Crazy Love (2022)

Full of tropes, but in a good way!!

STORY: Seriously, if you want tropes, this has it in spades! Enemies to lovers, ex-girlfriend that comes back after years, expecting to pick up where she left off, amnesia, cold boss, illness, bullying, revenge - you name it, it's in here! The reason this show works so well is that it doesn't appear to take itself too seriously. It spends a lot of time being over-the-top and let me tell you, it's a blast! Physical comedy, revenge, strangely it all worked. Episodes 14-15 went a little awry, those episodes felt somewhat like they threw a bunch of stuff at the wall to see what would stick. Thankfully, it got back on track. I don't want to say anything else about the story, I think it's better if you don't know what to expect.

ACTING/CAST: Kim Jae Wook as Noh Go Jin (I loved him in Her Private Life and was glad to see him again.) - Straight-laced, bitter, mean and any other word you want to use for unlikeable, but you could sense his loneliness and sadness. His transition from the beginning to the end of the show was lovely, a person redeemed. Krystal Jung as Lee Shin A (I loved to hate her in Heirs) - she looks completely different, I originally only recognized her by her voice. Her character was wonderful (not a doormat and not a b**ch). She was strong when she needed to be, but she saw the good in people, which was a good foil for the ML. Hu Joon as Oh Se Gi - I don't believe I've ever seen him in anything before, and his character was very understated, so you never quite knew what his deal was. Im Won Hee as Park Yang Tae - his characters are always cartoon-like, which fit well in this drama. Go Gyu Pil as Joo Jun Pal/"John" - he had a relatively small part, but I love watching him act, he's got a great sweetness about him. I also liked the woman that played the cleaning woman at work, and how she went from hating the ML to being his staunchest supporter.

MUSIC: I'll be honest, nothing stuck out to me, but maybe that's a good thing. There was nothing to distract from the story.

CHEMISTRY: I loved this couple!! Their hatred was palpable, but the progression to liking one another made sense. Once they finally did get together, they had a healthy respect for one another, and their relationship was mature, without stupid misunderstandings or time jumps (hallelujah!). They were so cute together, I probably had a stupid grin on my face as I watched them. I think the supposed second couple (her brother and her roommate) were somewhat wasted, but I was glad that they didn't take time away from the main couple.

HAPPY ENDING and a peek into their future.

I am so glad I watched this (it was recommended by someone here on MDL, thank you very much!), it really worked my emotions, as well as giving me all the feels. Which was an absolute relief, as my recent luck with romance shows has been like a vast, desert wasteland.

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Nice Watch

This was a good easy watch even though most of the characters went crazy at some point; I did not find it angsty. Most of us are looking for happy endings when watching dramas. Yes, this one has a happy ending. In my opinion too happy. I think most of the crazies had it too easy at the end for the gravity of the things that they did, it would have been more satisfying if they were at least punished in some way. Though I did like how Noh Go Jin and Park Yang Tae became frenemies at the end.

I liked how Noh Go Jin and Lee Shin A's relationship developed, there was no push and pull, it was like go all out hating each other at the beginning - got it all out of the way, discovering that they like each other and from then stuck and supported each other despite everything - not even the two faced ex could come between them.

I liked the OST too :-)

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IF YOU LIKE WATCHING ROMCOM, WATCH THIS DRAMA

I've seen a lot of comments on tiktok that they dropped this drama 'coz its boring, but for me its not. I totally love the plot and cast.

I like the character development of the male lead, Go Jin at the end of the drama. I like how the things go up side down after Shin-A knows that she's ill. I like how Go Jin still cares for Shin-A after knowing about that 'mistake'. I like how Go Jin forgives and still accept his colleagues even if they did something wrong. I like how he apologize to those he fired.

Go Jin's character development made him mature, I also like how Shin-A doesn't want Go Jin interfere with her decision about her dream job.

I like how Go Jin and Soo Young forgives each other after learning things about their past and become friends.

Its a light and a rom com drama that is worth watching.

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"When love is not madness, it is not love."

