[DRAMA | SERIES] LOVE ALARM (2019): Kim So Hyun, Jung Ga Ram & Song Kang

Love Alarm (2019) dropped their 8 episodes on Netflix last August 22; It is one of the anticipated dramas this year starring Kim So Hyun, Jung Ga Ram & Song Kang.

Love Alarm was based on a webtoon by Cheon Kye Young with the same title. Love Alarm is about this app called JoAlarm, where you'll get to know who has feelings for you if they ring it within 10 meters from you but doesn't specify who likes you within that meters. The story revolves around Kim Jojo and her life story about her parents, school & romance. Kim Jojo will meet Hwang Sun Oh and Lee Hye Yeong, things will stir when the popular handsome model Hwang Sun Oh notices that his childhood best friend Hye Yeong has feelings for Kim Jojo; as Lee Hye Yeong denies his own feelings for Kim Jojo, Hwang Sun Oh decides to pursue Kim Jojo & feelings sparks when they kiss in an alley.

I personally haven't read the webtoon so I don't have any prior knowledge on how things will go in the live-action series hence I don't have expectations with it and just go along with how the series will take me to its flow.

The casting news was talked about last year with the confirmation of the lead protagonist Jojo who played by Kim So Hyun. Kim So Hyun's character in Love Alarm as Kim Jojo, she is described as pretty and smart, though she seems bright who has friends but Kim Jojo also has her inner struggles from her past that she seems wants to forget & move on. Kim Jojo's past leads her to live with her aunt and shares the same bedroom with her aunt's daughter that they also go to the same school. 

Despite her problems, Kim Jojo works hard as she does part-time jobs while studying. Kim Jojo has a sense of pride that she wants to protect herself. A pride where she doesn't want to feel small and tries to stand up through her struggles in life. Kim Jojo's high school life blooms beautifully as she finds her newfound romance but also faces difficulty as she loses friends because of alarm.

I really appreciate Kim So Hyun as an actress; from being a child actress to an adult actress, she dives into different genres and explores them. 

Jung Ga Ram plays Lee Hye Yeong, a childhood best friend of Hwang Sun Oh. Lee Hye Yeong describes as a selfless guy who thinks others first before himself. When he was a kid, Lee Hye Yeong protects Hwang Sun Oh that made their bond tight as best friends & brothers for life. Hye Yeong has a long-distance crush to Kim Jojo as they both work in the same part-time job & where at the same school; though Hye Yeong is aware of Kim Jojo but Kim Jojo isn't aware of him. When Hwang Sun Oh notices Hye Yeong about his fondness for Kim Jojo; Lee Hye Yeong denies it. JoAlarm leads him to indirectly confesses his love for Kim Jojo that made things uncertain for him as Hye Yeong is aware that Sun Oh pursues Kim Jojo.

I'm new with Jung Ga Ram as an actor, seeing him playing Lee Hye Yeong with innocent actions, self-less & being reliable, he sure does fit with the character.

Song Kang plays Hwang Sun Oh; Hwang Sun Oh is a handsome popular model that came back from the US. He is also the son of a politician & former actress. Despite the advantage in life, Sun Oh experiences pain & hurtful past from his parents. The one who saves him from it is his childhood best friend Lee Hye Yeong. Lee Hye Yeong's mother works with Sun Oh's parents household. Hwang Sun Oh seems calm and unbothered from the outside but as he notices that his best friend Lee Hye Yeong has a long-distance love to Kim Jojo, he gets curious about the situation & even to Kim Jojo.

One day, Sun Oh and Kim Jojo crosses paths and Sun Oh pursues Kim Jojo and they end up in an alley as they kissed.

Just like Jung Ga Ram, I'm new with Song Kang as an actor but I have seen him being an Emcee and this one variety show that he was in before. I think personally, he fits the role, he has this vibe of being a flower boy.

In terms of cast, they are in sync with each other; There aren't any awkward moments from the acting department. They are all-natural with their scenes that's why it's easy for me to watch until the end. From the 1st to the 8th episode, the consistency of cinematography & technicalities from directing were well done, I’m gushing about how the color tones blend with how the scenes shot and I’m a sucker for good cinematography & good technicalities like directing, ost & editing. 

I also want to mention that this series was directed by a female director, I love how lately youth dramas are helm by female directors and we need them more in major broadcast because look at their works from moment of eighteen to this (Love Alarm) I love the indie film vibes that coming from these series. 

If you will ask me if I'm Team Sun Oh or Team Hye Yeong, in all honesty, I don't have any. I'm actually surprised that I am very neutral with the romance that I enjoy moments of Kim Jojo from both Sun Oh & Hye Yeong. Like I said, I haven't read the webtoon so I don't know who ends up with. 

Kim Jojo with Sun Oh, I think it's a first love thing that happened to them. Kim Jojo has a boyfriend before she meets Sun Oh but there isn't any romance with Kim Jojo & her former boyfriend; as Kim Jojo meets Sun Oh, she feels butterflies in her stomach with him. It's like puppy love in high school. Kim Jojo finds the strength to Sun Oh while Sun Oh finds happiness with Kim Jojo. I crined at some lovey-dovey moments but that's high school love for you, it suppose to be cringey in a good way. 

Kim Jojo with Hye Yeong, Jojo isn't aware of Hye Yeong even though they work together in the same part-time job but Jojo gets aware of him when Jojo accidentally went to the school nurse office to find out that the one who rings her alarm is Hye Yeong & not Sun Oh. In the first half of the episodes, we only get to see Hye Yeong one-sided crush to Jojo, Hye Yeong is selfless and even deny to Sun Oh that he didn't like Jojo. Kim Jojo & Hye Yeong' story develops near the end of this series as Sun Oh declares he will pursue Kim Jojo.

Overall, I like it. This series gave me so much good cinematography and technicalities; it's a good bonus that the cast is well in sync too. It has that indie film vibe that I always crave for. Other than what I said above, this series talks about societal issues in a symbolism way using the Joalarm, to be honest at first this is going to be a cheesy youth drama but it wasn't it has tense.

*A little spoiler* the series has an open ending, I thought it ended abruptly but at the same time I like how it has an open ending because it says a lot on how Kim Jojo progresses and learned from what happened during her high school days. 

I don't know if the webtoon already completed but I'm hoping we could get a season 2 or half of the series but I won't complain about it either.

Check the full trailer below; Love Alarm is now available streaming on Netflix with all 8 episodes.