Count me among the myriad who considers this drama to be aptly described by its name. While it utilizes a few of your standard kdrama clichés, most episodes seem purposely crafted to glorify the beauty of the simple things in life: work, food, and friendships. There's a little bit of melodrama here, and a LOT of comedy, but the focus is always on that "warm and cozy" feeling.
Story:
The entire premise is lovely, and definitely works as a rom-com. However, there are a few small problems here. There are hilarious misunderstandings everywhere, yes, but also a few very frustrating ones. Some serious writing sins are committed here as well. For example, for the cliffhanger ending for one particular episode, one of the myriad misunderstandings between two of the main characters gets cleared up, which will change the nature of the relationship between the two. As a result, at the episode cliffhanger, one of the characters makes what amounts to a heavily-implied confession, speaking a couple of the most overtly romantic and affectionate lines in the entire script. At the start of the next episode, the two characters are nonchalantly acting like it never happened, with no explanation, and no in-dialogue reference back to it is ever made ever again. Unforgivable. However, this is really the only "unforgivable" sin the show makes, which means it comes off cleaner than most dramas in the Story department.
There is at least one big Impossible Coincidence cliché. Also, don't let this show's promotional pictures fool you: there's almost none of that kind of sweet relationship stuff in this show, so don't go in expecting it. In the romance department, this is a massive 16-hour tease. But as teases go, this one is a lot of fun. The romantic tension between the two main characters never really gets old or stale, despite the constant teasing, misunderstanding, and generally idiotic behavior. And to add to that, there's a secondary romance plot here that is one of the sweetest and cutest romance stories in all of drama. So if you love cute romance, you won't want to miss that.
The comedy here is gold, as well. It's probably the most legitimately funny drama I have seen since You Who Came From The Star or Fated To Love You. While most of the laughs predictably come from misunderstandings, the showrunners here got creative with some comedy, using some special effects and some parody at random times that send the show into the realm of the "absurd". None of these moments feel gratuitous or cheap, though, and the touches of silliness keep everything fun.
Acting/Cast:
Is there anyone more beautiful in all of Korea than Kang So Ra? I have no shame admitting that I came to this drama just for her, but I fell in love with the rest of the cast as well. Kang So Ra and Yoo Yoon Seok are really quite adorable together. So Ra's heartfelt earnestness will command your attention here and she continues to be perhaps THE most believable actress in drama. She can act the most absurd and unrealistic scenes and still come out feeling genuinely human. This believability works to greatest effect when she's crying. I first fell in love with her in Doctor Stranger when she cried, and her tears in this role destroyed my heart as well. She's the best part of any drama she's in.
Yoo Yoon Seok is kind of a "love or hate" actor, but his unique looks work perfectly for this role. The puppy eyes and pouty lips are used to maximum effect, so if that's your thing, prepare to get wrecked. If you find that annoying, he may still win you over in the end, as he did me. He plays a character that is oddly easy to root for.
Jung Jin Young is adorable as heck here. Dude's face is irritatingly perfect and his character here is one of the best. Written as kind of a "stand in" for the audience, you'll always love everything his character does. If you're a fan of Jin Young, Warm and Cozy is a must-watch.
Seo Yi Ahn has quite a talent for playing a villainess. She is the most "hateable" person I have ever seen in any drama. She is seriously awful here, which is perfect. Props to her for acting the crap out of this role.
Kim Sung Oh is an absolute revelation in his role as Town Mayor. The first time you see his character, you won't think anything of him. His quick transformation from "random weird-looking dude" to "wow I really like this guy" is one of the best parts of this drama. I first saw Sung Oh in Midas (which I dropped) and didn't even recognize him here. Based on Midas, I would never have guessed he had this kind of memorable performance in him. I defy anyone to watch this and not totally embrace his character by the end.
You'll also want to get to know Kim Hee Jung and Lee Sung Jae. Together, they're maybe the best and most memorable part of the show. Hee Jung may be well into her 40s, but she could almost rival So Ra in beauty. Ignore her terrible MDL headshot, she's seriously attractive in this drama. As for Lee Sung Jae, his character's looks and mannerisms are so cool and awesome he can even make a confident and secure guy like myself feel inadequate. You'll want to see these two act together as often as possible.
Music:
I'm hardly a music expert, but I know what sounds good and I know what's memorable. The vocal themes in Warm and Cozy are quite strong, particularly "A Little Closer" and "Butterfly". However, the non-vocal music was even more memorable, in my book. They got truly creative with a few of the themes, particularly with "(Lala Theme)" and the Mayor's Theme, both of which I found myself humming every time they came on. Also, if you love acoustic guitar and you want a treat, check out "Funning Guitar" and "I Missing You" from this soundtrack.
NOTE: A few months after I originally wrote this review, I went back and bumped the score on the Music category from a 9.5 to a 10. Amongst its kdrama peers, this show simply soars above them in this category. No other drama I have ever seen uses Music as effectively as Warm & Cozy to get across mood and emotion. I originally left it at a 9.5 because I am always hesitant to give out 10s, but over time it has become apparent to me that if this show isn't worthy of a 10 in Music, no show is.
Rewatch Value:
While not exactly chock full of amazing sequences that you just have to go back and see, this drama still has rewatch value for the mood it sets. If you want something simple and heartwarming, any random episode of this show will achieve that feeling for you. Not only that, but a lot of the humor is worth seeing multiple times. Especially do sequences like "the arm wrestling competition" and "the Mayor's identical siblings" stand out in my mind as things I'd like to go back and see. However, the constant teasing of the main pairing here hurts the rewatch value, as the two characters too often act like morons, which is frustrating enough to see just the once.
To wrap-up, this a sweet and cute rom-com that has plenty of value to make it worth watching. If you don't like rom-com, this won't convert you, but if you do, then you have no reason whatsoever to skip this one. Grab some hot tea or a snack and start the first episode. You won't regret it.
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