Crash Course in Romance
Crash Course in Romance
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Crash Course in Romance

8.2
Yr 2023
Rt 73m
Status Ended
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

The series follows the bittersweet relationship between a banchan shop owner whose daughter enters the war of Korea's college entrance exams, and a top hagwon instructor.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 75 /100

Critics generally found Crash Course in Romance to be a charming, warm, and highly watchable romantic comedy. Reviewers praised its breezy, polished tone alongside its insightful commentary on the high-pressure environment of Korea's education system, noting that the central family and romantic dynamics offered plenty of delightful and touching moments.

However, the show drew notable criticism for inserting a secondary crime thriller subplot. Multiple reviewers felt that the whodunit mystery created jarring tonal shifts and cluttered the narrative toward the end, distracting from what was otherwise a sweet and engaging series.

“Breezy, uncluttered, and seamlessly charming, it’s a series laced with pleasantness...”

“Overall, I found this warm, fuzzy and worthwhile, despite Show's narrative detours into less warm, less fuzzy things.”

“Crash Course In Romance could have been a perfect sweet, funny and delightful story of parenting, family and love but it suffers from something that many recent rom-com dramas do — adding unnecessary thriller angle.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Netflix
US • CA • UK
Netflix Standard with Ads
US • UK • CA
Why fans love it

Crash Course in Romance finds humor and tension in the high-stakes world of Korean university preparation. By pairing a pragmatic banchan shop owner with a high-profile instructor, the show leans into the classic opposites-attract dynamic while grounding the melodrama in the relentless pressures of the education system. The friction between their professional lives creates a steady rhythm for the comedy, even as the narrative explores heavier burdens like the mental toll of academic competition.

Jeon Do-yeon carries the series by anchoring these disparate elements with a performance that balances warmth and agitation. Rather than relying on simple romance, the drama builds its appeal through the intersection of domestic life and public expectation. The result is a character-driven story that acknowledges the absurdity of its setting while maintaining genuine stakes for its leads. It offers a clear look at how personal milestones are often interrupted by the rigid demands of society.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 28
Longest run 16 eps
Show 67 more
Hwang Bo-ra as Lee Mi-ok 16 episodes Heo Jeong-do as Kang Jun-sang 16 episodes Lee Chae-min as Lee Sun-jae 16 episodes Kang Na-eon as Bang Su-a 16 episodes Ryu Da-in as Jang Dan-ji 16 episodes Lee Min-jae as Seo Geon-hu 16 episodes Kim Tae-jeong as Lee Hui-jae 16 episodes Ji Il-ju as Jin I-sang 16 episodes Lee Do-hye as Jeong Su-hyeon 16 episodes Kim Da-huin as Jeon Jong-ryeol 16 episodes Lee Ji-hae as Director Jeong 16 episodes Park Hui-eun as Jin-su's mother 16 episodes Choi Hee-jin as Young-min's mother 16 episodes Yoo Jun as Lee Young-min 16 episodes Jeong Han-seol as Bae Jeong-su 16 episodes Hwang Jae-yeol as Detective Song 16 episodes Jang Tae-min as Detective 16 episodes Go Ae-ri as Jo Ga-yeon 16 episodes Lee A-jin as Lee Hyo-won 16 episodes Kim Gye-rim as Hyeon Seo-Jin 16 episodes Kim Kwon as Instructor 1 episode Lee Kyeong-uk as CM director 1 episode Kim Jun-won as Seo-jin's husband 1 episode Gu Bon-jin as Building security guard 1 episode Yoon Seok-hyun as Song Jun-ho 2 episodes Jeong Hyeon-woo as Teacher 1 episode Kim Mi-ra as Audience student's mother 1 episode Kim Min-chul as Choi Chi-yeol (teenager) 1 episode Kim Jung-don as Handball coach 1 episode Choi So-yul as Nam Hae-e (child) 1 episode Kim Mi-kyeong as Haeng-seon's mother 2 episodes Hong Lu-hyeon as English teacher 1 episode Shin Seung-yong as Police officer 1 episode Seol Chang-hee as Doctor 1 episode Oh Ki-hwan as Staff 1 episode Lee Hyeon-seo as Student's mom 1 episode Yu Jun-a as Student's mom 1 episode Lee Yun-sang as Mr. Yang 1 episode Lee Mi-yun as Mr. Yang's wife 1 episode Jeong Hye-kyung as Meat vendor 1 episode Park Hyo-bin as Kwon Jin-gyeong 1 episode Hong Seong-gwan as ChiYeolSucks group member 1 episode Lee Min-goo as ChiYeolSucks group member 2 episodes Park Seon-a as Su-hyeon's mom 1 episode Kim Geon as Su-hyeon's brother 1 episode Lee Yong-yi as Noise complaint woman 1 episode Son Sang-gyu as Math King 1 episode Kim Seon-kyeong as Nation's Best Banchan customer 1 episode Jeong Eui-soon as Education director 1 episode Park Yong-su as Dr. Nam Goong-chan 1 episode Son Seong-chan as Choi Jeong-an 1 episode Bae Yoon-kyung as Hong Hye-yeon 2 episodes Lee Su-mi as Restaurant owner 1 episode Kim Jin-gu as Landlord 1 episode Jo Hyeon-jin as Judge Yoo (Eps 8) 1 episode Shin Young-jin as Hotel restaurant manager 1 episode Min Woo-gi as Real estate agent 1 episode Lee Dong-hyeon as Woorim High School student 1 episode Park Yu-mil as Questioner 1 episode Lee Sang-yi as Livestreamer Mr. Popular 2 episodes Park Sang-hwi as Han Tae-hwa 2 episodes Lee Ji-hye as Veterinarian 2 episodes Jeon Jun-woo as Prosecutor 2 episodes Park In-chun as Judge 2 episodes Bae Hae-seon as Nam Haeng-ja 2 episodes Park Hui-jeong as T&A Law Firm staff 2 episodes Im So-yun as Lee Min-ji 2 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Signal Match

Similarity

Where Crash Course in Romance overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

education high school entrance examination romcom rivalry romance university mental illness older woman younger man relationship opposites attract romantic
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
January 14, 2023
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
73 minutes
Origin
KR
TMDB Votes
130