After all the feels Ong Seong Wu evoked in his debut drama Moment at Eighteen, I was thrilled when I found out he would be starring in a new drama this fall. How will this novice actor do stepping into the shoes of a new character? Come see what I thought about More Than Friends!
Synopsis
Ten years ago, Kyung Woo Yeon was as innocent and carefree as any eighteen year old might be. With dreams and ambitions and a heart ready to love, it was only a matter of time before she fell for someone. And fall she did; for her friend, Lee Soo. Unable to hold her feelings in her heart, she confesses to him before he leaves and gets friend-zoned.
Seven years later, she tries her luck again only to be rejected again. She is determined to get over what she considers this curse of not being able to experience love. One lonely day in Jeju, she declares confidently that she no longer likes him and decided to leave him. He too leaves Korea having a heavy pang in his heart.
She had tried every trick to get over this curse that she had, having almost 12 ex-boyfriends. Till one day, when she finds a guy, Joon Soo, who offers to be her test man and help her determine whether the fault lies in her or the men she has dated. 3 years later, he comes back to find her with another man, and this time he hopes to face his feelings and not let his past overshadow him. (MyDramaList)
The Plot
The backstory took up quite a bit of the story-telling at the beginning. But once we pushed past that, I could finally see the main themes of this drama finally falling into place – valuing your own self-worth, having the confidence to take those necessary leaps in life, and above all, communication being a key component of relationships. These story elements not only relevant to our main leads, but to the circle of friends that surround them as well. How will all these characters move forward in life? I’m curious to find out!
The Characters
Shin Ye Eun, from He Is Psychometric and Meow, the Secret Boy, plays our leading lady Kyung Woo Young. She is cute, and earnest, and a talented writer and calligrapher. But as her mother frequently reminds her, liberal arts majors don’t get steady jobs or make much money. Between being a part-timer and utter failure in her love life, Woo Young’s confidence is lacking and her self-esteem in the gutter. I’ll admit I was torn. On the one hand, I wanted to cheer her on for refusing to be a boring office worker for the rest of her life. But on the other hand, her drinking habits are sooooo embarrassing. Please, the drunken phone calls have to stop!!
Ong Seong Wu’s character, Lee Soo, has suffered some trauma during his childhood and because of this, he has stuffed his emotions in a box, slapped on a lock, and thrown away the key. He’s a loner and his one and only friend is the girl he loves – but of course he can’t actually tell her that. He teases one minute and protects her the next. Knowing his background, I can see why Lee Soo acting out the way he is, so I’m trying to be patient. But I’m kind of struggling with this form of passive-aggressive behavior.
Kim Dong Jun plays publishing company president Joon Soo. Here’s a man who’s learned from his past and isn’t going to make the same mistakes twice. He’s not afraid to be upfront and honest, he’s sweet and kind, and his visuals give me Park Bo Gum vibes. You can practically see his halo and wings – he’s the perfect second lead! Can Woo Young really move past her first love and accept his attention, or will we all be left to suffer from SLS??
I also enjoyed the eclectic group of friends that have surrounded Woo Young since high school. It was a delight to see P.O. (from Block B) playing one of those friends! He brings some sunshine and cheerfulness to the mix.
Final Thoughts
Admittedly this drama took me a full four episodes to really be on board with, but I am there. I enjoy a good friends-to-lovers style story and beneath the middle school style bickering, I see our OTP’s chemistry heating up. Fingers crossed that this story doesn’t disappoint.
There are a LOT of new shows coming out right now – will More Than Friends find a coveted spot on your drama plate?? Drop down to the comments and let me know!
화이팅!
MiataMama
Dramas with a Side of Kimchi
I am actually enjoying this drama quite a lot. The story, the case and everything. But I don’t really buy the male lead’s trauma issue – hmmm…. yes so his parents fought a lot but it’s not like they were torturing him.
I have serious SLS in this one. By the end of episode 6 – I’m actually wondering now why the heroine would even consider the male lead but we all know where this is going. *sigh*
I am glad you guys are watching this! I love Ong Seung Woo, even though his character is frustrating, I see a lot of space for Lee Soo to grow, which I hope we will get to see! I have enjoyed the set up, I hope by the time he realises his love for our heroine he does a good job of winning her back to make all the annoying bits worth it, and she that doesn’t give in too easily!
I agree with you 100%!! We’re at the halfway mark now and I think we’re beginning to see Lee Soo look at the past more objectively. I’m very hopeful that he will start showing the growth and maturity needed to be a man worthy of winning back WooYeon’s heart and affections!!
I’m still on the fence whether to watch this or not, but kinda bummed that no one is watching 18 Again here. Lee Dohyun is as amazing as ever, and the rest of the cast, Kim Haneul, Yoon Sanghyun are doing well as well.
I canNOT tell you how much we wanted to watch 18 Again as well! But it wasn’t legally subbed here in the US, so we didn’t get access to it.
How do you guys even like this drama . It’s so terrible 🙄🙄 tskkk!!
To be perfectly honest, where everyone is going awwww poor Kyung Woo Yeon, I feel this story is very one-sided. So the girl made a fantasy about a boy in school days. Yet the emotions of a girl is kind of forced over a boy and every one’s reaction to that is :lee Su! how mean of you. But isn’t Kyung Woo Yeon doing the exact same time 12 times over and over again and yet all sympathies are still with her. She can be selfish about her love life, she can be selfish about her own career (which is perfectly acceptable) but those are not true for Lee Su who has to be full of regrets and has to be so in-love that he should leave everything for her alone? Also everything small he does is portrayed as a big mistake. I have a genuine question that has Kyung Woo Yeon done anything for maintaining her relationship with Lee Su? It’s frustrating. If the roles were reversed the guy would have been labeled as stalker within a few episodes. Also the role of joon Soo was so impressive but now is frankly frustrating.to watch. I honestly think the story is too one directional with all emphasis on Kyung Woo Yeon and her emotions but everything she does is rightful and never make mistakes.