ingredients are all there!🤞🤓

I liked these first two episodes, though I can't say I love it yet. It's all perfectly fine and enjoyable, mostly getting by because the leads have a great dynamic, and while there's nothing wrong with that, I'm not sure if that's enough to carry 16 episodes, and I'm even less sure if that's enough for me to stick around (case in point: I still have not finished Doctor Slump).

Still, the leads are great, and so are the secondary leads (and I'm already invested in the potential romance there, which is a huge plus). I can't say I'm that fond of anybody else yet, but hopefully that'll change (and this'll probably be a key factor that determines whether this keeps my interest or not, and this is exactly how Welcome to Samdal-ri managed to sway me, and I'm so glad it did).

You've got potential, Love Next Door, so please don't squander it.

Yeah, @missvictrix is recapping this drama \o/

I really liked these 2 episodes!

Seok-Ryu : her mother has an issue with violence, clearly it's her first way to react. But I don't think it was portray only as a comedy, but showing it's a problem. She started drum and it's a good thing to change. And Seok-Ryu is the same, she knew how her mother will react and she tends to hit people too. So it will be interesting to see if both characters will change or not.

Seung-Hyo : He's a little bit mysterious for now. I wonder if he lost someone in his family because he has an deep interest in death with his office remindind a tomb and his next project. The fact he talks formaly with his parents but not with SR's parents shows he's more confortable with this family than his. His father seems not very involved in their family neither.

I loved every of their interactions! They were so funny. We could see they're very honest and confortable with each other even if they didn't see each other for years. Jung-Jung's chemistry is very good.

I'll add this to my watched list before weekend. I've gotten the confirmation and clarity I needed.

Thank you for the weecap, @missvictrix! I love it! These first 2 episodes didn't bore me and established the story in a really funny way. I love how the hiking moms came to Seok-ryu's mom's rescue when their old classmate made comments about her daughter. This is the kind of friendship that lasts thru years!

I really liked the first episode. Everything is tropey but still liked it. The second episode felt like watching DoctorSlump all over again. Too much similar for me. So I'll watch next few episodes and hopefully it will be different, If continues to be same I may drop it otherwise will continue. Last but not least this is the first time I'm seeing Jung Hae in and I loved him. Maybe I'll watch it just for him😝😂

So far, the drama is bringing in all the right fuzzy feelings for me. 'Eomma chingu adeul' is a phrase used in S. Korea for the perfect kid/ son in the neighborhood, the multi-talented, top-of-the-class high-achiever; basically a darling of all neighborhood Aunties. (We have a version of it in our country too!!) As someone working in the profession for more than half a decade, Architecture is surely not the first career path I had in mind for the supposed blue-eyed boy of the neighborhood. I love me some representation, and so far, they have got some of it *very* right... for ex. chasing clients for payments is a never-ending saga, that transcends geographical borders and even crosses-over to the land of fiction & rom-coms! Just like relatives and neighbors constantly asking you to remodel their space for free. xD
Fun-fact: I loved how correct they got 90% of JHI's professional struggles and dilemmas as a first-gen founder & principal (as opposed to say JCW's character arc as a 2nd gen architect in Lovestruck in the city.... the nuances, and the little details! :D ) but lemme tell you, he's entirely TOO free/jobless for a Principal of a Studio. And for an office space that big and well-designed, it's way too understaffed.

I must confess though, more than the lead pairing, I was excited for the collab between the 4 very well-known actors who play their parents! ^^ However, I wish the dynamic between the FL-her Mom and the ML wasn't *this* similar to Samdalri.... Why even to step into the realm of remote comparisons when Kim Mi Kyung is SO pitch perfect in these Tsundere Asian-Mom roles, an you cannot possibly top the non-romantic chemistry that actors bring from a previous collab (Healer & Ahjumma pairing is immortal!)

