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Rom-com Battle: No Gain No Love, Love Next Door or Cinderella at 2 AM, which ongoing K-drama is taking crown?
The three ongoing rom-coms No Gain No Love, Love Next Door, and Cinderella at 2 AM have got us seated, but who is winning amongst them? Find out here.
Romantic comedy is one of the most appreciated genres in the world of K-dramas and currently three star-studded ones are running for the win. It is time to see whether Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae’s No Gain No Love, Jung Hae In and Jung So Min’s Love Next Door or Moon Sang Min and Shin Hyun Been’s Cinderella at 2 AM is taking the crown of best ongoing rom-com.
Who is winning the ongoing rom-com battle?
1. Romance
No Gain No Love: 10/10
No Gain No Love has been going strong since its premiere episode, every hand played by this Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae starrer has worked like magic.
Furthermore, Son Hae Young (Shin Min Ah) and Kim Ji Wook’s (Kim Young Dae) romance has the much-needed power to make your toes curl and leave you wanting more. In the words of Gen-Z, the chemistry is chemistry-ing. They have aced every stage in their love story beginning from hate, to angst, to stupid bickering, and finally confessions.
Son Hae Young and Kim Ji Wook’s angst is sizzling too much like their romantic escapades which is hard to find in rom-coms. Another plus point is the romance of the second leads Bok Gyu Hyun and Nam Ja Yeon which began in the worst way possible but grew to be something meaningful and deep.
Love Next Door: 7/10
Jung Hae In and Jung So Min’s Love Next Door has not given us the dating stage yet but still, the angst and chemistry of the two main leads have kept us hooked enough to continue. Choi Seung Hyo and Bae Seok Ryu have been making us wait for their dating era to begin forever now, but nevertheless, the angst connecting them which does not go amiss even during their fights is for sure burning high.
Jung Hae In and Jung So Min’s characters' romance is not given in the elementary sense but moments of them getting all shy and losing their minds the minute the other walks in is something we find it in novels. But in the end, Love Next Door is yet to deliver some true romance and finally get Choi Seung Hyo and Bae Seok Ryu together, it's been 10 episodes any later than that would not make any sense.
Cinderella at 2 AM: 6/10
Cinderella at 2 AM has much more romantic scenes than Love Next Door but, it misses chemistry. Shin Hyun Been’s Ha Yoon Seo’s unnecessary resolve to break up with Moon Sang Min’s Seo Joo Won made sense initially but with time it lost its power. The continuous breaking up and chase by Seo Joo Won could only get us so far. Moon Sang Min and Shin Hyun Been chemistry does make up for it a bit.
The fun and interesting romance surprisingly was delivered by the second leads Seo Si Won (Yoon Bak) and Lee Mi Jin (Park So Jin) who even though are a married couple have the rush of a new couple. Their romance is adorable and quite fun. In all, Seo Si Won and Lee Mi Jin’s romance caught more eye than Seo Joo Won and Ha Yoon Seo.
2. Comedy
No Gain No Love: 9/10
Being a romantic comedy, a K-drama truly needs to make us laugh and not forget it as the episodes move ahead. No Gain No Love has made us laugh sometimes way out loud and we are here for it.
Though in the middle with the serious plotlines flowing in it might have slowed down a bit but comedy was delivered nonetheless though in fewer amounts.
The funny circumstances the entire cast is put in time and again is genuine comedy at its best. To lay down some scenes: the drunk scenario, Bok Gyu Hyun and Kim Ji Wook washing clothes, Shin Min Ah shooting romantic dates by herself and so many more.
Love Next Door: 6/10
The battle of rom-coms can only be won if a K-drama has both components, Love Next Door has been ‘okay-ish’ in this area. For the many relatable and emotional plotlines running rampant in its storyline, comedy could not find much place in its episodes.
Most fun were the scenes where Bae Seok Ryu’s mother, father, or her entire family was involved or the antics played by Jung Mo Eum. They were not enough!
