Review | K-drama review: Mad for Each Other – Netflix’s winning romcom makes up for regressive gender stereotypes with great chemistry
- Oh Yeon-seo and Jung Woo play two quirky, unlucky-in-love eccentrics, who develop an unlikely attraction despite initial anger and wariness towards each other
- At first, the comedy comes off as very broad, but once the show gets into the swing of things and brings in some entertaining side characters, it works well
This article contains spoilers.
3/5 stars
Mental health and comedy have long been popular bedfellows, but these days the combination is a riskier proposition that requires a certain amount of finesse. Mad for Each Other, the latest half-hourly show from KakaoTV (streaming on Netflix globally), is a sturdy romantic comedy, but as a study of mental health its foundations are pretty shaky.
South Korean media have long embraced the stereotype of the “crazy girl”. Look no further than My Sassy Girl, the original hit that put Korea entertainment on the global map 20 years ago, in which Jun Ji-hyun played the titular kooky protagonist, who is prone to blackout drinking spells and berating her love interest at every turn.
This stereotype, which is hardly unique to Korea, is applied to any woman who doesn’t conform to a man’s expectations, whether in a relationship or in the workplace. Still common today, the term has a powerful gaslighting effect and is frequently reinforced by the characters and storylines of TV drama series.