Love to Hate You (2023)

Charming and Delightful Kim Ok Bin Gives Us A Strong Woman While Exposing the Hypocrisy of Society!

This is a simply delightful and incredibly hilarious romantic comedy that succeeds largely due to its originality and not going down the pitfalls of overused cliches. I haven’t laughed this hard since “Hospital Playlist,” and there are too many numerous moments that will either have you laughing out loud or possibly even rolling on the floor with laughter.

However, as with so many Korean shows, not everything is for comedic value as the writers expose the incredible sexism and hypocrisy of the entertainment world that is largely in place due to warped religious, societal, and cultural values that are in place because of male chauvinistic rules about what is proper and what isn’t. Sadly, society loves to build up a hero, but it loves to tear one down even more. Whenever anyone is placed upon a pedestal—which is always a skewed and warped version of the real person—expectations will always inevitably take a hit because people refuse to see such people as human.

Nam Kang Ho is on top of the world as far as the movie industry goes. He’s the top-billed star in the highest demand. What people don’t realize is that he has a fear of being intimate with women. Even doing kissing scenes with female co-stars causes him to have a negative reaction. Of course, as with all rumors, it’s assumed that he doesn’t like women.

Yeo Mi-Ran is a lawyer who is also a master martial artist. Nothing brings her so much pleasure as exposing men for what they are (or what she believes them all to be): liars and cheats who look down on women. She also has no compunction about beating them up if they push things too far. Her relationships never go further than one-night stands, and usually done to prove that men are exactly what she believes them to be.

Ironically, what we have here is a bit of a role reversal. In some ways, Nam Kang Ho behaves more like how a woman would react to relationships that never pan out. And Yeo Mi-Ran has almost masculine traits in how she deals with men. She makes absolutely no apologies for how she lives her life. And why should she? Because she’s a woman? Hence, the hypocrisy of today’s world which is always at the forefront for entertainers thanks to social media. So, a man can sleep with as many women as he likes, and there is virtually no negative feedback. However, if a woman is caught doing the same thing, a cascade of negative feedback is always inevitable. And this series beautifully exposes such insane and sexist views that are largely created by men and promoted by everyone.

At first, Yeo Mi-Ran has a strong dislike for Nam Kang Ho when she misunderstands something that he says to his agent and friend. She vows to destroy him and put him in his place. Before long, she’s hired by a law firm that represents people in the entertainment industry and—of course—she ends up working with and representing Nam Kang Ho. Thus begins a very cute and often hilarious relationship where both Yeo Mi-Ran and Nam Kang Ho begin to realize that all is not what each believes the other to be. One of the absolute funniest moments is Yeo Mi-Ran attempting to teach Nam Kang Ho how to fight so that he can properly do a fighting scene in his new film. Little does he realize that he’s dealing with an expert and quickly finds himself subdued and knocked out. Of course, we already know that Yeo Mi-Ran is no wallflower, no damsel in distress who needs to be saved by a man in any circumstances.

One of the all-time great scenes in the series is when Nam Kang Ho and Yeo Mi-Ran profess their feelings and proceed to make love. What makes the scene work so perfectly is because the characters are allowed to be who they are. It isn’t Nam Kang Ho who initiates things—as we’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands, of times in romance movies and shows. Believe it or not ladies, men actually also enjoy having their female partners take charge sometimes too! I actually clapped my hands when the scene played out because I was thrilled to see the female character take matters into her own hands—and in this case, literally!

Some of the greatest of entertainment stars live outside of the limelight. Now, I realize that this is much harder to do in a small country like Korea, but basically, no apologies or even explanations should ever be made for how they live their lives. If you care too much about what people think, then perhaps you’re in the wrong business. The life of any celebrity is always wrought with the highs and lows, the positive and negative views of the media and the public. You’re a hero one day and a goat the next. The courageous make no apologies and never feel that they have to explain themselves to anyone, for that merry-go-round is literally endless.

This is an absolutely terrific series that tickles the funny bone and warms the heart, and like so many Korean shows, has a heartfelt message to expound to its viewers. Be careful about putting people on pedestals for they will always disappoint you in the end. Just because someone makes their living in the spotlight doesn’t mean that they are any different or more special than anyone else.

Performances across the board were incredible, but frankly it is Kim Ok Bin who steals the series for me. She’s able to create a character who doesn’t come across as overbearing or some uptight man-hating feminist. Despite being tough and independent—a great example for women to follow—she also has a soft, feminine nature that she takes great pride in demonstrating. She also helps to change the outdated perception that just because she’s a woman, she’s hardly weak. In many ways, Yeo Mi-Ran is a champion for women to follow and also for men to help them realize that there is true strength in being a woman and exhibiting strong, feminine qualities. And Kim Ok Bin handles this masterfully. It was so refreshing and also inspiring to see this kind of woman portrayed in this series.

These ten episodes went by fast, as I was watching at least two per day, but it was just long enough to encapsulate everything the writers wanted to convey without the need to prolong things unnaturally. Even the end didn’t feel like the writers had to delve into the “romantic comedy” playbook to wrap things up. They stuck with the characters and allowed things to evolve organically and naturally. Such are the hallmarks of a great series!

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