5 Things We Loved & 2 Things We Hated About The Premiere Of "Romance Is A Bonus Book"

Cha Eun Ho (Lee Jong Suk) and Kang Dan Yi (Lee Na Young) proved to be charming characters in the premiere episodes of tvN’s new drama “Romance is a Bonus Book.” The story follows the perseverant Dan Yi as she battles with the aftermath of her divorce and gloomy unemployment. With a stroke of luck and a lot of confidence, she lands herself a job at Gyeoroo Publishing House, where Eun Ho works. If you’re looking for a fun, dramatic, yet realistic rom-com then look no further. Here’s a list of things we loved and hated about the first two episodes!

Warning: Spoilers for the premiere episodes below.

LOVED: Kang Dan Yi’s resourcefulness

She may be at her lowest point (divorced, unemployed, and homeless), but Kang Dan Yi doesn’t let that get the best of her. While she is constantly on the lookout for new jobs, she is smart enough that she won’t have to sleep on the side of the street. She craftily uses Eun Ho’s place to shower and eat. After all, she is the one cleaning it. Unbeknownst to Eun Ho, who thinks a housekeeper than Dan Yi recommended is cleaning his house, she is actually the one cleaning it (and using its resources).

She also finds solace in her old home that is marked for demolition. After her husband’s business went bankrupt, they lost their house. However, she brazenly jumps the walls and ignores the keep out signs. While the situation certainly goes south, in the end she makes sure that she’s safe. She shows incredible perseverance and determination, and it’s these choices that ultimately lead her to find the temporary job at the publishing house! It’s awesome to see a leading lady who takes charge of her life while trying her best to keep her pride intact.

LOVED: Cha Eun Ho being a supportive friend

The opening scene was a doozy. Not only was Dan Yi getting married to someone that was not Eun Ho, but Eun Ho was also playing the piano for her grand entrance. Temporarily, she becomes a runaway bride and hides in the back of Eun Ho’s car without him knowing, which allows them a brief moment by themselves. It’s here that Eun Ho tells her he’d take her anywhere else if she didn’t want to get married. He wanted to support her happiness, as it was clear she was having some cold feet.

LOVED: Their backstory

Is it really a rom-com if there isn’t some sort of childhood connection? Not only is there a grand role reversal where the guy is in love with the girl and she has no clue, but it turns out Dan Yi was Eun Ho’s life-saver. It was incredibly cute to see how Eun Ho’s never-ending crush began and developed through his humorous but tender meeting with Dan Yi. It will be exciting to see their connection grow deeper as the show progresses.

LOVED: Song Hae Rin and the new hires

Of course, this wouldn’t be a rom-com without comedy. The funniest scenes happened to come whenever we saw the group of Gyeoroo interacting. It was hilarious to see Seo Young Ah (Kim Sun Young) complain about the president (Kim Tae Woo) while she came in clad in slides and with hair rollers still in her hair.

Watching the president call all the new hires was also comical and lighthearted. An iconic scene, however, is when new hire, Park Hoon (Kang Ki Doong) talks about Song Hae Rin (Jung Yoo Jin) being the second witch without knowing who she is.

It will be amusing to see how everyone will become a team as the drama continues!

LOVED: Na Gyeong and Ju Yeon

An absolute stand-out part of this drama was when we discovered that one of Eun Ho’s ex-girlfriends, Na Gyeong left him for a hair stylist named Ju Yeon! The banter Na Gyeong shared with Eun Ho before the reveal was amusing and their friendship definitely added some fluff to the drama amongst all the sadness.

This kind of representation seems rare in K-dramas and it was refreshing to see a glimpse of what will hopefully be the plot of a drama one day! With any luck maybe they’ll make a few more appearances in the drama as it moves forward!

HATED: The inevitable heartbreak of second lead syndrome

I know what you’re thinking. How can someone have second male lead syndrome when Lee Jong Suk is the lead? I admit, it seems crazy. But Ji Seo Joon (Wi Ha Joon) definitely seems to be a contender alongside Eun Ho! Not only does he swoop in like Prince Charming for Dan Yi, but he also shares with her a staple scene from any K-drama alike: an umbrella scene.

How can your heart not be fluttering?

While this isn’t exactly a negative, it will surely lead to heartbreak as it’s unlikely he will end up with Dan Yi. And admittedly, it is a little weird that he followed her around for the whole day to return her shoes. We’ll have to keep a close eye on him and hope he doesn’t turn out to be creepy (or worse, steal our hearts from Eun Ho)!

HATED: Cha Eun Ho’s cold behavior

Like any male lead, Eun Ho believes that love has betrayed him. Forced to watch Dan Yi marry someone he doesn’t approve of has made him as broody as ever. While he does have a soft spot for her, it was a little annoying to see him talk down at her due to his own personal frustrations. It was also off-putting to have him act so cold when she told him she got the job. Albeit, he did congratulate her in the end.

Of course, he is only human and it’s only the beginning of the drama. Hopefully, his cold heart will soften and this behavior will become a distant memory. After all, we are definitely rooting for him!

Did you watch “Romance is a Bonus Book”? If so, what did you like and dislike? If you didn’t watch it, are you going to tune in? Let us know in the comments below!

kaityv spends most of her time watching K-dramas even though she should be writing. If she’s not watching a drama then she’s for sure binging BTS, iKON, and Red Velvet music videos.

Currently watching: “Romance is a Bonus Book”
All-time favorite: “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon”
Looking forward to: “So I Married An Anti-Fan,” “Vagabond,” and Ji Soo‘s first proper lead role.