Since there’s no almost no good dramas currently airing, I hit up Tumblr for older drama recommendations and got Discovery of Romance suggested. I’m two episodes in and finding it very charming. Eric and Jung Yoo Mi previously starred in the classic drama Que Sera Sera together, but as I haven’t seen that (it’s apparently very dark and features a slightly abusive relationship) I had nothing to go on. After two episodes I would say that while they don’t have extraordinary chemistry, and the chemistry they do have is more of the “cute and sweet” variety rather than “crackling and simmering”, what they do have is a very natural, convincing dynamic together. Side note: my gold standard forever for physical chemistry onscreen is Yoon Eun Hye and Kang Ji Hwan in Lie to Me. Which is totally unfair to all other drama couples since their scorching chemistry was on another planetary level entirely.

Their characters Yoo Reum and Tae Ha dated for five years and had a wonderful relationship for three before pulling apart in the final two and ultimately breaking up. They run into each other again a few years later when Yoo Reum (Jung Yoo Mi) is in a new, serious relationship with Ha Jin (the extremely dreamy Sung Joon). She’s happy, but he’s never quite let go.

The drama is interspersed with unusual documentary-style segments in which the three main characters speak directly into the camera, communicating as if answering questions directed to them by an offscreen interviewer, or monologuing about what they are currently doing or thinking. It’s cute, mostly because the leads are all very funny and there’s some clever splicing of the interview segments next to each other. It will get old quickly if overused, but so far it’s been bearable. It’s also breezy and fast-paced and Yoo Reum in particular has tons of personality – she’s brash and open and for the most part very honest, not at all a pushover. The camera is good and the coloring and music are well-executed (it’s always easy to tell with Korean dramas which ones got the experienced team and the budget and which ones didn’t). The concept and conceit have absolutely nothing new to them, but it’s been handled well so far so I’m in for the ride.

Tagged: Discovery of Love drama, Discovery of Love kdrama review, Discovery of Romance drama, Discovery of Romance kdrama review, Discovery of Romance review, Eric Jung Yumi, Eric Korean actor, Erick Jung Yoo Mi, Jung Yoo Mi, Kang Ji Hwan, Kdrama review, Korean dramas, Lie to Me kdrama, romantic comedy, Sung Joon, TV, Yoon Eun Hye, Yoon Eun Hye Kang Ji Hwan chemistry