A messy family reunion and a second chance at romance? The new K-drama ‘Romance in the House’ is exactly that. An estranged middle-aged couple gets a chance to rekindle their romance, while a young romance blossoms as well. The K-drama has all the romantic-comedy tropes, but is it enough for you to get invested and support the two couples?

Byun Moo-jin (Ji Jin-hee) was married to Geum Ae-yeon (Kim Ji-soo), but the couple divorced when his business repeatedly goes bankrupt. Now with two children – Byun Mi-rae (Son Na-eun) and Byun Hyun-jae (Yoon San-ha), Ae-yeon works part-time at a mart where Mi-rae is in marketing. 11 years later, in a twist of fate, Moo-jin returns to their lives as their new landlord, looking to rekindle a past romance.

On the other hand, Mi-rae finds herself attracted to Nam Tae Pyung (Choi Min-ho), a former national-level taekwondo player who now works as a security guard at his father’s mart.

The first two episodes of the show give you a glimpse of the family’s chaotic reunion, their struggles, and why you should be invested in their stories.

Writer Kim Young-eun makes sure to touch an emotional chord with her backstory in the very first episode. With romance at the center, there’s also an air of mystery behind it, and it’s an interesting mix of situational humor, romance, drama, and melodramatic tropes.

It’s also interesting to see how the show focuses on a mature love story at its own pace, as well as on a young romance that hasn’t even begun. However, this could also work against the show, as most people watch the show to see SHINee’s Choi Min-ho and APINK’s Son Na-eun sharing screen space for the first time. And the first two episodes don’t show much on that front.

The star cast is pretty perfect. Ji Jin-hee and Kim Ji-soo are the “ying to the yang” on screen as an estranged couple. You feel a sense of vulnerability and intrigue in their love-hate story. Both bring a sense of novelty to their respective roles.

Son Na-eun, on the other hand, fits the bill perfectly as Mi-rae, who is both sensitive and determined. San-ha as the younger brother brings a lot of comic relief to the narrative. While Min-ho’s character has not yet been developed enough in the first two episodes, director Kim Da-ye has left enough traces for you to see the love and drama unfold in the upcoming episodes.

Watch the trailer here:

If only the first two episodes are considered, this is just the beginning of the chaos and romance to come. The cast and story so far are interesting and ensure the perfect blend of romantic comedy and mystery genres.

‘Romance in the House’ will have 12 episodes and will be available on Netflix. New episodes will come every Friday and Saturday.