𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜
The only saving grace was the secondary lead couple,𝘠𝘶𝘯 𝘑𝘪 𝘖𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘒𝘪𝘮 𝘑𝘪 𝘌𝘶𝘯 whose chemistry and dynamic brought fleeting moments of light to an otherwise disappointing drama. They had a better storyline, which made their relationship more engaging and enjoyable to watch compared to the main couple.

𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨
Despite Jung Hae In’s charm and Jung So Min’s talent, their chemistry as Choi Seung Hyo and Bae Seok Ryu fell flat. The pair lacked emotional connection and depth, making their romantic relationship feel forced. This, combined with the lack of focus on Seok Ryu’s perspective in falling for Seung Hyo, made their love story unconvincing.

𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙇𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚
It’s undeniable that the drama’s initial high ratings were bolstered by the strong fanbases of Jung So Min and Jung Hae In, as well as an aggressive promotional campaign. However, beyond the hype, the series failed to sustain its appeal.

𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙐𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚
The drama was marketed as a rom-com, but it veered heavily into melodrama, losing the lighthearted charm it promised. The plot became repetitive and meandering, especially in the second half. By the time the story delved into heavy emotional themes, the pacing felt dragged and unnecessarily stretched. It would have benefited greatly from being condensed into fewer episodes.

𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨
The series leaned heavily on familiar tropes like "childhood friends to lovers," but without innovation or nuance, these clichés felt tired and predictable.

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: 𝟑/𝟏𝟎
"Love Next Door" had all the ingredients for success but ultimately fell short due to its lackluster chemistry between leads, dragged-out storyline, and failure to deliver on its rom-com premise. The only saving grace was the secondary lead couple.