Want to Be Lovers? OK! Paris or Prague? Paris!

“Lovers in Paris” is a 2004 Korean drama series with 20 episodes, categorized as Romance; and streaming on Viki and KOCOWA+. It is part of a trilogy romance series.

SUMMARY: A love that began in Paris must be a love that will last. After all, Paris is the City of Love. But can family secrets and jealousy tear two lovers apart?

♦ Who Says When You Toss a Coin in a Fountain, Your Wish Won’t Come True?

In “Lovers in Paris”, Gang Tae-Young is a Korean living in Paris. She is pursuing her dream and honoring her deceased father’s wishes, i.e. to have a successful career in film. Is life easy for her in gay Paris? NO! That’s why on her way to work, she passes the Fontaine Saint-Michel, tosses in a coin, and makes a wish. Her wish does not come true. She arrives to work 5 minutes late. It’s just 5 minutes! She got fired. That rotten fountain is a rip-off!

Gang Tae-Young gets on her bike to go back home, since she’s now unemployed. She passes the Fontaine Saint-Michel, stops, climbs into the water, and gets her coin back! I mean if she’s not going to get her wish, might as well get her coin back. Right? She pauses for a few minutes to think things through. Maybe her wish was wrong. She decides to toss the coin back in and make another wish. “I wish I meet a rich man!” Yeah right. Like that’s gonna happen.

Coincidentally … Hhmmm? … Is it a coincidence? OR Is it a wish come true?

Han Gi-Ju is a rich man. He’s a wealthy Korean on a business trip in Paris, trying to drum up business for his automobile corporation. Han Gi-Ju is not an extravagant man or a womanizer. His needs are simple. He’s divorced, not looking to be in a relationship, and just wants to come home to a clean house and eat some good old Korean food. He needs a housekeeper; preferably a Korean who cleans and can cook Korean food. Can such a person be found in Paris? Yes indeed. That person is Gang Tae-Young.

Remember her wish to meet a rich man? Guess hat?

However, the wish did not specifically include falling in love, marrying into wealth, or anything like that. Gang Tae-Young managed to get a job as a housekeeper for a rich man and that kept her from living on the street. But then he fired her! That rotten fountain is a rip-off! But can she blame the fountain? She was told that her boss was very “sensitive” and that she should only do what she was told to do and … ??? … and she didn’t do that! So? So … she got fired. AGAIN! How is that the fountain’s fault?

At any rate, later on … in an effort to drum up business, as that was his reason for being in Paris, Han Gi-Ju came up with a “hair-brained scheme” that required a fake girlfriend. He knew just the person to hire for the job.

However … we all how predictable life is. The best laid plans and all that jazz. One thing led to another … before they knew it, Gang Tae-Young and Han Gi-Ju were … lovers in Paris. They also broke up in Paris. Hey! Life is unpredictable. They both separately returned to South Korea, crossed paths with each other again, rekindled their romance and then … their love got severely tested. Family secrets and jealousy can put a strain on any relationship.

Main Characters:

• Han Gi-Ju (played by Park Shin-Yang, “My Lawyer, Mr. Joe 1 and 2”)
• Gang Tae-Young (played by Kim Jung-Eun, “Strong Girl Nam-Soon”)
• Yu Soo-Hyeok (played by Lee Dong-Gun, “Angel’s Last Mission: Love”, “Queen For Seven Days”)
• Moon Yun-A (played by Oh Joo-Eun)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.4 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.3 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rated this movie 8.7 out of 10 stars
• Amazon customers rated this series: 4.1 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is 7 out of 10 stars. It passed. (However, the folks in charge of awards disagreed with me.)

“Lovers in Prague” was released in 2005. It is part of a trilogy and I’m glad I watched it first. “Lovers in Paris” is a bit of a disappointment by comparison. Once again K-drama scriptwriters managed to annoy me by creating an irritating and immature female lead. I wish they wouldn’t do that!

In the first episode, when the main female lead is introduced you want to have sympathy for her. But halfway into Episode 1, she got on your nerves. What mature intelligent wealthy man would fall in love with a childish full-grown woman who is that ignorant and annoying? But then again … what’s wrong with being innocent and naive? NOTHING! If you’re not also annoying and irritating.

Anyway! If you have the patience to get beyond the first episode, you might enjoy the way the love story unfolded. Is there a love triangle? Of course! But the plot has a few “intricacies” to make it interesting.

Some reviewers said the ending of “Lovers in Paris” was non-traditional. I’m American. I don’t know what a “traditional” ending is for Korean dramas. (O.o) From the very first K-drama I ever watched, I knew then NOT to try to “expect” an ending. Whatever the ending … that’s how it ended. LOL.

One more thing. “Lovers in Paris became one of the most highly rated Korean dramas of all time. It also received several high-profile awards, making it one of the most successful series aired on SBS.” Which just proves that … everybody has different tastes OR … I don’t know what I’m talking about! (O.o) LOL. You watch. You decide.

Even if this Korean drama is not your cup of tea, you’d still like the scenery in Paris, France. I am familiar with the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. That’s where people go to toss their coins and make a wish. But I did not know the fountain in Paris featured in this Korean drama.

• FYI: The coin fountain featured in “Lovers in Paris” is the Fontaine Saint-Michel, located in the Latin Quarter of Paris. It’s a stunning landmark and a popular spot for both locals and tourists. More details: Fontaine Saint-Michel (2025) – All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Reviews) | TripAdvisor

FINAL NOTE: As mentioned, this series is part of a trilogy. “Lovers in Prague” has been reviewed on PopGeeks. The 3^rd series, “Lovers”, is still on my watch list.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Lovers In Paris (2004) Korean Drama Classic Review / Pictures | Kdrama Love

Lovers in Paris: The Series that Introduced Me to Korean Drama | DryedMangoez.com

Retro Drama Review: Lovers in Paris (2004) | DramasROK Blog

TRAILER/TEASER:

Park.Shin.Yang, All about. “【Drama/Eng】2004 ‘Lovers In Paris’ 파리의 연인 EP11 – ‘He’s My Boyfriend. Why Can’t You Say It.’” YouTube, 2 July 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olOQRDuLX1o.

♦