Credit: Netflix
Romance dramas seem to follow a trend of self-empowerment, healing, and overcoming harsh obstacles nowadays. With love and self-love being the new formula of success, it is rather amusing to see that Netflix’s newest drama, Love Untangled, goes back to basics and deals with insecurities in a rather mundane way.
Starring Shin Eun Soo, Shin Hye Sun , and Gong Myung, Love Untangled follows 19-year-old Park Se Ri (Shin Eun Soo), who’s on a mission to confess her feelings to her longtime crush. But before she can make her big move, she’s determined to fix her lifelong insecurity—her unruly curls. Things get even messier when a mysterious new transfer student, Han Yoon Seok ( Gong Myung ), enters the picture and captures her heart too.
Although the characters are cute and the setting is charming, the storyline is very lackluster. It is a modest, easy-to-digest, feel-good drama. The setting isn’t a big city filled with negative influences or over-the-top happenings; it is slow, peaceful, and healing. The seaside shots are captivating, and it is easy to lose yourself in the beauty of Korea.
However, the mediocre storyline and rowdy, noisy character that Park Se Ri is cuts through the atmosphere like a chainsaw. Although Shin Eun Soo is a fairly new but popular actress, this role seemed trivial and beneath her level. Park Se Ri is a rambunctious, chatty, and animated teenager, but her overflowing energy and whiny behavior made it hard to watch. Rather than appearing charming, it feels bothersome or disruptive. Based on the first episodes, the male leads also lack depth and just seem to be clichés as well. A silent hot type and a boy who is like a friend and goes unnoticed until the very end, when the protagonist gathers their thoughts.
What the lacks in storyline punch, it makes up for with innocent but flirtatious moments and school-life nostalgia. The scoring is good and complements many of the innocent moments that the teens share amongst themselves. Buying drinks for their crush, meeting after school to just hang out, or performing at the beach and working hard towards simple goals feels refreshing. It is easy to get wrapped up in the childish drama of teenagers in this series.
Another concern is the dramatic reaction Park Se Ri has over her looks- particularly her hair. There is nothing wrong with curly hair; it looks great, and it feels like the drama is trying to bring back tropes and unnecessary standards that don’t belong in 2025. Of course, when we are young, we feel an intense hatred of our insecurities and over-dramatize just how “Awful” everything is. This makes Shin Eun Soo appear genuine in acting out this way. However, other “aegyo” oriented scenes just feel overdone and unnatural. It makes it hard to grow an attachment to her character.
Credit: Netflix
However, seeing Park Se Ri’s growth and her nurturing her love is a charming aspect of the show. Although she’s the same rambunctious girl we knew in the beginning, viewers can fall for her character as she grows through her various stages of love in a well-paced manner. She builds a lot of unique relationships along the way and strengthens the ones she already has. The drama is a good reminder to remember all the forms of love and relationships we share with people around us.
In the end, Love Untangled is a cute drama, but an absolute must-see? Not really. Unfortunately, Park Se Ri’s childish behavior can make the drama unbearable, and the hyper-focus on having curly hair being a downside just feels all too silly to relate to. It may be a drama suitable for younger audiences due to the mix of emotions it evokes. If you’re looking for an innocent school romance that lacks the glitz and flair of modern Seoul, this drama will be warm and soothing like a simple tasting cup of chamomile tea. Nothing radical, just a love story. (6.5/10)
Gong Myung and Shin Eun Soo’s Netflix Rom-Com ‘Love Untangled’ Reveals New Teasers Ahead of August Release
