Intensivão de Amor (2023)

The math just didn't math.

It's been a while since I completed a drama that I disliked this much. I started watching without expectations, and even though I knew the extreme study culture storyline would be hard for me to relate to I was open. The pressure the students faced and the young actors' performances turned out to be the best part of this show. Unfortunately, this drama gets failing marks in all other categories. The romance plot was dated and stale. The mystery plot was comically bad. I really wanted to root for this aunt who shifted her whole life to raise her niece but instead, I watched the same petty rants and schemes from entitled parents, I watched two clearly older romantic leads acting like awkward children dating, and that was honestly more annoying than wholesome, and I watched the most unnecessary thriller plot that I still don't quite understand. And I still kept watching.

Jeon Do Yeon plays Nam Haeng Seon, our supposedly strong and super athletic lead who too often for me was passive and boring. I know many people have complained about her age, but I'm not sure that's why her character felt off to me. She and her bff played by Lee Bong Ryun were surely meant to seem less sophisticated compared to the other women characters, but that should not mean being bland. She is matched with Jung Kyung Ho who plays Choi Chi Yeol a supposedly super dynamic rock star teacher who was also cheesy and bland. The backstory provides a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why these 2 fall for each other but I just didn't believe it based on their interactions. Their romantic moments seemed forced. Their smiles at each other seemed super fake. Teacher Choi's high kicks were so ridiculous that they made his motivational teacher brand seem less believable. I totally understand the writer's intentions with the lead characters but they just didn't work for me.

If I'm honest, my favorite performances were Roh Yoon Seo as Hae Yi and her friends, and Oh Eui Shik as Jae Woo. Jae Woo was really a weird comic relief character throughout, but he still managed to create a believable and likable character... one of the few. The rest of the characters, mainly obsessed parents and rival students, were too extreme to feel real at all until the very last episodes. Maybe the extreme parts were meat for laughs but I wasn't laughing. And don't get me started on the random murder/suicide plot that never seemed to really fit at all. They clearly gave up on that plot based on its conclusion.

Would I watch this again? Absolutely not. I don't even know what kept me watching until the end. I think part of me kept hoping to connect to the characters or for the story to start making sense but eventually, I was just waiting for it to finally end.

Overall, this drama gets a hard pass from me, and I don't mean a passing grade. Maybe people who can relate to this kind of pressure to get the top grades or go to the highest-ranked schools will relate a little more but that won't make the writing any better. Sure, it ends well, as far as closure for the characters, but the end also felt too simplistic and too dragged out. I was watching the clock for the last 30 mins. Maybe for some watching the banter between an unconventional family or a different kind of couple may be enough to keep them engaged, but I wish this drama went on fewer tangents and developed the two leads enough to carry the whole story. Maybe if you want a drama with a more retro feel then you can find some charm in "Crash Course in Romance". Me? I can't recommend this drama or understand its high rating. The math just didn't math for me.

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Crash course in proper casting

Honestly I don't understand why the rating is so high for this drama. There are 2 major issues that killed the drama for me.

1. Proper casting complete fail
Really no offense to the FL as I've seen her other works, however this is all about age appropriate casting based on the character. Lets say FL's character was around ~22 years old & ~13 years later she should at MOST be in the late 30s. FL actress is 50 and definitely looks older than her age. Literally ALL the other moms looked younger than her. So when there are comments like "Oh she looks too young to be a mom." .... umm she can be grandma status. Needless to say there was zero chemistry between the leads. Scenes were cringe worthy....

2. For a drama that was promoted as a romantic comedy it turned into a dark theme with murder suicide? Whole story line felt forced but predicable.

The only reason I continued is because of the strong student cast and some more interesting characters like Chi Yeol's scretary, the Detective & FL's bestie. This story line would've been better if it was more of a school series like Solomon's Perjury. It's already got the beautiful young talented actors in all the classic student roles. So if you skip literally all the ML/FL's scenes, this drama will be actually enjoyable.

