Most dramas end when the handsome couple looks into each other’s eyes and seals their marriage vows with a kiss. We can imagine our favorite drama couples having a happily ever after. Then there are those dramas that begin where most dramas end. The honeymoon period is over, and the once-in-love couple has declared war on each other. They become complete strangers and, we believe, can’t stand the sight of each other!
This trope is used in the recently concluded “Strangers Again” film. Ha Ra (Kang Sora), a hotshot divorce attorney, is a formidable lawyer with a high case success rate. She is a divorcee who is still hurting from being betrayed by Eun Beom (Jang Seung Jo), her former husband and a lawyer. When Eun Beom joins the same law firm as Ha Ra, chaos ensues. Eun Beom insists he has moved on, even going so far as to set up his ex-wife with a friend. However, Ha Ra’s feelings for her ex-husband remain strong. Is hatred just another form of love, and can they rekindle the flame? Is this the end of the line for these two?
“Strangers Again” is a fun ride in which the couple clashes over trivial matters if not wrestling clients. However, aside from the bickering, it’s the simmering passion beneath the surface that’s just waiting to explode that makes this drama entertaining to watch. As we wait to see what happens next in Ha Ra and Eun Beom’s complicated lives, here are five dramas in which lovers-turned-strangers find their way back to each other.
“Cunning Single Lady”
They were young—he had a bright future, and she desired a secure life. But when they married, they realized they couldn’t live on love or with each other. They are now divorced and living apart. So, what could be the issue? Ae Ra (Lee Min Jung) is broke and furious when she discovers that her ex-husband Jung Woo (Joo Sang Wook), whom she divorced because he was poor, is now a millionaire with a thriving business. When Ae Ra accepts a position at her husband’s company, she upends both their lives and the lives of those around them. Despite their efforts to move on from the other, Ae Ra and Jung Woo are unable to ignore the lingering feelings of the past, rage, and regret.
Lee Min Jung is delightful as the hyper and even comical Ae Ra, and Joo Sang Wook is endearing as the nerdy Jung Woo, who continues to wear his heart on his sleeve for Ae Ra. He’ll steal your heart. “Cunning Single Lady” is one of those underappreciated dramas that is a breeze to watch!
“Emergency Couple”
“Marry quickly and repent later,” as the saying goes, and that’s exactly what happens when Jin Hee (Song Ji Hyo), a dietician, meets medical student Chang Min (Choi Jin Hyuk). They fall in love and decide to marry. Chang Min is wealthy and rich, and to make matters worse, he is younger than Jin Hee, who also comes from a less than ordinary family. Despite parental opposition, the two begin their lives together, but it soon becomes clear that marriage is not what they had hoped for. Their relationship suffers as a result of parental and financial pressures, and they grow apart. Jin Hee and Chang Min decide to divorce and live separate lives. Years later, the estranged couple reunite, this time as medical interns at a hospital. They are a volatile combination in charge of the emergency room—chemistry that is ready to explode as passion from the past and pain from the present cause friction.
“Emergency Couple” is a rollercoaster drama that never lets you down. Song Ji Hyo is perfect as the impulsive and impatient yet naive Jin Hee, but it’s Choi Jin Hyuk who steals your heart with his longing and persistent feelings for his ex-wife. The couple’s chemistry is palpable and bursts through the screen.
“My Secret Hotel”
Nam Sang Hyo (Yoo In Na) is a wedding planner, but planning her ex-wedding husband’s is not what she expected. Sang Hyo and Hae Young (Jin Yi Han) had a brief marriage, so brief that they did not even have time to register it.
Meanwhile, Sang Hyo’s boss, Sung Gyeom (Namgoong Min), has developed feelings for her. Hae Young, thrown off by his ex-arrival, wife’s finds himself pining for her all over again, until a murder in the hotel complicates matters for everyone.
“My Secret Hotel” is entertaining to watch as it attempts to combine romance and a murder mystery. Though the plot meanders a little, the situations seem a little crazy, and it’s a fun ride. And Namgoong Min has major second lead syndrome, to the point where you’re stuck trying to decide who your favorite lead in the triangle is.
“Goodbye Dear Wife”
The title of this drama gives away where it is going. Kang Sun Ah (Hong Soo Hyun) and Cha Seung Hyuk (Ryu Shi Won) have been married for five years. Seung Hyuk enjoys being the center of attention, is attractive, and has a winning record as a star athlete. He gives it all up for Sun Ah, who says she can’t imagine marrying a martial arts fighter. She prefers a quiet and idyllic life, owing to her own severe complexes. Seung Hyuk is bored with his married life until his ex-girlfriend Oh Hyang Gi (Park Ji Yoon) arrives and forces him to leave Sun Ah. Sun Ah’s life becomes more complicated when her first love, Hyun Chul (Kim Min Soo), returns after years apart. Can Sun Ah save her marriage and begin again?
“Goodbye, Dear Wife” offers an intriguing perspective on the complexities of relationships and human follies. Hong Soo Hyun gives her character Sun Ah, who is no pushover, a lot of gravitas. And the drama is a tearjerker that is also entertaining.
“Fated to Love You”
A one-night stand between a wealthy chaebol and a timid office worker sends things into a tailspin. Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk) is about to propose to his lawyer girlfriend, but he is drunk in his hotel room. Kim Mi Young (Jang Nara), a hotel guest, accidentally enters his room, and something bad happens. Mi Young becomes pregnant and marries Lee Gun, but the two are unsure of their feelings for each other and split up after an unfortunate accident. Years later, Mi Young has returned—she is now an artist and a confident woman. Daniel Pitt (Choi Jin Hyuk), an artist, becomes a supportive friend and potential lover for her. Fate has other plans for Lee Gun and Mi Young as they come face to face once more. Do they have a right to a second chance at happiness?
“Fated to Love You” is an entertaining film full of romance, comedy, and drama. Even if the writing is uneven and stretched at times, it manages to keep you interested. Jang Hyuk is at his most endearing in this scene, and his love-hate relationship with Choi Jin Hyuk is endearing. While Jang Nara’s Mi Young frustrates you with her timidity, the actress brings her character to life superbly.