Introduction
When I first started Our Sticky Love, I expected a sweet, fluffy romance—the kind of drama that gives you plenty of cute moments with sugary saccharine. And yes, there is definitely romance here, but thankfully, it’s not too sweet. When things start getting a little too sugary, the story throws in crime, mystery, thriller elements, and some heavier drama to shake things up. The result is a romance that has plenty of sweetness, but also enough tension and suspense to keep things interesting.
Drama Info
Drama title: Our Sticky Love (Native title: 이런 엿같은 사랑)
Alternative title: Ireon Yeosgateun Sarang, This Shitty Love
Genres: Crime, Romance, Comedy, Drama
Aired: 12 Aug 2026
Episodes: 12 | Duration: 60 min.
Director: Kim Jang Han (김장한)
Screenwriter: Mo Ji Hye (모지혜)
Where to watch: Netflix
OST
그대 내게 다시 (“Begin Again”) by Jung Hae In (정해인)
Trailer
Synopsis
An ambitious prosecutor loses her memory and moves in with a boxing coach who claims to be her boyfriend. Can this sticky situation turn into real love? (Source: Netflix)
Main Characters
Jung Hae In (정해인) as Jang Tae Ha
Ha Young (하영) as Ko Eun Sae
Heo Sung Tae (허성태) as Baek Sang Gil
The Meaning of the Title
Drama Title
Depending on the strength of the nuance, the native title 이런 엿같은 사랑 (Ireon Yeosgateun Sarang) can be translated into English from “This Shitty Love” (sarcasm/harsh) to “This Messy and Twisted Love” (to avoid profanity). The native title takes advantage of the ambiguous meaning of the sticky traditional snack yeot (엿).
Article Title
My article title, “As Sweet As Taffy,” refers to the ‘taste’ of the drama, which is not too sweet. Unlike Western taffy, which relies heavily on refined white sugar and corn syrup, yeot gets its flavor from naturally fermented grains. See more about these Korean traditional sweets below.
The Korean Taffy (Yeot)
Korean taffy, known as yeot, has a mild and subtle sweetness rather than an overpowering sugary taste. Because it is made by fermenting and boiling grains like rice, corn, or sweet potatoes with barley malt rather than using refined white sugar, the flavor is earthy, smooth, and gentle on the palate.
Yeot making in the drama (Episode 1)
Review
What I Like
- The chemistry between Jung Hae In and Ha Young is probably the best reason to watch. Their relationship starts with a defensive lie, but it slowly and naturally turns into something genuinely sweet and heartfelt.
- Even with her memory loss, Ko Eun Sae is definitely not a helpless damsel. She still has those sharp prosecutor instincts and keeps poking holes in Jang Tae Ha’s story. Ha Young brings a fun, witty energy to the role that makes the ol’ amnesia trope much more entertaining.
- Jang Tae Ha stands out for respecting Ko Eun Sae’s boundaries. Even with the whole fake-dating lie, he never takes advantage of her situation. Instead, he wants her to recover her memories so she can make her own decisions.
- The cozy rural setting and quirky village characters add a lot of charm to the drama. They bring plenty of laugh-out-loud moments while also giving the story that warm, comforting feeling.
- The Korean taffy (yeot) adds an unexpected cultural charm. The traditional sticky candy isn’t just part of the drama’s visual identity; seeing how it’s made and woven into the village setting makes the story feel distinctly Korean. It gives the otherwise familiar rom-com a little cultural flavor that makes it more memorable.
In reality, there is no real county named Gujin-gun in South Korea. The scenes for this fictional taffy town were built and filmed across three real locations in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do province, South Korea.
What I Dislike
- This drama is a trope galore. Amnesia, fake relationship, secret identities, childhood connections… you name it. The drama basically throws every drama trope into one pot. If you’re looking for something groundbreaking and totally original, you won’t find it here.
- The gangster and prosecutor intrigue serves more as a convenient backdrop to force the characters together rather than acting as a gripping, high-stakes thriller. If you’re also a thriller fan, like me, you may find the plot lame.
- Baek Sang Gil feels like a wasted opportunity. He is introduced as a main character, and his mysterious past makes you expect his story to become an important part of the plot. Unfortunately, he feels more like a filler character—only there to keep the drama from feeling like a typical rom-com. In my opinion, his background is not explored deeply enough. The drama gives us a glimpse of his past at the end, but never really digs into what shaped him or why he became the person he is. I wish the writers had spent more time developing his backstory, because it could have added much more emotional depth to both the crime plot.
Song Geon Hee as the young Baek Sang Gil
My Rating
I used my rating system with additional scores of:
- + 1.0 for the strong characterization of Jang Tae Ha and Ko Eun Sae, and the chemistry between Jung Hae In and Ha Young
- + 0.5 for the quirky village characters
- + 0.5 for the Korean taffy/yeot cultural setting
Total rating 8.0/10.
Conclusion
Still, if you’re looking for a light romance with a little crime, a little mystery, lots of laughs, and a cozy small-town atmosphere, Our Sticky Love is an enjoyable watch. It’s sweet, but thankfully, not too sweet.
Spoilers
What is the ending? [short answer]
Happy ending.
How is the ending [long answer]
Baek Sang Gil committed suicide. With the threat gone, everything is back to normal. Jang Tae In and Ko Eun Sae get married at the village.
I always love wedding in the rain!
The major plot twist in the end!
Jang Tae In is Baek Sang Gil’s son. The latter saw Jang Tae In’s baby pictures with his mother, Baek Sang Gil’s girlfriend. She left him when he chose to be a gangster instead. Baek Sang Gil shot himself afterwards, and Jang Tae In never knew he is Baek Sang Gil’s son.
