El amor es un capítulo aparte (2019)

This is one of those dramas that are not meant to be “bestsellers”, like mentioned in the drama, but tv stations would still produce them as they bring warmth to those who watched it. LJS left such a great gift for fans before his military enlistment.

There were not unreasonable plot twists, nerve wrecking happenings, hate-able antagonists etc. Just a well thought through storyline, stellar acting, pretty cinematography and lots of beautiful references to books.

This is an inspiring drama, which I feel might be more relatable to a more mature audience. It’s the type of drama I would watch when I feel down because watching it, I can’t help but have a smile plastered across my face. LJS’ handsomeness in this drama definitely doesn’t help.

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The beginning of the drama had a ton of potential; it had a lot of characters that were very likable and had their own little story and you couldn't really hate any of them. However, the drama got boring after a few episodes (maybe 5). The leading female character also had a daughter but they didn't mention her after we met her (like what happened to her?). There was no longer any chemistry between the leading characters and after a while, I was more interested in the other characters' story than theirs. It got so boring that I would skip a few parts (which is rare for me).

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Good one but not the best.

As I said in the title it's a good drama but not the best, it's kind of light, sweet, fluffy rom com that you can watch just for fun nothing more and if you are big fan of Lee Jong Suk. It's a good story at least you won't feel you wasted your time.

Cons:
1. The FL I didn't like her character that much I mean if you are showing that the FL is clever she has great educational background and acadamics and she used to work in a big company as a independent woman than why her decisions about her life are not relevent to this that's what I don't get it.
2. I don't like acting I mean Lee Jong Suk is cute, very handsome but I just don't like his acting I don't feel the emotions I guess.
3. The chemistry was bad from my opinion I didn't feel that passion between the main leads or the spark.

Pros:
1. I really liked many dialogues as a booklover I love the metaphors they used.
2. The side couples were great I really enjoyed story of each side character.
3. I really like that there was no "Villan" or shady, dark character.
4. Story wasn't unrealistic.

So yeah that was it, it was a good watch.

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Exploring Kang Dan Yi’s Tale of Redemption, Love and Resilience...

Written by screenwriter Jung Hyun Jung ( I Need Romance), “ Romance Is A Bonus Book” was a light-hearted love story between a divorcee, single mother Kang Dan Yi ( Lee Na Young) and her younger, successful childhood friend Cha Eun Ho ( Lee Jong Suk). Uplifting and sweet, it was notable that the series did have a couple of lose holes within its overarching completion...

Perhaps the most notable thing to say about the series is that its predominating story plays upon prominent cliches of the “ vulnerable and unemployed” female lead, the “ successful male lead with an obvious crush on the female lead ” and the evident lovelorn second male lead Ji Seo Joon (Wi Ha Joon). There was nothing entirely terrible about these cliches per se in the drama, however, the evident reoccurring presence of the “ male lead’s crush” as well as other dominant tropes of “secret dating” and “ jealousy” did become a little tiresome within the drama.

Nevertheless, it is wrong to bring the drama down entirely from its tropes and praise must be given towards the cast through their fairly brilliant performances as a whole .

Taking centre stage of the series, was undeniably main actress Lee Na Young as the female lead, Kang Dan Yi. Na Young was captivating within channeling the eccentric traits as well as optimism behind Dan Yi’s growth throughout the series.

As a character, Dan Yi was fairly likeable for viewers by her kind-heart, resilience and strength in the face of adversity. As a notably older character than her counterpart lover Eun Ho, it was intriguing to see how the show played upon Dan Yi’s age as a challenge towards work, self-confidence and her love life. Nevertheless, it did feel that there was lot left to explore with Dan Yi as an individual, rather than a merely an asset to the plot. Although the show did explore a little about Dan Yi’s previous relationship and her interactions with her daughter Hong Jae Hee ( Lee Ji Won), after their initial use in the beginning of the series, Dan Yi’s emotional reactions and exploring more about this side of her character as a mother and a divorcee , felt half-baked. It is understandable the show didn’t want to become too bogged down in the unnecessary details of Dan Yi’s past, however, it would have allowed us as viewers to see and understand more about Dan Yi’s current emotions and resilience if we’d learnt and seen more interactions with Dan Yi’s former husband and daughter. ( Not least more reasons why Dan Yi was going to marry him in the first place before having cold feet , as well as the lack of communication between Dan Yi and Jae Hee, besides not living together.)

