Love Is for Suckers (2022– ) User Reviews

This could have been brilliant, but is okay.

[chilligrrl · 7/10 · 11 December 2022]

I watched this mainly to see my future husband, Choi Siwon. (Ok just kidding but he is so divine!). While it's an ok show I absolutely hate the blind date girl who just mopes and mopes and is such a sad sack she should have been terminated from the series (both the actual show and the reality show) somehow quietly. He doesn't like you-JUST GIVE UP ALREADY!! She would be such a morose person to be with for the rest of your life I'd run far, far away quickly. Overseas if I had to.

The FL, while an ok actor was so distracting with the most awful and unflattering outfits known to tv land and terrible hair. I have no idea what they were thinking. The other PD acts her part well. The characters mostly need to go back to acting school to be less wooden, and the writers needed to up their game a bit as the storyline ground to a halt for awhile in the middle. The larger girl was an interesting plot line and it showed just how awful tv land could be. She, as an actor, was quite good being cast in this kind of role but I felt a bit sad that it was a role that was centred around ridiculing her character. No one deserves that, whether paid or not.

It was ok. It could have been better. I wouldn't prioritise it over any other show, but keep it on your to watch list. And Siwon.... mmmmm. He will always be wonderful in anything.

Pretty Good

[elc2005 · 7/10 · 6 April 2024]

This is sooo my genre. Even though it was jam packed with kdrama tropes, it was still a well written story with interesting characters all around.

People complain about the show changing genres but they must have forgotten it literally started with the reality show. Everything else in the first few eps was just leading up getting to that point.

Siwon had great lines. Dahee was not consistent. Soo-Hyang (Chae-Ri) was my fave.

Here are my few critiques.

The portrayal of the so called fat girl was such a disappointment. Whether it was the actress or the director, they did not let her grow at all. That bleeping voice was super annoying. By the time she stood up for herself, she should have been directed to speak naturally! And for a show that wasnt shy about skinship, we were completely robbed of a kiss between her and her boo.

If I were at home watching Kingdom of Love, I would have been very disappointed at how boring it was in front of the scenes. They never really switched dates and the dates themselves were boring too.

The "drama" surrounding the lead characters relationship never really felt front and center as there was so much else going on. The second female love interest was the absolute worst. I was so embarrassed for her. Would you really want a man to choose you because he just felt so sorry for you? Cause that's what she was giving. "Poor me, pick me choose".

Overall 7/10 Would definitely recommend but don't think I need to rewatch.

Birthdays became meaningless

[alaningle7 · 7/10 · 9 December 2022]

A kind hearted television producer lacks the ruthless streak to allow her to succeed, whilst her nemesis stops at nothing to ensure her shows excel. They end up working together on a dating show where one of the contestants is her chilhood friend who has always had feelings for her. Will the show help her decide to remain in the friend zone or move towards something deeper. The dating show is entertaining and has some interesting characters and some unscrupulous ones too. It addresses the keyboard warriors who attack individuals without thinking of the consequences to the persons wellbeing, which I applaud. An entertaining concept but in my mind it never really explores the much more interesting side characters.

Friends turn more trope that is good but not great

[leahcubed · 8/10 · 8 January 2023]

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean romantic comedy series with 16, 60 minute, episodes.

I will provide a synopsis first then review.

Synopsis Goo Yeo-reum (Lee Da-hee) is a struggling production director for the reality section of a production company. She is aware of her biological ticking away and is anxious for success in love and her career. Park Jae-Hoon (Cho Si-won) has been Yeo-ream's close friend for many years and is the first person she thinks of when encountering life's difficulties. Jae-Hoon once had a promising medical career but past tragedy has him now doing plastic surgery in a clinic. He is cynical about love and spends most of his time with Yeo-reum. When the two wind up working a reality show together will the feelings they long held for each other surface?

Review Friends turned lovers is one of my favorite tropes. This was very good for that particular slice of romantic drama. Si-won is always a great male lead because he has that bon next door charm. I liked their friendship a lot particularly when, later in the show, you learn why he is so devoted to her. Their group of friends were all very kind to each other and to others as well so it made you want to see them succeed in love and life.

Spoilers* When the ex boyfriend comes back I did a lot of face palm to forehead reactions. So this guy does not tell you of his plans to leave the country and thinks you can just leave your job and join him but does not have the respect for your relationship to consult you first. Then when you react as most people would when something messed up like that is sprung on you he leaves you at a rest stop. He did come back you find out later but still his first reaction was to leave her when she was crying. And this was after he asked her to marry him so this was her fiancé. He comes back a few years later, declares he is not over her and asks her again to marry him. And our foolish lead girl, biological clock ticking and parents eager to get her married, says yes. She was so lucky she found out he got another woman pregnant and called it off. It would have been a life time of misery with someone who has so little regard for your input.

Then our lead guy finally confesses his feelings to her albeit a little soon after the cancelled wedding and she cruelly turns him down. The way she did it was out of character for her and was not the way I think you would treat such a close friend. I was happy he gave her the cold shoulder she deserved it.

