Crash Course in Romance
2023
Original language: Korean
- drama
- comedy
The story
The series follows the bittersweet relationship between a banchan shop owner whose daughter enters the war of Korea's college entrance exams, and a top hagwon instructor.
What it’s like
Warm, bustling everyday Korean life, with the comedy of a crowded neighbourhood sitting alongside the tension of exam season: the glow of late-night cram-school classrooms, fluorescent-lit study rooms, and the steamy, lived-in calm of a small banchan shop with its rows of side dishes. The palette leans toward soft interior warmth and cool, buzzing school light, with handheld, conversational camerawork that stays close to faces during quarrels and quiet exchanges. The score is light and pop-leaning, with bright comic beats and softer piano under the more tender moments. The mood is bittersweet romcom: playful sparring, a rivalry that slowly softens, and an age-gap romance handled with humour and some awkwardness. Pacing is episodic and chatty, with plenty of breathing room between the stressful stretches. Its people are a mother and a daughter under exam pressure, and a strict, exacting instructor who gradually reveals a more vulnerable side. Mental health struggles appear as real, but not graphic, weight. Intensity is low: no violence or gore, mild romance, and emotional strain rather than fear. It suits a rainy weekend, a comfort watch, or anyone who wants a grounded, funny, sweetly melancholy romance for people who enjoy stories about ambition, family, and second chances.
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