Call It Love
Call It Love
Now Showing

Call It Love

8.2
Yr 2023
Rt 66m
Status Ended
Drama
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

When her family becomes suddenly homeless, Woojoo decides on revenge for all the injustices she has been put through. However, her supposed foe, Dongjin, is a heart-wrenchingly lonely and gentle soul.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 80 /100

Critics generally received Call It Love as a poignant, artistically crafted blend of revenge drama and delicate romance. Reviewers frequently drew comparisons to acclaimed, atmospheric series like My Mister, praising the show for taking a classic star-crossed lovers premise and turning it into a slow-burn, emotionally resonant story.

The performances of leads Lee Sung-kyung and Kim Young-kwang were highlighted as a major strength. Critics commended their ability to portray introverted, hurting characters through subtle close-ups, shared silences, and restrained interactions rather than melodramatic dialogue.

On the downside, several reviewers noted that the series requires patience and targets a specific niche audience. Its sombre tone, muted color palette, and deliberate pacing were viewed by some as dragging across 16 episodes, with criticism directed at repetitive flashbacks that could have been streamlined.

“this show is very much like My Mister - but with romance”

“revenge and unlikely romance intertwine in this poignant K-drama”

“meant for a very niche audience; one that enjoys sombre stories with a meandering pace that linger in their own despair”

“skillful performances by Lee Sung-kyung and Kim Young-kwang, which may serve as a model of how to portray introverted”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Hulu
US
Disney Plus
CA
Why fans love it

This 2023 drama transforms a familiar setup into a quiet, deliberate study of grief, patience, and unexpected connection. What begins as a desperate scheme for payback against a target blamed for a family crisis steadily unfolds into an intimate slow burn romance. The series leans into melodrama, focusing heavily on deep-seated loneliness, lingering trauma, and the gradual process of emotional healing that happens when two isolated souls actually begin to look closely at one another.

Viewers connect with the show's unhurried pace, anchored by Lee Sung-kyung's expressive lead performance. Beyond the central enemies-to-lovers dynamic, the narrative pays equal attention to complicated family relationships and the charm of a secondary couple. It treats emotional baggage with genuine patience, trading loud theatrical twists for soft, understated moments of human warmth.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 59
Regulars 6
Longest run 16 eps
Kim Young-kwang
Kim Young-kwang
as Han Dong-jin
Lee Sung-kyung
Lee Sung-kyung
as Shim Woo-joo
Sung Joon
Sung Joon
as Yoon Joon
Hani
Hani
as Kang Min-young
Kim Ye-won
Kim Ye-won
as Shim Hye-sung
Jang Seong-beom
Jang Seong-beom
as Shim Ji-gu
Jun Seok-ho
Jun Seok-ho
as Choi Sun-woo
Nam Kee-ae
Nam Kee-ae
as Ma Hee-ja
Show 51 more
Sung Ryung as Kim Yu-ri Choi Jung-woo as Yoon Dae-hong Kim Hee-jung as Kim Hyun-joo Ahn Nae-sang as Shim Chul-min Yeon Je-hyung as Kang Goon Park Jin-ah as Hyun Ji-Hyung Jin So-yeon as Baek Soo-Hee Seo Dong-won as Cha Young-Min Noh Sung-eun as Kang Min-Soo 16 episodes Seo Yi-seo as Park Suho 16 episodes Kim Mi-hwa as Sim Woo Joo's aunt 16 episodes Lee Jun-hyeok as Kang Nam-Il 16 episodes Shin Mun-sung as Shin Sung-Man 16 episodes Lee Ha-young as Hong Na-Rae 16 episodes Choi Da-in as Sim Woo-Joo [Young] 4 episodes Sung Hyun-mi as Restaurant owner 1 episode Kim Joo-ah as Sim Woo-Joo's aunt 1 episode Shin Min-soo as Sim Woo-Joo's uncle 1 episode Go Yun-bin as Park Young-Soo's wife 1 episode Kim Dae-geun as Kang Nam-Il's subordinate 1 episode Lee Jae Seong as Kang Nam-Il's subordinate 1 episode Lee Sung-yeol as Yoon Joon [Young] 1 episode Kim Deok-ju as Yang Chun-Ja 1 episode Lee Sung-il as Kim Ju-Ho 4 episodes Ko Kyu-pil as Mart staff 1 episode Kim Ga-Eul as High school archer 1 episode Cha Yeong-ok as Ma Hee-Ja's friend 1 episode Jung Woo-young as Han Dong-Jin's friend 1 episode Jung Young-hoon as Han Dong-Jin's friend 1 episode Heo Na-kyung as Coffee shop employee 1 episode Kwak Na-yeon as Neighborhood woman 1 episode Min Ha-ram as Joon Pharmacy's Customer 1 episode Seo Woo-seung as Han Dong-Jin [Young] 3 episodes Lee Ji-su as Pub owner 2 episodes Yang Hee-woo as Camping cafe owner 1 episode Lee Sae-ro-mi as Real estate agent 3 episodes Yoon Bok-in as Yoon Jun's mother 3 episodes Kim Sa-hoon as Car dealer 1 episode Kim Jong-goo as Yoon Jun's father 1 episode Shin Hee-gook as Shinwoo Fair employee 1 episode Choi Yun-la as Yoon Jun’s blind date 1 episode Lee Eun-ju as Home buyer 1 episode Kim Jong-ho as Home buyer 2 episodes Son Dong-soo as Real estate agent 1 episode Park Young-soo as Kang Nam-Il's friend 2 episodes Kang Hak-soo as Lawyer 1 episode Jo Young-mi as Real estate agent 1 episode Bae Hyun-kyung as Detective 1 episode Yoo Yong as Ma Hee-Ja's lawyer 1 episode Jang Yong-hee as Jun Pharmacy part-time worker 1 episode Noreen Joyce Guerra as Lady with food cart | passerby 1 episode
Production Board

Crew

Writer
Kim Ga-eun
Director
Kim Ji-yeon Lee Gwang-young
Creator
Kim Eun-ji Lee Gwang-young
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Call It Love overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

trauma friendship revenge romance loneliness family relationships healing slow burn secondary couple slow burn romance enemies to lovers melodrama
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
February 22, 2023
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
66 minutes
Origin
KR
TMDB Votes
55