Love Alarm Season 2 (2021)

Un peu d'amertume mais cela reste tout de même sucré !

Where to start? I asked myself this question for many hours before writing on this virtual paper. This questioning element sums up the situation perfectly. It's hard to know where to start because one thing is for sure Love Alarm is a drama that will not leave anyone indifferent. This is the first time I changed my mind so much during a drama and where I was also dubious by the actions of some characters.

I was pleasantly surprised by this season 2 that I found more mature and healthy. We see that some characters have grown up. I think in particular of Jo Jo's aunt who is much more pleasant than the previous season. Or about Sun Oh's mother who seems to want to get closer to her son. For Gul Mi, I didn't see any big changes unfortunately... She remains a very unpleasant character without consistency. But let's come to the essential, our main characters.

Jo Jo hasn't really changed, she's still an indecisive young woman who lets a new childish and superfluous technology dictate her feelings, that she forgets what she really wants. Although she guesses it herself as the season progresses and she is an actress of her own free will a little late. I also found her a bit of a prude, too prude for a 24 year old... She is a character who lived the unthinkable and even if I felt her more human and closer to us during this season, I will not say that she was a favorite.

Hyeyong is definitely the protagonist who revealed himself during this season. In Love Alarm 1, he seemed to be self-effacing and inactive, which is clearly not the case here. His character is very pleasant, he is sweet, listening, charming and caring. The ideal boyfriend in itself. I am therefore delighted that he had the right to his share of happiness during this season. The actor also played this character very well, I remember having seen him in Mistress where he had captivated me. But, these are just my personal tastes.

Sun Oh is the most disappointing character of this season. Yet, WE adore him before. But in the end, I wonder if I was blinded by the beauty of Song Kang. In this season 2, he is cold, distant, self-centered and egoistic. But after what Jo Jo did to him, it can only be understandable. Song Kang embodied this character perfectly and I can't wait to see him again in a show where he will have the leading role this time.

Yook Jo is the character I disliked even more than Gul Mi. She plays the girlfriend of Sun Oh. "Why?" you may ask. "She's a cream. "She may be nice, but she is still superficial. This world of "m'as-tu-vu" bothers me a lot and she is part of this kind of individual that I hate above all in this world that surrounds us. These influencers who only judge by their appearance and go to VIP clubs to show themselves off. We saw this very clearly in the first season, even if they wanted to sweep it in this second season, some passages have well brought out this aspect of her personality. She clings to Sun Ho with all her strength that it is pitiful. Moreover, I did not understand this choice. You can see that he doesn't like her. I don't understand how someone can force himself to stay with a person he doesn't like and to whom his eyes have never turned in 4 years. If it's not the right one, the one that will make you forget about Kim Jo Jo, it doesn't matter, there will be another one somewhere else. Don't force yourself with her. It would have been better to have him finish alone so that he could lick his wounds.

In conclusion, Love Alarm is a series to see once, especially for its magnificent OST and direction. Some scenes are striking, especially the fantastic moment when Jo Jo activates her spear. Or for this metaphor (that I saw there) with the arrival of spring and this notion of renewal. They certainly didn't choose this season for nothing. I don't think, on the other hand, and contrary to what I could read, that the scriptwriter wanted to show that a first love doesn't last a lifetime. Otherwise, Hyeyong would not have ended up with our heroine who is also his first love. Instead, he says that if you make the effort to love someone who loves you and treats you kind, you will end up loving them. A vision of love that I do not share at all! But also for the message he wants to pass on to the young generations. New technologies are not everything. See beyond, think for yourself. It will only do you good. Nevertheless, there is only one thing that bothered me a lot. Kim Jo Jo could never get rid of her shield. Thanks to Duk Goo, she was able to see a glimpse of her history and how many times her love alarm would have gone off if she didn't have that shield. Although she will never know, the viewer gets to find out. Nevertheless, we only know when it was triggered in Hyeyong's presence, but we still don't know if it was activated when she was with Sun Oh. Because for my part, I think she still loves both of them...