The 2nd girl was annoying in her pursuit of him. I have noticed in some South Korean dramas that there is this general expectation if someone likes you then you have some kind of romantic obligation toward them. I think people are responsible for their own feelings you cannot make someone love you. She was very pushy that way but not just that she played guilt trips on him. I thought he was as kind to her about her feelings for him as he could be. She knew she was stepping in the middle of a friendship verging on something more.

I did not like the way our lead girl let the other director push her around and I thought she was finally going to tell her off. But she never did. Not in any forceful or meaningful way anyway. I also wanted the head Director to tell the other program director that he had our lead girl work the project with her because she took things too far and the lead girl was there to balance her out. There was no acknowledgement of the many times our lead girl saved the show. In the end it does not show the lead girl returning to her job and having some of those discussions.

The ending was happy but, after she was abandoned prior to the wedding twic by the other guy it would have been so satisfying to have it end with their wedding.

#loveisforsuckers #leeDaHee #ChiSiWon.

Korean version if the American show UnReal.

[hanalisss · 5/10 · 4 December 2022]

If you have watched the American series UnReal you will pretty much think this is the korean version of that, only this is not even close of how good that show is.

This one also gets the ruthless director trying to dig all the dirt of the contestants to rise the views of the reality show they are producing. The only thing is the plots are just extremely weak. The story is just not smartly written and many things are just sugared clichés with a lot of over dramatic twists.

The male lead is very very very bad at acting, I actually never realized of this because the other drama I watched him in was I was pretty, with Park Seo Joon and he was so hilariously funny (and sexy!) there, but here he does an emotionless, bland and just boring performance. There's no chemistry and you don't really have fun watching this.

The female lead was fantastic in WWW but I didn't care for her performance here, and I just need to rant about her clothes, who the hell has dressed her for this series?!? She wears the ugliest and tackiest outfits I have ever seen in a korean drama, and there are a lot!! I cant believe they did that to her, honestly, so unflattering!

I also didn't like at all the whole guilting the main lead until he accepts my feelings kind of situation that the second female lead does. Its very tiring watch her crying the whole time when he doesn't like her back after he has rejected her from minute one of the show. But we all know koreans are very much into guilt tripping...

The concept is not bad at all, I just think the script is just terrible.

Its good enough to pass the time but as soon as you finish you will forgit.

Korean version if the American show UnReal.

[hanalisss · 5/10 · 5 December 2022]

If you have watched the American series UnReal you will pretty much think this is the korean version of that, only this is not even close of how good that show is.

This one also gets the ruthless director trying to dig all the dirt of the contestants to rise the views of the reality show they are producing. The only thing is the plots are just extremely weak. The story is just not smartly written and many things are just sugared clichés with a lot of over dramatic twists.

The male lead is very very very bad at acting, I actually never realized of this because the other drama I watched him in was I was pretty, with Park Seo Joon and he was so hilariously funny (and sexy!) there, but here he does an emotionless, bland and just boring performance.

There's no chemistry and you don't really have fun watching this. The female lead was fantastic in WWW but I didn't care for her performance here, and I just need to rant about her clothes, who the hell has dressed her for this series?!? She wears the ugliest and tackiest outfits I have ever seen in a korean drama, and there are a lot!! I cant believe they did that to her, honestly, so unflattering!

I also didn't like at all the whole guilting the main lead until he accepts my feelings kind of situation that the second female lead does. Its very tiring watch her crying the whole time when he doesnt like her back after he has rejected her from minute one of the show. But we all know koreans are very much into guilt tripping...

The concept is not bad at all, I just think the script is just terrible. Its good enough to pass the time but as soon as you finish you will forget it.

LOVE SUCKERS

[Park_Min · 4/10 · 11 February 2024]

The drama started on a decent pace with few things to look forward to. It was somewhat fine for the first 5 episodes until the drama made its biggest mistake with the reality show plot. It killed the story, romance, characters and ruined the overall vibe of the show. Completely shifting the structure and tone to something different entirely. The reality show plot became the center focus and didn't give room to let the characters work on their problems, instead we got a handful of cheesy lines that lacked any sincerity. Somewhere along the way they forgot to add romance for the leads but, regardless, the leads relationship was the farthest thing from being healthy and would eventually lead to misery. They never really worked on their relationship like adults but instead the whole thing was drenched with empty sweet talk. What I'm trying to say, the drama failed to offer a serviceable comedy, romance, slice-of-life or human drama. Lee Da Hee charms weren't enough to carry.

Not Good Enough

[PennyReviews · 3/10 · 25 February 2023]

Korean Drama " Love Is For Suckers " is a romantic comedy that includes a dating variety program in its plot.

The drama has two things going for it. First of all, the side couple was adorable, they had a sweet and funny story, along with great chemistry. Also, the redemption of the chef was smoothly done and an interesting side plot to follow.

In addition, the second female lead was a strong lady whose story was probably more interesting than the main female lead's, especially since her character had more spine, even though her story wasn't properly presented.

However, the rest of the drama didn't have anything new to offer. The romance was boring and offered few surprises. Not to mention that the couple had few moments together, relying heavily on their common background story to justify their romance. The love triangle was predictable and boring as well.

Finally, the performances were enjoyable, especially by the actors and actresses of the side characters.

So, overall, three out of ten.