Skip Serendipity’s Embrace: Discover These 7 Wonderful Romance Mini-Series!

After tvN’s Lovely Runner, rom-com enthusiasts were left adrift. We’ve had a dozen romantic dramas being released in the last few months but some of them (TVING’s Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale, KBS2’s Dare to Love Me, and jTBC’s Frankly Speaking) were received with a mixed response, some others came out online without any subtitles (KBS’s Reunion Counselling), and some simply fell under the radar (Lifetime’s Under the Gun).

Personally, I believe that jTBC’s My Sweet Mobster takes the crown as an almost flawless rom-com released this year. However, if you’re looking for a pure K-drama rom-com, one of those without any crime/mystery subplot and fully focused on the romance between the characters, you might feel you haven’t received your share in a while.

So, last month, when tvN released Serendipity’s Embrace, romance fans were thrilled. Finally, the cosy, romantic series we’d been looking forward to!

Or was it?

Based on the webtoon Uyeonilkka? by Nam Ji-eun and Kim In-ho and spanning only 8 episodes, Serendipity’s Embrace tells the story of Lee Hong-ju (Kim So-hyun), an animation producer whose first love ended in heartbreak. One day, she stumbles upon Kang Hu-yeong (Chae Jong-hyeop), a bright financial planner who used to be her high school classmate. If Hu-yeong and Hong-ju understood their own hearts, could a romance blossom between them?

Cute, right? So did Serendipity’s Embrace live up to the hype? Is it the rom-com we’d been looking for?

Unfortunately, The Blossom Review’s verdict is no, it didn’t. Let me tell you why.

Why Serendipity’s Embrace Didn’t Work

At first, Serendipity’s Embrace seemed to be a refreshing love story that decided to go against the cliché by portraying a female lead whose first love wasn’t the male lead.

Great. And?

And? is a good question. Serendipity’s Embrace starts with a decent first episode, but nothing really happens from there on. The storyline becomes awfully predictable in a way that doesn’t provide the audience with any satisfaction. The characters just seem to be dragged onward by the current of events. And those events, put together, are just… bland.

The scenes in Serendipity’s Embrace offer no real progress and have no overarching theme and, instead, rely on overused tropes and fillers for fan service. It’s no surprise that the narrative seems stuck and time seems to freeze. With such a thin plot, it might’ve worked as a two or three-episode short drama instead.

But, Karen, it looks lovely! Yes, it does. Director Song Hyun-wook’s crew delivered some beautiful, warm cinematography — but it’s a bit weird to watch a winter/Christmas story in the height of summer.

The characters are also shallow and without any memorable personality. Hu-yeong is unfortunately flat — he has no background worth talking about and, besides getting the girl at the end, he doesn’t achieve or get anything from these eight episodes. Meanwhile, we are offered flashes of Hong-ju’s childhood and youth, in which she was abandoned over and over again. But these flashes do very little to build a foundation from which she could grow.

The So-Called Conflicts in Serendipity’s Embrace

Another two mundane characters are added to the mix, the ones responsible for the two “major conflicts” of the narrative. The first is Bang Jun-ho (played by Yun Ji-on), Hong-ju’s first love, who left her in the lurch years before. At the end of Episode 1, he returns and is keen to rekindle his relationship with our female lead, getting in the way of Hong-Ju’s new romance with Hu-yeong. The second comes from Hu-yeong’s mother, who is irritatingly determined to shape her son’s life into what she considers best for him, whatever it takes.

The first conflict was resolved almost as if by magic: in the first few episodes, Hong-ju seems to quiver every time Jun-ho’s name is mentioned. However, after she starts developing a relationship with Hu-yeong, she’s finally open with Jun-ho and sends him on his way. The end. Throughout the show, Jun-ho comes and goes from the tale as a toxic second lead without any redeeming features. His character is incredibly maddening, and not in a good way, especially after you realise that he still thinks he’s a victim at the end of Episode 8.

Hu-yeong’s mother creates a problem that is never solved. If anything, you reach the end of the story believing that she’ll continue pushing and pulling her son in whatever way she sees fit.

