Imagine a garden, lush and vibrant, filled with flowers of every hue. But nestled amidst the beauty lies a thorny rose, a symbol of both love and pain. This is the essence of “No Gain No Love,” a bittersweet finale that leaves us pondering the complexities of human relationships.
TL;DR
- Embrace the bittersweet: Life is a mix of joy and pain, just like “No Gain No Love.” Cherish the good times and learn from the challenges.
- Love is a journey: Relationships are not always smooth sailing. Be patient, understanding, and willing to work through difficulties.
- Family is everything: Appreciate the love and support of your loved ones, especially during tough times.
- Grieve and heal: It’s okay to feel sad and express your emotions. Allow yourself time to grieve and heal.
- Find your own path: Don’t let anyone dictate your life. Follow your heart and pursue your dreams.
We’re finally at the end of “No Gain No Love,” and it’s hard to say goodbye to a show that’s given us so much joy and laughter over the past six weeks. But alas, all good things must come to an end. Now, let’s unpack these final episodes that had us all over the emotional spectrum. A bit of an emotional rollercoaster? Absolutely. But despite the bumps, we got a happy ending, with most of the plot points nicely tied up—sort of.
A Not-So-Secret Past
We resume with Hae-young finding out that Ji-wook was her mom’s foster child. Oh, the drama! Ji-wook explains that her mother had made him promise to keep it a secret. Of course, in classic K-drama style, Hae-young doesn’t take this news well. She storms out of the house, upset that her mom was willing to take in another foster child despite her father losing his life for fostering. Can’t say we blame her for feeling like that—who knew fostering could come with such high stakes?
Meanwhile, Ja-yeon takes a more mature approach. She feels relieved that their mom wasn’t alone after their dad’s death, and she assures Ji-wook that Hae-young just needs time to process everything. Isn’t it nice when people are level-headed? Too bad that’s rare in drama-land.
Six years ago, Mom had visited Ja-yeon to apologize for blaming her for their dad’s death. Back then, Ja-yeon had been drowning in guilt, but Mom told her it wasn’t her fault. Ja-yeon has since operated under the assumption that Hae-young didn’t know who killed their dad. She even moved back home to take care of Hae-young in their parents’ stead. Now that’s what you call family loyalty.
Foster Memories and Cigarette Moments
Ji-wook manages to track Hae-young down to her mom’s old house in the countryside. There, he shows her a video of her mom at the nursing home, which clearly indicates that Mom still remembers Hae-young, even though Hae-young had assumed otherwise. Cue all the feels.
Then they talk about his foster days, and he mentions a random incident—they once ran into each other outside the house. Hae-young, flirting with a pack of cigarettes, had impulsively asked him, a passing high-schooler, for a lighter. Surprise! Ji-wook was that student, and this was Hae-young’s first time smoking. It all suddenly makes sense why we had that “you never forget the person who taught you how to smoke” line last week. Ah, foreshadowing.
Trouble and Unexpected Heroes
On their way back to Seoul, Hae-young starts to worry because Ja-yeon isn’t answering her calls. Ji-wook calls Gyu-hyun to check up on her, which turns out to be timely—Ja-yeon’s father has broken into the house to attack her. Just when you think things couldn’t get crazier, they do. Thankfully, Gyu-hyun swoops in to save the day.
And because we all need a little comic relief after so much melodrama, Gyu-hyun grabs one of Hae-young’s glow-in-the-dark…ahem…toys, and uses it to beat Ja-yeon’s crazy dad. I kid you not. I was rolling on the floor. There’s something about a serious rescue mission ending with glow-in-the-dark objects of intimacy that just…works.
Love, Family, and Glow-in-the-Dark Drama
Hae-young and Ji-wook arrive home just in time to witness the aftermath. Ja-yeon hides, but Hae-young, not holding back, grabs the glow-in-the-dark prop and smacks her dad across the face. His crime? Claiming parenthood when he obviously didn’t deserve it. Hae-young then tells Ja-yeon she knew all along about her father and kept Ja-yeon around because she didn’t want to lose her sister too. Ja-yeon’s reply? She hung in there because of Hae-young. Cue the waterworks.
