I Need Romance 3 is an honest look at life and love. We get to follow all the twists, turns, ups, downs, smiles, and tears in the love lives of eight very different people who are all tied together through their jobs and friendship.
Joo Wan is the son of very wealthy parents who were always busy while he was growing up. Joo-Yeon is the young girl who practically raised him, from the day he was born until he was eight. She called him “Sweet Potato”, because she said he was as ugly as a sweet potato, and his name for her was “Shing Shing”. The young Joo Wan idolized Joo-Yeon and when he had to leave her, because his parents moved to the States, he gave her his tooth and told her he would come back to her when he was a man. And he makes good on his promise. As a successful composer known as Alan Joo, Joo Wan finally makes it back to Korea and to Joo-Yeon. Will Shing Shing want the now handsome and successful Sweet Potato or will she still think of him as the annoying little kid she was forced to tend so many years ago?
Shin Joo-Yeon is the head of her own team for a home shopping network. She’s nice but certainly not a “warm and fuzzy” kind of person. She works hard for the approval of her boss and wants him to think the best of her. She keeps, in a glass in her bathroom cabinet, five rings from five old relationships gone bad. And it’s because of those failed relationships that she has an icy personality.
Joo Wan is a famous songwriter known as Alan Joo. He’s loved Joo-Yeon since he was a little kid and now that he’s a successful adult he’s ready to make her fall head over heels for him. But it won’t be as easy as he hopes. Not to worry, though. He knows what real love is, and he’s willing to wait as long as it takes for her to realize she loves him. Because he truly loves Shing Shing he wants her to be happy even if that means her being with someone else.
There are other characters…
Namgung Min plays Joo-Yeon’s boss, Kang Tae-Yoon. He’s 100% business, most of the time, and because of that he’s a very successful man who is highly respected and admired. One big reason he’s thrown himself into his job is because he’s nursing a broken heart – forget love and concentrate on business.
Wang Ji-Won is Oh Se-Ryeong, a successful and famous clothes designer. She and Joo-Yeon used to be close friends until they both fell for the same guy way back in high school. She regretfully walked away from the man she loved and honestly wants him back.
Park Hyo-Joo plays the part of Lee Min-Jung, Joo-Yeon’s senior colleague. She’s a footloose and fancy free mature woman who doesn’t want a committed relationship to tie her down, and she doesn’t like the idea of getting older.
Yoon Seung-Ah’s character is Jung Hee-Jae, a junior on Joo-Yeon’s team. She’s been in a relationship with a guy for five years without it progressing at all. She’d love to marry him but refuses to until he passes his civil exams, and her patience is wearing thin.
Lee Woo-Young, played by Park Yoo-Hwan, is also a junior on Joo-Yeon’s team. He’s the only male on the team and pretty much treated just like one of the girls. He’s a realist who believes everyone should follow their dreams. (That’s not a very common combination of personality traits, is it?) And he likes Jung Hee-Jae.
This third installment is by far the best in the I Need Romance series, so far. (I really hope they make more.) The romance in this show isn’t just implied, as it is in most Kdramas. The viewers actually get to hear the characters talk, in detail, about their love lives. And these adults aren’t afraid to incorporate natural “skinship” into their relationships. They kiss like people who really care for each other – lips moving. Hallelujah! It gives us the feeling that we are observers of things as they are in real life.
This drama was written in a way that allows us to hear the character’s thoughts. It’s almost like they’re talking to us, like we’re in on a secret no one else knows. In that way it’s like we become a piece of the show, as though we’re part of the characters’ inner circle of friends.
The director chose to have still shots, every now and then, giving us the idea that real life has a “freeze frame” button. It works quite well with the romantic scenes, making the phrase, “time stood still” seem authentic.
The music in I Need Romance 3 is very unique and a definate A+. Such a wide range of styles in just one show. I love the theme/opening song. It just makes you want to dance. Then there’s Now and Forever, a song the character Allen Joo wrote. It’s got a seductive kind of sound to it, and it’s sung in English. Another one that’s performed in English is Love Story. The words and music represent Joo Wan and Joo-Yeon’s relationship, perfectly. And for a special treat we get to hear Sung Joon sing Love Is Smiling, which is the song his character, Alan Joo, sings for his Shing Shing. And I can’t forget the charming French song, Peu A Peu. It’s the perfect background music you’d expect to hear if you were strolling down des Champs-Élysées.
There’s a kiss on the beach scene, which is very romantic, but other than that no scenery to ooooh and ahhhh over. Since this show has more of a realistic flair to it, it only makes sense that scenery and backdrops would be more like everyday life – work, home, a restaurant/hang-out spot or two. They had all they really needed.
If you’re into romantic love stories, I Need Romance 3 is definitely one you’ll enjoy. I didn’t even hesitate to put it on my top 20 list.
Score: 9
The Good:
Engaging storyline
Clever writing
Superb acting
Lovable characters – especially Joo Wan
Diverse music
The Bad:
Can’t think of a single thing
Heart and Seoul 