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This show tried to do too much

I was liking this one most of the way through, but things really fell apart in the final stretch. It was initially a romcom with melancholy undertones and hints of a dark mystery. The story was well developed and the characters were all great - up until right around the time the leads finally got together. Then it’s like a flip switched and everything got chaotic.

The characters started acting like different people, the mystery came to the forefront in really absurd ways, and the relationships between characters just stopped developing. Large chunks of the plot didn’t make sense, and I found a lot of the resolutions really frustrating and unsatisfying.

In terms of the romances, I liked the mains, but I didn’t come away feeling like I really understood how their relationship would work or that they had a strong and authentic foundation. This is mostly because the show just stopped developing their relationship in order to divert screen time to a serial killer plot. The teen love triangle was uninspiring and some of the choices those kids made were utterly baffling. I didn’t feel either potential pairing was a good fit and was not moved by the resolution.

For me this show was largely a missed opportunity to do something interesting with all the great set up it had going for it. It’s a shame the writing wasn’t better, because the cast was great and there was a lot of potential here.

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Romcom with a Little Bit of Everything

It was just an enjoyable romcom with an older couple, which is so rare these days. It has that feel good romcom warmth to it, yet also covers some serious issues. In a way it reminded me of Sky Castle, but without the intense melodrama. They did the FL dirty when it came to fashion. Just because she is a mom doesn't mean she had to dress like an unfashionable ahjumma. I was low key getting stressed seeing FL dressed in those ugly sweaters that were tucked into those mom jeans. Anyways, this drama had a little bit of everything. It just hit the spot if you like this romcom thriller genre. They might have tried to bite off more than they could chew with all of the subplots the drama had going on. In a way, the pacing didn't feel too draggy because of them. However, the writing would've been better if they focused on a few. The last episode was kind of slow since they were winding down the story, but I'd say that's normal. It has some flaws so I won't say it's amazing. Overall, it's light and solid entertainment.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama " Crash Course in Romance " is a family drama with rom com vibes and some mystery to boot.

The drama has an intense family story, with the dynamics between the family members being the center of the story. The relationship between mother and daughter was probably the best one of the drama actually.

The mystery case, in addition, offered some suspense to the plot and a few thrilling moments, when it got darker and more action forward. The game of guessing who was the one behind the murders was what kept things fresh for a while as well.

However, the romance was a let down. The leads didn't sell their chemistry and their romantic, sweet moments were too few to support a solid love story. In addition, they used many cliches, thus the story was predictable.

Finally, the performances were all great by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, four out of ten.

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A Dynamic Delight: "Crash Course In Romance"

"Crash Course In Romance" effortlessly maneuvers the challenging terrain of romantic comedy, injecting a breath of fresh air into the genre. The standout feature of this K-drama lies in the extraordinary dynamic between its actors, offering a delightful twist that keeps the audience engaged and entertained.

One of the highlights of the series is the impeccable chemistry between the characters, especially the unexpected bond between the naturally flirtatious second male lead and the male lead. The evolution of their friendship into a lowkey bromance adds a layer of complexity and authenticity to the narrative, showcasing the writers' ability to subvert traditional character dynamics.

Contrary to some opinions, the chemistry between the leads, Nam Haeng Seon and Choi Chi Yeol, is palpable and captivating. It's not a typical young puppy love dynamic, but a mature and nuanced connection that develops organically throughout the story. The actors deliver their roles with finesse, portraying the depth of their characters and their evolving relationship convincingly.

On the musical front, while the soundtrack is competent and complements the scenes adequately, it does not stand out when compared to the overall brilliance of the drama. It may not be a memorable aspect, but it doesn't overshadow the engaging plot and the exceptional performances of the cast.

Romantic comedies aren't necessarily my top choice of genre, but "Crash Course In Romance" pleasantly surprised me. The plot displayed creativity and originality, deviating from the often-predictable routes that rom-coms tend to take. The series kept me engaged, offering unpredictable twists and turns that kept me eagerly anticipating what would happen next.

