Love Alarm Main Cast:Kim So-Hyun as Kim Jojo, Jung Ga Ram as Lee Hye-yeong and Song Kang as Hwang Sun Oh

In a world where an app alerts people if someone in the vicinity likes them, Kim Jojo experiences young love while coping with personal adversities.

I almost dropped this drama after the very first episode. I'm glad I didn't. And I'm glad I only watched it when season 2 came out.

With a friend's encouragement, I decided to give it few more chances even though I was scratching my head out of frustration on the first few episodes. You see, I'm in my early 30's so I guess highschool romances don't appeal to me as much anymore. But actually, what I didn't like at first were the irrational scenes that didn't make any sense no matter how hard I tried to understand it. Like the first kiss scene between Jojo and Sun-oh. I was like, "WTF just happened? What were they thinking? Girl, you have a boyfriend remember? And why did you let someone you barely knew kiss you in that alley?" The events after that were equally frustrating. Honestly, I didn't feel any "butterflies". On top of that, all the bullying and gossiping were just too toxic for me. I wanted to stop watching.

Finally, episode 5 came and that's when I started to like it. I think you already know which team I am on. If you're team Sun-oh, please hear me out first. :)

I'm team Hye-yeong since episode 1. But this is an unbiased choice since I didn't know the male actors before. Initially, I intended to write a review listing all the reasons why he's the best choice. But after rewatching this drama a few more times, I realized that's not what's truly important. It doesn't matter which team you're on. I just hope the show left a beautiful mark on you as it did on me. :)

SEASON 1 vs. SEASON 2

Watching the whole series the first time gave me this warm and loving feeling. I was so happy with it I'd been cloud nine for days. It literally made me feel like I was in love myself. I loved the end scene in season 2 where it summarizes Jojo's feelings throughout the whole season. Like what Duk-gu said, it's obvious who Jojo likes. She was just doubting her feelings because she has never rang Hye-yeong's love alarm before. She wasn't sure if she would have rang his alarm if she didn't had a shield on. That's why I think they did an incredible job in season 2. All the signs were there, but everybody, including Jojo (and even the viewers), were relying on the Love Alarm app to tell her who she really likes.

Season 2 was like a breath of fresh air. I found it less stressful compared to the first season. I loved its dreamy, airy, springtime vibe. My favorite part - Hye-yeong's apartment. :) Even the annoying Gul-mi was less irritating in this season. She actually added a touch of humor while still being a brat that she is. I also noted some little details like how Hye-yeong touched his neck when he lied to Jojo about staying at home. He explained this gesture on his final scene with his father. And how Jojo's aunt and Gul-mi started to treat her better when Jojo stopped being a pushover.

Season 1 was a whirlwind of highs and lows but it set the foundations for the whole story. Although I liked season 2 more, I think both seasons wouldn't work without the other. The first season may have been about choices and regrets, but season 2 showed growth and maturity in the characters and how they were able to make peace with those choices. Season 1 is about young, teenage kind of love. Season 2 is about a mature kind of love.

At first I was only rewatching Hye-yeong's and Jojo's scenes just so I could relive the feelings. As I rewatched and paid attention to all the episodes, I discovered other little details that I didn't notice before. Like those moments when Jojo was waiting for texts from Hye-yeong during her nightshifts at the convenience store, which I figured as one of the signs that she was starting to develop feelings for him. And another thing that I only noticed recently - Jojo appeared in both Hye-yeong's and Sun-oh's new love alarm feature which shows the possible list of people who will love them. Aside from their lack of proper closure, think this may also be one reason why Sun-oh had a harder time letting Jojo go because he had hopes that they'll get back together. But what makes it sadder is that he seemed to have been stuck in the past since in his eyes, he was seeing the highschool Jojo and not the woman that she is now.

What I love:

I think Love Alarm is by far the most beautiful drama I've ever watched. The visuals, cinematography and soundtrack, together with the excellent portrayal of the actors, presented an overall heart-warming storytelling experience. It's not perfect and may fall short in some aspects compared to other dramas, but it's message and realistic storyline are what made an impact to me the most. I was able to say realistic because it's similar to my own experiences. The first season didn't resonate with me at first because I passed that stage a long time ago and the people I'd been with as well as the feelings are now nothing but a distant memory. But as Jojo looked backed at her highschool memories, I can't help but muse on my own.

