In the Name of Alcohol (2024)

I Can’t Stop Smiling.

I never planned to watch this drama. In fact, I only found out about it when episode 1 aired. But from the first episode, it was already so interesting that I decided to give it a try. And I couldn’t stop smiling throughout the entire episode.

If you liked the drama Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this one too, because it has a similar vibe. The female lead is strong, even stronger than the male lead. That doesn’t mean the male lead is weak—they just have their own way of protecting the people they care about.

The storyline of this drama is well-organized and neatly packaged. With only twelve episodes, all the conflicts are resolved. Similar to Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, this drama often breaks the cliché scenes typically found in dramas.

In my opinion, this drama was even intentional from the beginning in breaking stereotypes that exist in our society. For example, the idea that men must always be masculine and aren’t allowed to cry, or that women always need men to protect them. In this drama, Min Ju cries a lot because he’s sensitive. However, this doesn’t take away his masculinity at all—in fact, it adds to his charm.

Similarly, Young Ju’s character always tries to solve her problems on her own. She doesn’t need the male lead to save her. She’s the kind of person who will save herself no matter what. While portrayals of strong female characters like Young Ju are becoming more common in dramas, I think Min Ju’s character is quite new and something I haven’t seen in other dramas.

The relationship between the two leads is so sweet! I love that this drama doesn’t drag things out and wraps everything up in just 12 episodes. But because of that, I’m sad that next week I won’t get to see this adorable couple anymore.

The PTSD experienced by Chan Hwi’s character reminds me of the movie Shutter Island. In that film, it shows how many war veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress like this. I love that this drama explores that topic.

What I also appreciate is that even though this drama highlights the theme of “independent women,” the writer manages not to belittle men. In this drama, we can see that women and men actually complement each other, not compete.

For me, episode 8 is the best episode of this drama. The emotions take you on a rollercoaster in a single episode. I absolutely loved the voice note from Young Ju’s grandmother—it freed Young Ju from her feelings of guilt and, at the same time, freed her grandmother from her own guilt. That voice note liberated them both.

I also liked how the main leads’ relationship transitioned into romance without any over-the-top love-bombing scenes. Instead, they gave us small, sweet interactions that were enough to make me grin from ear to ear while watching.

The resolution for Young Ju’s career conflict was also great, in my opinion. Young Ju is so competent that if she continued working at Jisang, she’d definitely get promoted. But maybe that’s not what Young Ju wants. She’s spent almost her entire life living for others, and finally, she starts living for herself. It’s also reassuring to know that Min Ju is by her side.

I absolutely love all the characters in this drama, including the people in the village of Bae Gok. They aren’t just comedic relief but also drive the plot forward. Their characters are so fresh—not just drama clowns.

Two couples in one drama, and both of them have solid stories. The first couple shines so brightly, but the second couple also gets their moment. I’m beyond satisfied with this drama. Finally, in 2024, I got to watch a rom-com drama that’s truly filled with rom-com moments :) Lately, I’ve been falling for clickbait dramas (if you know what I mean).

This drama is so sweet that I can’t review it in as much detail as I usually do because I was too busy smiling while watching it. Honestly, I think you should just watch it yourself to understand what I mean, lol.

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