REVIEW: ‘No Gain No Love’ Isn’t Perfect, But The Secondary Romance Slaps

In No Gain No Love, the focus is on an incredibly guarded, cynical woman who slowly softens with her partner’s unrelenting kindness. While this primary romance plot is sweet, it is not the strongest romance in the latest series from director Kim Jung-sik (Strong Girl Nam-soon) and screenwriter Kim Hye-young (Her Private Life). Instead, the primary pairing’s weakness is further emphasized by the secondary pairing’s strength. Despite this head-scratching issue, the series is still a rewarding experience.

Son Hae-yeong (Shin Min-a) is an ambitious woman who refuses to let things like love get in the way in pursuit of money. She’s selfish, greedy, and a tad unlikable, making her an interesting romantic heroine to root for. Her cynicism towards love is well-earned, with childhood wounds, countless betrayals, and misinterpretations of her mother’s actions leading to her easily distrusting people. The only thing she can count on is money, which leads her to make an outrageous decision in pursuit of it – organizing a fake wedding.

To do that, Hae-yeong needs to find a groom, and she finds it in her local convenience store clerk, Kim Ji-wook (Kim Young-dae). Initially, he comes across as if he despises Hae-yeong, which isn’t wholly unbelievable. She is abrasive and obnoxious.  But underneath his resistance is a sweetheart. He’s a sucker for someone in need, and while he finds the lengths she’s willing to go to ridiculous, Ji-wook can’t help wanting to make her happy. As fate would have it, these would-be strangers are more connected than they think.

Two of Hae-yeong’s closest friends came into her life because her mother (Yoon Bok-in) had fostered them in the past. The bond became inseparable with the now popular R-rated web novelist Nam Ja-yeon, who is still living with Hae-yeong and Cha Hee-sung (Joo Min-kyung), who has a successful career in voiceover. Even though she starts as a secondary character, Ja-yeon takes precedence in No Gain No Love as the story progresses. Her simpler storyline and the amount of personality actress Yoo Bok-in injects into the character make her an instant success.

No Gain No Love doesn’t escape second male lead syndrome.

It wouldn’t be a proper Kdrama without a secondary male love interest, and that’s where the CEO of Kkulbee Education, Bok Gyu-hyun (Lee Sang-yi), in No Gain No Love. As Hae-yeong’s boss, he holds all the cards. He’s not the perfect CEO. His father (Choi Jin-ho) has to threaten him to succeed. There’s also a cluelessness to the character that belies his pedigree. This comes out in full swing when Gyu-hyun becomes embroiled in Ja-yeon’s life.

No Gain No Love has a lot going on—for better or worse. Between cameos from Strong Girl Nam-soon actors, a fight between heirs to mysterious baby daddies, and a murder domestic abuse subplot, there’s a lot to grab the attention in the series. However, it’s not handled with finesse. Instead, it creates an unbalanced feeling, with some developments paying off and others frustrating rather than fulfilling the intended purpose. Most glaringly, the main romance takes a backseat towards the end of the series.

The love story between Hae-yeong and Ji-wook is riddled with convoluted revelations. Ji-wook’s storyline as a stranger getting dragged into Hae-yeong’s life at the beginning of No Gain No Love was fine enough. However, as we learn more about him, his background becomes increasingly convoluted. A reveal gives a rags-to-riches feel, but the tension it aimed to cause in the story had no staying power. Without that lasting impact, it begs the question, why bother including it at all?

The chemistry between Shin Min-a and Kim Young-dae is tepid at worst and okay at best. The two play characters are distinctly contrasting personality types, so some forgiveness can be given for things not hitting off immediately. However, as their feelings for each other grow, they can’t shake off the feeling of big sister/little brother in their performances. And when it comes to declarations of love, more so from Young-dae rather than Min-a, they don’t register as more than just words. This pairing is not a slam dunk.

The strongest parts of Hae-yeong’s story in No Gain No Love are centered around her friction and unresolved issues with her mother. Her story embodies the theming of what it means to find love again after so long. The lesson comes full circle by the end of No Gain No Love and also reflects a sad truth. Sometimes, we don’t realize the care and love a person has for us until they’ve left our lives. This can manifest itself in friendships, family relations, and romance.

But does No Gain No Love actually need romance at this point?

Would the story between Hae-yeong and Ji-wook have been stronger had it kept from the romance? Possibly. Given what arises from Ji-wook’s past and his barely fleshed-out grandmother’s involvement with Hae-yeong’s mother, platonic love would have been a stronger option here than romantic. What we gain with their relationship isn’t as satisfying once storylines are tied up.

No Gain No Love does give us a romantic couple to root for, but it’s not what people expected initially. The relationship between Ja-yeon and Gyu-hyun was an unexpected, pleasant surprise. Starting as enemies, the transition to lovers feels earned. The actors are both incredibly committed to these goofy characters, creating a match made in silly goose heaven. However, the amount of screen time the two get compared to Hae-yeong and Ji-wook in No Gain No Love is nuts.

It’s almost as if Hye-young decided halfway through No Gain No Love that this pairing spoke to her more before further investing in the romance between the CEO and web novelist. I don’t blame her. Sometimes, characters take on a life of their own in the writing process. It’s unheard of for a secondary romance to be more entertaining and rewarding and take up more time than the main attraction. And, based on how successful the pairing was, it’s no surprise now that we’re getting a spinoff series with the two.

The strength of the romance between Ja-yeon and Gyu-hyun and their respective storylines and arcs save No Gain No Love. With so many romantic Kdramas out there, it’s imperative to have a gripping romance that keeps viewers investing. The romance between Hae-yeong and Ji-wook did not land, even with their connected history, giving a less-than-satisfying feeling by the series’ end. However, with Ja-yeon’s and Gyu-hyun’s relationship, enough was done to make this narratively messy series secure some goodwill by the end.

All episodes of No Gain No Love are now available to stream on Prime Video.