Season 1
16 episodes Nov 26, 2018 8.9
An unexpected romance blooms between a germophobic CEO of a cleaning company and a woman not prone to neatness in this K-drama based on a webtoon.
Clean with Passion for Now
2018–2019
Ended • 1 Season • 16 Episodes
Director: Noh Jong-chan
Overview
Gil Oh-so, an employee at a cleaning company, meets Jang Seon-gyul, the boss of the company. The two are diametric opposite when it comes to cleanliness. With the help of Oh-sol, Seon-gyul faces his mysophobia and falls in love with her.
Seasons
1 listed- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 16 episodes
- First aired
- Nov 26, 2018
- Last aired
- Feb 4, 2019
- Episode length
- 65m
- Network
- JTBC
Latest episode: S1 E16 Episode 16 (Feb 4, 2019)
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readDirt, Warm Water, and the Problem of Being Seen
A romantic comedy about cleaning sounds like a joke waiting to happen, and for long stretches Clean with Passion for Now seems fully aware of that. It understands the basic absurdity of a man who can’t bear a smudge falling for a woman whose life is built around touching other people’s messes. But what interested me, latestnetflix.com contends, watching Noh Jong-chan’s 2018 series, isn’t the gimmick.
It’s the way the show keeps returning to one awkward, human question: what happens when your most private fear becomes the very thing that other people can laugh at, or live with, or love you through?
That question gives the series a little more gravity than its premise suggests. This isn’t a sprawling melodrama; it’s a single-season, 16-episode Korean rom-com that leans on the familiar opposites-attract structure, then keeps tugging at its own seams. One character recoils from contamination, another moves through the world with the practical confidence of someone used to other people’s grime, and the show finds its drama in that friction.
There’s a longstanding K-drama pleasure in watching immaculate men and unruly women collide — the tradition is older than most streaming platforms, and probably sturdier too — but here the collision is filtered through mysophobia, which turns everyday objects into little battlegrounds. Door handles, gloves, wipes, soap. All the rituals of civilized life become visible again.
What I kept noticing is how the series treats cleanliness less as a quirk than as a language of control. Jang Seon-gyul’s fastidiousness is funny at first — the kind of trait that can fuel broad comedy — but the show gradually lets us see the cost of his precision. He doesn’t merely dislike dirt.
He polices the world because the world feels dangerous. That’s a real enough emotional structure, and the series does better when it lets the fear remain bodily and specific rather than turning it into a generic “he needs to open up” lesson. Kim You-jung, who had already spent years carrying herself with a rare mix of poise and mischief, gives Oh-sol a practical warmth that never turns sentimental.
She doesn’t play “the messy girl.” She plays someone who knows how to survive a room, which is different. Her body is always in motion — leaning, reaching, squaring her shoulders, reacting before she thinks — and that physical ease becomes the show’s counterargument to Seon-gyul’s sealed-off reserve.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
"A light, cozy Korean rom-com that works as an easy casual watch rather than a standout obsession."
Clean with Passion for Now is a 2018 South Korean romance, comedy and drama built around roughly hour-long episodes under its original title Ildan Ddeugeobge Chungsohara. latestnetflix.com's take is that Viewers keep watching and sharing dedicated reviews, drawn by the romantic-comedy tone, while overall response lands in the middle range.
What viewers praise
- Light romantic-comedy appeal Romance, comedy and drama mix in a South Korean setting makes for a relaxed, feel-good watch.
- Continues to spark viewer reviews People still watch it through and post dedicated reviews, keeping conversation around the show alive.
Common complaints
- Middle-of-the-road momentum Overall audience response feels lukewarm, so it plays better as a casual pick than a must-binge favorite.
