[Review] 'Yeonae Ppajin Romance' Us, Jayoung? An Adult 15+ Romantic Comedy Like an Erotic Novel

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] *This article contains some spoilers. Jayoung (played by Jeon Jong-seo) drinks heavily, bitterly reflecting on her past relationships. Seeking solace and driven by rising desires, she joins a popular club, but the men she meets are either mama’s boys or married con artists. After a brief disappointment, she ventures into the currently 'hot' world of dating apps to find a partner.

Uri (played by Son Seok-gu), who works at a magazine, is instructed by his editor-in-chief to write an adult column and signs up for a dating app. Uri once dreamed of becoming a novelist, but life in the working world is harsh. Ultimately pushed into the column assignment, he waits to meet women to gain the experiences needed for his writing.

Through the dating app, Jayoung and Uri meet on the morning of the Lunar New Year holiday. While Jayoung happily enjoys Pyongyang cold noodles, Uri grumbles that it tastes like "water used to soak dishcloths." Regardless, Jayoung insists "you must not leave food behind" and picks up some boiled pork left by a nearby diner. That night, after spending the night together, the two continue to desire each other.

Having lost her job due to heartbreak, Jayoung works at her father’s bakery and values her desires as much as her work. Meanwhile, Uri writes a hit column without Jayoung’s consent, including their intimate conversations and events at a love hotel. The column, which candidly covers secret talks and sexual preferences, receives attention for its realism.

As a result, Uri thrives at work but feels guilty about deceiving Jayoung and decides to confess, cautiously gauging her reaction. Time passes, and Jayoung discovers she has been used for the column.

The film does not strongly align with keywords like 'MZ generation,' 'desires of people in their 20s and 30s,' or 'youthful struggles.' These are no longer edgy keywords, and the film itself is neither particularly young nor fresh.

It raises questions. Today’s 29-year-olds suffer through the hell of job hunting and struggle to survive in the workplace. Unlike Jayoung, who drinks every night and is honest enough about her desires to even use dating apps to find partners, many cannot be so candid. Therefore, portraying this as a story of 'our youth' can be risky. 'Romance Without Love' is better viewed not as a youth film but as a 'character-driven film.'

The film consistently discusses the desires of women and men, and the content is quite explicit. Rated for viewers aged 15 and older, it is accessible to middle school sophomores, but if middle and high school students watch it, I would advise against it. Although there is little nudity, scenes depicting men and women sharing a bed are shown, and frequent low-level profanity occurs. Moreover, the high-intensity dialogue and situations are so explicit that it is hard to understand why it is rated suitable for 15 and older.

The Korea Media Rating Board explained the classification by stating, "Although the subject matter includes several scenes depicting sexual acts between men and women in detail, the exposure is not explicit and mostly presented in fragments, resulting in a somewhat high level of sexual content. The dialogue contains somewhat strong language due to vulgar or sexual expressions."

The women in the film frequently talk about sexual desires, whether drinking or not. While the director may have wanted to portray women honest about their desires, this could also reinforce stereotypes.

Director Jung Ga-young said, "I wanted to make a romance film with a female protagonist," but if that was the case, it should have been done well. However, 'Romance Without Love' is not fully realized as a 'female film.' The movie remains a simple romantic comedy alternating between Jayoung’s and Uri’s perspectives.

Jung Ga-young, who directed the indie film 'Night Shift' (2018), which depicted a woman appealing to a man for sex, also directed this film. 'Romance Without Love' feels like an expanded version of 'Night Shift,' borrowing sharp dialogues between men and women and certain spatial compositions almost identically.

The film never fully answers the question, "So what?" Whether due to a lack of the director’s reflection or a desire to grandly tell 'her story' through a commercial film, it ends as a typical romantic comedy. Except for the somewhat high content rating, it is a decent romantic comedy for adult couples.

The actors’ performances shine. Son Seok-gu and Jeon Jong-seo are impressively convincing in their first melodrama roles. Especially Son Seok-gu’s relaxed expressions feel fresh. Kim Jae-hwa as the editor-in-chief and Gong Min-jung as Jayoung’s lawyer friend also leave strong impressions. Running time is 95 minutes. Rated 15 and older. Released on November 24.

Photo=CJ ENM

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.