Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 8 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 9 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 10 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 11 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 12 -| Review Score – 3/5
Brewing Love is exactly what it sounds like. The title evokes sweet and sugary romance while the pun on brewing hints at the industry-centric nature of the story. The K-drama indeed offers just that, following the lives of the strong-willed Yong-ju and the highly sensitive empath Min-ju.
Yong-ju works at a liquor company named Jisang, where the higher-ups decide they want to acquire the hottest brewmaster in town — Min-ju, who runs a small brewery in a countryside town and likes the small-scale, less-people version of his life. With Yong-ju’s colleagues’ jobs on the line, she takes up the challenge of convincing Min-ju to work with Jisang.
What follows is a meeting of two very different types of people. Yong-ju is bubbly, persistent, and can win over the staunchest stranger. Min-ju is quieter and softer but with a moral code as strong as Yong-ju’s. Both of them have their own flaws as well as heavier moments from their pasts. The well-rounded-ness makes them complex, interesting people and this quality fuels the story as well.
Brewing Love Season 1 is, at heart, a character-driven drama that runs on the dynamic between Yong-ju and Min-ju. And it’s quite a good dynamic, that one! It is such a fun ride to watch Yong-ju cheerfully worm her way into Min-ju’s reluctant heart, securing herself a business deal as well as his affection.
Kim Se-jeong gives Yong-ju a playful and extremely endearing nature while Lee Jong-won makes Min-ju highly relatable to every socially awkward person out there. While Yong-ju pulls him out of his shell, Min-ju encourages Yong-ju to look inwards a little deeper. Together, they bring plenty of cuteness and emotion to the drama and if you’re a fan of romance, you’ll enjoy this one.
The interesting twist on this opposites-attract story is Min-ju’s ability as an empath. The K-drama leans a bit on the fantasy side of things here as Min-ju’s abilities can be compared to a superpower of sorts. He can see and feel what others are feeling even when they don’t show it. It’s a fascinating element that is used to not only bring our main leads together but also explore themes of masculinity and sensitivity.
Through Min-ju’s ability to be so emotionally tuned in with people and a contentious relationship with his ex-military father, the drama dives into how the definitions of masculinity can be stifling. At the same time, it addresses other poignant themes — we see how Yong-ju’s struggles with money led her to give up on her own dreams and interests in favour of financial stability.
We also tap into the supporting characters’ lives, learning how army life affected one while the other comes from a rich but emotionally detached.
These are all incredibly engaging themes which could be explored in a nuanced, complex way. Unfortunately, the follow through does not live up to the set up. A few conversations hint at this nuance of these subjects but ultimately, they’re all wrapped up in a very fast and oversimplified manner. As a whole, it’s quite unsatisfying.
This ties into a lot of Brewing Love Season 1’s other flaws, like the fact that it’s got some very intriguing plot points but it doesn’t manage to bring the whole thing together. The editing is choppy and often jumps from one scene to another without much continuity. There are abrupt cutaways and plenty of pacing issues, particularly in the second half of the K-drama.
Conflicts are brought up and then resolved with a wave of the hand right before leaping into the next one. And despite all of this, some of the dialogues and conversations are meaningful and well-written.
Ultimately, Season 1 has a good share of both, strengths and flaws. If you’re looking for a drama to keep on while you do your chores or wrap up that work assignment, this is a leisurely and lighthearted romantic comedy that makes for the perfect background K-drama.
On the other hand, if you want a proper sit-down watch, Brewing Love probably won’t be able to hold 100% of your attention. The cuteness will hit the mark but you can expect that itch to fast-forward to other scenes. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad drama. But sometimes, context is everything.
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Verdict - 6.5/10
6.5/10