Cinderella at 2 AM: 7/10
Seo Si Won and Lee Mi Jin’s eccentric romance covers 70 percent of the comedy the show carries in truthfulness. Their funny mishaps and chemistry make us laugh and swoon at the same time.
Meanwhile, Seo Joo Won’s chasing antics have been amusing, and he and Ha Yoon Seo being awkward in front of others did deliver many laughs. It would be right to say that Cinderella at 2 AM was fun to watch because of these funny bombs blasting here and there.
3. Storyline/ Something unique
No Gain No Love: 8/10
No Gain No Love’s fake marriage trope might not be novel but the way it was delivered through the twist of it being the only way to secure a promotion at work was ingenious.
Furthermore, No Gain No Love’s storyline from the point of view of Son Hae Young and Kim Ji Wook’s love story, Han Ji Hyun and Bok Gyu Hyun’s story, and the whole truth of parentage was out of the box because of the way it brought novel and realism to the front.
The K-drama deserves a bow for showing the unseen truth of women’s friendships, women’s personal pleasure, working in the same workplace as a couple, and the repercussions of an abused parent on a child. For this, No Gain No Love pleasantly surprised us by delivering something ‘original’ to its storyline.
Love Next Door: 7/10
Love Next Door’s storyline in the beginning captivated us quite easily but as the story progressed it was impossible to ignore the recent tropes coming back in it. The childhood friends becoming lovers was nothing new but its presentation is, however, the unnecessary prolonged intervention of ex-lovers did sour the gravy a bit.
Talking about something unique, apart from Jung Hae In in his first rom-com role and Bae Seok Ryu being a literal representation of the present youth and adults, there was not much.
Cinderella at 2 AM: 5/10
Cinderella at 2 AM could not deliver a unique storyline when it boils down to Seo Joo Won and Ha Yoon Seo, the constant chasing and running became tiresome after a while. The female lead excessively trying to move away from her love was unreasonable initially it made sense given her painful past. However, that past failed to play any huge role in their love story, talk about a big bummer.
After losing to deliver something new, the drama persevered on the shoulders of the leads and their chemistry alone.
4. Acting Performances
No Gain No Love: 10/10
Shin Min Ah lives every bit to her title of queen of rom-coms as no one can tell where Shin Min Ah ends and where Son Hae Young begins. Be it complex emotions, calculative mindset, romance, or care for her foster sisters, she checks all the boxes.
Kim Young Dae might be giving one of his best rom-com performances in No Gain No Love as his character Kim Ji Wook is nothing but the best man out there. His adorable ways to charm his lady love, care for her, his firm stand on being true to his roots, and his bromance have won hearts.
Love Next Door: 9/10
The biggest reasons that are making us watch Love Next Door: Jung Hae In and Jung So Min.
Jung So Min could disguise herself as Bae Seok Ryu in real life and could very well pass, her character portrayal is mindblowing in every way. Her raw emotions, loud shouts, and childish bickering with Choi Seung Hyo have made a special place in our hearts in the long run.
Jung Hae In in his first rom-com role has been adorable and a treat to watch though his melodramatic character kicks in from time to time. Regardless, his bickering and loving glances towards Bae Seok Ryu have got us hooked.
Cinderella at 2 AM: 7/10
The acting performances in Cinderella at 2 AM have been mostly shouldered by Moon Sang Min alone with Shin Hyun Been trying hard to walk in the shoes of her first rom-com role. But Yoon Bak and Park So Jin emerged as knights in shining armor after 3 episodes.
The dialogues being delivered by the lead stars as they tried to make sense of their complicated love story was what kept us tapping that next episode button, to say the least.
VERDICT
In conclusion, for us, Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae’s No Gain No Love has taken the crown for the best rom-com for checking all the boxes with a strong score backing its stance. Followed closely by Jung Hae In and Jung So Min’s Love Next Door in the second.
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