I’m not a kdrama expert, but from what I’ve they often start lighthearted and then slowly implement crazy subplots as a way to make the episodes end on a cliffhanger and hopefully turn you into an addict, craving for each new episodes. Here, you already know that it’ll be crazy from the start, there is no surprise! Here’s a summary of what happens in the first episode:
– No Go Jin is the target of blackmailing, so much so that he has a dedicated room filled with all the nice little trinkets that he has received so far (voodoo dolls, ripped teddy bears, bloody messages…);
– Another attempt of revenge takes place, with a drink filled with… laxatives!
– Lee Sin A gets diagnosed with a brain cancer…
– …and proceeds to take her own revenge on No Go Jin whom she holds responsible for her alarming health state.

You may be asking where is the “crazy love” among all these plotlines, and it’s true that there is a lot to unpack here. There are a unusual number of people who have some beef with No Go Jin and wants more of less his end (figuratively and more literally). Lee Sin A in particular, as she’s her first secretary who lasted more than 3 months but at the cost of her mental and physical health. How can a romance blossoms in this setting?!

You’ll have to be a little patient with Crazy Love because the beginning can be a slog to watch. There will be some unnecessary time spent on what would seem like useless scenes. I actually wanted to drop it around the 4th episode because I felt like the story wasn’t progressing what so ever.

But these lengthy bits may have actually been useful since they created a somewhat organic enemies-to-lovers relationship. They also make the whole show really satisfying in retrospective because we get to see the huge differences in the characters dynamics.

A crazy show, both making you laugh and swoon over the romance

With my summary of the first episode of Crazy Love, you may think that the screenwriters were a little overdoing it with the tropes and the crazy things. It’s safe to say that it was a deliberate choice, and this is what sets apart the show for me. While other kdramas use tropes to hinder the progression, here it’s the contrary where they act as tools to make the story go forward. I actually love this idea, because they got to push to the limits these uninspired tropes and turn them to a new meaning. Lee Sin A facing a deadly disease serves as an opportunity to explore the state of the ego when you just have a few weeks or months to live. Where can we explore these themes if not in fiction? The situation of Lee Sin A is just a small part of the whole story, as there a whole lot of other things going on.

The whole show doesn’t take itself too seriously and if you have this mindset too you’ll enjoy yourself!

A great casting

It was my first time witnessing both the main leads in any kdrama. I recalled that Krystal was infamous for her role in The Heirs and I had some bad misconceptions about her. But that show was 9 years before Crazy Love, so there was no point in having any bias! She really impressed, and I thought that she was quite good, especially next to Kim Jae Wook who has more experience than her. I thought that they had a nice chemistry, even though sometimes the age difference was slightly noticeable as KJW appeared sometimes a little bit older (on top of the already 11 years old gap between them).

One thing that I love about kdramas is the outfits! All the characters have a sort of uniform with different sets of colors. A major part of the secondary characters that you’ll often see in Crazy Love are the other teachers working at GOTOP Education, and they have their own distinct style and color palette. Lee Sin A had her signature office look with boot cut jeans, shirts and v-neck pullovers. If you’re looking to freshen your formal wardrobe, this will be a fun way to get inspiration! Though I would say that sometimes, the colors used both for the costumes of KJW and Krystal may sometimes wash them away. They used a lot of neutral and tone-down colors, which is an odd choice given the “crazy” theme going on and their explosive personalities/relationship.

A few grips here and there…

Two things bothered me during my watch of Crazy Love: Baek Su Yeong and the former secretaries. BSY is the character solely placed to add some unwanted dramas and for most of the show she has no depth. She’s entierely devoided to No Go Jin and as a result her character feels flat, hollow. I couldn’t have sympathy for her, and it doesn’t help that the actress had this monotone voice! Same thing for the former secretaries who gang up together to take revenge on No Go Jin. We see them every episodes getting together to discuss what’s new in GOTOP Education (which was annoying because as the viewers, we already know what happened), and we see them bicker, plotting and making theories… I think that they supposed to make us laugh and empathize with them but in the end they just annoyed me.

…But ultimately an hidden gem that you’ll want to rewatch!

Crazy Love is worth watching and rewatching because it’s deeply satisfying all-around. It’s a love story, but it’s also a story about humans that grow, make mistakes and redeem themselves. It’s a comedy, sometimes a thriller… In other words, it has a richness to it that makes it fun and engaging to watch.

It also showcases characters with some (late sometimes) great communication skills. Misunderstandings don’t take too long to get resolved, which is a huge plus for me since they anger me immensely! Some kdramas want to purposely play with our emotions and make us cling to our screen by creating drama or conflict. So I was often anxiously at the edge of my seat thinking “there it is, this is the moment where they’ll frustrate me!” and I was wrong. Even if this show starts off with the most unhealthy type of relationship, in the end it becomes a reference on how a couple should act together. And that’s where you see character’s growth done right!

From what I’ve seen, Crazy Love was not a huge hit. It had low ratings in Korea, was released on Disney+ and aired close to Business Proposal, which took the spotlight at that time. Which is a shame because I think that this series has longevity and will be nice to rewatch even years later. It’s an oddity yet it’s also a fun and fulfilling show to watch, definitely worth your time!