Lovestruck In The City

I always do my best to branch out and explore the different types of television series available, but alas, there are just certain kinds of shows that will forever have a grasp on your heart. For me, the aforementioned sorts of shows are Korean dramas. How they manage to jam pack so much plot, character development, and side story into twenty episodes is mind-boggling! There are some series that are even as short as ten episodes, but they have no shortage of the binge-worthy drama that is presented in their more lengthy compatriots.

One of the dramas I had the pleasure of indulging in lately was called Lovestruck In The City. To be perfectly transparent, the show is indeed about a love story and, on some level, that's what I expected. Truth be told, however, the love story went way deeper than I thought it would. Even the side plots took turns opposite of what I imagined, but that's possibly what I enjoyed most about the show.

Before moving on, I have to commend the male lead actor, Ji Chang-wook, for his spot-on portrayal of his role. From the rants to the heart-wrenching, and mostly drunken, monologues, this main character made a lasting impression. Which brings me to the first relatable point that stuck out to me in this series. You never can tell just how hard you will fall for someone, or even how quick. The two main characters did exactly that. What started out as a means of escape for both of them transformed into something completely unexpected. I believe that's happened to all of us at least once.

Speaking of unexpected, the way this story was told was that and more, but I admired the creativity of it. The narrative of each episode was part of an interview about relationships told from the perspectives of six seemingly unrelated individuals. As the story progresses, though, it's shown that all of them are connected in some way, which made the series all the more intriguing! The writers did a fantastic job of reminding us that the interview is being conducted without taking away any vital action from the plot.

I want to take a small detour here to note something interesting about one of the side stories that caught me off guard. Well, perhaps it didn't completely throw me off. There were a few indicators here and there. I was almost surprised that the long-running couple, Suh Rin-i and Choi Kyeong-jun, had a falling out at the end with no signs of reconciliation. From the argument they had, it was apparent that they both had drastically opposing perspectives about each other. This proves that time doesn't automatically equal understanding. You can spend years with a person and still not fully know them.

Overall, the theme that was weaved into each crevice of this show was self-discovery. Each character displayed it in some form or fashion, especially the female lead. To see her accept the fact that she was loved just as she is was extremely satisfying. A lesson I personally learned from her is that we all have different sides to our personalities and they're all uniquely amazing! This show is going on the rewatch list, it's a love story worth experiencing more than once!