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Crash Course in Romance (2023) - Kdrama Review

 

Source: FanGirlVerdict

I seriously don't know why I am watching this series - Crash Course in Romance - it came up as one of the recommended Kdramas of 2023 for some reason. 


First of all, it's about something I am absolutely not interested in - pushing kids towards academic excellence. There's nothing wrong with encouraging smart students to perform to the best of their abilities in schools but, this show highlights the worst that can come out such mentality.  


They have something like Star Student Parents' Secret Association; Star Celebrity Teachers who are command an insane number of fans amongst students and parents; unreasonable expectations from parents; stressful situations kids and parents have to go through just to excel in school. 


These are just the kinds of things I am absolutely against. 


When it comes to academics, I've never once forced my kids to do anything that is not of interest to them or outside of their capabilities. I've always taken my cues from them. If they're interested in cooking, fine; music, fine; the next Ironman, also fine! As long as they are doing something they are interested in. 


My generation, my parents' generation, we're different. We had to study hard, get a degree, find a steady job, stay in a large corporation long enugh to earn a gold watch and a penthouse office, endure whatever your bosses and co-workers throw at you, and that...was what defined success in my era. 


But this show is going against everything I stand for. Parents lining up for a spot in an academy early in the morning, cutting queues and all, like they're trying to get their hands on the latest iPhone? Parents running around like wild dogs securing front row seats for their kids in class? What the....


I couldn't wrap my head around this concept. I get it...it's a cultural phenomenon very evident in some Asian countries but...seriously? 


And the age gap between Jung Kyung Ho and Jeon Do Yeon? Too big of an age gap: JDY is 50 while JKH is 39. It's a trend, I know, because there are many other currently-airing and recently concluded shows that featured older female leads and way-younger male leads; it made me a little...hhhmmm....


It's not ageism if they were intentionally chosen because of the storyline and the character's persona. Some of them seemed so forced. 


In this case, it was said that the female lead looked way too young to be the young girl's mother; not true. She's 50 and the 'daughter' is a high-schooler. She's my age and my boys are in college; so, what gives with the casting? In some scenes, she actually looked older than other age-appropriate moms! W...T...F...at least give me a reason to believe in the casting of this actress for the role. 


Or at least make her her age or something more realistic. 


I am not the only one who honestly thinks this way. 


Some people didn't like the murder side-story but I think it was a nice touch. Helped me break way from the academia-laden storyline.


In fact, the story of Ji Dong-Hee should be elaborated upon. He had one of the saddest, the most unfortunate story in the show. But it was left just like that. Nobody sympathized with him, understood him, took his side, or tried to help him. 


Yes, his boss tried to help him before he did the drastic thing, but not enough...in my eyes, anyway. They spent 6 years together and the guy was completely dedicated to and was efficient in doing his job. This is an abused child who took to the wrong side of the law to protect someone he looked up to.  


And how many times do I have to cringe at the helicopter moms who abandoned their own underperforming children in favor of their other more academically-inclined children? How much do I have to try to understand when these overzealous moms turned their kids into college-entry machines? And then these mothers gather together to gossip about other moms and their children doing things differently. I would have liked the show a little better if it focused on how the female lead was not academic material; instead, she was sports material. Why did we not have characters like that in the show?


In fact, one student who was into ice hockey had to give up the sport due to an injury. Instead of helping him find an alternative ways to enjoy the sport, they turned even THAT single sport-loving character into a exam-driven machine. 


Fail, fail, fail. 


I rarely post negatively about shows but this one is not for me. 


Verdict: 💕 1/2 stars out of 5


XOXO, 
Marsha

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