Parallel to Na Young was Lee Jong Suk as the young male lead Cha Eun Ho. Whilst Jong Suk has undeniably had more captivating performances than his role in “ Romance Is A Bonus Book”, he did bring a certain charm within Eun Ho’s suave attitude and heartfelt affections for the female lead.

Cha Eun Ho was undeniably a fairly typical male lead within his framing in the show as the “ childhood friend” and the “ successful, younger lover”. Nevertheless, Eun Ho was a character who respectfully learnt to understand more about Eun Ho by rekindling his long-held crush once more.

The relationship between the two characters did feel cliche in parts by the necessity to prolong telling their colleagues that they were dating for a major proportion of the series, however, Eun Ho and Dan Yi had a symbiotically healthy relationship which did not draw out into emotional gaslighting or manipulation, by learning to respect one another over the course of the series making the pairing undeniably heartwarming for viewers.

Sadly, the side characters of the drama often felt slightly underdeveloped particularly with the associated ensemble of the colleagues such as Song Hae Rin ( Jung Yoo Jin) who harboured romantic feelings for Eun Ho as well as the second male lead Seo Joon who reversely had feelings for Dan Yi. Other characters such as Go Yoo Sun ( Kim Yo Min) and Seo Young Ah ( Kim Sun Young) had interesting roles in the storyline, but nevertheless could have been developed slightly more as individuals ( besides their rushed endings). The overall ending did feel completed and was undeniably sweet for the main characters.

In conclusion, ‘ Romance is A Bonus Book’ was slightly underdeveloped with feeding into cliche tropes and slightly half-baked side characters. On the other hand, the main leads were portrayed as individuals with character growth , the show had intriguing messages against ageism and work discrimination in Korea, as well as a heartfelt romance that could engage viewers without toxicity or unhealthy tropes. Definitely worth a watch for fun.

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This was one heartwarming drama. As an avid reader and bookstore/publishing house - lover (really anything that deals with books), I just had to watch this show. Sure, the romantic story of the main couple is nothing new – a “noona-I-love-you-notice-me”-themed script which seems to be quite in vogue again recently (Something in the Rain, Encounter...), but what makes this show so enjoyable and unique is the way it is depicted.
Be it the plot, the characters, the setting (the lovely office, the neighborhood Song Hae Ri always finds herself ending up in), the costumes, an environment consisting of BOOKs, the little poem-like monologues at the end of each episode - everything perfectly and moreover, naturally fits into the story.

The plot itself is coherent and well rounded: no lack of logic, no unanswered questions, no rushed ending – everything is well scripted and accurate in every detail. Even though it is not an overly exciting or suspenseful story, with its clear path and the way the story unfolds RIABB holds the viewer's interest until the end.

The characters and their relationships boost the story and make this drama an enjoyable ride. Even though we have a clear main couple with star actor Lee Jong Suk, it is the whole cast which shines. Each and every character gets his/her fair amount of screen time and we witness the character grow as the story progresses. Be it the feisty Song Hae Ri, boy-next-door (literally) Seo Joon, stone-faced yet soft-hearted Yoo Sun, the bubbliest couple Ji Yool and Hoon and others..all of these characters are so endearing and relatable and their working and personal relationships as well as their worries and struggles just make us want to be a part of this precious Gyeoro-family.

I have seen complaints about the female lead – since she does not measure up to Prince Charming Lee Jong Suk, but I feel she is quite charming in her own way. She seems authentic in her role. I really like her character and I also think that the mains have a great chemistry – it is sweet and in some way innocent, you can clearly see the intimacy and understanding of each other only a friendship of decades can create – so kudos to the lead actors for portraying and conveying it so well.

