Serendipity’s Embrace ~ Can You Return to Your First Love?

“Serendipity’s Embrace” is a 2024 Viki Original Korean drama series, with 8 episodes, and can be categorized as Romance, and Comedy. It is based on a webtoon of the same name.

SUMMARY: How do you describe an awkward and uncomfortable love triangle? Your first love who you haven’t seen for years, shows up and wants to get back together with you. Your best friend’s first love shows up at the same time and your best friend is still trying to win his heart, only to him you are his first love and he wants to win your heart.  You’re not in a relationship with anyone and not sure that you want to be. (O.o)

♦ These First Loves Are Getting Confusing

“Serendipity’s Embrace” is all about first loves. Can the flame be rekindled and the magic of romance recaptured? Or … Is it best to move on since the bridge you crossed over the first time to become a couple, no longer exists?

Lee Hong-Ju is an animation production PD. Her first love is Bang Joon-Ho. To hear her side of the story, they broke up in a bad way. To hear his side story, they never broke up. When he left to pursue his career as a novel writer, he always intended to come back. He is certain she still likes him. So why can’t they get back together and pick up where they left off? Lee Hong-Ju believes you should never return to your first love because the reality you will face upon meeting them again will never be the same as your memory of them. Bang Joon-Ho is so sure he still lives in her heart so he found a way to reinsert himself into her life.

Kang Hu-Young knows about her past life/past love and how miserable Lee Hong-Ju was. They met each other in high school but when Lee Hong-Ju crossed paths with him, she was trying to connect him with her shy AND unattractive BFF Kim Hye-Ji, who much like the character Cyrano de Bergerac in the French play, was too terrified to talk to him directly. Lee Hong-Ju was like Cyrano’s friend and she did everything she could to hook them up. She constantly delivered love letters from her friend, but Kang Hu-Young was just not interested. Lee Hong-Ju was furious that he rejected her friend so coldly, never realizing that her frequent encounters made Kang Hu-Young attracted to her. In short, Lee Hong-Ju became Kang Hu-Young’s first love.

Kang Hu-Young left and went to America and when he returned to South Korea 10 years later he met Lee Hong-Ju again. This time he intended to win her heart. But just like when they were in high school, Lee Hong-Ju was still trying to hook him up with her BFF Kim Hye-Ji. She knew he was Kim Hye-Ji’s first love, but she missed all of his signals not realizing he was only interested in her.

One day, Kang Hu-Young walked up on a conversation between Lee Hong-Ju and her first love Bang Joon-Ho. Lee Hong-Ju kept insisting that she did not want to get back into a relationship with Bang Joon-Ho, but he wouldn’t accept her rejection. Kang Hu-Young decided to help her make things plain so her old boyfriend would get the message. He took hold of Lee Hong-Ju’s hand, mentioned something about her leaving a hair tie in his car, and then they walked off together, holding hands.

Lee Hong-Ju did not object to being rescued by Kang Hu-Young because the situation between Bang Joon-Ho and her had started getting very uncomfortable and borderline contentious. But … ??? … If Kang Hu-Young is interested in her that will make the relationship with her BFF Kim Hye-Ji, even more uncomfortable. She knows that Kim Hye-Ji hopes she will finally get the opportunity to connect with her first love, Kang Hu-Young. This is awkward! Lee Hong-Ju’s first love AND her best friend’s first love BOTH want to be in a relationship with her. What’s she going to do?

Main Characters:

• Lee Hong-Ju (played by Kim So-Hyun, “My Lovely Liar”, “River Where The Moon Rises”, “The Tale of Nokdu”, “Bring It On, Ghost!”)
• Kang Hu-Young (played by Chae Jong-Hyeop, “The Witch’s Diner”, “Unlock My Boss”)
• Bang Joon-Ho (played by Yun Ji-On, “Tomorrow”)
• Kim Hye-Ji (played by Kim Da-Som, “Kokdu: Season of Deity”, “He is Psychometric”)
• Kwon Sang-Pil (played by Lee Won-Jung, “Hierarchy”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 9.1 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8 out of 10 stars
• Dramabeans: 7.5 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rated this series 9.7 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as Dramabeans.

Here’s a quote from a review by Pinkvilla:

• “The series captures the nostalgic and exhilarating feelings associated with first love, giving viewers that tingling sensation and butterflies in the stomach.”

I know that Korean dramas have a lot of tropes. But this time I think it’s a bit too “tropey” (if that’s a word). 8 episodes is plenty and the storyline fits with all of the other Kdrama rom-coms that have come before. LOL. “Serendipity’s Embrace” had a lot of young actors I’m familiar with and it was nice to see them all in one spot.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Times of India | ‘Serendipity’s Embrace’ debuts with impressive ratings

“Soompi | Serendipity’s Embrace” Premieres To Strong Ratings

Serendipity’s Embrace Ep 1-2 Review: Kim So Hyun, Chae Jong Hyeop channel that first love feeling on-screen with adorable chemistry | PINKVILLA: Korean

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

LoveBreak _Official. “Serendipity’s Embrace | Final Trailer | Chae Jong Hyeop | Kim so Hyun {ENG SUB}.” YouTube Video. YouTube, July 22, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2-p5YZL1bU.‌