Season 1
16 episodes Jul 8, 2020 8.7
Overview
After 14 years devoid of romance, a struggling movie producer and single mom faces the unexpected arrival of 4 men into her life—an author, an actor, a CEO, and a younger man—who might just revive her dormant desire for love.
Seasons
1 listed- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 16 episodes
- First aired
- Jul 8, 2020
- Last aired
- Sep 2, 2020
- Episode length
- 70m
- Network
- JTBC
Latest episode: S1 E16 Episode 16 (Sep 2, 2020)
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readLove in the Time of Convenience
I’ve seen this trick before. A single mother, hardened by life, suddenly finds herself surrounded by a rotating carousel of men—each one a different flavor of romantic possibility. It’s the kind of premise that promises both comfort and chaos, like a rom-com buffet where the entrees keep refilling themselves. Was It Love? (2020) leans hard into this setup, and for a while, it’s charming enough.
But charm, as it turns out, isn’t always enough to sustain a story that keeps tripping over its own feet.
The series follows Noh Ae-jung (Song Ji-hyo), a struggling movie producer and single mother who hasn’t had a romantic thought in 14 years—until, suddenly, she’s drowning in them. Four men materialize in her life like plot devices on a conveyor belt: Oh Dae-oh (Son Ho-jun), a novelist with a sharp tongue and a soft heart; Ryu Jin (Song Jong-ho), a former college sweetheart turned actor with a secret; Goo Pa-do (Kim Min-jun), a ruthless CEO with a hidden past; and Oh Yeon-woo (Koo Ja-sung), a younger man who may or may not be the father of her child.
It’s a reverse harem setup, but with a twist: Ae-jung isn’t some wide-eyed ingénue. She’s a woman who’s spent over a decade raising a daughter alone, fighting for her career, and learning the hard way that love isn’t always worth the trouble.
That’s the part that works. Song Ji-hyo is a revelation here, even if the writing doesn’t always give her the material she deserves. There’s a weariness in her performance, a quiet exhaustion that lingers in the way she carries herself—shoulders slightly hunched, eyes scanning the room like she’s always calculating the nearest exit.
She’s not the kind of protagonist who melts at the first sign of attention; she’s the kind who sighs, rolls her eyes, and wonders how she got here again. It’s refreshing, in a way, to see a single mother on screen who isn’t defined by martyrdom or saintliness. Ae-jung is flawed, stubborn, and occasionally selfish, and that makes her feel real.
When she laughs, it’s a small victory, like she’s surprised to find herself capable of joy.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Was It Love? (2020): Song Ji-hyo’s Romantic Experiment and the Drama’s Mixed Reception
Was It Love? (2020) promised a fresh take on romance, pairing Running Man star Song Ji-hyo with four leading men in a story about second chances and unresolved feelings. But behind the glossy trailers and star-studded cast, the drama’s journey was as complicated as its love quadrangle—earning mixed reviews, low ratings, latestnetflix.com argues, and a bittersweet farewell from its lead actress.
A Star-Studded Cast, But a Rocky Start
The series assembled a powerhouse lineup: Song Ji-hyo as No Ae-jung, a single mother navigating love with four exes (Son Ho-jun, Song Jong-ho, Kim Min-jun, and Koo Ja-sung), plus a wildcard romance with Kim Da-som’s character. The premise—exploring whether past flames can reignite—was ambitious, but the execution left audiences divided.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYGJhj_l71A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDqEPKd5yQg
Early teasers hyped the chemistry between Song Ji-hyo and Son Ho-jun, her primary love interest, while the other three male leads added layers of tension. Yet, despite the star power, the drama struggled to stand out in a crowded K-drama landscape. Its 5.5/10 rating on SensCritique 
reflected lukewarm reception, with some viewers calling it predictable or unevenly paced.
Song Ji-hyo’s Unusual Role: Four Love Interests and a Heavy Heart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgUU6o-4F4Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6gxHL5SlqU
For Song Ji-hyo, Was It Love? was a departure from her comedic roots. In interviews tied to the drama’s release, she reflected on the challenges of juggling four potential romances. One clip showed her admitting it was "a new experience" to film intimate scenes with multiple co-stars, hinting at the emotional toll of the role. Fans speculated whether the drama’s low ratings contributed to her visible sadness when it wrapped—though she never confirmed a direct link.
The series also marked a rare leading role for Kim Da-som (of K-pop group SISTAR), who played Oh Da-in, a younger woman entangled in Ae-jung’s love life. While her character added spice to the plot, the drama’s focus remained firmly on Song Ji-hyo’s journey.
The Director’s Musical Roots: A Creative Gamble?
The show’s director, Kim Do-hyung, was an unexpected choice. Best known as the guitarist for indie rock band Jannabi , his transition to television raised eyebrows. While his musical background may have influenced the drama’s tone (the soundtrack included indie vibes), it’s unclear how his lack of directorial experience shaped Was It Love?. The evidence doesn’t clarify whether his creative vision clashed with audience expectations, but the final product’s mixed reception suggests a rocky debut.
**Why Did Was It Love? Fizzle?**
Several factors may have contributed to the drama’s underwhelming performance:
- Overstuffed Plot: With four love interests and a single mother’s arc, the story risked feeling scattered. Some viewers criticized the pacing, calling it "dragged out."
- Genre Confusion: Marketed as a romance-comedy-drama , the tone wavered between lighthearted and melodramatic, alienating fans of either style.
- Competition: 2020 was a packed year for K-dramas, with heavyweights like Itaewon Class and The World of the Married dominating ratings. Was It Love? struggled to carve out its niche.
The Aftermath: A Bittersweet Goodbye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skY2Ew5BPd4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5UGI9BiaEk
Despite its flaws, the drama had its moments. Clips of Song Ji-hyo and Son Ho-jun’s chemistry went viral, and the Netflix trailer teased a visually stylish, if messy, love story. But by the finale, the mood was somber. A video showed Song Ji-hyo expressing sadness over the drama’s end, though she avoided blaming its reception directly.
For fans, Was It Love? remains a curious footnote in 2020’s K-drama lineup—a star-studded experiment that didn’t quite land, but one that gave Song Ji-hyo a rare leading role and a chance to flex her dramatic chops.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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