First Impressions: "Brewing Love" Is Frothy Fare With Barrels Of Fun, Emotions, And A Heady Romance

“Brewing Love” is here, bringing us a heady concoction to lift our sprits. Kim Se Jeong is back on the small screen after striking the right notes with her studio album, “Door,” as well as her turn in the second installment of “The Uncanny Encounter.” The actor is joined by Lee Jong Won, Baek Sung Chul, as well as Shin Do Hyun. So, how did this bubbly rom-com fare? Very Smooth! Here is everything that will have you saying “Cheers!” in the premiere episodes.

Chae Yong Ju, the high-spirited salesperson

The vivacious Chae Yong Ju (Kim Se Jeong) is Likey Beer and Jisang Liquor’s wonder girl. Had it not been for her, Likey Beer’s soaring sales graph would have been just a flat line. Yong Ju is the energetic and impressive sales leader of the Busan branch. A former member of the special forces, her indomitable physical strength and mental astuteness are now devoted to combatting troublesome wholesalers and rival brands. Deeply committed to her job, Yong Ju faces her biggest career challenge when she is told that the headquarters, Jisang Liquor, wants to shut down its Busan branch and integrate it with other branches. How does she protect her branch? The solution: to convince the wonder boy of the beer market, Yun Min Ju (Lee Jong Won), to align with Jisang Liqour. Min Ju is a brewmaster who has shaken up the beer industry with his elusive magical brew, Naro Beer. However, Min Ju has no intention to commercialize his home grown beer brand, turning down every offer. The feisty Yong Ju is up for the task and sets out to convince Min Ju. However, little does she realize the meeting with reticent Min Ju may just infuse her life with emotions and feelings she keeps carefully guarded.

Kim Se Jeong is a natural on screen. Her smiling face and laughing eyes make Yong Ju a character after one’s own heart. The actor, who is known for her innate comedic timing, is equally comfortable when it comes to doing action stunts. What strikes you about her character and the story is that though she is a tough-as-nails sales leader in the liquor trade, her gender is never seen as a barrier. The men in her team look up to her and so do her seniors. Yong Ju is smooth and strong with a dash of sweetness which makes her stoutly stand in a business that’s not for the faint-hearted. And Kim Se Jeong adds just the right fizz and texture to make the character a winner.

Yun Min Ju, the incredible brewmaster

Yun Min Ju (Lee Jong Won) is an alchemist when it comes to brewing beer. But the man is a recluse of sorts and is super sensitive when it comes to picking vibes and dealing with people. His homegrown beer brand, Naro Beer, is making the right noise in the industry, especially within Jisang Liquor. They want to scout Min Ju and have him join forces with them. Though it could well be a profitable proposition, Min Ju has no interest in market share or profit margins. He is happy harvesting hops in the village he inhabits, taking care of the beer plant, and spends time in his immaculately kept home.

Min Ju is an empath, who is extremely attuned to the feeling and emotions of others, and many times even ends up feeling what they are feeling. He creates these imaginary walls between him and people, such as the noisy village folk as well as his enthusiastic part-timer Oh Chan Hwi (Baek Sung Chul). On top of mentally chanting the word “block,” telling himself that it’s their feelings and not his, and meditating, Min Ju likes to keep his space clean of clutter, whether mental or physical.

However, on his younger brother’s birthday, after an altercation with his father, Min Ju encounters Yong Ju at a shooting range. Intrigued by this girl, who helps his baby brother win the teddy bear he wants despite being lost in her own thoughts, Min Ju finds himself tuning into her aura. He meets her again when she tries to convince him to join Jisang Liqour and cannot shake off the feeling of his frequency tuning with hers.

Lee Jong Won’s Min Ju is an endearing character and is a departure from the typical portrayal of the powerful and emotionally strong male lead. He is confident, compassionate, and extremely sensitive towards the feelings of others. He is someone who has had to empower himself so as not adhere to the expectations of others, especially in the case of his father. His altercation with his father, a retired two star Army general, gives one a perspective into his growing years. “You still think you are in the military and expecting people to live by your rules,” he chides his father, as he recounts the loss of his mother and how his father had not let any emotion flit on his face. Min Ju tells his six-year-old brother that it is okay for a boy to play with a stuffed toy and to be his own person. It’s a strong statement, given the societal conditioning and parameters set for girls and boys. One can’t wait to see how Min Ju’s character shakes and stirs things around.

And Lee Jong Won is perfect as the gentle and considerate Min Ju. Min Ju has a strength of character and realizes the best form of self defense is to build a strong inner self.

Gear up for a heady romance

Yong Ju and Min Ju are opposites in every sense of the word. Yong Ju is a people’s person who’s world and life revolves around her job. She can down pints of beer with the same gusto with which she smacks down perpetual offenders, especially the wholesalers and middlemen who try to sip away Likey’s market share. There is a caring and nurturing side to her as well, which comes to the fore when she tends to her grandmother. Committed to her work and the well-being of her team, she takes on the task of convincing Min Ju to come on board. As she is told by all that he is impossible to persuade, her response is that”it makes me want to persuade him more.”

Min Ju is a private person, who likes to maintain boundaries and keep people at bay. A perfectionist, he maintains a work-life balance. He lives his life like clockwork, but the arrival of the bubbly Yong Ju promises to create ripples in his languorous life. One can feel that this will be an irresistible cocktail of opposites attract.

And it’s not just Yong Ju and Min Ju, but the chemistry between the prickly Bang Oh Reum (Shin Do Hyun) and Chan Hwi could also be equally intoxicating. Oh Reum is the marketing lead at Jisang Liquor. She’s an enterprising woman who has meticulously planned her life. From her investments, her dating life, and work, Oh Reum does not leave anything to chance. She too has been assigned the task of scouting Min Ju, but unlike Yong Ju, she has no plans to expend her energies beyond a point. And with Chan Hwi, a free-spirited part-timer at Min Ju’s brewery, these two are polar opposites and are just as explosive as our lead pair.

As our two couples get a taste of beer, life, and its many emotions, “Brewing Love” promises to keep the spirits high in the coming episodes.

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Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yang Yang and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.

Currently watching: “Family by Choice” & “Brewing Love“