This became one of my favorite ongoing kdramas this month.
It genuinely gets better once you start to get behind the mask of the ML., how he is and his past along with the FL.
I personally didn't find the side characters interesting in any way, the family or the people at their work place. Except the ML's ex who knew when to provoke at a right time.
The ML's and FL's interactions are extremely funny by episode 4 or so.
The story itself is standard with lots of madness from the couple by them being chaotic and quite insane with eachother.
I honestly wish they kept it that way even when they started dating and being all lovey-dovey but to each his own.
Overall, I still enjoyed it. Not too heavy or crazy.
This show kept getting funnier and funnier by each episode. Sure we’ve got a few tropes here and there but the entire drama was shown in fun and unexpected ways.
And I love that he and Krystal are clearly having a blast even behind the scenes.
As much as there were some boring and unnecessary scenes, I overall enjoyed the drama and loved it enough for it to become my favorite thing ever.

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Don't be fooled by the hate/low rating reviews!!!

Hmm I finished the drama just today after binge watching for 3~4 days and honestly I really don't understand why are people criticizing this drama for being bad because the story was really fine for me. I was quite shocked at how many people actually said mean stuff and criticized the story like even those so called "drama reviewers" jumped on the bandwagon to add fuel to even more hate on the story...

Initially, I was really hesitant about watching since there was so many bad reviews about them thinking there must be big issues with the drama content. But I was so wrong! Though the drama has really predictable plots and odd comical moments, it didn't turn out as a disappointment to be very honest.

What I'm relieved about is that Krystal's acting here has became much natural and not so much rigidness but obviously she still has a lot to improve on. For Yoo In Young's character, I very much expected her character will progressed in this manner from a "very humble/lovable person to filled with jealousy kind of growth" but I really wished they didn't make her go in that direction. Kim Jae Wook definitely has no problems with his acting just that there is a lack of charm to his character...

I saw some said that they felt underwhelmed by the plot twist but really it was predictable to me since it's not full on suspense/thriller drama. The chemistry here is quite ok but not the best~ Well I mean what's important is all things end well and moving on. Recommended for people who needs some lighthearted dramas :)

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I laughed like crazy!

I started watching this drama because of the typical story: a secretary, a bastard boss and so on.
I ended up laughing like crazy because of the ML manners, the way he talks, the way he behaves (when he lifts his leg to open the bin, come on!!). And the FL suddenly becomes a new person who is not afraid to tell what she wants because she thinks she's running out of time. That wonderful episode when she goes to his house and hits him with onions? That was pure gold! What I mean is that there were several scenes which I didn't really expect to watch, so they ended up being the best ones.
I also think that there are things which could have been better because, from my point of view, they ended the story too fast or didn't focus in important things. The way they solved everything in the last chapter was a little odd. They decided not to deepen in the character's relationship. Everything was packed with everyone's goodwill. Why didn't they allow us to see what happens with Shin-A's dad and friends, for example?
In any case, I liked the drama and I laughed a lot! The music, especially "I'm crazy", was wonderful. The acting was very good, specially for the ML lead, who I think did an amazing job.
I recommend you watch it, since you will laugh a lot.

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I am in crazy love with it!

I am a fan of RomComs and this drama has made a spot in favorites. Everything happening in the drama is crazy and will make you fall in love with it.
Every episode has its own share of twists and even after being a RomCom, it has suspense and thrill. Each episode is crazy and unpredictable. It leaves you wanting more.
The characters are lovely. I won't say the personalities were something out of the box, they had typical personalities, a rude annoying bossy male lead, and a nice persevering female lead. And the character development, the leads falling in love, hate-to-love relationships, and cringy moments are the common elements in many office romances. But the way it was executed was absolutely entertaining.
Even though we know the overall story, the small surprising elements and twists are what make the drama so engaging and enjoyable.
I absolutely enjoyed the initial few episodes which had me laughing hard. The later part of the story is a bit serious and focuses a bit on story and character development.
Overall definitely worth the watch.

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Don't judge a book by its cover.

