What comes after love? It’s a question as old as time, a riddle wrapped in an enigma, shrouded in a mystery. And What Comes After Love is the latest drama to delve into this age-old query. But don’t expect a straightforward answer. This series is a love story, a heartbreak story, and a puzzle all rolled into one.
Think about it: “What comes after love?” Could it be heartbreak? A new love? Or perhaps a lifetime of loneliness? The drama offers a tantalizing glimpse into all three possibilities. It’s like a literary Rubik’s Cube, where each twist and turn reveals a new perspective, a new interpretation.
TL;DR
- Love can be both beautiful and painful.
- Sometimes, the best thing to do is let go.
- It’s okay to feel lost.
- There’s always hope for a new beginning.
- Don’t be afraid to express yourself.
Ah, the world of dramas—where hearts break, heal, and then get shredded again, just for good measure. This weekend, Coupang Play’s newest addition, What Comes After Love, managed to hit my screen and my heart in equal measure. With its unique blend of Japanese and Korean languages, the drama is a story of love, loss, and all the complicated mess in between. Imagine two lovers, reuniting after a five-year hiatus—one that was filled with pain, regret, and some badly timed decisions. Yes, it’s officially pulled me out of my drama slump.
So, let’s dive into what we can learn from Episodes 1-2 of What Comes After Love, while also exploring why we’re all hooked by these two tragically beautiful people.
Episodes 1-2: A Journey of Emotional Rollercoasters
The story kicks off five years in the past, in 2019, with our heroine, CHOI HONG (played by Lee Se-young), freshly arrived in Tokyo. If you think she has a grand plan in mind, you’d be dead wrong. She’s not running toward a bright, exciting future—she’s running away from her past, her mother, and all the things that felt suffocating back in Korea. Ever had that kind of urge? Yep, we’ve all been there.
But Tokyo is less of a deliberate choice and more of an “accident”—she’s crashing with a friend who’s willing to split the rent. Still, life seems to have other plans for her. After all, we soon learn that she’s been to Japan before, and her fluent Japanese reveals deeper roots.
And then there’s AOKI JUNGO (Sakaguchi Kentaro), the love interest, who enters Hong’s life in the cutest meet-cute I’ve seen in a while. When Hong fumbles through a Tokyo turnstile, luggage spilling everywhere, it’s Jungo who rushes over to help her. This moment, complete with the obligatory slow-motion look, manages to turn the everyday into the extraordinary. Hong is immediately captivated, and honestly, who wouldn’t be?
It’s moments like these that remind us of the spontaneity and beauty of new connections. Love sometimes starts from seemingly insignificant instances—a spilled suitcase, a kind stranger, and a dimpled smile. That’s the magic of it.
The Flirty, Adorable Mess of a Relationship
Soon enough, fate brings these two lovebirds together again. They both apply for the same server job at a ramen shop, and the chemistry is palpable. In a kind of “polite competition,” they try to outdo each other, but Hong eventually gets the job—only after a customer criticizes her (impeccable) Japanese. No worries, though. Jungo comes to her rescue, standing up for her, and thus begins the budding romance.
While Hong’s inside the ramen shop, Jungo is conveniently stationed across the street at a hot dog truck. This setup, of course, leads to numerous lingering stares and shy flirtations across the street. Eventually, Jungo takes the plunge and asks her on a date. Spoiler alert: it’s as adorable as you’d hope.
The date involves a lot of drinks, a fair amount of honesty, and an excess of laughs. Hong opens up about her uncertainties—should she stay in Japan, or head back to Korea and face her unresolved family issues? She wants to go to grad school, study literature, but has no idea how things will turn out. The real kicker, though, is when she drunkenly asks Jungo whether he believes in love that never changes. His answer—“It must exist somewhere”—is sweet, sincere, and exactly what she needed to hear in the moment.
And with that, Hong decides to stay in Japan.
Life Lessons from Their Romance
This brings us to our first life lesson. Love, at least in its early stages, should be simple. The more complications, the harder it becomes to really connect. Hong and Jungo don’t overthink their initial attraction—they embrace the giddiness, the laughter, the shared moments. Their relationship is built on this foundation of simplicity and authenticity. How often do we complicate our relationships by overanalyzing every tiny gesture? Sometimes, it’s best to just smile, laugh, and share an umbrella in the rain.
As the two start dating, their chemistry just keeps getting better. Jungo learns his first Korean word—”yeppeuda,” which means “pretty”—just to tell Hong she’s beautiful. If that doesn’t make your heart melt, well, check your pulse. Everything about their love feels natural, from the small exchanges to the grander gestures.
