[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Now, We Are Breaking Up" Episode 2

The second episode of "Now, We Are Breaking Up" had domestic ratings of 8%- an uptick from the 6.4% ratings for the first episode. Director Lee Gil-bok is leaning hard on the sheer appeal of a story that's almost entirely about fashion industry politics. Screenwriter Je In likewise takes for granted that we're supposed to like older women characters like Yoo-jeong (played by Yoon Jung-hee-I) whose only claim to being a major social media influencer is being some kind of heiress.

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By contrast, Hye-rin (played by Yura) is younger and brattier, so we're not supposed to like her for having a snooty dislike of domestically produced fashion goods compared to international ones. That is a constant running commentary, how Yeong-eun's company struggles to compete against high-end European brands. While I'm sure there are some people out there who find this interesting, I have yet to be especially impressed by any of these plot hooks.

I'm particularly annoyed by Chi-sook. While Yeong-eun is at least polite and firm in her professional dealings, Chi-sook barely seems to care about her job at all. She's weirdly uptight and even misandrist upon meeting our second lead, Do-hoon (played by Kim Joo-hun), who works at a public relations company with which the employers of our female leads expects to do business. I'm honestly not sure why Yeong-eun and Chi-sook are friends at all. Their outlooks and personalities are at natural odds with each other.

A much better foil for Yeong-eun is her mother, Jeong-ja (played by Nam Gi-ae), who is grateful that her daughter earns so much money yet apprehensive how Yeong-eun seems to have no other goals in life. An off-hand reference to an installment plan likewise suggests Yeong-eun is in a worse financial situation than she lets on. This almost gives urgency to the fashion industry politics storyline, but I'm genuinely hard-pressed to see any reason to care about the fashion company except for the fact that it employs Yeong-eun.

And where does this leave our leading man, Jae-gook, the international man of means? Well, he's still having interactions with Yeong-eun that the leading lady is deliberately making awkward, despite the fact that he never really even gets close to flirting. There are hints that the backstory between the two may be more melodramatic than has been let on. I must admit, I'm skeptical that the introudction of this genre will do much to improve the rest of the worldbuilding.

Review by William Schwartz

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"Now, We Are Breaking Up" is directed by Lee Gil-bok, written by Je In, and features Song Hye-kyo, Jang Ki-yong, Choi Hee-seo, Kim Joo-hun, Park Hyo-joo, Yoon Na-moo. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/11/12~Now airing, Fri, Sat 22:00 on SBS.