My first impression of this show wasn't really good; I didn't assume it'd turn out bad but I thought it'd be a basic average story, full of Kdrama romcom clichés. To my surprise, it decimated ( destroying large proportion) my prenotions, it proved to be a competent romcom of the current trend, and stood out in terms of using atypical elements. (using the term "decimate" because it wasn't complete finished off)

Produced by Arc Media and broadcasted on KBS, "Crazy Love (크레이지 러브) [2022] is basically a romantic comedy Kdrama along with elements of melodrama and mystery. Written by Kim Bo-gyeom and directed by Kim Jung-hyun, the show was also distributed by Disney+ Korea.

The story follows the build up of office romance between a Private Education Academy CEO and his secretary, equally emphasizing the fight for power within the company and mystery of conspiracies.

Noh Go Jin (Lee Jae Wook) is the CEO of GO-TOP Education and top math instructor, who despite of his educational qualification, has created and made the company No.1, with his knowledge and capabilities. Being as popular as a star, he is loved by the public but known to be a selfish & narcissist by his employees. Lee Shin Ah (Krystal Jung) is an introverted lady with sedulous & responsible personality who has managed to keep up with his notorious boss, with the cost of her degrading mental health. With the dream of becoming an instructor, she contributes her best to accomplish her task and strives to make her ends meet. The story begins with Gojin getting into a threat, as Shin Ah gets entangled with his life, and furthers with the consequences.

Oh Se Gi (Ha Joon) is the Dep. CEO of GOTOP, the dearest to Gojin and Baek Soo Young (Yoo In Young) is the budding educationist and Park Yang Tae (Im Won Hee) is the CEO of Ilpum Edu. Other familiar faces in the drama are: Go Gyu Pil, Park Han Sol, Yoon San Ha, Lee Si Eon, Kim Ki Nam, Lee Mi Young, Kim Hak Seon, etc.

I have mixed feelings about the plot development, more than "mixed" it's like particular moods for particular portions of the entire show. As said earlier, for the pilot episodes, I was not really interested, but then it improved and finally sored to another level and made me wish hard for it to retain it's quality. It started going downhill, right from the beginning of 11th episode, I can't say how, but I think most of you can guessz since it's a romcom drama that has to result in unison of the lead couple. Anyways, enjoy it till the fun lasts, it's extremely funny and rarely angsty and there is least amount of romance for the first 2/3rd of the show, though there is a definite buildup of chemistry between the ML & FL. You'll know when the actual romance starts and even so it comprises of clichés scenes, I guess we sometimes crave for it behind the curtains? Haha. I would have loved to see more of Ha Joon's sides and also a complexity to the mystery plot, which somehow got lost in the latter half. Anyways, the ending sequence with extreme conspiracies and power trip was interesting and the show ended on a good note.

Writer Kim Bo Gyeom debuts through the drama, and from his bio, it's apparent that he must have been a part of good script teams, led by prominent screenwriters. Provided his experience, I would say that it is a beyond decent delivery, no? The pilot ep might not be impressive, but the furtherance is amazing and the buildup is worth looking forward to, though the ending sequence isn't as nifty or crackerjack. Given the cult-classic genre with a basic story, it isn't something very difficult to plot and write, but surely implies his skill as a debutant.

Director Kim Jung Hyun with a well-known career graph, is the producer of several popular dramas of contemporary trend. The management, execution, screenplay setup, screen-editing is up to par. The urban romcom and office scenarios were of apt mode. Sound production is probably the best thing about the direction, in my opinion. It's actually that good to be particularly mentioned, for any comedy drama.

There are 6 OSTs in total and they're crazy good, I must say. "I'm Crazy" by the AB6IX duo Jeon Woong and Lee Dae Hwi is a endorphin-releasing song with lyrics that depict confession. "Stay Alive" by formis_9 is a high beat yet soulful track about warmth of love. "Bite!" by NU'EST Baekho is an enticing song meant for motivation and inspiration to climb up the ladder in your life. "Dive into you" by uri love JAY B is a heart-touching & romantic track, and his vocals makes you cry as always. "May be" by DAVII is again a track of pleasurable and fun-living love, his vocal is always a favourite. Lastly, "Wide Open" by Juniel is a softcore romantic song with the vibes of old romcom ones.

What I liked...

