Binge or Cringe: ‘No gain no love’
“A stickler for fairness who hates suffering losses,” Son Hae-Yeong (played by Shin Min-a) is a woman who doesn’t take risks without guaranteed merits, and No Gain No Love follows the story of her biggest risk yet: organizing a fake wedding. After discovering the benefits that her employers offer to married couples, Son Hae-Yeong realizes that she is losing out on a lot of pay by remaining single. So, she does what anyone would do after learning about this salary deficit, she finds someone to marry. Kim Ji-uk (played by Kim Young-dae) is referred to as “an angel in human form” by all those who know him. He quietly spends his nights working shifts at the convenience store while spending his days helping others. Although he treats everyone with fairness, he cannot stand one woman who shows up during his shifts: Son Hae-Yeong. Despite their frequent banter and dislike of one another, the unthinkable happens: Son Hae-Yeong proposes to Kim Ji-uk.
CJ Enm Studios released No Gain No Love through its drama-focused subsidiary Bon Factory in August of this year. With their mission to bring untold stories to viewers across the globe, CJ Enm purchased Bon Factory in 2019 and entered a strategic partnership with Endeavor Content–the largest movie and drama production agency in the US— in 2021. Ken Oh, co-CEO of Bon Factory, expressed his enthusiasm for entering a partnership that will bring recognition to Korea’s creative talents. The vice president of international strategy at Endeavor Content added to this by stating that “Compelling narrative should always find a global audience,” as reported by Variety Entertainment. With recent success in 2023 in producing Past Lives as a co-production with A24, CJ Enm continues its global expansion through movies, dramas, and reality TV.
No Gain No Love follows a format traditionally associated with modern Romance Korean Dramas which includes lengthy episodes, noticeable audio and visual edits that add an element of humor, and clear visuals. This series in particular includes camera work that diverts from some of these elements with its perspective shots. As a character falls in love, they become the camera offering a first-person perspective of the person they love who is standing in front of them. At first, this visual style felt cheesy, however, it becomes endearing as the story progresses. Another noticeable visual element that distinguishes this series from others is its representation of inner dialogue as text on the screen. While characters communicate solely with their eyes, the text clarifies the true meaning of the exchange. This adds humor to the scene as an entire conversation is had between two characters without either speaking a word out loud.
Relationship dynamics are represented differently for each couple in this series. From a fake marriage to polyamory and the enemies-to-lovers trope, love is diverse in how it blossoms between two characters. The fake marriage or contractional marriage trope has seen its comeback throughout the years with series such as Business Proposal– which aired on Netflix in 2022– and Goblin which quickly rose to popularity when it was released in 2016. It is not an innovative plot, however, No Gain No Love brings new dimensions to the trope by exploring how marriage allows Son Hae-Yeong to advance her career. The company she works at, Kkulbee Education, offers extensive maternity leave, child support, funds for employees’ weddings, and a lot more to combat Korea’s declining birth rates. This directly contradicts the modern state of South Korea where gender disparities persist, pressuring women to choose between either work or family. For the “stickler” woman who hates losses in this fictional world, there is irony in her choosing to marry for the sake of her career. While her actions are comical in the show, they create implications that highlight the current state of working in Korea as a woman.
The series explores more than just love between couples. It also dives into the complicated dynamics that evolve between foster kids. Son Hae-Yeong’s mother (played by Yoon Bok-In) was described as an “angel without wings.” She was known for her extensive charity in hosting foster kids in her home. Although she was praised for her kindness, her daughter was not equally as eager to accept these kids into her home. No Gain No Love spends its first four episodes explaining the indignance Son Hae-Yeong feels towards her “angel” of a mother. Unfortunately, the development of this mother-daughter relationship was put on hold for the rest of the season until the last few episodes when it met a hasty, unfulfilling conclusion. Still, from the daily interactions between her foster sister and housemate, Nam Ja-Yeon (played by Han Ji-hyun), and her other foster sister Cha Hui-Seong (played by Joo Min-Kyung), the audience understands that her mother’s foster system was not entirely without merit.
Overall, CJ Enm Studios and Bok Factory have created another series that will definitely appeal to audiences who regularly engage with Korean content. With its clear visuals, fun editing, and animated characters, No Gain No Love is a welcome escape from reality and perfect for a weekend Binge.