The show then cuts to a hilarious scene involving Ji-wook and the Bok half-brothers discussing the number of “bananas” in Hae-young’s bunch. I think it’s safe to say we’ve officially entered uncharted comedic territory. Gyu-hyun thanks Ji-wook for the chance to protect Ja-yeon and addresses him informally—it’s a heartfelt moment. But am I the only one wondering if this makes up for Gyu-hyun’s previous insults? Hmm.
Saying Goodbye to Mom
In our final episode, Mom passes away, and it’s time to grieve. Ji-wook helps the sisters with the funeral arrangements, and we meet Mom’s other foster children who arrive to say their goodbyes. It’s bittersweet. Through the stories shared, Hae-young realizes just how impactful her mother’s life was. The woman gave so much to so many people. Finally, she acknowledges that Mom lived a full life and didn’t suffer a loss. Growth? We love to see it.
After the funeral, Ji-wook tells Hae-young about the promise he made to her mom—to hold onto Hae-young. But Hae-young, at her limit with all the promises, tells Ji-wook he doesn’t need to stay with her out of obligation. She wants him to prioritize himself for once. “I don’t want to be the reason and purpose of your life,” she says, before dramatically removing her wedding ring and walking away. Ouch.
Six Months Later…
Fast forward six months, and we see Hee-sung thriving in her career as a voice actor. Oh, and she’s keeping the baby. She’s even raising the child with her boyfriend—they broke up and got back together in true K-drama fashion. Meanwhile, Ja-yeon has embraced her true self and has started giving guest lectures. Gyu-hyun, ever the achiever, has taken Ggulbi to the top spot in the industry, with the company now offering equal benefits for both single and married employees. Finally, some progress.
As for Hae-young, she’s had enough of Woo-jae thriving off her hard work, so she quits and starts her own company. She even manages to poach Ha-joon, whose dream is to write code. Of course, Gyu-hyun ends up investing in their startup because—well, why not? He’s rich and she’s family.
And Finally, Ji-wook’s Return
Ji-wook returns to Korea with a mysterious woman, and the show tries to convince Hae-young that they’re getting married. Of course, it turns out they’re not romantically involved—just relatives. Classic misdirection! Ji-wook informs Hae-young that he’s back for her, no strings attached. Hae-young finally tells him she loves him, they exchange rings, and we get that obligatory final kiss.
My Take: A Finale That Almost Made It
Let me just say, we were so close to a perfect ending. So close! But, like clockwork, K-dramas will always K-drama. Why do they insist on throwing logic out the window as soon as we get to the last episode? It’s like all reason was buried alongside Hae-young’s mom.
Don’t get me wrong, I get it—in theory. Hae-young wanted Ji-wook to be free from all the obligations and promises, but there were definitely better ways to handle this than a forced separation. There were ways to reunite Ji-wook with his mom in Canada that didn’t require him to walk away from Hae-young.
Honestly, I was hoping to see a real wedding for Hae-young and Ji-wook. Sure, it’s not always about a big ceremony, but after everything they’ve been through, can’t a girl get a bit of romance without all the angst? And don’t even get me started on how we went an entire episode without a single romantic scene between the leads. One kiss at the end is not enough! Where’s my lovey-dovey moments?
But, with all that said, “No Gain No Love” still delivered a fantastic ride for eleven episodes. The romance, the humor, the heartfelt moments with the sisters, it all worked. And let’s not forget Hae-young, one of the most complex and wonderfully-written female leads we’ve had in a while. So what if the show fumbled a little at the end? A solid 9/10 in my book is still worth celebrating.
A Final Thought
Here’s the thing: no show is perfect, and while I have my gripes, “No Gain No Love” gave us some truly iconic moments. Glow-in-the-dark shenanigans, a well-rounded portrayal of foster family dynamics, and a lead who knows her worth. Yes, there was a lot of running around, a few plot holes you could drive a truck through, and the occasional moment of illogical melodrama. But all of that is just part of the K-drama charm.
So, cheers to a rollercoaster six weeks. I laughed, I cried, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be recommending this one for a while—glow-in-the-dark weapons and all.