# The steady plot development is likable and engaging; though there is nothing outstanding, but provided the fact that the recent plain romcoms fail to retain their qualities, this is comparatively pretty satisfactory.

# The uncharacteristic plot elements and concepts used are what make the show stand out the most, in my opinion. I had assumed it will have all the Kdrama romcom tropes and still wanted to give it a try. Even though the pilot episode didn't interest me much, by the end of the 6th episode, I ended asking my friend, "Where are all my cliché scenes at?" This was the exact line.

# Noh Go Jin, the character is another factor that, in my opinion, is helpful to extents, to make the audience keep going, like a motivational force. His expressions, his reactions to things he's told, his dialogue delivery and even his way of walking, everything makes him a perfect self-obsessed plus funny male lead, which most of us tend to love, no?

# The romance build up is fresh, yes, because modern urban romcoms tend to follow the old plots and there is zero sign of creativity. But, I am glad, even as a debutant, the writer has attempted to do something outta his zone; fortunately, the implementation was successful.

# The Comedy elements are the reasons, a viewer should look forward to and stick to the drama for the amazing ride, even so the initial episodes make you wanna drop.

# Sound editing is again particularly noticeable, especially, for the heavily funny scenes, and, particularly, involving Noh Go Jin. The unexpected violin notes and softbeat instrumentals during scenes where Go Jin is teased and made fun of, were so so so hilarious, I was very engaged to it.

What I didn't like...

# Once again, Krystal's acting was a turn off. I still don't understand whether it's her acting , that hasn't improved over years, despite her constantly doing dramas, or it is the characters sje play, i. e. Bbad choice of scripts? Nevertheless, she could be better and there always that ample amount of space for learning and improving herself.

# Limited screen share of Segi and other characters is what disappointed me a lot, specially in the later half and particularly from 11-16. Ha Joon is a good actor and despite his less experience, plus given the character's importance, he should have appeared more. Ok Hee & Soo Ho also should have been given more.

# The plot turning typical starting from 11th episode, made me go mad, though the cliché romance elements were insignificant & inconsistent. Won't complain much but I would have loved if they had retained their original way of development.

# Extending the previous point, the mystery plot, involving conspiracies and counteraction, was forgotten in the later half; sometimes it was completely gone. It would definitely affect the quality of the drama and reflected in the ratings, as well.

Final Remarks... "Crazy Love" which starts as a basic random show, progressed to be an worthy ride with unexpected elements, though turned into a typical mess by the end. I honestly don't think it's something that will suffice everyone's taste but it's a fair one time watch. If you're a fan of old-styled romcoms and crave such plots, yet looking for new things in one, this is definitely for you. You might want to fast forward a little in the last 4 episodes, and that's very fine, but I suggest you don't give up on this soon. I mean, yeah! I was also proved wrong, judging it from only 2 episodes. Go ahead :)

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Nothing revolutionary but still good.

I liked the first half of the drama, then at the second half it kinda fell flat for me with the whole plotting and scheming. It had a really big potential l to become a stand out in the rom-com genera.

I have to say tho that NGJ/LSA best scenes together were the bickering scene. I really enjoyed those and also the first episodes that focused on her getting revenge. Pretty fricking funny and clever. The thing I liked the most was NGJ's whole shtick about having amnesia, it was a tongue in cheek jab at the overused trope that made sense and felt right to the character of NGJ.

And speaking of him...Kim Jae Wook must have some pretty bad back pain from carrying the show. His acting was close to perfect and it really helped Krystal to shine even though she isn't at his level of acting.

BUT I have to say that that NGJ's whole redemption arc and apology marathon was really annoying. He basically harassed and abused most of the people around him and through the power of a simple apology everything is fine and dandy. What kind of twisted Cinderella story is that?

One thing I have to give them a lot of deserved praise is the clothing and make-up. All of the cast looked impeccable . NGJ's suits and casual clothing were so good I couldn't take my eyes off him. Especially that purple suit. Also Lee Shin A's Jessica Rabbit style gown was perfection! And her office wardrobe was the perfect mix between granny chic and casual office with just enough flair.

