‘No Gain No Love’ K-Drama Review: In Shin Min, Kim Yong-dae shines in a show that embraces sisterhood and romance


Shin Min-ah and Kim Yong-dae in a still from the show

Shin Min-ah and Kim Yong-dae in a still from the show

In No gain no profitWe see Son Hae-young (Shin Min-ae) squeal, and wear a tight smile as she listens to an older woman tell her about how important it is to make her a hot breakfast and take care of her husband. We see her spirit literally leave her body, the whole conversation about cooking for her husband no matter how busy she is.

This one scene is indicative of that No gain no profit Could be billed as a romantic comedy, but there’s more to this show that focuses heavily on its women: Hae-young, her friend and foster siblings Nam Jae-yeon (Han Ji-hyun) and Cha Hui-seung ( Jo Min-kyung), and Hye-young share a broken relationship with her mother Lee Eun-ok (Yoon Bok-in).

An ambitious, career-driven Hae-young finds herself in a rut at work when a higher-profile role she’s eyeing comes with a hilarious warning; Only married women can join this team who will work directly with CEO Bok Gyu-hyun (Lee Sang-yi). The reasons behind this state of affairs are, obviously, as anger-inducing and sexist. To add to this, the company he works for offers a lot of financial benefits to those who tie the knot. Soon, she seeks out a convenience store worker from her neighborhood, Kim Ji-wook (Kim Yong-dae), to enter into a marriage of convenience. The show eschews lengthy meet-cutes, and the pace is business-like with Hae-young… not long before they get married.

Very smart writing No gain no profit Hae-young is dedicated to dealing with the aftermath of a breakup and being a part of a returning workforce, where her marriage and her outgrowing her husband are fodder for heartfelt conversation. The other women on the show also make for compelling characters; Jae-yeon writes steamy web novels, and Min-kyung is a voice over artist who makes an interesting revelation about her relationship later in the show. An accessible family, the brotherhood of three is warm, funny and relatable. The show’s writer, Kim Hye-young, has previously worked on Extreme Elegance His personal lifewhich also had a compelling female lead.

No gain no profit

Director: Kim Jeong-sik

Author: Kim Hye-young

Episode: 12

Cast: Shin Min-ah, Kim Yong-dae, Lee Sang-yi, and Han Ji-hyun

Storyline: A career-driven woman enters a marriage of convenience and navigates friendship, romance and grief along the way.

That’s not to say the show lacks in the romance department, with not one but two couples contributing some standout chemistry. Young-dae and Min-ah — a pairing I never expected to work — are interesting, funny, and lovable. Sure, there are some life-changing obstacles involving an illegitimate heir and some domestic disputes from the past, but the show’s writing handles it well.

As for the other couple – whose chemistry was apparently so good that they have their own, well-deserved spin-off show Spice up our love – Characters are a study in contrasts. Ji-hyun embodies the sweet, endearing persona of writer Ja-yeon who falls for a chaebol who wrote her hate messages online, and Sang-yi’s Gyu-hyeon starts out as extremely unlikable, cruel and spoiled, only to be quick and convenient. Transformation It was a brilliant casting decision to get the highly likable Sang-yi to play a spoiled chaebol that tempts you more than once to ignore the character’s glaring red flags.

Lee Sang-yi and Han Ji-hyun in a still from the show

Lee Sang-yi and Han Ji-hyun in a still from the show

Despite its parallel storylines and many characters, the show belongs to Shin Min-ah who embodies Hae-young with ease. Watch her react to everyday anti-social and annoying micro-aggressions or be vulnerable to love and grief; It helps that he gets a well-known character to work with In a departure from his hyper, star persona role shooting starYoung-dae is brooding, charming and much more likable here.

when No gain no loveE makes a big positive case for a 12-episode show, with more time devoted to Hae-young’s fractured relationship with her mother, or a bit more insight into Hae-young’s mother choosing to ignore her daughter and raise the children. would be good Protests against neglect and abandonment. However, thanks to the length, we can avoid the proverbial episode 10 slump that we’ve been dreading in this year’s long show.

K-dramas with three female friends have always had a lot going for them; similar to Because this is my first life or Be melodramatic, No gain no profit Join this growing list. The friendship and brotherhood tropes work brilliantly and the romantic sparks (courtesy of the men) thankfully only enhance the proceedings.

No Gain No Love is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video



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