A very gentle and sweet romantic comedy drama, with a delightful, popular cast, The Practical Guide To Love (2026) is a special, nostalgic type of Korean romance drama which reminded me in many ways of the addictive, graceful styles of the Four Seasons' classic romantic K-dramas that I first fell in love with two decades earlier.

The drama is based on a 2021 web toon by Tari, the derivative script is by Lee Yi Jin, and it is directed by Lee Jae Hoon (Page Turner). I liked the romantic sparks which bounced between the top three lead actors in the drama, including the always beautiful, prolific actress Han Ji Min (Love Scout, Behind Your Touch, Heavenly Ever After, Our Blues, One Spring Night, Padam Padam, Hyde Jekyll and I, Rooftop Prince, Radiant, Resurrection, All In, Cain And Abel, A Jewel In The Palace as well as her excellent films The Fatal Encounter, Salut d'Amour, The Age of Shadows, and Josee), plus handsome leading male actors Park Sung Hoon (The Glory 1 and 2, Queen Of Tears, Jealousy Incarnate, 3 Days), and Lee Ki Taek (Namib, Moonshine). I liked how the drama kept you guessing whom our leading lady would choose as her soulmate until later in the drama. "Instalove" K-dramas become too predictable too early on, and I tend to nod off on them. The romance dramas that keep me guessing for as long as possible are a lot more enjoyable. Both of these fellows were adorable in their own ways so either / or, in my view, would have been worth the pick. ;)

The Story:

We meet Lee Eo Young (Han Ji Min) a 34-year-old woman who works as a purchasing manager at The Hills Hotel in Seoul; she is the perfect professional, for example one who managed to successfully find 80 cod fish for a visiting British Embassy ensemble banquet, despite the efforts of rival hotels to grab the cod first for their patrons!

Although she is an impressive manager at work she truly is a woman who doesn't really know what to do with her inner feelings of loneliness. She doesn't date and lives for her job. Then Eo Young ends up meeting a former college classmate who is now a rookie lawyer, one who had had a huge crush on her back in their school days, named Kang Do Hyun (Shin Jae Ha, Page Turner). She begins to think he still has feelings for her and she is touched and feels they might have a future together after all.

However, it turns out the object of his obsession now is a junior colleague Eo Young works with, named Sim Sae Byeok (Kim So Hye). She is truly upset over this turn of events. (A crying scene at a tea plantation after she realizes he is no longer in love with her is the highlight of that episode, which shows us that she is not a perfect heroine but someone who is capable of the same kind of trauma and fear as all of us have experienced at times in our lives. Han Ji Min is such a great actress!).

After this heartbreak Eo Young begins to think that she is really ready to finally have her own true romance after all. She decides to start going on blind dates to hopefully find her Prince Charming. She goes online to try and find her potential soul mate, setting up dates with them in often scenic nature spots or nice restaurants. (This allows for some cool cameos by actors like Yoon Park from Fanletter, Please -- ooh! I've always liked him!).

 

After some misfires she meets a promising date in handsome, dignified Song Tae Seop (Park Sung Hoon). He is a successful carpenter who owns his own home studio, a man who is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. He knows exactly what he wants: a wife and family. He tells Eo Young this desire right at the beginning of their first date, which stuns and scares her. She doesn't want to jump into any permanent relationship THAT quickly, no matter how attractive the man is! She isn't quite sure she wants such a heavy commitment so fast!

Then on another blind date a very good looking young man named Shin Ji Soo (Lee Ki Taek), who is an actor by profession, shows up at a restaurant to meet her and she thinks he is her arranged date; however, he is filling in for someone else, his friend, at the spur of the moment, and Eo Young is unaware of this. He sits there and doesn't say much and she wonders to herself how any man could be that good looking and not already be snapped up by someone else. However, this young man actually becomes smitten with her and wants to get closer to her, despite his free lifestyle. She doesn't even seem to mind his substitution for the other guy who was supposed to show up. Ji Soo is the opposite in personality of carpenter Tae Seop, and when they all happen to attend a wedding together Eo Young has to decide who she should sit next to at the banquet, the calm Tae Seop or the volatile Ji Soo! How to choose between stability ... and passion? 

Side characters in the drama have their own charms and humor, which adds extra delight to the story, particularly actresses Jung Hye Sung and Kim So Hye who play Jung Hyun Min and Sim Sae Byeok, Eo Young's supportive co-workers, who end up helping Eo Young when she is tormented between her relationships with two men with distinctively different personalities. 

Eo Young's ultimate choice between Tae Seop, who is looking for stability, and Ji Soo, who is looking for passion, reflects the inner conflict of modern women who want both security and excitement in the same relationship. The Practical Guide to Love's greatest strength is that it's honest about fluctuating relationships, a rom-com series that doesn't try to be too predictable. The direct honest dialogue between the characters makes it feel more like real life than fiction. The point to watch out for is that the pace of this narrative may feel too slow for those who like fast-paced series, but for those who like slow-burn series that gradually build relationships this drama is very satisfying. This journey is not just about choosing between two young men, but about finding the true meaning of love at an age when you have to face pressure from all sides about whether you will ever settle down and get married.

I found this drama very pleasant and enjoyable to watch. It's available streaming on Viki.com. And Han Ji Min is already working on a new drama after this one! Boy, this girl never stops! She is AMAZING! Check out The Practical Guide To Love and see if you enjoy it as much as I did.

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