REVIEW: ‘Nice To Not Meet You’ Episodes 1-2

Directed by Kim Ga-ram and written by Jung Yeo-rang, Nice To Not Meet You Episodes 1-2 lays down the groundwork for the growing rivalry and tension between Lee Jung-jae’s Lim Hyun-joon and Lim Ji-yeon’s Wi Jeong-sin, while planting the seeds of a growing conspiracy that is starting to threaten Jeong-sin’s career. For those who’ve been missing Lee Jung-jae since Squid Game wrapped, look no further than what is shaping up to be a silly comedic venture.

To set the stage, the first episode takes us back in time when Lim Hyun-joon (Lee Jung-jae) and Wi Jeong-sin (Lim Ji-yeon) had yet to establish their careers. Hyun-joon works at a printing shop that he established with his friend Hwang (Choi Gwi-ha), but he’s not happy with his life. In a flashback sequence, it’s shown that he took the blame for a scandal that erupted between him and a female colleague, basically ruining his acting career before it could really begin.

Just when his life isn’t going anywhere, he is recognized by a film graduate student, Park Byeong-ki (Jeon Sung-woo), whose personality quirks and work ethic are both equally admirable and annoying. Byeong-ki thinks Hyun-joon will make the perfect lead for his film, Good Detective Kang Pil-gu, and relentlessly hounds the man to join the cast. With Hwang’s encouragement, Hyun-joon finally agrees to sign on to the project, and it ultimately changes the trajectory of both men’s lives.

Lee Jung-jae and Jeon Sung-woo have a fun dynamic in Nice To Not Meet You Episodes 1-2.

The dynamic between Lee Jung-jae and Jeon Sung-woo in Nice To Not Meet You Episodes 1-2 is kinetic. Their characters should not get along, with both set in their ways about how certain things should be done. Yet, through the seriousness with which both approach their respective crafts, they forge a bond and a respect for one another that results in more than a dynamic graduate film project. It manifests in an award-winning career that serves as a game-changer for both.

However, not every past encounter manifests in something pleasant. Political reporter Wi Jeong-sin discovers potential whistleblower Woo Young-suk has died, likely under suspicious circumstances. Rather than take a bribe from someone hoping she doesn’t dig further, Jeong-sin pours a bunch of alcohol into a bucket, dumps the money in said bucket, and proceeds to chug it. It’s a moment of badassery and stupidity that results in her getting incredibly drunk. 

This leads to an awkward first encounter between her and Hyun-jin when she accidentally breaks into his car. This naturally leads to accusations and miscommunications, with neither party looking good in the end when a police officer reviews the evidence. Even if this first meeting doesn’t pay off by the time Episode 2 wraps, it establishes a baseline of tension that remains constant after the two reunite seven years later at a red-carpet event.

Any potential connection between Hyun-jin and Jeong-sin is off to a rocky start.

Jumping forward seven years to the present day, it’s shown that Hyun-jin and Jeong-sin have established themselves in their field. Since starring in Byeong-ki’s graduate project, Hyun-jin has become synonymous with his detective character from Good Detective Kang Pil-gu, which was quickly adapted into a multi-season drama series. Despite his success, Hyun-jin craves more, with his career hitting a plateau in his eyes. Unless something changes, he may be doomed to fading into obscurity.

Similarly, Jeong-sin has become an award-winning, groundbreaking political journalist. However, her insistence on trying to solve Woo Young-suk lands her in hot water (and a hilarious bout of physical comedy between Lee Jung-jae and Lee Ji-yeon in a toilet stall), where she’s condemned to work the entertainment journalist beat. And, it becomes abundantly clear in Nice To Not Meet You Episodes 1-2 that until she learns to respect and stay informed about what’s happening in the entertainment industry, she will never succeed. 

She quickly evolves into an obstacle of annoyance for Hyun-jin after her lack of red carpet decorum escalates into an embarrassing, memorable moment for Hyun-jin. In a similar situation in Episode 2, she fails to understand the obsessive (and occasionally, violent) nature of fangirls and finds herself assaulted at an airport. And when she comes head-to-head with Hyun-jin in an exclusive interview, she demonstrates her lack of respect and care for her job through her inadequate research on him as the subject.

Jeong-sin’s path across Nice To Not Meet You Episodes 1-2 shows the ugly side of her character, but also room for growth.

It’s clear across Nice To Not Meet You Episodes 1-2 that both Hyun-jin and Jeong-sin are being set up for some humbling. Both are at a shaky point in their careers, and both need each other to survive in the industry. However, both are too petty to realize it, so they find ways to publicly sabotage each other. Hyun-jin bars Jeong-sin from a press conference, ruining a chance of getting a scoop for her outlet. In retaliation, she writes numerous negative articles about him, resulting in the actor missing out on job opportunities.

Personally, I’m a fan of characters being petty, particularly if they are meant to be romantic later on. The enemies-to-lovers pipeline is built on such things. One thing that should be pointed out, though, is that given the smaller size of the Korean entertainment industry, these escalating acts of pettiness have a more serious ripple effect. The insular communal aspect of the industry cannot be denied, and it is shown well here.

In a similar vein, Jeong-sin’s snobbish attitude towards entertainment journalism is a familiar one. Often seen as the lesser of the journalist routes (the clickbait nature of articles doesn’t help matters), it’s understandable that she would view her transfer as beneath her abilities. However, throughout the course of Episode 2, both viewers and Jeong-sin learn the amount of stress and hard work that goes into covering the industry through her various screw-ups. 

With the lead characters reaching all kinds of petty, it makes for fun, entertaining moments.

After an uncomfortable meeting between Hyun-jin, Hwang, Jeong-sin, and her boss, Yun Hwa-yeong (Seo Ji-hye), Jeong-sin realizes that she needs to change. Her initial goal is to find ways to bring down Hyun-jin; however, to do that, she needs to understand who he is. This ultimately results in a funny montage of her getting hooked on Good Detective Kang Pil-gu, leading her to an all-nighter and newfound feelings of appreciation for the actor.

By the end of Nice To Not Meet You Episode 2, Jeong-sin’s feelings seem to have changed. How this will impact her approach to Hyun-jin and her mission to take him down remains to be seen, especially since the actor himself has yet to develop any respect for the journalist. However, the tension between the two characters across both episodes suggests the potential for an explosive romance, depending on the direction the story takes.

Still, there is a chance that another love interest may arise. While not much is known about him yet, Lee Jae-young (Kim Ji-hoon) seems likely to be set up as a potential suitor for Jeong-sin. Their chance meeting at the airport, where Jeong-sin tries to save him from rabid fangirls, sparks enough interest for him to try to find her at her job. Between his retirement from sports and what appears to be a wealthy lifestyle, there’s just enough there to pique interest, but not enough to gauge more beyond that.

As it stands, Nice To Not Meet You Episodes 1-2 does a lot of work establishing the tension between Hyun-jin and Jeong-sin early on. Whatever romance may develop between them will be hard-earned, as their multiple encounters so far have led to chaos and embarrassment. With just the right amount of comedy and enough mystery stoked by the conspiracy Jeong-sin is chasing, this drama is already starting on an entertaining note.

Nice To Not Meet You Episodes 1-2 are now streaming exclusively on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping  Mondays and Tuesdays.

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