In episodes 3 and 4 of tvN’s Saturday-Sunday drama “Love Next Door” that aired on August 24th and 25th, Jung So-min portrayed Bae Seok-ryu, a character who decides to live life on her own terms, leaving behind a 10-year career, resonating with viewers’ real-life experiences.
In episode 3, Seok-ryu, determined to live as a perfect unemployed person, opens her laptop and creates a life schedule. Despite her bold plan to spend all day reading comic books or sleeping, this routine of doing nothing quickly makes her anxious.
Seok-ryu accidentally meets her high school teacher, who asks her to talk to the students while she’s at school. She ends up giving an impromptu lecture, during which the students ask what her dream was in high school. Caught off guard, she responds, “My dream was to be the top student. Looking back, I feel a bit sorry for myself then.“
Jung So-min immerses herself in the character, portraying the instability and emotional changes of someone experiencing a slump in the midst of a fiercely lived life. She effectively conveys the uneasy emotions of Seok-ryu, who, despite ambitiously starting a life of unemployment, can’t stand doing nothing, evoking a deep empathy from viewers.
As the episodes progress, Jung So-min’s character shows a delightful childhood friend chemistry with Jung Hae-in. Their relationship, filled with bickering yet providing comfort to each other, adds a subtle sense of excitement. In particular, when Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo dig up a time capsule they buried 10 years ago, they argue while reading each other’s embarrassing notes from the past. During this, it’s revealed that Seung-hyo liked Seok-ryu back in their school days.
In episode 4, Seok-ryu learns that Seung-hyo’s company received a collaboration proposal from her former workplace Greip. Yoon Myung-woo (played by Jeon Seok-ho) asks Seok-ryu to help with translation work, so she agrees to assist Seung-hyo’s company. During a video conference with Greip, Seok-ryu informs Seung-hyo that they have chosen another company, leading to intensified conflict between Seok-ryu, who insists it’s a waste of time, and Seung-hyo, who is determined to continue his work.
Although Seok-ryu initially plans to quit the translation job, she decides to attend the meeting between Seung-hyo and Greip after much thought. However, there she encounters her former colleague Chris, who had humiliated her. Unable to hold back any longer, Seok-ryu punches Chris with all her strength. Jung So-min provides a refreshing and healing experience for viewers with her fluent English lines and comedic action scenes.
Meanwhile, the drama “Love Next Door” starring Jung So-min ranked second in the integrated TV-OTT chart for the third week of August, according to Good Data Corporation’s official platform FUNdex. Furthermore, Jung So-min topped the list of most talked-about actors, showcasing her prowess as a “romantic comedy goddess”.
“Love Next Door” airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:20 PM.
Source: Daum