Crash Course in Romance (2023)

April 2, 2023

Our Take: A breath of fresh air in the rom-com department. 

The Premise

Crash Course in Romance is a rom-com series at the intersection of good food and math equations. 

Nam Haeng Seon (Jeon Do Yeon) is a former national handball athlete who retired to focus on raising her daughter, Nam Hae Yi (Roh Yoon Seo). She now runs Nation's Best Banchan, a local side dish restaurant. As Hae Yi prepares for her university entrance exam, Haeng Seon immerses herself in the cutthroat private education field to help her daughter get into an elite college. 

She unexpectedly gets involved with star math instructor Choi Chi Yeol (Jung Kyung Ho) in the process. Known as the "1 Trillion Won Man," Chi Yeol is a celebrity private tutor at The Pride with a reputation for guaranteeing good grades for his students. But, despite his success, he is lonely and unhappy - the complete opposite of Haeng Seon. 

When Chi Yeol tries Haeng Seon's banchan for the first time, he discovers that it's the only palatable food for him. So, in exchange for giving Hae Yi private math lessons, Haeng Seon agrees to cook for him daily, which starts their budding enemies-to-lovers relationship. 

Finding Love in Your 30s

Haeng Seon and Chi Yeol's love story stands out from other romcoms in that they are a mature couple who've been through all seasons of life. While Haeng Seon is full of energy and down-to-earth, she made many sacrifices to get to where she is today. She took her niece in as her daughter at a young age, giving up her youth and sports career to raise her. Meanwhile, Chi Yeol grew up in extreme poverty and climbed to the top as a star instructor. But, despite his success and riches, he's lifeless, obsessed with work, and suffers from a stress-related eating disorder. 

When their worlds collide, they slowly embrace each other with love and warmth while supporting each other's shortcomings. Haeng Seon and her tight-knit family heals Chi Yeol's eating disorder through delicious homemade meals and quality time. As they spend more time together, Chi Yeol gradually finds solace in Haeng Seon's kind and joyful personality. In return, he helps her navigate the world of private education while inspiring her to pursue her dreams of becoming a sports instructor. 

A Jab at the Education System

The backdrop against which the plot unfolds makes plenty of jabs at the South Korean education system. Students are under immense pressure to go to extreme lengths to get good grades and secure a spot in a top university, from attending tutoring academies after school to frequently consuming highly caffeinated drinks and taking pills. Parents are excessively obsessed with their children's academic standing and do everything in their power to ensure their children excel at school. Teachers and private tutors grapple with figuring out ways to better the education system and help their students succeed.

While there is plenty of commentary on the education system, the show doesn't quite land the messaging. The drama tends to suggest that tiger moms and their overachieving children are to blame for the system's toxicity rather than the culture of brutal competition and tying educational success to socioeconomic mobility.

Bang Soo Ah (Kang Na Eon) starts hallucinating from stress as her grades slip behind Hae Yi's, yet her mother, Cho Soo Hee (Kim Sung Young), pushes her harder. Jang Seo Jin (Jang Young Nam) drives her oldest son Hee Jae (Kim Tae Jung) to become a recluse when he fails to meet her expectations and doesn't get into college. She also uses manipulative tactics to coerce her younger son Seon Jae (Lee Chae Min) to stay at the top of his class, going so far as to bribe a teacher for a copy of an exam. At one point, even Chi Yeol remarks that Haeng Seon may be holding her daughter back by having their weekly "Chicken Day" family hang out on a school night. 

It's no secret that there is intense pressure to succeed at school in Korea. The education system emphasizes high performance and production no matter the emotional, financial, or social toll. While this hypercompetitive environment fosters perseverance and higher aspirations, in turn, students pay a hefty price for their overall health and happiness. 

Not Everyone is Meant to Be a Parent

In the latter half of the series, Hae Yi's biological mom is brought back into the picture in an almost caricature-like fashion. Despite abandoning her daughter and disappearing for years, she returns as if nothing happened when Hae Yi falls into a coma. She's completely shameless, and under the guise of being a caring mother, she uses this opportunity to try and get money out of Chi Yeol. 

Reuniting with her biological mother shatters Hae Yi's fantasy. She had always hoped that her mother was at least a good person, but it's clear that she only cares about herself and is a nuisance to everyone around her. As hard as it was to watch their reunion unfold, this was necessary to cement Hae Yi and Haeng Seon's mother-daughter bond. 

Haeng Seon and Hae Yi love and care for each other deeply and even have similar personalities. They're a true family with years of shared experiences and understanding. Hae Yi's biological mother acknowledges their intense bond and quietly leaves them while entrusting Haeng Seon with Hae Yi. 

Actions Have Consequences

In some ways, the downfall of Chi Yeol's secretary, Ji Dong Hee (Shin Jae Ha), is a social commentary on the pitfalls of Korea's education system. After learning about his traumatic backstory, Dong Hee's motives become understandable (though it's still wrong). His family, teachers, school - everyone failed him. To emphasize the damaging academic culture, he's not given a redemption arc or proper closure. Instead, his life becomes a tragedy and a warning signal of what's happening in society. 

On a less intense level, Soo Ah's mom spends her time stirring up drama and backstabbing other people to get rid of her daughter's competition. As she gossips about other people, she gets embroiled in a scandal when she sees her husband cheating on her with his mistress. Although she is the victim, her reputation also gets damaged, giving her a taste of her own medicine. Through this experience, she gets the opportunity to reflect on the injustices she inflicted on others and will hopefully stop exploiting victims for her personal gain. 

Final Thoughts

Crash Course in Romance starts with a compelling storyline, but the plot gets convoluted as the writers try to incorporate all sorts of themes into the show. It's a romcom, heavy thriller, critique of the education system, high school friendship, and family drama combined. While everything gets tied up neatly, focusing on one or two themes would have allowed individual side stories to get more fleshed out and have satisfying endings. Despite some shortcomings, Crash Course in Romance was an entertaining watch that may likely become a classic in the future.