Kim Okay-vin (left) and Teo Yoo (proper) in ‘Like to Hate You.’ Picture: courtesy of Netflix.
There’s a gripping second within the opening of Like to Hate You the place Kim Okay-vin’s character strides confidently by way of empty metropolis streets at night time, earphones plugged in. Out of the blue, a motorbike messenger whooshes by to rob a drunk man. However earlier than he can act, Kim enters the scene, unleashing a flurry of exact punches and kicks. On this second, she’s greater than only a hero. She’s a drive of nature, shattering expectations and setting the stage for a drama that’s all about feminine energy and power.
One of the crucial compelling elements of Like to Hate You (2023), directed by Kim Jung-kwon, is that it tackles societal sexism head-on. But, what makes it so attention-grabbing is that beneath its sharp wit lies a young, unconventional love story. What begins as a well-known dance of disdain regularly blossoms into one thing refreshingly actual—a romance that leaves you breathless and perhaps even just a little modified.
The plot follows Yeo Mi-ran (Kim Ok-vin), a feisty lawyer and an MMA-trained powerhouse who’s spent her profession preventing to dismantle the patriarchy. Witty and sharp, she’s all about justice, girls’s rights, and unapologetically proudly owning her wishes. Her life takes an advanced flip when she joins an elite legislation agency that caters to celebrities. Out of the blue, she’s thrust right into a world of glamor, scandal, and Nam Kang-ho (Teo Yoo)—a sizzling film star and family identify famend for his swoon-worthy portrayals, who occurs to be one of many agency’s prime shoppers.
Mi-ran quickly discovers that Kang-ho’s on-screen allure belies his misogyny, making her keen to offer him a bit of her thoughts, particularly when he enlists her assist in studying combat strikes for the position of his desires. Little does she know, an image is about to ignite controversy, forcing them to faux to be in a relationship. And whereas they’re faking this romance, their preliminary animosity blossoms into one thing extra significant.
It’s a gorgeous journey of development, respect, and empowerment. Kang-ho’s preliminary biases slowly soften into admiration for Mi-ran. He finds himself enamored together with her daring and blunt nature, her skill to face as much as males, and her unapologetic confidence. He additionally realizes that, in contrast to different girls, she’s the one one who makes him really feel comfy. Mi-ran retains capturing his creativeness, which is punctuated by the way in which he seems to be at her each time—curious, impressed, virtually in awe. That look turns into a mirrored image of how he’s altering as an individual: he’s not simply falling for her, but in addition studying to respect her. When Mi-ran’s mom, who has lengthy felt unseen and unappreciated in her marital life, will get emotional at Kang-ho’s phrases of respect for her daughter, it’s a reminder that mutual respect in a relationship may be extremely highly effective, and that validation can profoundly impression these round you.
One dialog between Kang-ho and Mi-ran after she saves him from an accident is so easy but so highly effective, reflecting the standard expectations that always suffocate girls. Kang-ho’s query, “Why did you, a lady, have to do this?” is met with Mi-ran’s fast response: “If somebody saves you from hazard, are you actually going to argue why a lady got here to avoid wasting you?” Her phrases slice by way of the noise of assumptions that ladies are weaker or much less succesful. And as Kang-ho grapples with the implications of her phrases, they problem his personal biases, paving the way in which for a deeper connection.
Mi-ran units a precedent as a lady who’s unabashedly herself, even when her sexual life turns into a public spectacle and he or she’s referred to as a hypocrite who loathes males however loves intercourse. The societal hypocrisy is, the truth is, clear right here: whereas males are sometimes not questioned for philandering, girls like Mi-ran are shamed for a similar. When her ex tries to malign her for her previous relationships, she assertively says, “I’ve lived my life alone phrases,” clapping again at a society that’s typically attempting to restrict a lady’s freedom of selection.
Kang-ho, nonetheless, proves to be a terrific man who loves Mi-ran above all else. Beneath the floor of his fame lie advanced vulnerabilities, challenges, and private struggles. When his company tries to regulate the narrative round his relationship with Mi-ran, it reveals the tough realities of stardom. In Korea’s leisure trade, relationship scandals may be career-defining, and the stress to adapt to a sure picture is intense. This scrutiny forces celebrities to calculate each transfer they make. Even so, amid all of the chaos, Kang-ho and Mi-ran’s relationship turns into a supply of therapeutic and development for each of them.
Like to Hate You can also be about lovely friendships, similar to Mi-ran’s regular bond together with her greatest good friend, Shin Na-eun (Go Received-hee), and the unlikely camaraderie between Kang-ho and his supervisor, Do Received-jun (Kim Ji-hoon). Whereas the world is busy judging Kang-ho and Mi-ran, Received-jun and Na-eun’s fixed assist proves to be the uncommon sort of non-judgmental friendship that provides a distinction to the criticism that surrounds them. So, when you haven’t watched them but, you’re positively lacking out. Like to Hate You is a superb K-drama, a scathing critique of gender stereotypes, a considerate story about human connections, and a gorgeous romance that feels remarkably actual when completely different people problem one another’s views.