If you are one of the many, many fans who fell in love with the 2021 Korean drama Our Beloved Summer, you’re probably a big fan of the enemies/exes-to-lovers trope. Or maybe you just like a slice-of-life show with a relatable romance and complex characters. Whatever it is, as long as you liked Our Beloved Summer, I strongly recommend watching Love Your Enemy. Here’s why:

An engaging storyline

Love Your Enemy follows the love-hate relationship of Seok Jiwon (Ju Jihoon) and Yoon Jiwon (Jung Yumi), who was born on the same day and share the same name, and whose families have been rivals for generations. After 18 years, they reunite once more, but with a lot of baggage from their past breakup.

Sometimes, dramas don’t need to complicate things with mystery, suspense, thrillers, and whatnot. Because most of the time, viewers just want something fun, like a relatable and engaging romantic comedy filled with heartfelt moments and humorous banter.

All the romcom tropes you love

I mean it’s already in the title, no? It’s the enemies-to-lovers trope done right. It has most of the cliches, such as exes-to-lovers, opposites attract, academic rivals, family rivals, nonstop bickering, bring-it-on bets, and more. They even got to include forced proximity somehow! And that makes it all the more fun.

Ju Jihoon back in the romcom world

Known for his darker, action-packed roles in projects like the Along with the Gods franchise, Kingdom, and most recently Blood Free and Lightshop Keeper, Ju Jihoon returns to the rom-com scene after an 18-year break since Princess Hours, and it’s refreshing to see him making more animated expressions and getting into romantic yet comedic shenanigans.

Jung Yumi back in the small screen

Likewise, Jung Yumi spent many years away from the small screen, and her return to romantic comedy 12 years after her appearance in the 2012 drama I Need Romance is equally welcome, given her acting chops. She’s proven herself time and again that she can play whatever character comes her way, even if that’s a cheeky middle-aged woman reunited with her first love once more, like she is in Love Your Enemy.

The teenage years

Aside from the proven talents of the lead stars, viewers are treated to several flashback scenes in a nostalgic high school setting and the youthful charm of young actors Hong Min-ki and Oh Ye-ju. The dynamics of the two young actors as bickering rivals who fall in love with one another are believable, and they give justice to the adult versions of the characters they play.

Fun cameos

On top of the talented cast members, you’ll also spot some familiar faces making cameos, such as Moon Sang-min of Wedding Impossible and Bae Hyun-sung of Family By Choice playing young versions of the leads’ grandparents; Im Chul-soo of Queen Of Tears as one of Seok Jiwon’s friends, and Jo Jae-yoon of Alchemy of Souls as a construction company director.

The first rom-com on Disney+

There’s ~finally~ a full-length romantic-comedy K-drama on Disney+. If you don’t count the very brief Soundtrack No. 1 and No.2, this is probably the first Disney+-exclusive K-drama that is committed to the romantic-comedy genre, instead of mixing it with action, mystery, and others.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the Disney+ K-dramas — shoutout especially to Kang Full’s Moving and Lightshop Keeper — but I had been hoping they had more series that lean towards romance and/or comedy more than any other genre. And they finally gave us Love Your Enemy!

Verdict

This drama is filled with all the kilig. I was only in the first episode, but it made me squeal at my screen several times, and the same goes for the rest of the episodes. If you love funny, feel-good dramas with a dash of emotional depth just like Our Beloved Summer, you should watch Love Your Enemy.

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