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| | ==Synopsis== | | ==Synopsis== |
| − | Kim Chae-won ([[Kim Ha Neul]]) is a bright young teacher in her mid 20s, but she still has a hard time adapting to her profession. She accidentally meets young singer and high school senior Choi Kwan-woo ([[Kim Jae Won]]), and they instantly form a bond. Of course, they're lying about each other's age: Kwan-woo says he's a college senior, and Chae-won doesn't reveal she's actually a teacher, and considerably older than him. When Kwan-woo is forced to move to Seoul because of a family problem, their lies start to produce consequences. Kwan-woo has to enroll in Chae-won's school, and she'll be one of his teachers!
| + | Fatal love strikes us out of a sudden and helplessly takes us deep down into the sea of fervor, giving us no choice but to yield. |
| | + | This drama beautifully unfolds the forbidden passion between a teacher and a student. |
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| − | The setup is familiar, and even if a little controversial, it's well played out. The series thankfully doesn't rely excessively on the typical themes of 'impossible romances.' Parents are kept at a distance until the main characters are developed enough to let us care about them, and it's not until their relationship becomes serious that the usual obstacles are put on their way. The first part of Romance is very good TV: the chemistry between [[Kim Jae Won]] and [[Kim Ha Neul]] is excellent; the supporting characters, while certainly stereotypical, are fun to watch. Also, with the exception of [[Kim Hae Sook]]'s predictable typecasting as the troubled ajumma, the parents are actually a little more colorful than expected. Chae-won's mother runs a jeans company, and is a bit of a nut, shouting 'Oh My God' at random and sporting wild haircuts. Her father is obsessed with the formalities of the father-daughter relationship, such as insistence on deferential tone. He will later play a big part in Kwan-woo and Chae-won's future as a couple, and is a well developed character.
| + | Chae-Won ([[Kim Ha Neul]]) and Gwan-Woo ([[Kim Jae Won]]) meet for the first time at a rural seaside village flower festival. |
| | + | They fall in love at first sight, not in their dreams have they known that Chae-Won is the teacher at Gwan-Woo's high school. |
| | + | The second time they meet is at the classroom where they realize the situation and become bewildered and embarrassed. |
| | + | The love story between the two young people is overlapped with Gwan-Woo's tearful success story and this inspire the viewers with high emotion. |
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| − | What helps the series in its first part is the fact there's very little urgency. The writers feel no need to reveal a major plot development every week, which usually forces viewers to keep tuning in to understand. The drama is introduced slowly, and doesn't completely upstage the comedy, which makes for better viewing. Characterization, at least by TV drama standards, is quite good, although a few missteps along the line don't allow this drama to reach the depths of shows like [[Ruler of Your Own World]]. For example, the 'bad girl/guy' character isn't played out like a constant obstacle to the main characters' romance. The writers try to make a case for those characters as well, and most of the time - at least for the first half - they succeed.
| + | Source: [http://web.archive.org/web/20031229080251/http://www.mbcpro.co.kr/mbcproduction/ENG/Program/programList_Desc.asp?Program_SeqNum=203 MBC Production] |
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| − | Then, things suddenly change when the series moves 3 years ahead. It's clear they couldn't go anywhere with Chae-won and Kwan-woo anymore, without becoming repetitive. While the focus on secondary characters is understandable given the main couples' forced division, their complete takeover of the show ruins the pace and atmosphere. Kwan-woo's sister ([[Kim Yoo Mi]]), and Chae-won's former love affair and soon-to-be husband ([[Jung Sung Hwan]]) become centerpiece, and the parents' importance grows exponentially. The relationship between the main characters is updated slowly, every week building to the big finale. In theory, it's good writing, but when acting isn't there, the series is likely to become dull.
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| − | [[Kim Yoo Mi]] is pretty good, given her character's development and the way her problems come into play. But [[Jung Sung Hwan]] is terrible. He's not able to go beyond the same facial expression, no matter how important his reaction is to make the scene compelling. As a result, even if his character is not played out as a caricature, he doesn't allow it to come alive, and hurts the series' middle portion. Also, the constant use of fatalist, ultra-emotive mothers who faint at every sign of difficulty feels out of place for a breezy, lighthearted series like Romance. [[Kim Hae Sook]] is a good actress, and has become reliable in portraying this type of character, but she disappoints here.
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| − | Source: [http://groups.msn.com/endlesslove4ever/synopsis.msnw Endless_love4ever]
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| | ==Other Resources== | | ==Other Resources== |