The Second Couple in Serendipity’s Embrace

Apart from the main couple, we’ve also got Hong-ju’s best friend, Kim Hye-ji (Kim Da-som) and her fellow teacher, Son Gyeong-tak (Hwang Sung-bin). Hye-ji was actually a breath of fresh air in Serendipity’s Embrace. She’s bold, outspoken, and cheerful. Gyeong-tak is sweet, and their romance is quite cute. The real problem is that Gyeong-tak suffers from the same problem as all male characters in this show: a serious lack of backbone, for the love of God.

Either way, you can watch Serendipity’s Embrace on:

But Karen, I really enjoy a lighthearted, comforting drama!

And that’s okay! I love my cosy K-dramas too. However, building a warm, romantic story doesn’t mean forgoing dramatic construction. “Drama” actually comes from the Greek word for “to take action” or “to achieve”. This means that every story is actually about actively doing — and characters not only have to act but also react. That’s not really what we got from Serendipity’s Embrace, unfortunately.

That’s why today, I wanted to introduce you to some light, comforting, and narratively strong mini-series. By mini-series, I’m considering shows with 1 to 10 episodes. You can binge-watch them on a weekend and be left with that wonderful, warm feeling after a good rom-com.

Fanletter, Please tells the story of top Hallyu star Han Kang-hee (Choi Soo-young) who is going through a tough phase in her career. She’s being attacked by all sorts of news stories that claim that she isn’t as perfect as she’s supposed to be: she has no filial love! She ignores her fans! (and the most common one) She used to be a bully! That doesn’t stop young Bang Yu-na (Shin Yean-woo) from continuing to be her #1 fan and sending her fan letters with adoration. As Yu-na is sick, her father, Bang Jung-seok (Yoon Park), vows to have her fan letters delivered and answered.

With only four episodes, Fanletter, Please is a heartwarming story about healing. Well-paced and incredibly well-performed (Shin Yean-woo is incredible), this is a cute and straightforward story that doesn’t drag in any unnecessary melodrama or conflict and gives you a satisfying ending. The relationship between Kang-hee and Jung-seok blossoms into a very natural, very engaging way to watch, as the chemistry between them is playful and effortless.

You can watch Fanletter, Please on:

In Love To Hate You, Yeo Mi-ran (Kim Ok-bin) is a strong-minded lawyer whose goal is to fight for social justice. However, she ends up at the male-dominated Gilmu Law Firm, which provides services to the entertainment industry. One of their clients is Nam Kang-ho (Yoo Teo), a beloved actor who is famous for his talent, good looks, and kindness. When Mi-ran overhears Kang-ho making misogynistic comments, she’s determined to reveal his true self to the world.

After Past Lives, we all needed a bit more Yoo Teo in our lives, am I right? Love to Hate You unravels in a bright, colourful, resounding universe. It creates a modern and chaotic background to an exciting enemies-to-lovers romance. With a fast-paced narrative, a healthy dose of comedy, a solid plot, and captivating chemistry between the leads, this is the portrayal of a relationship based on mutual respect with a quirky and inspiring female lead and a well-rounded, charming male lead.

You can watch Love to Hate You on:

In Soundtrack #1, Han Sun-woo (Park Hyung-sik) and Lee Eun-soo (Han So-hee) have been best friends for twenty years. Now in their early thirties, Sun-woo and Eun-soo have to live together for two weeks. Will this period together make them realise that their feelings for each other might not be as platonic as they’d thought?

From enemies to lovers, we’re moving to friends to lovers. Soundtrack #1 is short, sweet, and thoroughly compelling. Sun-woo and Eun-soo’s slow-burning romance is developed realistically and gratifyingly. In addition to Park Hyung-sik’s adorableness and a well-paced plot, Soundtrack #1 features stunning cinematography and some excellent songs — the OST may be a bit too long for a four-episode show, but some of it is very well used during the series.