In conclusion, "Crash Course In Romance" is a dynamic and delightful addition to the realm of romantic comedies, primarily owed to its outstanding character dynamics and unpredictable plot. If you're looking for a K-drama that breaks away from the typical mold while providing a refreshing take on romance, this one is definitely worth a watch.

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Crash Course in K-dramas

This is a story that basically tells us that the rooftops of Korea are a bit to easily accessible while hitting the top floor in society is d*** hard.

It is a true K-drama with a sure way to get bingo in a game of K-tropes and cliches... So if you have seen a drama or two before you are bound to recognise the twists ahead (with a few exceptions). So to love this you must be the type who loves cliches and well luckily I do.

You must also love watching slow paced romance, found family and the wide range of bad parents found in dramaland as they truly have gathered bot the supportive, the selfish, the insane, the corrupt the pavers... yep pretty much every single parent I have ever written about is in there (except for the same sex).

There are several couples in this drama, all good and frustrating in their own way, several issues are addressed a long the way while the main theme is indeed student pressure and inequality you will find some more stuff in there as well done pretty good but also a little bit inconsistent in build up vs wrap up as some parts of the story may build up for 14 or 16 episodes will be wrapped up in a short 2 second scene never to be spoken of again.

Binge ability- high
Heart-flutter medium ,
Predictability- high
Cuteness- high
Frustration- high

All in all a decent watch for those who like to mix genres and do not mind the predictability of the plot,

A beginner to K's may find this more exiting and is sure to be kept on their toes, so I think this is a really good introduction to K-dramaland so if you ever find yourself wanting to lore someone into K-dramas this is a good place to start.

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Wholesome rom com

It's a story about an aunt who takes in her niece and raises her as her daughter sacrificing her youth and sport career. I can't begin to describe how much I liked our fl she is the definition of good vibes, always so energetic and cute, a bit nosy sometimes but you can't help to like her. The ml seems to have everything going on for him he is rich, not bad looking and the top teacher.. He is badly stressed and can't really eat or sleep well, but he finds solace in our fl, which I think is so freaking wholesome. When asked why he likes her, he says because she is kind and a ball of joy and happiness, that made me swoon. In kdrama or other countries drama you would almost always hear oh I like her because she is so pretty and I am left with ahh ok wow what a love story you love her because she is hot.. Umm ok. The moms are unbelievable, they stoop so low to help their children especially sua's mom and it showcases the intense study atmosphere in sk I also loved hae yi and sunjae and their cute friendship not friendship. Ps how hot is sunjaes mom like I am in love😍. I think this is such a classic, I have to admit last few episodes didn't hit as much as the earlier episodes but nonetheless enjoyable all the way which is why I am giving it the high rating

Higly reccomend

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Too much going on, but really ultimately, not much is completely fleshed out

