Overview of Call It Love
‘Call It Love’ is a South Korean drama series that aired from February 22 to April 12, 2023. The South Korean television series was written by Kim Ga-eun and directed by Lee Kwang-young. The excellent performances of Lee Sung-kyung and Kim Young-kwang in lead roles lift the drama to an extent.
‘Call It Love’ is an increasingly popular drama with a strong narrative and brilliant portrayal of characters. The heartfelt series depicts the story of a man and woman who are entwined in a cold-blooded revenge tale and slowly grow to understand each other through deep emotions.
The story immerses the audience in the healing family drama with empathy, forgiveness and tragedy elements.
Profile
- Drama: Call It Love
- Director: Lee Kwang-young
- Writer: Kim Ga-eun
- Network: Disney+
- Episodes: 16
- Release Date: February 22 – April 12, 2023
- Language: Korean
- Country: South Korea
Cast
- Lee Sung-kyung as Shim Woo-joo
- Kim Young-kwang as Han Dong-jin
- Sung Joon as Yoon-jun
- Ahn Hee-yeon as Kang Min-yeong
- Kim Ye-won as Shim Hye-seong
Supporting
- Seo Dong-won as Cha Young-min
- Park Jin-ah as Hyun Ji-hyung
- Yeon Je-hyung as Kang-gun
- Nam Gi-ae as Ma Hee-ja
- Sung young as Kim Yu-ri
Synopsis
Shim Woo-joo is a part-time worker in a pharmacy run by her close friend Yoon-jun. Shim Woo-joo, the middle child among her three siblings, lives with them in Seoul. Her mother passed away due to an illness as they could not afford her treatment and her father abandoned them to live with another woman which it ruined their happy family.
Although Shim Hye-seong is the eldest daughter in the family, the middle child Shim Woo-joo is more responsible. Woo-joo gave up on her dream of becoming an archer and took responsibility for her family. She didn’t study further and only worked part-time jobs for 13 years. Her elder sister Shim Hye-seong is a bank clerk, the only one with a full-time job, while her younger brother, Sim Ji-gu is a student.
Another character is introduced, Han Dong-jin who is the young co-CEO of a fledgling company that stages business fairs. Han Dong-jin is a workaholic leading a solitary life.
Shim Woo-joo and Yoon-jun used to spend time and talk wistfully about their life and one day, during their conversation Woo-joo received a message informing about her father’s death and an invitation to attend the funeral. Woo-joo goes to his funeral dressing up in partywear with the intention of calling out their affair and humiliating them in front of others.
Upon reaching her father’s funeral, she discovers the shocking news that Ma Hee-ja, the woman his late dad had an affair with, inherited the family home and sold their house. However, soon after, Woo-joo and her two siblings are suddenly forced to leave the place.
Woo-joo becomes homeless overnight and this injustice would be enough to get anyone worked up. She decides on revenge for all the injustice she has been put through. Ma Hee-ja used the money to fund her son Han Dong-jin’s company. Woo-joo quit the pharmacy and applied for a job as a part-timer at the same company named Best Fairs because she believes Dong-jin helped his mother get the house.
There she gets to know Han Dong-jin. He was nothing like his mother. He is an obsessive worker, a lonely and timid man who has undergone depression ever since his childhood. When she becomes more acquainted with Dong-jin, instead of getting revenge, she helps him overcome the struggle he is undergoing.
When the two meet, their life takes an unexpected turn. Shim Woo-joo’s plan of revenge fails when she realizes that she is developing feelings for Han Dong-jin the one she was supposed to take revenge against. They both found comfort and happiness in each other but their family’s past was going to be a barrier to their relationship.
Later, Woo-joo told Dong-jin the truth and her intention. Dong-jin helped her file a criminal case against Ma Hee-ja because it was the fastest way to get her house back. Hee-ja was aware of the consequences when she made her mistakes and now she needs a non-punishment letter from Woo-joo’s family so that she won’t get imprisoned. Woo-joo later withdrew the case against Hee-ja only because of her son, Dong-jin, whom she finds pitiful.
Hee-ja is a tough person, but it breaks her when Woo-joo tells her that she is being kind only because she is in love with Dong-jin. Dong-jin also tells Hee-ja about his feelings towards Woo-joo. After listening to all this, Hee-ja feels ashamed and guilty that her son can not be happy because of her.
The next day, Dong-jin meets Woo-joo at Hee-ja’s request because she wants to have closure on their relationship. After their last meeting, Dong-jin wasn’t angry or upset, but just sad that he would have to end this relationship because of the past he isn’t responsible for. Later, Dong-jin moves out of Seoul, and Woo-joo also goes back to her old house.
Another year passes, and Woo-joo’s close friend Yoon-jun, who never wanted to get married, proposes to Shim Hye-seong as he developed feelings for her. A relationship that was forbidden from the beginning changed both Dong-jin and Woo-joo’s lives. Both of them have let go of their pasts and the harsh feelings attached to them. They are happy in their own lives, especially Dong-jin, who deserves to live a happy life.
Ending Explained
The forbidden and slow-burn romance finally came to fruition because of Woo-joo’s youngest brother Sim Ji-gu. Ji-gu knew how much his sister struggled so far and he wished he could bring back the love of her life. Therefore, Ji-gu messaged Dong-jin to invite him to his music concert. Dong-jin and Woo-joo finally meet at the concert, and the couple reunites with a romantic hug; the setting brightens up, just like their shining eyes.
Theme
The stunning and top-notch cinematography and a beautiful soundtrack enhance the emotional impact of the story. One of the standout aspects of the drama ‘Call It Love’ is how it subverts the typical themes of recent Korean melodramas.
Not only it focuses on the romantic relationship between the two leads, but the drama also brings revenge on the storyline of a family drama. ‘Call It Love’ explores some deeper themes such as family, and forgiveness and the series also sheds light on the consequences of holding onto grudges.
The story feels more realistic and grounded and is a must-watch for Korean drama fans looking for a gripping and emotionally charged story.
Awards
No information is available.
Interesting Facts about Call It Love
- Lee Sung-Kyung’s character in the series is probably the calmest and most reserved character in her career that garnered critics’ applause.
- The story begins with the lines “I’m not interested in others’ misfortune. I have my misfortune to worry about” and Kim Young-kwang shares that these lines actually touched his heart.
- Though ‘Call It Love’ is focused on revenge, the director aims to let the audience know that it is a slice-of-life series that captures moments of love.
- To stay in character and keep the mood for the drama, real-life friends Sung-kyung and Young-kwang actually kept a distance from each other.
- The two Hallyu stars Lee Sung-Kyung and Kim Young-kwang felt a little scared and worried and found it hard to sleep after they started shooting the drama ‘Call It Love’.
FAQs
- Who is the director of the drama ‘Call It Love’?
The romantic melodrama is directed by the popular South Korean director Lee Kwang-young. - Is the K-drama ‘Call It Love’ worth watching?
Thoughtfully and carefully conceived drama where two people find love in the most unexpected circumstances. The story is emotional and beautiful, it’s definitely worth a watch.
- How many episodes are there for the Korean drama ‘Call It Love’?
‘Call It Love’ has 16 episodes, each around 60 minutes long.
- What is the genre of the drama ‘Call It Love’?
‘Call It Love’ falls into romance and melodrama genres.
- What is the Instagram ID of Lee Sung-kyung?
heybiblee is the official Instagram ID of Lee Sung-kyung with 15 Million followers. - What is the Instagram ID of Kim Young-kwang?
aksakfn12 is the official Instagram ID of Kim Young-kwang.