Things eventually made sense…

Now that I have watched the entire drama for the second time, although I still didn't like the earlier episodes, I now have a better understanding of the whole story. I couldn't relate with the highschool Jojo because that's not who I am anymore. The highschool me would have also went with my urges and emotions. But the current me knows better and I now know how to value and respect myself.

Although in the beginning I cringed and got annoyed at Jojo's illogical and impulsive actions, I remembered I actually did worse at that age. I fell in love easily and I went in and out of relationships just as easily. I held on to unhealthy relationships and friendships even though they were weighing me down. I dated the wrong guys because I was afraid to be alone and I thought I had to be in a relationship all the time. When you're young, you're still naive and you think romantic love is all that matters and it can conquer all. When you're young, it can be difficult to make the right decisions especially when you're troubled and vulnerable. As you get older, you become wiser and learn to embrace the concept of responsibility. You begin to appreciate stability over chemistry. You won't always end up with your first love. You'll experience heartbreaks and drift apart from people who you once thought would be with you for the rest of your life. But that doesn't mean you didn't love them, sometimes you just have different paths to take. Sometimes, you won't get all the answers to your questions and sometimes you won't get closures but eventually you'll learn to accept things as they are and move on. You may lose some but you'll also gain some. That includes people and even certain parts of yourself. As you get older, you'll change and all the choices you've made in the past, both good and bad, will help you change for the better. Like some events in this drama, life wouldn't always make sense at the time and sometimes it can be unfair. But sooner or later we'll learn to accept and understand it when we look back.

I actually admired Jojo's strong character because she chose to survive and keep on living when it is easier to give up and crumble. She chose to keep going and face her reality head-on even though she knows there is a long road ahead of her and even if it meant putting a shield on and go through life alone.

What this drama made me realize:

The only other drama that I watched entirely more than once is "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim". But this one hits different. Love Alarm may look like a typical romance drama at surface level but it offers a deeper message as you peel through its layers. I find this story so beautiful because it reminds people, both young and adults alike, of what to value. In our current world of dating apps, likes and instants, it can be tempting to follow the crowd. It reminds us not to put our trust and value on the number of likes we receive on social media. It affirmed that it's okay to take your time and build things slowly. It's okay to be patient and wait for the right love. And when it finally comes, it reminds us to muster courage to give love a chance.

The right love won't make you feel small and insecure, because it's supposed to nurture and help you grow. The right love won't make you feel pressured, because it is patient and willing to wait. The right love won't demand you to love it back, because it has so much love to give it just keeps on giving. The right love isn't always intense, because it can be comfortable in silence. The right love will honor you and respect you and will be with you to do the things you can't do on your own. Love is more than a feeling, it is a choice. And it is a daily, continuous decision to love and stay with the person of your choosing.

The right love isn't just the other person. It requires mutual effort to make the relationship work. Whether you have already found your right love or you're still waiting, work on yourself to become the right love yourself. :)

***

Some interesting details and timeline in the drama:

Jojo crossed paths again with Hye-yeong and Sun-oh 24 days before the launch of Love Alarm 2.0, 4 years after the initial release of the app
Hye-yeong sent his first text message to Jojo on Christmas Day
The bike scene in episode 8 and also Hye-yeong and Jojo's first official date happened on December 31st, 8 days before the launch of Love Alarm 2.0
Love Alarm 2.0 was launched on January 8, 2023, which is also the final scene in Season 1
The events of Season 2 started in April 2023. Jojo kissed Hye-yeong on the cheek on April 7, 2023, which was also the first time she rang Hye-yeong's love alarm as seen on the ending scene in the final episode
The Jeju Saeoreum Marathon that Jojo participated in the last episode happened on April 23, 2023
Sun-oh kept visiting Yuk-jo's apartment at around the same time for more than month until Yuk-jo came back from the US. Yuk-jo came back to Korea on May 28, 2023