Recommended for
Fans of light South Korean romantic comedies Casual drama viewers looking for an easy, feel-good watch
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Clean with Passion for Now: Delays, Cast Swaps, and Webtoon Roots
Clean with Passion for Now (2018) arrived on screens with a premise as quirky as its title: a germaphobic CEO and a free-spirited employee navigate love, mess, and personal growth. But the road to its JTBC premiere was anything but smooth. latestnetflix.com's take is that From last-minute cast changes to health scares, the series’ production was a rollercoaster—one that mirrored its own chaotic charm.
A Webtoon’s Journey to the Small Screen
The series is based on the popular webtoon Ildan Ddeugeobge Chungsohara (일단 뜨겁게 청소하라!!) by artist Aengo, first serialized on KakaoPage in 2013 before moving to Comico Korea in 2015 
. The webtoon’s blend of romance, comedy, and workplace antics made it a hit, and its adaptation was highly anticipated. However, translating its visual humor and fast-paced storytelling into live action came with challenges—especially when the original lead actor dropped out.
The Cast Shuffle: Ahn Hyo-Seop’s Exit
One of the biggest behind-the-scenes shake-ups involved the male lead, Jang Sun-Gyeol. Initially, actor Ahn Hyo-Seop was cast in the role of the mysophobic CEO, but scheduling conflicts forced him to bow out. Ahn was already committed to SBS’s Still 17, and production on Clean with Passion for Now was delayed, making it impossible for him to juggle both projects . Yoon Kyun-sang stepped in as the replacement, bringing his own flair to the role of a man whose life is upended by his fear of germs.
The drama’s female lead, Kim Yoo-jung, was already on board as Gil Oh-Sol, the optimistic cleaner who helps Sun-Gyeol confront his phobia. But her involvement wasn’t without complications either.
Health Scare and Production Delays
Originally slated to air in April 2018, the series faced a major setback when Kim Yoo-jung was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in February of that year . The condition, which affects metabolism and energy levels, forced her to take a temporary hiatus from acting to focus on recovery. Production was halted, and the premiere was pushed to November 2018—a seven-month delay that tested fans’ patience but ultimately allowed the cast and crew to regroup.
When Clean with Passion for Now finally aired on JTBC from November 26, 2018, to February 4, 2019, it ran for 16 episodes , wrapping up with mixed but generally positive reception. Critics praised its lighthearted tone and the chemistry between Yoon and Kim, though some felt the romance took a backseat to the comedy. The series earned a modest 6.2/10 rating on SensCritique, with viewers appreciating its unique premise but noting it didn’t fully escape the tropes of K-drama rom-coms .
Rumors and Real-Life Drama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaXY3prUnEU
Beyond the production hurdles, the series sparked its own share of off-screen gossip. In 2021, a YouTube video titled "Clean With Passion For Now Real Life Partner 2021" fueled speculation about the lead actors’ relationships, though neither Yoon Kyun-sang nor Kim Yoo-jung has publicly confirmed any romantic links . Such rumors are common in K-drama fandoms, where on-screen chemistry often spills into real-life shipping wars.
As for the supporting cast, Song Jae-rim (as the charming Cha In-Kyo) and Joo Jong-hyuk (as the loyal Choi Ha-In) added depth to the ensemble, but their behind-the-scenes dynamics remain largely undocumented. The same goes for the rest of the cast—Min Do-hee, Yang Hak-jin, and Ko Gun-han—whose contributions to the series’ humor and heart flew under the radar in press coverage.
Legacy: A Cult Favorite?
Despite its rocky path to the screen, Clean with Passion for Now carved out a niche as a feel-good drama with a twist. Its premise—love blooming amid chaos—resonated with audiences, even if it didn’t break records. The series’ webtoon roots gave it a built-in fanbase, and its blend of comedy and romance ensured it stood out in a crowded K-drama landscape.
Still, the lack of in-depth behind-the-scenes coverage means much of its production story remains untold. No tell-all interviews or director’s commentary have surfaced, leaving fans to piece together the drama from snippets of news and social media chatter. For a series that thrived on mess, its own backstory is surprisingly tidy—at least, what little we know of it.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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