The Woman Who Plays (2024)

Sweet, Cheesy, and Totally Hilarious!

Rom-coms have always been my guilty pleasures—something I just cannot help but indulge in, like sneaking a spoonful of Nutella straight from the jar. The drama can be full of the usual tropes, and I’m typically fine with that because I like them. Such is the case with *My Sweet Mobster*. Some will say it is predictable and cheesy, and they would be right, but the show did the cheesiness and comedy so well that it won me over. I found most episodes enjoyable and funny. Additionally, the show had a compelling premise: the ML was an ex-mobster leading a group of ex-convicts and trying to stay on the straight path.

The biggest draw for me was Uhm Tae Goo as Seo Ji Hwan, the ML. He completely surprised me. I had only seen him in *Save Me 2*, and I did not expect him to be so versatile in this drama. I was impressed by how he was able to transition from being scarily intimidating to being goofily love-struck. Uhm Tae Goo showed that he can do comedy, so I hope he will continue to explore that. Seo Ji Hwan was easy to root for. He was principled, led by example, and was admired by his men. I especially loved his interactions with his group of sidekicks who live with him. That dynamic seriously elevated the show for me, and in fact, I would say that was the best part of the drama.

As for the romance, the chemistry between the lead couple was not as great as I would have liked. Han Sun Hwa was fine as Go Eun Ha, the FL, but I was not won over by her character. Go Eun Ha was a content creator for children, and Han Sun Hwa fit the role—cute, bubbly, and pretty. However, there was something missing between the couple that did not make my heart flutter during the romantic scenes. There was no feeling of giddiness or warmth watching the FL's reactions, but it was incredibly funny watching Seo Ji Hwan swooning (in some cases, quite literally!), as he had never experienced love before. His antics, accompanied by the humorous reactions of his sidekicks, kept me laughing a lot.

Kwon Yul, playing Jang Hyeon U, the SML, was another surprise for me since I have seen the actor play more menacing villains in other shows. In this show, Jang Hyeon U was not as annoying as the stereotypical SML. He was persistent when appropriate but remained a gentleman when rejected, and his protectiveness made sense given the ML's background. Best of all, he underwent some character development, becoming a good friend to the couple, supporting them, and truly caring for their happiness. I appreciate that the show did not pair him with someone else just for the sake of it, although there was some implication of a potential romance for him.

The development of the second couple, Ju Il Yeong and Kim Mi Ho, was okay to watch, but Mi Ho's parents and, again, the sidekicks were the ones adding the most flavor to the good scenes. Honestly, the supporting characters deserved much kudos for making this drama a lot more enjoyable.

Recently, there seems to be a general struggle to get the pacing of dramas right, and *My Sweet Mobster* suffered from this as well. Some episodes started to feel like filler. It was as though the show could not bear to leave out all the comedy gold, so they squeezed it all in, even though the scenes did not move the story along. As much as I laughed, I also found certain parts rather draggy. Another downside was the main villain—I could not take him seriously. Even if this was supposed to be comedic, there was something off about him.

The wrap-up was nicely done. The resolution for the ML and his mobster ties left a good feeling, and the way the show ended, featuring the main group, was satisfying.

In terms of the soundtrack, it was good—mostly romantic tracks fitting for the more emotional scenes. The opening credit song was lively and reflected the positive and happy tone throughout the show, but my favorite was "Beautiful Woman" by Yu Jeongseok. It was just so funky and unexpected, but totally appropriate when played. For posterity, I included the links to the playlist.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6QLkDGAblKUfnW7tB6ywqX?si=d688c0d23fc2451a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-8m3l2VVxQ

Overall, I would recommend this show. For a rom-com, it was different, straying a little from the stereotypical rich chaebol heir falling in love with a lovely girl of a common background. The comedy was well done, and if you can deal with the cringey moments that are in almost all Korean rom-coms, then you may enjoy it as much as I did.

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