The show however got me in ep 2 with the cathartic meltdown. An Asian Mom who projects their unfulfilled dreams onto their daughter and the kid basically drowns under all that pressure till she cannot take it any more. Ooof, it cannot get any more real than that!! We are so much more than our grades & awards, our flashy jobs and trophy marriages as adults. I wish parents would realize what it costs their children in order for them to flaunt these shiny badges of honor. :'(

This show had my heart by the end of ep 2, when I was really scared in ep 1 that I'd have to drop it.

Like I wrote in my very long Premiere Watch comment, the mom's violence was repulsive to me, and they wrote it as comedy. It wasn't fun when it happened to me (not to this extent, but in typical S. Asian mother fashion) so I have a visceral reaction to the many depictions of abuse, physical, verbal, and emotional, shown so casually in Kdramas. I'm glad that she fought back finally, and that mom seems to be coming around. The FL seems to be carrying on the cycle with all the ML- hitting, and I hope she stops too.

I love the emotional beats that underlie the conversations though, esp when ML cuts to the chase and forces her to confront the truth, with herself and her family. His subtle reactions are everything, and there I can see my beloved Jung Hae In, the actor, in action.

The TvN website (which was linked to on another site) has detailed descriptions of all the characters, and it's really helpful to get their stories, so I understood them better.
Loved the realtor friend who told off FL's mum, and her dad with his little aside that showed his own insecurity about failure.

It does give off Dr Slump/Samdalri vibes, with both main characters, going through professional troubles, but I hope it does it better- less/ no drinking, and no aegyo, please! Looking forward to these families resolving their issues, and sweetness abounding!

This is another child born by the makers of Hometown Cha Cha, so I was forewarned. I will stay for the cast for now, but ep 1 had all the red flags that I dislike. Ep 2 got better and I really hope the two leads will pull the drama off.

There are too many mothers/parents in kdrama who cannot control their frustrations, never listen, but pummel their children, even if whatever misfortune happened affects the child much more than the parent. The list is long: Another Miss Oh, Our Blues etc. Only after they overcome their tantrums do they start to think and act as parents. I hope this is only drama, not reality.

The banter between the leads is good, but FL really needs to control her physical aggressiveness before she can enter a healthy relationship.

Its been a while since I eagerly waited for a drama. Was very excited with the MLs and the bestfriend to lovers trope.

First episode was boring and slow to pull us in. The way it glossed over the issues our FL had. It was triggering that everyone dismissed Seok-ryu's achievements (More than 10 years working overseas + full scholarship!) and reduced it to her being jobless and broken engagement.

However, the drama redeems itself on episode 2. We can see that it is going for the maximum impact. Hopefully, FL-mother conflict will be explore more in the next few episode.

Complaints aside, love Jung So Min & Jung Hae In! And Jung Seok Ho!

I see from the comments that the show resembles Doctor Slump quite closely but since I have not watched Doctor Slump, I was not displeased with the first two episodes at all. Quite the contrary actually! I really enjoyed it. The first half of 2024 has been quite boring Kdrama wise. I was really looking for something light but not completely vacuous and I have found it in this show. The fact that the leads are super goodlooking only makes everything better. Though I am still getting used to Jung Hae-in with a mullet but looks like mullets are here to stay so I better come around soon.

Jung so min's character Seok ryu is the heart of the show, everybody lights up and everthing becomes chaotic when she is around 😅. As @missvictrix put it Jung So Min is perfect for this role. She can beautifully play wacky characters with heart. I was not completly sold on the chemistry between Jung so min and Jung hae in but I am glad to be proven wrong. Jung Hae in 's character is a perfect opposite balance to Seok Ryu. We see him be very composed and cool but we see his inner child when he is with her and he is probably most comfortable with her only albeit the frenemy vibes. Although I didnt dig the first few minutes of the first episodes with the mother bragging about their child , and thought i will not like the mothers. But the series goes into the depth of the dynamic between seok ryu and her mother especially in 2nd episode where we see that she is trying to make up for life through her daughter and she is called out for it , she realizes that and tries to make amends. And we can see that Seung hyo has a complicated family as well. So there are layers yet to be peeled off. I shouldnt judge something by just watching only 2 episodes but I am in for the ride. Its been a really long time I saw a kdrama and already regretting that why i didnt wait till the drama was finished so that i can marathon it.

