'Love Untangled' Netflix Review: Standard Korean High School Romance Is Cute-ish

I know for a fact that the second you saw the trailer to Love Untangled, you had20th Century Girl war flashbacks. I understand your sentiment, but I’m happy to inform you that you will not be weeping at the end of this Netflix film; instead, you might find yourself giggling your way through the whole thing. Love Untangled is a film set in 1998, where a young curly-haired girl named Se-Ri develops a crush on a schoolmate and decides to confess her love for him. However, before she can do that, a transfer student from Seoul shows up and changes things. Se-Ri gets tangled up with a new boy, Yoon-Seok, because he nearly drowns in the Busan sea, and she saves his life. Who will she end up with? And will Se-Ri’s curly hair be an obstacle for her even as a grown-up? Let’s find out in this review of Love Untangled.

The film is a 2-hour romantic comedy set in high school. If you’ve previously seen high school Korean dramas or films, it’s likely you already know exactly how things turn out in Love Untangled. It could basically be the most predictable film of 2025, but that’s okay, because not everything needs to be a shocker or give you a love triangle so intense that you don’t know who to choose. This film clearly has a main lead, and you can’t even call the other guy a second lead, so don’t go in with high hopes of something intense here. But, if you want something truly adorable, which feels genuinely high school-y, then this film might tick the right boxes for you. 

The first thing I need to talk about is the performances and how they carry the film, because tonally and pacing-wise, the film is quite flawed, especially near the 3rd act. I don’t know why they had to make it 2 hours long when they were going to add a conflict so late in the film and then not even resolve it. Having said that, if literally anybody else had played Se-Ri, I think I may have stopped watching the film pretty early on. I already knew Shun Eun-Soo was an excellent actress after I saw her in Twinkling Watermelon, which was such a fantastic high school drama, so the reason I was hyped for Love Untangled was because she’d be playing the female lead. And boy, does she lead with charisma and charm. Se-Ri is the center of the film; there isn’t much else to it. It’s about her life, what she wants, and why. Also, yes, there are train stations involved, but don’t worry, you won’t be left heartbroken, I promise. 

I must praise Gong Myung’s acting range as well, because what do you mean this man born in 1994 is able to cry perfectly like a teenage boy who can’t have what he wants? The last time I saw him was inMercy For None, and he was just such a prick in that; there was no way I could’ve imagined him playing a high schooler after that, but he nailed it. On the other hand, Cha Woo-Min basically got to be eye candy in this film, so good for him. 

What I enjoyed about this film is that the main female lead isn’t just some sidekick who isn’t smart and has no friends. She has a full circle of friends who support her whims and fancies. She’s also got a decent relationship with her family, though we never really see her interact much with her twin sister, which was quite disappointing. I mean, sibling love is the salt that balances out the sweetness of these films. But anyway, this made the film seem slightly fresh, because it switches the female lead and male lead tropes. Se-Ri is outspoken; she’s loud, even obnoxious, but superbly lovable. She gets terrible grades, and whenever she’s confessed her love to anybody, it’s gone nowhere for her, so she thinks straightening her hair will solve all her problems. On the other hand, Yoon-Seok and Hyun-Woo are soft-spoken and studious. They’re both sporty because they’re meant to be crush material. This is the kind of film that is very clearly made for the female gaze.

At its heart, this film is simply about looking for love in the right place. There’s no crazy drama, and since it’s set in high school, this minimalistic style feels fresh. Thankfully, we don’t see any of the school bullying tropes that I’m so tired of. So, while the story itself is unoriginal, there’s a charm to the film because it’s extremely simple. However, don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to give you gratification like Little Forest. This is still a basic high school film. Having said that, if you want something easy-going, smooth to digest, and a no-brainer, then without a doubt, this is the film for you to watch this weekend. However, if you bore easily, and there’s a chance you don’t enjoy the romance, then you’ll get nowhere with this simple film. 

At the end of the day, I did enjoy Love Untangled, despite its lacking story and uneventful second act. It’s a film that banks on characters and the beautiful setup of Busan in 1998. If you want to feel nostalgic and enjoy an easy breezy film, then go for Love Untangled, but I’ll ask you to manage your expectations because if you go in with them as high as the Namsan Tower, you might find the film way too flat for your liking. It definitely has some tingly moments, and it’s very cute, specifically because of how good the actors are at playing these unchallenging roles. I think the Busan satoori is an added bonus that makes the film far more enjoyable than if it had been set in Seoul. I’ll give Love Untangled 3 out of 5 stars.