“I used to think I had to change for someone to like me. Like, I needed to do better, to look prettier. But when I’m with him, those thoughts never even cross my mind” – Park Se-ri, from “Love Untangled”
After its release on Netflix on Aug. 29, the Korean film “Love Untangled” has quickly landed a spot in Netflix’s top 10 most-watched movies. Set in 1998 Busan, the film has resonated widely from high school students to older viewers nostalgic for their youth.
The film revolves around Park Se-ri, a lively high school student, who plans to confess her feelings to Kim Hyun, the most popular boy in school. But there’s one huge problem: her hair. Se-ri considers her curly hair her biggest insecurity, a trait that has passed down to her from her father. While she jokes about straightening it with “Seoul magic straight, a Korean chemical hair straightening treatment,” her curls symbolize her straightforward personality: messy at times, but honest and unpretentious.
With the help of her close friends and a new transfer student from Seoul, Yoon-seok, Se-ri begins her confession project, folding 1,000 paper cranes as a gesture of sincerity. Yoon-seok, who had repeated a year and recently transferred from Seoul, enters Se-ri’s life in a fateful way: while swimming near the ocean, Se-ri discovers him struggling in the water and saves him. From then on, Yoon-seok struggles between helping Se-ri and trying to control his own growing feelings for her.
The film balances lighthearted teenage moments such as crushes, awkward jokes, and tteokbokki after school with a deeper reflection on what it means to love honestly.
“I really loved how fresh the movie felt,” Hannah Park (11), teen romance movie fan, said. “I think the movie was especially good because we can all relate to Se-ri. Her character is so cute, and the way she feels about her crush captures the exact excitement we all experience when we have one, too. I think the movie did a great job capturing the irreplaceable youthful thrill and first love that exists only in one’s teens.”
Actor Gong Myung as Yoon-seok has also drawn praise, particularly among younger fans.
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“Honestly, I started the movie just because Gong Myung was in it,” Dyne Kim (12), fan of the actor, said. “But I ended up staying for the story. He was perfect for the role because he showed the quiet, reserved side of Yoon-seok while also making him feel warm and genuine. His character made me cheer for Se-ri even more.”
Beyond the performances, what makes “Love Untangled” memorable is how it captures both the personal and the cultural aspects of living the typical Korean teenage life.” The story of Se-ri’s confession is not just about young love but also about a particular moment in Korean history. From pay phones and students crowding to cassette players blaring the decade’s ballads, the film recreates the nuances of the late 1990s in ways that feel authentic. These details ground Se-ri’s personal journey in a broader sense of place and time, reminding viewers that first love is shaped as much by its cultural backdrop as by the feelings themselves.
“I instantly clicked on it when I saw it trending because I watch almost everything Korean that is on Netflix,” Cliff Yoon (9), avid Netflix watcher, said. “‘Love Untangled’ felt different because it was not only about romance but also about the late 1990s. The clothes, the music, even the way people talked felt very real. It made me feel like I was watching Reply 1988, another retro K-drama on Netflix.”