I’ll start with what I liked:
The acting, in general was very good.
Jung Hyung Ho as Chi Yeol, the man knows how to play quirky but still vulnerable.
Oh Eui Shik as Hae Woo, Haeng Seon’s brother. Eui Shik tends to play kind of over-the-top characters and I thought he did a wonderful job reigning himself in for this role. I found it very believable.
Shin Jae Ha as Ji Dong Hee, Chi Yeol’s secretary. Wow, he had a fantastic character arc.
The teen’s story line – slight romance, triangle, developing friendships.
The show was pretty good until about episode 10-11. Nothing fantastic, but somewhat enjoyable.
What I didn’t like:
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
Terrible name for the show. I’m sorry, if the words “Romance” or “Love” are in the title, that should be where the focus is. It was not the case at all here.
Jeon Do Yeen as Haeng Seon. This actress was very poorly cast for the age she was supposed to represent. She was MUCH older than they talked about her being at the beginning of the show, and I just laughed when multiple people said she looked too young to have a teenage daughter. She looked a lot older than all the other moms.
Why did they dress her like a grandmother?!? She had the most awful wardrobe I’ve seen in a while and everything made her look even older.
Lack of chemistry between the leads. Why did they like each other? The writers told us they were supposed to like each other, but I certainly didn’t feel it at all.
Then there was the over-abundance of story lines-
Despicable, power hungry, gossiping moms – every one of them, other than Haeng Seon. I guess that was to make her look good, but how many terrible moms do you need in one place?
The pressure on the kids to excel. I understand that’s a thing, but though it was pretty much a main focus of the drama, there was no positive resolution in sight. Then to have the teachers blame everything on the fact that the kids are drinking power drinks and eating sugar.
Student Suh Ah. I get that her mother pretty much made her the way she was, but she was over the edge, having hallucinations, anger issues, etc. and seriously needed counseling, and then suddenly at the end of the show she’s going to med school!?!?!
Ji Dong Hee’s storyline – I loved his portrayal but was so disappointed in the direction they took him and the total cop-out with the suicide. I was also disappointed in the fact that they didn’t address the trauma that Chi Yeol MUST have experienced to be betrayed like that. He had an eating disorder because of prior trauma, but this whole thing was just glossed over. They could have done a good job of addressing this without all the extra people showing up.
Haeng Seon’s niece’s kidnapping – again a traumatic experience that was just glossed over.
Haeng Seon’s brother and her best friend – just no. It was thrown in at the end like they needed to fill some time. It was off-putting and fake.
The real mom coming back – again, filler. She was a terrible person and we already suffered through a bunch of episodes with OTHER terrible people! She left a bad taste in my mouth (which was probably the writer’s intention, but it was pointless)
I didn’t really feel that the mom’s learned much through what they put everyone through, especially the lawyer mom. She was a liar, a cheater, she treated her kids terrible and then made her son sound like a nutjob to get him out of jail, when she actually thought he was guilty.
Then there was an ex that showed up for three minutes in the last episode, just long enough to start rampant rumors.
Two-year time jump. PLEASE, this is used all the time, but it got on my nerves here, a lot. Haeng Seon has tried multiple times to get her physical fitness certification and failed. What’s the deal, does she not study, are the writers intimating that she’s stupid? I don’t know. Then, I hated the lack of closure/end for the teen couple. He asked her over two years ago if she would go out with him. He’s waited all this time and then she just gives him a peck on the cheek and walks off?!?!?

I realize that a lot of people enjoyed this show, but for me it was over-scheduled and under-developed.

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Cosy comfortable with a shot of blood

Once you get through the obligatory starter course of processed cheese, the first four or five episodes turn into a gentle, warm, carefully observed drama-romance with credible characters. Then the romance stretches like melted mozzarella for a number of episodes before just about righting itself; the cottage cheese style comedy tries to spice itself up with some hot chilli crime and the plot turns into gruyere, with holes so big you could run a mouse through them. Unfortunately, I could see where it was headed like I had a grandstand view down a wormhole.

Okay, let’s put some spoiler-free depth to those claims.

First the romance. This is a noona romance and visibly so. I have no problem with the age of the FL, or the fact that the characters are played by actors with at least 10 years between them. But at times I found myself wincing because in the script the FL acts more like the ML’s mother than anything else and at one point the ML behaves like a teenager, and those things I did have a problem with. However, once the romance got going things settled down a bit, but there is precious little chemistry going on. It’s all very cosy and comfortable, so be prepared for that.

It seems that the writer wants to give the drama a bit of weight and chose to do it in two ways. One of which definitely added something—educational child abuse in pursuit of excellence. Because of the setting in a tutoring academy it was fully explored and provided some real depth by documenting the impact on the students. This part of the drama was good and was credible alongside the romance. But the other theme—heavy-duty-crime—really didn’t mesh well and was totally unnecessary imo. Also the execution of that whole plot thread was obvious and clumsy.

