According to reports, South Korea’s marriage rate has dropped by at least 40 percent in the past ten years. The government is reportedly introducing some benefits for those who are planning to get married, in order to encourage them. So, a new K-drama about the female lead getting into a fake marriage to grab company profits is not surprising. No Gain No Love uses the plot of a fake marriage to present a romantic comedy in capitalist times.

Son Hae-yong (Hometown Cha Cha Cha’s Shin Min-a) is a calculating office worker who has been denied a promotion because of the company’s unbalanced structure, which benefits married employees more than unmarried ones. Merit is not the measure of success here. After slaving away at the office for a long time, Hae-yong decides to have a fake marriage to grab all the company’s benefits. She finds her groom in Kim Ji-uk (My Shooting Star’s Kim Young-dae), a kind-hearted part-time employee who dislikes only one person – Hae-yong herself.

Now, the trend of fake weddings in K-dramas is nothing new, but this is probably the first time that the reason behind it seems very economical and genuine.

Hae-yong calculates the loss and gain in everything because of society. Ji-uk doesn’t care about society, but he feeds the stray cat and his grandmother. The first two episodes have arrived, and the two central characters have already hooked us to their story. Not much is known about Ji-uk yet. Hae-yong, on the other hand, was raised by a mother who was more interested in raising foster children. Therefore, the relationship between them is bad.

There are still a lot of layers and revelations to be made in the story of No Gain No Love, which already makes it an interesting film. It’s also interesting to see the other leads getting a parallel story and specific arcs for each character, rather than just using them as background props.

However, the downside is that having too many things to do can make it a monotonous experience. The first episode raised a lot of expectations. With the umbrella scene and the rain, and the chaotic chemistry between Young-dae and Min-ae, the show has already established a solid K-drama couple that viewers will love.

It is directed by Kim Jung-sik, who previously directed Strong Girl Namsoon and Work Later Drink Now. The screenplay is written by Kim Hye-young.

This review is based on just two episodes. New episodes of the show will be aired every Monday and Tuesday on Prime Video for international viewers.