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.
Added this drama to my watchlist after reading the amazingly well written review 😍
Amazing 😍
So interesting 🤔. Adding it to my watch list.
So nicely explained, that it makes me want to watch it.
Loved it, watch it 💯
Will definitely watch it now
Adding to my list thanks to hallyuism 🤭
Another Song Hye-kyo drama 🥰
She is one of my favorite actress 🫶🏻❤️🤩
Want to watch it now.added to my bucket list. Will gina be fun to watch it.
To watch list
Worth it
Very well written Article.
If anyone has not seen this drama yet and if he reads this article, then he/she will know the whole story from here.
The Article is so well written.
Amazing cast and description, I am excited and added to my watch list.
Was quite hesitant to watch it at first because I didn’t like the pairing but I gave it a go, and I thoroughly enjoyed it
Amazing ❤️❤️
Amazing🩷
Added this drama to my watchlist after reading the amazingly well written review 😍
Great work
The article is packed with value… I’ll definitely add this on my watchlist 😊😊😊
Yes worth watching
worth watching
🤌🤌
“Now We Are Breaking Up” offers more than just romance and comedy. Set in the fashion industry, it explores dreams, passion, friendship, love, and teamwork. The lead characters, Yoon Jae-guk and Ha Young-eun, portray a captivating story of love and professional dedication. Supporting characters like Hwang Chi-sook and Seok Do-hoon add depth and humor. The drama highlights the challenges of maintaining a top-notch fashion brand while navigating personal relationships. It’s a great watch for those interested in self-love, self-improvement, and strong friendships.
Didn’t watch this, going to watch now
I am telling you, I have started this drama, but left it in middle, but but but after rading this review I am going to watch it today only bro!!! 😍😂👀🎗️🌟💯🫰🏻
Loved this drama 🥰and love hye kyo ✨💓
Amazing article
It’s a nice drama
Nam Na-ri, my personal fav
Adding it to my watchlist hehe..
now going to watch this drama
Reminds me of my own story
It looks interesting. Well haven’t watch it yet but i am adding to my watchlist. As soon as my busy day will end. I will try to watch it
❤️
This drama show every emotion.you will feel love,sad,heartbreak,friendship,teamwork.it shows the challenges of life you have to face during career. Every episode has deep emotions .the performance and visuals are truly impressive.
Now, We Are Breaking Up really hits deep. The emotions feel so real, and Song Hye-kyo’s acting perfectly captures the pain of love and separation. It’s a beautiful yet heartbreaking story that stays with you even after it ends.
Now, we are breaking up is not just a rom-com drama but it’s perfectly shows the social values and what friendship means in real life, how the team work can lead you to success in your life and also what love actually means as It shows the first meeting of ha young eun and jae guk in first episode and spend night together which jae guk never forgets but in the second meeting they pretend like they don’t know each other which reflects the bond made by heaven. Ha young run a girl who is cold hearted because of her past trauma and dealing with that while as fashion designer she works hrd and gain success so beautiful described the each part of drama.
This drama gave such a mellow, realistic vibe about love and timing. I really liked how they showed the work side of the characters, especially the scenes in the design office—they felt so real. The chemistry was subtle, not loud, but it worked for the story. It’s definitely a comfort-watch if you like emotional, calm romances.
This drama takes you through a wide range of emotions—you feel love, loss, heartbreak, friendship, and the strength that comes from teamwork. It doesn’t shy away from showing the real challenges and pressures people face while trying to build their careers and find their place in life. Every episode carries a depth of emotion that feels honest and relatable, making it easy to connect with the characters. The performances are powerful and heartfelt, and the visuals add another layer of beauty to the storytelling. Overall, it’s a moving experience that stays with you long after each episode ends.
This review captures the emotional rollercoaster of Now, We Are Breaking Up so well — from captivating characters to heart-felt storytelling. I liked how the article broke down the story’s themes of love, loss, and growth without spoiling key moments. It truly feels like a drama that challenges expectations while drawing you into the characters’ inner worlds. Definitely sounds worth watching!
Now We Are Breaking Up, felt deeper than a typical rom-com to me. The way it explored ambition, self-growth, friendship, and love within the fashion world was refreshing. I especially appreciated its message about letting go—not just of relationships, but of fears and insecurities.
Now We Are Breaking Up feels very real …a slow, mature love story about timing, emotions, and the kind of relationships that aren’t perfect but honest.Great Recommendation
I absolutely loved Now We Are Breaking Up! The way it showcased dreams, teamwork, and love all at once was amazing. Ha Young-eun is such an inspiring character, and Jae-guk’s charm adds so much spark. The friendships and dynamics within Team Sono made it even more relatable. Truly a drama that goes beyond romance!