You can watch Soundtrack #1 on:

Splash Splash Love is the story of Dan-bi (Kim Seul-gi), a high school senior struggling with her final exams. On her way to take the KSAT for college, she’s transported back in time and finds herself in Joseon. There, she meets King Lee Do (Yoon Doo-joon), who would like to use maths and science to solve the kingdom’s problems. As they fall for each other, how will their time-bending romance unravel?

Splash Splash Love‘s yellow umbrella walked so Lovely Runner could run, let’s all be honest.

A personal favourite of mine — but I’m not the only one to sing its praises. When Splash Splash Love came out, it was such a success, domestically and internationally, that it was even nominated for Best TV Movie/Mini-series at the 44th International Emmy Awards. It was easy to understand why: an endlessly charming narrative that perfectly blends romance and time-travel without getting bogged down with unnecessary explanations and melodrama.

In only two episodes, Splash Splash Love proves that a mini-series can be lighthearted and still have excellent character development and a well-structured plot. To top it off, Yoon Doo-joon and Kim Seul-gi’s chemistry is electrifying, and their story will stay with you long after you finish its last episode.

You can watch Splash Splash Love on:

Pin this list so you remember to watch all these awesomely romantic mini-series!

In You Drive Me Crazy!, Eun-seong (Lee Yoo-young) and Rae-wan (Kim Seon-ho) have been friends for years. One drunken night, they end up sleeping together. As the line between love and friendship becomes blurry, they need to decide how their relationship will evolve from now on.

More of a dramedy than a full-on comedy, You Drive Me Crazy! is a poetic, genuine, and extremely romantic tale between two people who need to understand who they are and what they feel for each other. Kim Seon-ho’s performance is nothing short of perfect, and his chemistry with Lee Yoo-young is top-notch. With a sharp script, authentic dialogue, and well-developed characters, You Drive Me Crazy! captures the nuanced nature of Eun-seong and Rae-wan’s bond and offers a realistic look at relationships. A must-watch.

You can watch You Drive Me Crazy! on:

In To. Jenny., Jung-min (Kim Sung-cheol) dreams of becoming a musician but, due to stage fright, has only found work as a part-timer at a convenience store. In high school, he had a crush on Na-ra (Jung Chae-yeon), a beautiful and talented girl who grew up to become a singer herself. However, her girl group didn’t succeed, and her agency now wants her to change strategy. Jung-min and Na-ra meet again, and their encounter might give them the answers they’ve been looking for.

To. Jenny. is not only an entertaining rom-com but an excellent musical. The romance between Jung-min and Na-ra works as the foundation for their growth: from self-conscious, shy individuals to confident and brave people who learn to use their own voices (literally). It’s an uplifting, upbeat, and enchanting journey that is perfectly framed by Jung-min’s renditions of Melomance’s Care About You, We Are The Night’s Tiramisu Cake, and Sam Kim’s Your Song. To make it even better, the extraordinary Choi Yu-ri and Lee Sang-yi are part of the supporting cast.

You can watch To. Jenny. on:

More of a short film, Two Lights: Relumino tells the tale of Soo-yeong (Han Ji-min) and In-soo (Park Hyung-sik), two visually impaired people who meet through a photography club. This is their story as they fall in love.

Two Lights was actually devised as an ad for Samsung’s Relumino app, so don’t be surprised by the clear product placement. However, Two Lights: Relumino has a coherent narrative and compelling characters that go through a heartfelt journey. Their romance is gentle and inspiring, and Han Ji-min and Park Hyung-sik’s screen presence is just fascinating. A short film that will surely leave you with some food for thought.

How about binge-watching some of these next weekend?

Here’s a quick reminder that rom-com fans are in for a treat this month. There are several rom-coms currently airing: MBC’s Bad Memory Eraser (on Viki), TVING’s Love Andante (on Kocowa), tvN’s Love Next Door (on Netflix) and TV Chosun’s DNA Lover (also on Viki). Next week, we’ll also have Coupang TV’s Cinderella at 2 AM (on August 24th, also on Viki) and tvN’s No Gain, No Love (on August 26th, on Amazon Prime Video).

Let me know which ones you’ve already watched and which ones you’re watching next. Do you have any other suggestions? Share in the comments!