Netflix’s recent Korean television series Crash Course In Romance, has concluded on a high note, with a happy ending. But unlike what its English title suggests, the show involves a scandal, a psychopath murderer on the run, pesky mothers, competitive and overstressed high school students, besides, of course, romance.
The drama follows the story of a former national handball player, Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon), who has to give up early on her career after her elder sister leaves her daughter, Nam Hae-e (Roh Yoon-seo), under her care.
Haeng-seon, who owns a banchan (side dish) store, shares the academic district with a private education academy starring celebrity math teacher Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho), but is introduced to the world of cutthroat competition when she joins a beeline of parents outside the academy to secure an admission and a seat in the first row of the classroom for Hae-e.
A parallel plot involving encounters and banters between Haeng-seon and Chi-yeol confluencing into a romantic relationship sets the mood for a visual treat, as is usually the case with rom-com K-dramas.
The script beautifully portrays the relationship between Haeng-seon and Hae-e who habitually calls the former ‘eomma’ (mother) but would address her as ‘imo’ (aunt) trying to give Haeng-seon her space to pursue her love with Chi-yeol.
Unlike Haeng-seon who lets Hae-e grow academically at her own pace, some mothers will do anything — malign others or sneak exam papers — to steer their kids to the front in this high-edged competition.
Attorney Jang Seo-jin (Jang Young-nam) has high expectations from her younger son Lee Sun-jae (Lee Chae-min) after the elder one suffers a competition-induced breakdown, manages to get hold of exam papers and Jo Su-hee (Kim Sun-young), a social media influencer is oblivious to her daughter’s deteriorating mental health and a cheating husband. While the show allows a good chunk of screentime to these mothers who intentionally or unintentionally inflict trauma on their children, it lacks in providing a proper closure even after a subplot involving a murder reveals the reason on the same lines.
Side characters and Hae-e’s classmates Jang Dan-ji and Seo Geon-hu — with his subtle and innocent proposal to Hae-e — are a delight in the show which gets heavy with the psychopathic- murderer subplot in the later part. Another subplot involving Haeng-seon’s brother on the autism spectrum Nam Jae-woo and her friend Kim Young-joo in a relationship seemed a bit pushed into the script. Hae-e’s mother’s sudden appearance could also have been avoided.
Though the subplots drift the show in other directions, academic competition, parental trauma, Haeng-son and Chi-yeol’s love story, and light-hearted moments will keep one stuck to the screen.
Crash Course in Romance has been well-received by the audience, finishing as tvN’s sixth-highest rating show sharing the list with other hit k-dramas like Crash Landing on You, Goblin, and Reply 1988. The K-drama also finished in the list of top 10 shows on Netflix in 19 countries including India and number 4 in the TV (non-English) category globally.
ALSO READ: 'Citadel' Star Priyanka Chopra Jonas Thinks Entertainment Goes 'Beyond Borders And Language' Now