In their love story, there’s a pivotal question about lasting love. Does such a thing even exist? Or is it simply a myth we chase, hoping to find that one person who’ll never change? The drama subtly explores this idea without being heavy-handed, and it allows the viewer to form their own opinion.
The Present-Day Heartache
Fast-forward to 2024. Hong is back in Seoul, and something’s clearly missing. She’s engaged to SONG MIN-JUN (Hong Jong-hyun), the “safe” choice—a guy who adores her, but there’s just no spark. We’ve all been there too. The “nice” one, the “secure” option, but not the one who sets your soul on fire. It’s all very “going through the motions,” and Hong looks distant—even when her fiancé does everything to please her. You can almost hear the emotional disconnect, louder than ever.
And just when you think she’s left her past behind, Jungo re-enters her life—like some cruel twist of fate orchestrated by the universe. Now a famous author, Jungo’s book is inspired by their relationship, but with a happy ending. Cue the tears. He paints an alternate universe in which their love story never ended, and the two are left grappling with what could have been.
My Perspective
Okay, let’s take a step back and be real for a moment. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we so often hold onto the past, replaying it in our minds, imagining a different outcome? Hong’s story teaches us the painful lesson that sometimes we have to let go of what we think should have happened. Sure, she could’ve stayed with Jungo, could’ve fought harder for their love. But in the end, she chose a different path, one that left her with lingering regrets.
From Jungo’s side, he’s idealized their relationship, immortalizing it in his novel. But that’s not the reality. The past was messy, painful, and perhaps even too much for either of them to handle. Writing a happy ending in a book doesn’t change the truth. It’s just a beautiful, bittersweet way of trying to rewrite the pain.
Another Insight—On Cross-Cultural Relationships
The show also provides a fascinating look into cross-cultural relationships, showcasing the challenges of different languages, different expectations, and the loneliness that can sometimes come from living away from home. When Hong tells Jungo about her loneliness, and he fails to understand because, well, she’s “with him,” it shows the disconnect that sometimes happens when our experiences are so different.
These differences can be a source of tension or strength, depending on how we approach them. For Hong and Jungo, their love seemed like a bubble—beautiful but fragile, something that could be popped by the smallest shift.
Hana sat in her tiny Kyoto apartment, scrolling through episodes of What Comes After Love on her tablet, her thoughts lingering on the bittersweet reunion of Hong and Jungo. “It’s funny how love can be so strong and yet so fragile at the same time,” she mused. Having gone through her own heartbreak a few years ago, watching the characters struggle with unresolved feelings hit too close to home. “It’s almost like no matter how much time passes, love doesn’t just disappear,” she thought, sipping her tea. “It just hides, waiting for the right moment to surface again—just like in the drama.” – Name: Hana Nakamura Age: 29 Location: Kyoto, Japan
What Comes After Love?
So, what does come after love? When you’re left with regrets, what then? In What Comes After Love, we see a love that was real but flawed. They couldn’t make it work, despite the overwhelming attraction. Now, five years later, they’re forced to face each other and come to terms with their history.
It’s a story of heartbreak, of learning to move forward despite the pain, and of recognizing that sometimes love isn’t enough. Sometimes, we need more—timing, emotional maturity, or even just plain luck. Not every love story has a happy ending, but every love story leaves us with something. In the case of Hong and Jungo, it left them with questions and a longing for what might have been.
And isn’t that the hardest part? Accepting that some stories are incomplete, that we may never get the closure we desperately crave. But maybe that’s okay. Maybe it’s enough to know that, at one point in time, there was love—real, messy, imperfect love.
Wrap-Up
What What Comes After Love does so well is draw you in with relatable, human emotions. The Japanese and Korean languages add a beautiful layer to the storytelling, emphasizing the cross-cultural experience. The visuals are stunning, the leads are natural, and the emotional beats are raw.
The life lessons here are poignant. Love can be sweet and messy, short-lived, or leave a lasting impact. But when it comes down to it, love changes—and it’s okay if it does. Just as long as you don’t let the changes break you.
Watching Hong and Jungo navigate their past, we’re reminded of our own loves—the ones that ended and the ones that stayed. It’s impossible not to root for them, even knowing that their reunion might not solve everything. But who knows? Sometimes, getting a second chance means more than rewriting a happy ending. It means closure. It means growth. And it might even mean finding peace with what comes after love.
