If you are in the mood for some light-hearted romance, then ‘My Sweet Mobster’ is for you. As the name suggests, this new K-drama features an ex-convict (who is also a mobster), a content creator who accidentally meets him and their ‘sweet’ romance in the middle of it all.

In ‘My Sweet Mobster’, you have Seo Ji-hwan (Uhm Tae Goo) who runs a meat processing company where only ex-convicts are hired. This is a company run by ex-convicts, so its credibility is always in question. The now righteous ex-convict finds himself wildly attracted to an unpopular children’s content creator, Go Eun Ha (Han Sun-hwa), whom he bumps into during one of his missions. Although a kind simple girl falling for an ex-bad guy is quite a cliché, ‘My Sweet Mobster’ uses it beautifully to set up a believable romance.

The backdrop of a fascinating and dangerous world of organized crime and love makes you root for their story. You also have Kwon Yul playing Jang Hyeon-woo, a prosecutor who hates Seo Ji-hwan. It’s interesting to see how their present is connected to their past meetings, and why it seemed like an inevitable encounter.

Besides that, the ensemble cast is also amazing, including Kim Hyun-jin as Joo Il-young, Lee Yoo-joon as Jung Man-ho, and Moon Dong-hyeok as Yang Hong-ki. The show focuses on their mutual bond and loyalty, which makes it even more promising. You get excited for the love story and also for the men who seem to be trying to get their lives back on track.

Um Tae-goo, who is usually known for playing intense supporting roles, is quite a revelation here. His charismatic yet confused lover side is worth watching. What also helps is Tae-goo’s ability to quickly switch between showing a tough personality and embracing his sweet side like a pro. Sun-hwa is the perfect ‘ying’ to Tae-goo’s ‘yang’. They fit perfectly with each other, complementing each other’s crazy personalities.

The writing so far is the right balance of humor and slapstick, with emotional props used to establish the right connections. The music so far is good, but nothing special.

There are many parallel sub-plots and mysteries to be revealed in future episodes, which are enough to keep you hooked to this romantic comedy.

This review is based on the first 6 episodes only. The show is available on Viki for international users.