The beginning - Here we are — Netflix sneaking out a new k-drama series as the year draws to an end, with an unusual release schedule as well (Tuesday and Friday). It looks like the streaming service will be ending the year with The Uncanny Counter, Run On and now Lovestruck in the City. It’s worth noting that these episodes are bite-sized compared to the usual one hour to feature-length format; they are clearly trying something new on Netflix here with 30-minute chunks.

Episode 1 begins with a production crew interviewing different singles in the city. Park Jae-won, Lee Eun-o, Choi Kyeong-jun, Suh Rin-i, Oh Seon-yeong and Kang Geon introducing themselves in the interview. Each character has promised to be themselves in front of the camera. The series is performing as a parody reality dating show.

Compatibilities
The singles are asked about compatibilities, and they all give different answers, but they are not 100% sure what it means — from intimacy to interests.

A long lost love
There’s then a flashback of Park Jae-won enjoying a vacation, and he’s falling for a woman; there is pure chemistry between them. He explains how he thought it was love, but they never saw each other again. Park Jae-won wishes he never met her and feels like a fool. He was obviously tricked in some way, but episode 1 does not make it clear.

Singalong in a sunlit van
The flashback is now truly established as it flits to 2019. Yoon Seon-a picks up Park Jae-won from the airport. She ends up singing her heart out in the car while Park Jae-won looks at her intently — he’s intensely attracted to her. Suddenly, Yoon Seon-a wants Park Jae-won to get a licence for his camper van.

Admiring her
Park Jae-won stands on the beach and admires Yoon Seon-a. A friend tells him she was dumped recently and asks him to take her to Seoul — but he’s talking about the dog, not Yoon Seon-a.

The ending
Later on, they enjoy beach life with alcohol and games. Park Jae-won and Yoon Seon-a keep looking at each other. During one of the games, Park Jae-won grabs Yoon Seon-a, and the crowd gets excited. He could sense compatibility. In the present day, Park Jae-won admits he’d live that moment again with Yoon Seon-a. She’s the one that got away.



Lovestruck in the City episode 1 is a light opening that quickly introduces the characters and gives a simple premise.