Quick sense of what I like so far:

✔ the moms - very excited to see such heft and gravitas from these 2 veteran actresses (ML's mom - Jang Young-nam - just gives me the deja-vu chills like she's channeling her role from , while I half-wish to see a reprisal of Park Ji-Young doing her mum gig in where she fights Mi-Sook for the affections and custody of their daughter)

✔ The childhood flashbacks & "uri aegi": the child actress playing a young Seok-ryu -- her cute quotient is OFF the charts. Second only to the immensely talented (and cute) Park So-Yi. I predict a great future for her.

Love the flashbacks - very revealing indirect commentary on the underlying relational dynamics between the two friends / cuts through all the "noise" of their current older selves & personas. When in doubt, refer to their childhood template, it's all there.

✔ I get why all the comparisons to Samdal-ri / Dr Slump, but I hope this show will hold its own and shine. And the last scene? Our boy is so whipped. It's obvious he has always been holding a (very secret) torch for his alpha-girl-boss-frenemy-neighbour-surrogate-babysitter. I can't wait to see how this will play out 🤣🤣

✔ and welcome back Jung Soo-min. I missed you ❤❤

I love it. I love them. Their chemistry is through the roof. Seok-ryu is amazing. Jung So-min makes the best crazy facial expressions. I thought it was a great reason that she came back because she needed a reboot (albeit a bit like Doctor Slump), so I was sad to learn her fiancé cheated on her and she was fired from her job (à la Welcome to Samdal-ri). Did Seung-hyo not believe Seok-ryu since she asked him in the second episode, "Aren't you going to ask?" He knows her so well that he knew she was lying? Just like the rain scene where he knew she wanted to cry.

I suspected that he liked her when he half-heartedly congratulated her on her wedding, but Episode 2 leaves no doubt that he has definitely liked her all along. During Seok-ryu's storytime about raising Seung-hyo, I thought, "No WONDER he's liked her since he was little"... until we hilariously saw his side of the story. It's so fricking cute how she called him, "uri aegi." Shout-out to Seung-hyo's coworker Na-yoon for giving up her crush so quickly knowing she stands no chance. He definitely moved back home to live next door to Seok-ryu, as well as being closer to work, but I'm afraid that he can't afford his high-rise apartment due to his company not getting paid. Love Seok-ryu for offering to get Seung-hyo's money for him.

Seok-ryu's mom LOVES Seung-hyo -- and he knows it -- so I'm not worried about Imo disapproving of their relationship, but Seung-hyo's mom doesn't seem to like Seok-ryu, but why? Our girl's so smart! Seung-hyo's mom is definitely jealous of his close relationship with Imo, who goes to his house and stocks his fridge. He uses jondae with his parents but speaks in banmal to Seok-ryu's family.

Mo-eum is winsome, and I hope we see childhood flashbacks with all three of our friends together. Yoon Ji-on's character Dan-ho is cute too and has completely made me forget about his despicable character in Serendipity's Embrace.

The titles of the episodes are very creative ("Come Back Home" "Hate -> Love"). This show is everything I wanted and more. Thanks a million for the recap, @missvictrix!

P.S.

Best "read of the room" award goes to: Seung-hyo's female junior at architecture firm

Winning line: "Those two should just book kindergarten English class for their kids now."

I put my money on you 💰

I really had my doubts for this cos it’s indeed so/too similar to those 3 dramas u listed (Cha-Cha-Cha, Samdalri and Dr Slump), but ALL which fell very flat for me in the end. But there was a certain charm here in eps 1 & 2 which the other 3 largely lacked, so keeping fingers n toes crossed!