Maybe I'm an angst fan but I wished that Lee Shin A's illness didn't just disappeared with a convenient misdiagnosis. I think it would've made their love story even better and more intense as I felt it got a little bit boring and flat. They kind of almost fell in that cliche formulaic type of drama couple towards the end.

I would have loved to see Lee Shin A family and Chu Ok Hee /Lee Soo Ho have more screen time (their chemistry was also better than the main couple's imo. Their aegyo was so cute I almost had a nose bleed hehe).

It was a nice drama to watch, it wasn't a BAD drama per se but it didn't blow my socks off. It could've so much better if the second half of the story didn't get so chaotic and weird in a bad way.

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This started out entertaining but not something I needed to see right away to something I was impatiently waiting for every week. It was mostly about Noh Go Jin (or "Mr Noh Manners" as he's called by almost everyone ) but there is a mystery surrounding it.

Noh Go Jin is a nightmare boss. He's cruel, has no manners, no patience, narcissistic, and cares about money more than people. No wonder someone wants him dead, and the list of suspects is very long (former securities, instructors,, his ex boss from a rival company, his ex girlfriend, a stalker, and even someone very close to him). He's a flawed human, and the drama never is not shy about making this known, or doesn't forgets it towards the end (the opposite actually his behavior becomes a much bigger issue in the end) . But he's still a person and is okay for him to receive death threats and or to even destroy him for revenge? After realizing how much he hurt Shina he slowly begins to change but the rest of the work comes later when he realizes how much pain he caused.

While the drama focuses more on his development, I really liked the writing around Shina. She starts off as a bit of mousey character that had decided to put up with Noh Go Jin's abuse until she had a chance to achieve her dreams but after thinking she was going to die let her crazy side out (although her revenge was more on the petty-annoying side compared to the rest), and it begins to change her attitude towards life. She begins to find more confidence in herself, and doesn't compromise on her dreams or the things she cares about, and decides to do it all on her own, even to the end. That said she's still empathic and honest. Also she never lets Noh Go Jin's delusion ex get to her, instead deciding to to trust him and to wait for him share things when ready.

That's probably why they work so well together and seemed so believable, they decide to trust and support each other without letting jealousy or petty drama get in the way (well he does act petty at times, but she knows how to shut him down, lol).

My slight criticism comes with the "villain" reveal after all that time building up to it, and how the drama wraps up everything so nicely at the end (well except the last minute of the last episode, I loved that so much), with some people getting let off easy after everything they did. But when it comes down to it or maybe it was to show that Noh Go Jin was such a easy target to blame for their own faults on (expect Shina who realizes pretty early on he was a human and getting revenge wouldn't really make her feel better). Some more development with Baek Soo Young would have been nice. Why happened to her over the last 12 years that caused her to hold on to the memory of him so tight? But maybe I'm biased I hate that 'ex who comes back' cliche.

Kim Jae Wook is great in general, but when Noh Go Jin is emotional (happy, sad, angry hurt, concerned, and especially in his heart eyes towards Shina), that he really shines. While I think Oh Segi wasn't written that constantly I think that Ha Joon did the best with what he had.

I still feel like there was something missing from the final episode, maybe because there wasn't a scene with Shina's dad and his grandchildren, lol, but I don't know. It was still a enjoyable ride that I'll rewatch again for sure.

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Suffering is never an excuse to be rude

The first part of the show was indeed crazy, I loved episode 2 the most, the fact that without loosing her humanity but taking vengeance upon this narcissistic CEO was so satisfying to watch and the crazy Krystal was beautifully mad. How they turn the clichés, how they finish them, how the relationship developed, the only and it's not nothing, but my only dissatisfaction from the first arc of the story were the instructors which were boring so I skipped and skipped a lot.
The second part of the story, how to tell you, was so conforting, healing, soothing, it was the less angsty thing I watched, problems were solved without much dramatic and tension and yes it wasn't waouh but sometimes I just need these kinds of dramas that don't break your heart into pieces.
How GoJin didn't understand why everybody wanted to harm him and took time to realise it and finally saw how bad he has been was realistic and him apologizing, it's just perfect, not a perfect drama had flaws, but when my number one comfort drama.

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