The love story between a rich, handsome man and a poor, kind girl has long been a popular model in Korean dramas.
Dynamite Kiss also opens with that familiar prince - bottle formula, but what makes this 14-episode drama different is the male lead character played by Jang Ki Yong.
According to Korea Times, unlike traditional chaebol models, this character stands out for his sophistication, sensitivity and thoughtfulness - qualities that reflect the new trend of contemporary Korean dramas and are loved by today's audiences.
Exploding kiss has climbed to No. 1 on Netflixs global Best-Selling Non-English TV show chart for two consecutive weeks.
The focus of the work is the love story between Ji Hyuk (Jang Ki Yong) - the heir to a tycoon family, and Da Rim (Ahn Eun Jin) - a girl struggling to find a job due to financial difficulties.
After a chance meeting on Jeju Island, the two were caught up in a fake dating relationship, which gradually developed into real love. The subsequent contacts caused the tycoon to initially show such pride that he fell in love with the girl.
But Da Rim's family suddenly encountered an incident because her mother fell and was hospitalized. In the context of lacking funds to treat her mother, she was forced to forge documents, transform into a single mother to apply for a job, and accidentally met Ji Hyuk again in the interview.
Da Rim continued to lie to Ji Hyuk that he was married and had children, causing him confusion at work and emotional turmoil.
Critic Yun Suk Jin analyzed: In this film, the male lead is not only rich but also sensitive and deeply cares about the emotions and needs of the female lead.
Unlike previous Korean romantic comedies, when men often dominated relationships with power and money, this character did not rely on status or property to conquer the female lead.
Instead, he puts her safety and happiness first, even willing to put himself in difficult situations for her.
A typical example appeared in episode 7, when Da Rim suffered a stroke due to stress from the burden of debt, although Ji Hyuk struggled with thinking that Da Rim could not be his own woman, he still expressed his sincere desire to protect her through a monologue and acted as he said.
Critics said that the audience responded positively to Ji Hyuk's sophistication and empathy towards Da Rim, especially in the context of gender issues becoming increasingly important in society from 2020 to present.
The film still uses many familiar models such as fake relationships, secret identities and warm mediations, but thanks to the harmonious chemistry and sincere emotions of the two main actors, the film's facility to predict brings a comfortable, un bored feeling.
ScreenRant commented: The chemical reaction between Jang Ki Yong and Ahn Eun Jin was the factor that made the film successful. Their relationship is naturally built through small, quiet moments, when the characters gradually lower their rooms.
The plot of fake marriage may seem arrange, but the film cleverly added emotions at times that viewers did not expect, turning easy-to-guess details into truly impressive things.
In episode 10, the main couple finally cleared up their misunderstanding and confirmed their affection for each other. As the film enters its final 4 episodes, the audience is eagerly waiting for a happy ending, true to the spirit of the romantic comedy genre.