@missvictrix, thank you for the recap. I really enjoy your thoughts and writing style.

I already love the drama after the first week and I hope it keeps up the momentum until the end of its run.

WARNING: Long write-up ahead because I've read on several sites that people are complaining about the violence and the mom's reaction.

It's actually super interesting to watch a drama from another culture and perspective. As an Asian woman who grew up in a country where filial duty is a big deal, it's funny how, even though I'm totally independent now and have lived abroad for years, whenever I go back home, I still see people acting just like the moms in these dramas. Even my parents, who are really understanding and would never hit me at this age, would probably still give me a verbal lashing if I were in a similar situation.

So yeah, when people ask why Asian parents are still the same these days, the answer is simple: some things never change. If you grew up in an Asian family but were raised in the US or Europe, or if you went to international schools in that Asian country and mostly hung out with people from similar backgrounds without mingling much with locals, you might not fully get it. You can't just impose your views on this situation. Honestly, every time I see questions on Reddit like, "Why are Asian parents like this?" I can't help but laugh. Those parents are just regular people living their lives in the same country and culture, and even if they travel abroad, it's usually only for a short time. Sure, a lot of people now study and work overseas, but they're not the majority. It'll take time for things to change, but who knows how long that'll take?

Firstly, Let me get this off my chest. I hate his hair. The length is weird, the gel is excessive. lol. And his suits. The brown one needs to be burnt.

Right off the bat, I loved the leads. No warm up required. I love Seok Ryu already. She uses jokes to cover up her inner turmoil and speak about her issues. And Seung-hyo doesn’t need to be told. There is such a comfortable rapport between the two which is such a joy to watch. (Can we go easy on the chokehold please. It’s just scary when it goes on for so long).
Mom was a big trigger for me. The physical violence and her selfishness was hard to watch. I am glad for their confrontation in ep 2. “Why should I be your pride and joy”. Yes!! You go girl.
What’s with all these younger brothers in dramas who get to live their life easy while girls are subject to a level of perfection that’s so suffocating. I really hope this is the end of mom issues. I want to see her be the support system Seok Ryu needs.

I love the girlfriends!! I loved that Mo Eum and reporter have a potential romance. He is so cute with those glasses.

The child actors are adorable. ‘Baby’ was hilarious. Absolutely hilarious.

Am I the only one who replayed every single expression JHI had when he thought no one was looking in regards to JSMs character? Ugh! The feels they give me

I liked it a lot. Seung Hyo obviously is a little bit in love with her. His awareness of her is very clear. This is good, lol. It is always better when the ML likes the FL first. I appreciate that they are both successful, but not too successful. I like that his architecture firm has everyday issues. I will say I laughed when the "American" called her a something something "egoist." lol, no in the US speaks like that. Anyway, I look forward to the rest of the drama.

The competitiveness and the pressure of parents is always hard to watch. It just seems so stupidly toxic that I don't tend to first think of the logistics of internal and relatable feelings of self esteem and self worth issues and tend to respond emotionally such as "ugh, I hate the mom". It was performed really well, it was heart breaking but man, it was hard to watch. I'm glad that was resolved.

I did laugh and rewatch the scene multiple times when the mom was hitting the male lead with the vegatable. And then his mom having a moment of "oh yeah, why are you hitting *my* son and not *your* daughter?!"

Another funny moment was the reporter trying to be helpful and tripping over his own feet.

I was kinda side eyeing the fact that the room makeover idea and execution seemed to happen in two days when it seemed like multiple outfit changes happen plus the call happened before the mom and daughter fight.

I likes the different childhood perspectives.

I wonder how big of a deal it's gonna be that Seung Hyo seems to be closer to Seok Ryu's mom than his own.

I was wondering if the guy from Lovely Runner was always so broad/buff?

I'm liking this so far. Since we all know where this is going, I'm just interested in the how we get there. I hope it continues to make me laugh.