(I'm sorry for this pamphlet and if my English is not great, I'm still a French woman above all :) )

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I am upset about how Jojo never considered Sunoh's feelings.

First of all, let me say that I never really write reviews, but this time I got so baffled I had to.

The story evolved around 3 characters where one(Sunoh) got completely walked over because he wanted to get his happiness back, second(Jojo) stayed as messy as ever, not even bothering about how her actions would affect Sunoh. And third(Hyeyeong) got the girl just because he somehow became a certain option but we don't know why it was never made clear why Jojo couldn't choose Sunoh anymore when she swore that she'd never love anyone more than him. Yet she kept running away from him, not even trying to give him an explanation. She just pierced his heart with her words and left. I really wanted her to become more mature as the years passed, but she stayed as a victim and never came out of that state
And above all the "Love Alarm". The app remained in their daily lives even after everything.
If we think that this whole drama was about not trusting an app for choosing a loved one but our own hearts, then why did JJ go to such lengths to get the "spear"?! The application was not destroyed, nor ever used by main leads. They still relayed on the app and who rang whose alarm Although that couldn't be trusted. As Sunoh's mother said her husband still rings her alarm even tho he's cheating on her. Or we could think that this drama was about the pain of unfulfilled first love and moving on but they failed to deliver that message.

Furthermore, I knew SO & JJ had no chance(it kinda become more clear when teasers came out), I hoped they'd clear out their misunderstandings as grown-ups should. but oh boy.
I am upset about what they did to the characters and how they pushed Sunoh away. He had so much potential to emerge from a broken teen to an accomplished adult, to grow and learn self-love, but writers ruined his character. They destroyed him and then gave him a "happy ending" I'm sorry what?! he isn't even being himself around Yukjoo. He had to heal first and then get back with her. However, at least she treats him right, and really loves him so I hope she'll make him happier.
Jojo never returned the smile she stole from Sunoh. She made him cry and walked away after saying "I'm sorry" but never solving for what.

Despite being painful as hell, I really loved the last meeting scene of JJ & SO. That scene carried so much pain and nostalgia, their thoughts of what it could've been or what will never be. I wish she told him the truth behind everything right there, the entire dialogue they shared lacked honesty, and that meeting had to make them let go of each other. (mostly SO) but of course, the writers had to make Sunoh accept the confusion instead without any clarifications.

On the other hand, Gulmi had more character development than I expected, watching her chasing hearts was rather entertaining. even tho she was faking it she was learning to treat others better. (hopefully)
I don't know why nobody said anything about Dukgu, his appearance was rather short.

I must admit actors did a great job portraying their characters with what was given to them. The cinematography was wonderful, the scenes were shot beautifully, and the brightness was a bit off but it was still fine.

Edit: For those who think I disliked the ending because JJxHY was endgame let me tell you that it's not like that. Since I knew that would be the ending from a long time ago. My main concern was what they'd do to characters and how they'd end up developing them. what would happen to the love alarm & if they'd stopped using it?
JJ returning a smile to Sunoh didn't imply her dating him. All I meant was for her to give him any clue of what happened because at least he deserved it. The best she could do for a person that still makes her emotional was to give him proper answers, so he could move on. That would be a humane thing to do. (from my point of view obviously)
My (and the majority of comments) main complaint here is still the execution of characters and not giving them decent conclusions.
SO basically became the wasted character for the convenience of a writer to write the JJxHY arc, he was used as a plot device for the ending. he was portrayed as a pitiful person who tried to hold on to what made him happy in season one and in season 2 they still continued using him as just that.
the writers didn't even bother to give him proper closure at the end of the season, we see him still holding on to his feelings, but right before it ends he lets go. The writers were so bet on pulling that "it's all fine" card that they somehow thought that ending him up with someone he doesn't even love (for now) was a solid idea.

The only reason why I watched this till the end is Song Kang who is one of my fav actors. He keeps getting better and better, turning into a prominent actor. Can't wait to see his upcoming projects.
As for If I recommend this or not, watch it if you can deal with heartbreak. Season 2 has a whole different vibe from Season 1.

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