And last but not least an appreciating paragraph for releasing a drama that deals with books and a publishing house (THANK YOU, any other recommendation?) I did watch 'Chicago Typewriters' where the lead is neither foreign to books since he is an author and I liked it for other reasons, but RIAAB really makes you appreciate books and each and everyone who works on writing, editing, publishing and selling a book. All you booklovers out there, this drama is for you – non-readers, watch this show and fall in love with actual printed books.

'Romance is a new book' is one of those rare shows which leaves you with a smile and inner warmth an the end of each episode. It is a show you can watch on rainy days or times you feel depressed but also at the beginning of springtime. It is a light hearted, sweet drama. RIAAB – the moon really is beautiful (watch the show to get the meaning!!)

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Where do I even start? The story was good, the music was good, the cast was good, everything was so, soo good!

I'm gonna begin by saying that I am biased because Lee Jong Suk is my absolute favorite actor. I have loved 95% of everything he he played in (the only one I disliked was Doctor Strange, but that's because of the female lead, his character was great). He always manages to make me feel warm inside. What I feel when I see him act is that feeling you get when you get back home after a long day, when you first kiss someone you like, when you embrace someone dear to you. He's just...amazing. And I appreciate him not only as an actor, but as as a person as well.

But this drama...it was heartwarming from beginning to end. It didn't have a lot of action, but that's just because that's not what this is about. It's about rediscovering yourself, finding love later in life, doing sacrifices for the ones you love and just...living your best life, being the best version of yourself.

My favorite genre of dramas is romance, because I feel it helps me escape reality and makes me feel good. However, I am extremely picky when it comes to this genre, because it's hard for me to be wholly satisfied with the main pairing, let alone the other pairings. That's not the case with this drama, however. Each and every pairing had amazing chemistry and clicked well together. They were all amazing together.

I'm not gonna spoil it, but if you're in the mood to just feel at peace, definitely watch this drama!

I'm gonna end this review by thanking Lee Jong Suk not only for starring in this drama, but in everything he starred so far. I am so grateful for the way you made me feel through your work and I wish you all the best. Have a good time in the army and come back quickly, because us, your fans, are already anxious for what you have in store for us after you finish your military service. Fighting!

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Love, Love, Love!

Finally I can write my review!
Oh gosh, I don't even know where to start because honestly, that was one of the best dramas I've seen so far.
Let me tell you why I loved it so much:
First of all, the plot. Maybe the plot is not the most special one ever, but it's really good, though. Especially because it includes books and the setting in the publishing company which I loved. So if you're into that kind of stuff, you won't be disappointed.
The cast is very, very well-chosen and has pretty good acting skills. I loved every single character in this drama which is even surprising to me because normally I dislike the supporting role in the love triangle. But here I even loved the characters who were shitty in the beginning. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you could say:D
In this drama you don't just get a cute, mature romance, you get so much more: Beautiful friendships, inspiring personalities and some knowledge in book publishing which I found very interesting to be honest.
On top of that you get amazing OST! Everytime I listen to them, they leave a smile on my face and let me feel motivated. Through out the drama they were really fitting and made every scene even more special.
In general, this drama is a real feel-good drama. Doesn't matter if you're sad or happy, this drama will make your day. I felt so good watching this. I connected to the story and the characters immediately. If you like Lee Jong Suk, then that's also a good reason to watch it because he was so good at his role. I can't imagine a better ML in this drama. :D
And this drama will also awake your emotions. When I watched the last episode I was crying almost through out the whole episode. It was sad, it was happy, it was inspiring. And I miss this drama so so much. For me it was like everything in it was fitting. None of the characters was left behind and they got time to tell their very own story. So if you're in the mood for a new drama, watch it! Get yourself a blanket and a cup of tea and enjoy this cozy, feel-good drama:)

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THE GOOD: The visuals of this show are beautiful. Good wardrobe by male lead. Good use of publication house job setting and the supporting cast were the better part of the show.

THE BAD: There are A LOT of things I hate about this drama. The story revolves around the female lead so romance is really just a bonus part in this whole series. The problem is, the female character is too problematic and never changed her selfish ways until the end of the show. There's a whole long list of flaws in the female character, her choices and reaction in life, which made her too tiring to watch -- too tiring that I don't have the energy to write a long essay of them. Now, for the romance: it was so meh. There was no chemistry between the main leads and the FL's acting makes her character even less likable. She looks like she's not really into him.

