Romance Blue… It all seemed so real. I almost forgot I was watching actors say lines. Does that mean it’s a fantastic show? Not exactly. It just means it has the ability to draw you in – hook, line, and sinker.
Min-Woo is a handsome, kind man who dates women for a living. They hire him to take them on dates. It’s all above board and out in the open with no physical intimacy involved.
Ji-Ahn’s job is to write letters, love letters, to be exact. People who want to confess their feelings, by way of the written word, hire her. She’s sort of like a ghostwriter.
Min-Woo and Ji-Ahn may be paid to fake love on behalf of others’ genuine love, but what will happen when these two sincere people, who are subconsciously looking for love themselves, finally meet?
Episode one deals mainly with the lead male character, Min-Woo. After getting to know a bit of what makes him tick, episode two introduces us to the main female character Ji-Ahn, spending most of the time on her. Then the rest of the episodes put those two people together and we get to observe their growing relationship. The writer cleverly takes us, step by step, through two lives we want to see happily intertwine.
Because this webdrama is only six episodes long, each lasting about 15 to 20 minutes, we aren’t given a detailed background of either character so I was surprised at how deeply I was drawn into the show. I didn’t know much about them but truly wanted them to find love in each other’s arms and be completely happy.
The writer skimps a bit on dialogue, leaving us with moments of silence, times when the lead characters are left by themselves to think and evaluate their loneliness. Both want to give and receive love but are hesitant to step out of their emotional comfort/safely zone, so they invite fake love into their lives through the sincere feelings of someone else. But that’s just the problem – they invite vicarious love into their lives, not real love into their hearts. Ji-Ahn shyly tells Min-Woo, “… we use other people’s hearts to deliver someone else’s love that isn’t ours.”
The role of Min-Woo is played by actor Park Min-Woo. He began his entertainment career in Kim Yoon-Ah’s music video Going Home. However, his acting debut was a bit part in the Kdrama My Princess. He then went on to play a bigger role in Flower Boy Ramen Shop. Since then he’s been in several other dramas including 2016’s Please Come Back, Mister, staring Rain.
Playing the part of Ji-Ahn is actress Kim Ji-Ahn. She made her acting debut in 2016 with a tiny part in My Lawyer, Mr. Jo and then went on to do small roles in Nightmare High and the wonderfully entertaining Kdrama One More Happy Ending. It was a busy year for her. When she decided to go into acting she certainly jumped in with both feet, I’ll give her that.
Did anyone notice the names of both main characters are the same as the lead actor and actress playing them? Kind of clever.
The drama is filmed in faded tones and has a soft, filtered look. Background songs are very limited, leaving much of a scene in silence. The absence of vivid colors and continuous music gives the story a somber feeling which perfectly compliments the lonely hearts of the main characters and the serious plot.
The name of this drama refers to the apprehension/depression one may feel at the beginning of a new love. I suggest you give Romance Blue a try. It will pull you in right away and has some good lessons in love for us all, the main one coming from Ji-Ahn – “Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.”
Score: 7.5
The Good:
The whole thing has a very realistic feel to it
Thoughtful writing
Perfect length for the plot
The Bad:
Nothing, really
