K-Drama Review: Now, We Are Breaking Up

Written by: Shruti Nirmal, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Edited by: Raj Nandini, Ranchi, Jharkhand

Set in the fashion industry, Now We Are Breaking Up is a 2021 SBS romantic drama about love and breakups. The drama aired from November 12, 2021, to January 8, 2022, and consists of 16 episodes. While it may have seemed like a typical rom-com drama at first, the ending surprised and moved the viewers. Some amazing quotes are displayed during each episode of the drama that reflects the overall theme of achieving fashion goals.

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to shop – Gartrude Stein”

Main Characters and the Plot

The plot revolves around Yoon Jae-guk (played by Jang Ki-yong) and Ha Young-eun (played by Song Hye-kyo).

Ha Young-eun is a top-notch Korean fashion designer. As a realist set on achieving success in the fashion industry, Young-eun stays firm despite the tough realities of her life. Working hard and never compromising on quality, she stands by her principles and the people she loves. Young-eun is an eloquent speaker who is also very straightforward with her thoughts. While one might think this would portray a bad attitude and risk her career, it is quite the opposite. As an intellectual, she speaks up only, when necessary, when most would rather stay silent and avoid voicing out wrong opinions or behaviour.

A free-spirited fashion photographer, Yoon Jae-guk is a testament to carpe diem (seize the day), who also helps and brings out a change in Young-eun and constantly works to provide her with care and restore her faith in love. Known for his mysterious identity, Jae-guk is a very famous photographer. This enables him to take stunning and amazing pictures without people noticing or bothering him. Having a rover personality, he enjoys his life fully without becoming entangled in love or relationships. After meeting Young-eun, he experiences some changes within himself. The change, however, does not have any effect on his work. The two characters respect their work and ethics and will never give up no matter what obstacles arise.

Hwang Chi-sook (played by Choi Hee-seo) is the director of The One Company and the daughter of the Hwang family. She is also a friend and colleague of Young-eun who handles all the issues and problems Chi-sook comes across. Seok Do-hoon (played by Kim Joo-heon) is the vision PR’s CEO who looks after the company and most of the brands. He is also a dear friend of Jae-guk. Hwang Chi-sook is experienced in relationships and lives a carefree life as the daughter of a fashion company CEO, with Young-eun handling all the planning and teamwork. The contrary is true of Seok Do-hoon, who is a successful businessman with a heart of gold but is awkward when it comes to relationships. The two of them have a humorous encounter, which balances the serious interaction between Young-eun and Jae-guk.

The story begins with the main leads already having their first encounter with each other. Young-eun and Jae-guk meet twice in the episode, and they spend a night together, which he is unable to forget or get over. In Seoul, fate brings him back to her, but she shows zero interest in him. As it turns out, she does remember him but pretended like she didn’t. The second time is when Chi-sook sends Young-eun on the blind date set by her father to which she couldn’t go. The man on the blind date is none other than Jae-guk.

Supporting Characters

To build a successful brand, people need to work diligently and spontaneously. It is Ha Young-eun who is in charge of Sono, a Korean fashion brand. It takes a lot of hard work for a domestic fashion brand to shine in front of foreign ones.

Having returned from abroad, Hwang Chi-hyung (Hwang Chi-sook’s brother, played by EXO’s Sehun) joins Team Sono as the youngest member. Despite being the son of the owner of The One, he does not display any rude behaviour or haughtiness. Sono is benefited by Chi-hyung’s celebrity connections, as he knows many of them who can collaborate on fashion events. He takes on a humorous side of the team.

Nam Na-ri (Kim Bo-jung) and Ahn Sun-joo (Moon Joo-yeon) are at the core of the Sono team and have contributed a lot to all the designs and collections. Jung So-Young (played by Shin Ha-young) has incredible artistic characteristics and is a self-made individual with strong beliefs and roots. The young member follows Young-eun’s example. Chi-young and she often clash over their beliefs, but eventually come to terms (we nearly had a third cute couple.) Jeon Mi-sook (Park Hyo-joo) is the housewife and the dearest friend of Chi-sook and Young-eun. Apart from the work, the friendship between the two is held by Mi-sook who has seen them grow closer over the years. She plays a very important role in further episodes.

Why Should You Watch

Dreams & Passion

This part of the drama was often overlooked because people assumed it was a rom-com. While designing new clothes, Team Sono faced some great difficulties. The big incident would shorten its lifespan as a domestic fashion brand. The photo that Jae-guk takes however inspires Ha Young-eun to find new inspiration. This design inspiration was a “think out of the box” moment and you would only know how as you slowly progress towards the remaining episodes.

Friendship

There is always a certain development in a character, plot or setting in every drama. The friendship between Ha Young-eun, Hwang Chi-sook, and Jeon Mi-sook is no exception. In later episodes, Jeon Mi-sook is the reason they realize that their friendship is invaluable. As a result of work, stress, or personal matters, they rarely have time to meet up and chat. They slowly begin to understand each other. Young-eun realizes that Chi-sook is more than a bratty girl. Chi-sook realizes that Young-eun puts in so much effort to help her. Mi-sook realizes her care for the two of them. All three embrace each other and cherish their long-lost moment of happiness. Jae-guk acts as icing on the cake and takes some beautiful pictures as a result of their commitment towards their long-lasting friendship

Love

The straightforward Young-eun conveys that love should be boundless and should not trap you or your dreams. In the same way, we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Young-eun, who appears coldhearted, might not be so on the inside. As a result of her past experience with love, she has a very different perspective toward it.  Through her experiences, she leads one of the best brands in the company. Her perspective on love changes after meeting Jae-guk. He is flexible and as free flowing as the air and decides to settle down for once and for all because she is different to him. The love between Chi-sook and Do-hoon was not a cakewalk either. Chi-sook who finds it hard to trust men and Do-hoon who is not unaware of relationships, also go through a lot.

Teamwork

Ever since the beginning of the drama, Young-eun has capable people working for their brand Sono. They put a lot of effort into it despite obstacles from other brands, fabrications, and plagiarism, making sure that it doesn’t suffer. In addition to being a model employee, Young-eun is also the ultimate team leader and mentor. So-young who is still a new member, astonished Young-eun with her beautiful illustrations. The team uses Jung So-young’s designs for one of the biggest fashion shows for The One.

Considering how fans are expecting more than just romance and comedy, this drama fits the bill very well. It is recommended for the people practicing self-love and self-improvement, as well as improving their relationships with others. When the drama was released, it is believed that it did not receive the recognition it deserved. People were skeptical about Song Hye-kyo’s stern, unchanging facial expressions since it was often mistaken as a pure romantic drama. However, it gets interesting in the later episodes. “Breaking up” in this drama goes beyond just love but also letting go of old relationships, insecurities, grief, and the ability to believe in yourself.

Have you watched this drama? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.