There’s a fashion at the moment to try mixed genres, but it rarely succeeds. Okay I admit, it could be that I just need to change, get with the program and embrace something new, but … I think that there are genres for a reason. And that’s because any drama is an exaggeration of life in a certain direction. The imaginary world created by a romance is fundamentally different to that of a crime thriller because it is designed to evoke different emotions and responses. Things that are credible in one world aren’t in the other. When you mix the genres it’s like being emotionally and psychologically pulled in opposite directions so that you twang like a rubber band from one to the other. In the time it takes to cut to the next scene the viewer has to heave out one universe and drag in another. Jeez, it wears me out…

A bunch of corrupt mothers were required to fulfil both the comedy and the serious commentary on educational abuse. But neither the writing, nor the acting/directing was subtle or clever enough to exploit this killer opportunity for black humour. Satire is an art-form, and anyone who wants to check it out at its absolute best should watch “Heard it through the Grapevine”. Here it was mostly a clumsy mish-mash.

Hwang Bo Ra was delicious again as the mercurial but minor character, Lee Mi Ok. She could have made a much better job of the self proclaimed leader of the mother’s group than Kim Sun Young and brought out the dark humour. She is such an underrated actor imo. Lee Chae Min as the student Lee Seon Jae and Jang Young Nam as his mother were notable, and the scenes between them were little gems. He’s a Song Kang lookalike but with acting ability… In general the performances were really good and that is what kept this drama afloat for me.

To quote Skitc’s excellent review for “Stranger’s Again”— beware the trebuchet!!!! Another traffic accident. Really!!!

Okay if you are a writer in need of ideas of how to injure someone in an urban environment that doesn’t involve a car, here are some pointers (feel free to add more in the comments below)
• bitten by a zombie escapee from “Happiness”;
• pushed down a manhole into the sewer;
• Dorothy’d into the sky by a tornado;
• half encased in setting concrete;
• an eye gouged out by a drone;
• garrotted by a kite string;
• savaged by a flurry of rabid hamsters.

F**king anything pleeeeeease except being hit by a car.

What my rating means: 7+ A watchable drama, but nothing exceptional. Good enough to qualify for the race, but finished with the pack. The sort of thing that promises more than it delivers.

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A warm and fuzzy rom-com drama with a touch of thrill

Before this drama finished airing on Netflix, I avoided the drama for some reason. I eventually came to watch the drama because it is convenient as I am a Netflix subscriber and as it turns out, it is available within the Canada region. The plot is very easy to watch, but not boring - as they have melodramatic plots as well.

A little overview of the drama:
Choi Chi Yeol (ML) is a well known and successful private instructor who is also known as one trillion won man. Nam Haeng Seon (FL) is an early-retired athlete who owns a small side-dishes business. FL has a teenage kid who excels in her studies, a brother who has Asperger's Syndrome, and a best friend who helped her with her business.

The drama could be just like any other rom-com drama, however, they have a good script writing, which led this drama getting a high-rating. What I love about this drama is how they portray each individual's flaws - as dramas who has "rich man poor woman" theme often portray the man as a perfect all rounder and untouchable. In fact, the ML has many flaws, and he succeeded by his own effort, which I appreciate very much. On the other hand, FL is okay in her economic perspective, not too poor and not rich either. However, she got a full loving family that stands by her side.

What I admired very much is how FL is very kind-hearted, to the point where she quit her future athlete career to take care of her abandoned niece (now as her daughter). She is very selfless and always want to help people in need, just like her mother.

The story tells how ML has many mental health issues due to stress primarily, which causes him to become malnourished most of the time. However, after he came across FL's side dishes coincidentally, he was reminded of the time where he had no money but was taken care of by an Ajumma. He immediately felt warm after tasting the food, which led him to the FL.

I also love FL's daughter because she's very mature for her age. Despite being only in high-school, her behaviour seems very put-together and this can be seen as how she is beloved by her friends- plus she has brains too!

As for the sides characters, the drama portrays how rich families has many problems, especially when it comes to how they raise their children. For instance, Cho Soo Hee chose to become a dotting mom and her daughter has mental health issues that resulted from her being a perfectionist. Meanwhile, Jang Seo Jin, who's also a well respected lawyer, chose to become an extreme tiger mom, where she pushed her sons to become "perfect" in her eyes no matter the cost. In fact, one of her sons became a "Hikikomori" where he locked himself in a room without any life, purpose and motivation because of her.

