Second Shot at Love, the latest romantic comedy starring Girls’ Generation’s Choi Soo-young and Gong Myung, opens with a bold statement about Korea’s drinking culture. Gong plays Seo Ui-joon, a doctor delivering a presentation on South Korea’s casual relationship with alcohol, highlighting how deeply it is woven into social and work life. This cautionary tone quickly shifts to comedy as the show slips comfortably into the genre’s familiar tropes, including a chaotic drunken mishap and a humiliating hangover reveal—this time courtesy of Choi’s character, Han Geum-joo.
Geum-joo is a talented mechanic living in the city with a serious drinking problem. When her fiancé gives her an ultimatum—him or the booze—she chooses the latter. After losing her job, her frustrated mother (Kim Sung-ryung) drags her back to their countryside home. Her father (Kim Sang-ho) and sister (Jo Yoon-hee) are happy to see her, but her mother bans alcohol from the household, hoping to enforce a change.
Back in her rural hometown, Geum-joo crosses paths with her childhood friend and likely first love, Ui-joon. He’s now a well-loved local doctor. While she is mortified to see him again, their shared past and tight-knit community ensure they’re frequently in each other’s orbit. Gossip spreads quickly, and the truth behind her broken engagement—her ex got someone else pregnant—offers a sympathetic explanation for her drinking habits.
Despite its sharp opening critique, the show plays it safe, retreating into a well-worn formula seen in similar series like Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. The narrative of an emotionally wounded urbanite returning to their roots for healing is nothing new. While it introduces themes of alcoholism and societal change, Second Shot at Love doesn’t truly dig into them, instead leaning on its charismatic leads and comfortable structure.
Gong Myung again charms as the wholesome male lead, reminiscent of his role in Way Back Love, while Choi Soo-young proves her talent for physical comedy and emotional vulnerability. However, given her previous performances in Run On and If You Wish Upon Me, it feels like she’s overdue for deeper material. Her upcoming Hollywood debut in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina might offer that chance.
For now, Second Shot at Love succeeds on the strength of its stars, even if it plays its emotional and narrative beats a bit too safe.
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