When it comes to our content-viewing habits, kabit and revenge plots often have Filipino households in a chokehold. A typical show would have the lead character discover their S.O. entangled with someone else early on in the show, fuelling a so-called justified revenge arc that makes for the entirety of the plot. Anger, hatred, and betrayal are common themes one would expect in a show or movie that centers around cheating, but what if a new series pops up that instead shifts the attention to raw, vulnerable pain?
You typically associate revenge bits with physical altercations, but on a much deeper and emotional level, is the root: pain. It's that feeling of loneliness, of suffering, of longing—feelings that take place when one is at their lowest. To move on from such pain requires a long, arduous process of acceptance, and oftentimes, self-love. It’s similar to how one accepts death, so to speak. You have your denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. And if you don't currently have the capacity to go through all that yourself, well, a new revenge show might just be the way.
In Disney Plus’ latest K-offering, Call It Love, the stereotypical cheating trope takes a backseat for the lead characters. Here, we put our attention on Sim Woojoo (Lee Sung Kyung) who suffers a lasting emotional scar after her father’s infidelity. Having been forced to grow up early and take care of her two siblings, she is set to take on the path of revenge after learning her father’s mistress has sold their childhood home in order to invest in her son, Han Dongjin’s (Kim Young Kwang) business. However, things go south when she finds herself falling in love with him.
Here’s what you can expect from the new Disney Plus original, Call It Love:
In a virtual press conference on February 21, show director Lee Kwang Young explains that while revenge is the lead character’s intent, it doesn’t make up the premise of the show, “I didn’t focus on the concept of revenge. The characters of the show want revenge. But in our daily lives, you know, we all have those feelings of wanting to kill a person, right? But we can’t and don’t.”
Rather, the director chose to portray the stories and experiences of the characters while they hurt, making it a more relatable approach to the casual viewer. “These are all stories about characters who have these hurts, go through these hardships, but they wake up the next day and carry on with their lives… I wanted to send a message to the audience like, ‘Let’s go ahead, let’s carry on with our lives and one day things will get better,” he adds.
Minor spoilers ahead!
True enough, in the first episode of the show, we see how Woojoo’s father has caused his entire family immense pain and, with Dad’s face crossed out in the family portrait, how they’ve learned to pick up the pieces and move on. Karma later catches up as we find out midway in the episode that he has passed on early, leaving his mistress and “legal wife” widowed.
Despite being driven by revenge and wanting to humiliate her dead father, Woojoo is your typical gal with a heart of gold. During the press conference, actor Lee Sung Kyung, who is also known for her work in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo said that while her character is driven by the pain of losing everything dear to her, Woojoo won’t necessarily go for an “eye for an eye.”
Speaking of losing everything, leading man Han Dongjin also has his fair share of losses once we get introduced to him in the episode. We quickly learn that his trade fair business is in need of fresh capital as well as the fact that he recently just got out of a relationship.
It’s also worth pointing out that a unique relationship exists between the two leads in that they share a “parent.” So there is the question of them technically being step-siblings, which will be interesting to see play out in this K-drama.
Of course, no complicated storyline exists without supporting characters that share or at least experience the same type of misfortunes as the leads. Woojoo’s older sister, Haesung (Kim Yewon) has always fallen for the wrong guy (hint: they’re always in a relationship) and just wants to find someone that’s decent. If you’ve been missing out on classic heartbreak karaoke moments, not to worry as you’ll be getting a funny noraebang scene with loads of out-of-tune singing. You’ll also be treated to the classic sabunutan moment as Haesung gets the classic kabit treatment while at work.
A complete one-eighty from his previous role as a villain in Island, Sung Jun plays the Sim siblings’ close friend and pseudo-family Yoon Jun who runs a pharmacy. Considering he plays the second male lead, only time will tell if he falls for his bestie, Woojoo, or not. Lastly, rounding up the list of misfits is Dongjin’s ex-girlfriend, Minyoung (played by Ahn Hee Yeon). While not exactly physically present in the first episode, we hear a lot about the character in passing with the most prominent mention being when Dongjin had to meet his former schoolmates for drinks. Of course, things only get complicated as we find out that she’s actually back in Korea (by the second episode, no less!) after having spent time abroad and wanting the gorgeous but broody Dongjin back.
If you’ve been wanting to catch a drama that has all of your guilty pleasures, i.e. “the other woman,” betrayal, revenge, and a slow-burn romance, then you’ll definitely want to give Call It Love a shot. As early as the first two episodes, we’re calling it already—you’re bound to reach for your box of tissues sooner or later for that much needed emotional release.
Call It Love is streaming on Disney Plus.
* This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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