In the end, though Cho Soo Hee became somewhat a changed woman, Jang Seo Jin is the one who has the most character development, which I love. She has peace with her husband, and her sons, where she took her Hikkomori son on a trip together. And we can see that in the end, her son surprised her in her office in the middle of his military break and shared a warm hug.

All in all, the drama was very enjoyable to watch. I'd say, if I have one thing to complain, the chemistry between the 2 leads are not the best as I don't see any sparks between them. Usually it is harder to make a chemistry work in the public eye, since the leads has an age gap, but to take "Romance as a Bonus Book" for an example of an age-gap drama that can show a very good chemistry between the lead. However, aside from the chemistry issue, I think the drama is worth the watch.

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Crash Course in Romance? More like crash course in blotchy mystery featuring romance as a side dish

일타 스캔들/Crash Course in Romance, as a social commentary, showed the unfortunate norm of hypercompetitive education in the Korean society well. Although it was not groundbreaking since there are already shows that only focused this issue, but it was still distinct on its own in that it added some flavor to the story literally and figuratively, especially the cuisine, romance, and towards the latter part, mystery/thriller.

The budding romance between the star teacher Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho) and the nation's best side dish maker Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon) is as typical as a Korean rom-com story can be. There were some clichés as expected, but for this show, its edge is that it was a middle-age adult romance done realistically. What also added to the successful execution of the romance part was the chemistry between the actors themselves. They knew how to act their characters well and their emotions and mannerisms were just amazing onscreen. There were issues regarding the FL's age and fashion that honestly didn't made sense with me as someone who doesn't like pure rom-com Kdramas. I am more concerned with the romantic connection and not the petty unrelated stuff.

The plot was well built-up. There were several substories in the beginning and the later episodes that were portrayed well and thus, making the pacing exemplary on the 1st half. Won't be spoiling them but basically, it was just entertaining to see everything, from the different side dishes, to the dizzying world of math (shows how weak I am on this subject LOL). In terms of flavor, the romance and proper pacing on the 1st half represents the sweetness.

Speaking of sides, the side characters were just as entertaining to watch as well, most notably, Su-a's mom. She really epitomizes the tiger mom "I don't give a damn as long as I'm the #1" attitude with just 1 goal. She may not be as dark as the FL in Sky Castle, but she too, had her almost dark moments. In terms of flavor, she represents the bitterness.

But why won't I give a perfect 10 rating on the story?

First and foremost is the mystery. As mentioned, the story was well built-up and that includes the mystery part. There were some plot twists and misleads, but it still added some tension and grit, in a way. It's just that after the shift from romance to mystery in the 11th episode there were little to no moments on the relationship anymore. I wanted to know more about them, and the mystery was a necessary for this show to hit 16 episodes. Still, I was accepting with how it stole the screentime, thinking that it may be a turning point of some sort. Yet it only culminated in just a splash, literally. It was disappointing and blotchy with how it ended. In terms of flavor, the mystery represent the sourness.

Also, is the out-of-the-blue almost slapstick "romance" between 2 side characters. It was just a "stop trying to make fetch happen" Regina George to Gretchen Wieners moment. It wasn't needed since it was obvious that it was more logical for them to have a brother-and-sister relationship, and it was just better if it didnt happen. Although in real life, I won't be complaining since I can't control their feelings. However for this show, I was salty about it, hence the salty flavor it represents.

The finale tried to salvage the messy thriller somewhat successfully, but it was already predictable at that point. It gave the boost needed from the mediocre previous episode. The charm was still there, and it wrapped the story as necessary. There was fluff and redemption from various characters, albeit some were rushed.

Contrary to some, the last "obstacle" for me was expected and was not contrived at all. It was a decisive moment for Haeng-seon and Hae-e's relationship and love for each other.

Then again, this show was more on being a social commentary about Korean education rather than just a pure romcom. It was not expected to fix the system overnight, but this show was quite successful in conveying its message across.

With that in mind, Crash Course in Romance? More like crash course in blotchy mystery featuring romance as a side dish.

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