To sum it up, it's tiring to watch a female protagonist who has a very miserable life and makes it appear like it's all due to the whole world being unkind her, while masking her selfishness under her woe-is-me state, and then decides to go into a romantic relationship with her best friend whom she has abused since start of their friendship (never caring for his feelings or story for 20 years) because he's rich and obsessed with her, so he could help her out of her depressing life.

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It could have been better

This has a very hard theme for me, the Alzheimer's part, I couldn't watch those parts, but that's on me.

I feel like this drama could have been so much better if it developed the second lead character and the mystery behind his story. 

I could connect with the drama, in the beginning. Life can really be hard sometimes, but I like that the women all seem to be strong and pulling through despite their flaws. They're not just walking clichés.

The male lead's character was too bland and couldn't really connect with him until I knew about his back story. Still, he felt it very differently and showed almost no emotion except when faced with the writer on his deathbed bed. It certainly wasn't the way I lived the illness and I can't relate to that.

I feel like the male lead just had to be there, just because. His conflict and ways he could have intervened were completely overlooked. So many times he simply turned his back on the lead and didn't stand up for her. I would have stood up for her even if I didn't know her, how can a friend and love interest just throw you under the bus like that? 


On a positive note, I liked that they used one of my favourite bands for the soundtrack (The Black Skirts) and that they didn't make them 30-yo virgins or celibates and acknowledged that sex exists in a simple way. 


I was expecting this drama to get me into Korean literature but I can't. All the texts and the way they talk about books is too cheesy and poetic for me to understand and not find boring and annoying. I guess it's not my thing.

So it feels incomplete, not quite there yet. 

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If you want something to pass the time, here’s a drama for you. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some great moments in here, but it doesn’t balance the rom and the com very well and the back half stretches out so long that it gets...boring.

At first it’s interesting as we meet all the characters and see the female lead settle into her new job. Then things get cute and romantic as different possibilities open up. Then we run out of conflict since there really aren’t evil schemers and there aren’t enough plot twists to build any obstacles or interest. This is an odd drama that takes place at a work place, but doesn’t seem to know a lot about the work they do.

So the story sort of floats around with lots of characters that I care less and less about. There was a lot of promise at the start of the series, but it didn’t hit any really strong emotional points. Sure the two leads are adorable, but not enough for 16 episodes with little plot.

For a better Noona romance with better developed characters and chemistry, watch Something in the Rain.

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The plot is weak. There are few cute/fluffy scenes but not that much. There was some funny scenes, but not that much, and also some mystery but not that much. To summarize, everything was kind of so so.
To be honest, I was able to finish it only due to Lee Jung Suk. He's cute, everybody knows that, he's a very handsome and good actor, that saved this drama. The lead actress wasn't bad, actually she's very good, is just the writing. I feel like I wen't trough the whole 16 episodes for the sake of looking at LJS's cute face and that's it.
I don't get it how this drama was able to score 8.5. Maybe it's the magic of having LJS in the cast.

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Maybe it was because I love books... Maybe it was how believable and healthy the relationship between Kang Dan-i and Cha Eun-ho was... Or the great side characters that were actually enjoyable to watch... But Romance Is a Bonus Book quickly became my favourite series (along with Coffee Prince).

I have to be honest, I've struggled with many K-dramas that I watched. I don't find particularly charming guys being rude, aggressive or jealous. I don't like the damsel in distress trope or the cool guy with the warm heart crap... So, maybe that was why I was so happy to find this gem.

All the characters here have personality and agency. They might be a bit ruder here and there or jealous and needy from time to time, but is all in the boundary of a healthy relationship. Also, the side plots are compelling and you don't just sit there waiting for them to go back to the romance (but as I said, I do love books and I did enjoy the side characters).

I saw some comments complaining about the pacing, but I think that the slow build was also a plus side for me. It was what made me more invested in the story and what made it feel more natural and real.

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