Korean movie ‘Sweet and Sour’ depicts bittersweet reality of romance

By Alysha Mae Gelvosa

Netflix K-movie “Sweet and Sour” starring Jung Soo-jung, Chae Soo-bin and Jang Ki-yong portrays the sweet-and-sour taste that comes with romantic relationships especially when faced with the choice between love versus career.

The Korean movie features characters Da-eun (played by Chae Soobin), Jang-hyeok (played by Jang Ki-yong) and Bo-young (played by Jung Soo-jung) who find themselves entangled with the bittersweet feeling of romance along with the consequences that ensued.

Director Lee Kae-byeok shares how the concept of “sweet-and-sour” as a metaphor to romantic relationships came to be. “While I was working on the scenario, I had purchased some candy, and one of them was the chewy candy called “saekomdalkom,” which roughly translates to “sweet and sour.” He adds, “The candy was very tart and sweet that it blew my mind, but also melted away so quickly in my mouth that I wanted more.”

Mirroring the ephemeral quality of sweet-and-sour candy is the rollercoaster relationship between Da-eun and Jang-hyeok whose rosy romance turned into an everyday burden. The lovers would often find themselves bickering with each other after a long day at work resulting to resentment and unease within the household.

Actress Chae Soo-bin who plays the role of Da-eun shares why her character acted the way she did. “Work stress and fatigue tends to make Da-eun feel more lonely and needy for attention,” she said. She also adds that her character wants more commitment than just dating, to get married and have a family. But things don’t work out like she wants it to.

On the opposite side of the relationship is actor Jang Ki-yong’s justification of his character’s actions. He shares that his character, Jang Hyuk portrays a realist man who, despite having merits, has his shortcomings as well which was accurately delivered in the movie.

The characters vividly portrayed how career can be a catalyst to the lovers’ fading romance. Director Lee also emphasizes how love takes a toll on every individual’s life considering the condition that the times are in. “There are so many obstacles the younger generation these days have to overcome in order to see their romance come to a culmination,” he said.

Chae Soo-bin also shares her sentiment on the issue of maintaining relationships especially in the current generation. “It’s a challenge to cram romance into a hectic schedule of today’s young people. I could really relate to the hardships we face as a generation,” said Soo-bin.

The depiction of bittersweet romance encapsulated in the film is further explained by Director Lee. He states that he wanted the situations the characters found themselves in to reflect the present reality, therefore focusing on developing a story that could best represent that. He also stresses that the hardships that the characters face justify the bitter reality that comes with romance.

As his message to the viewers, Director Lee states, “It’s not easy to start a new romance, to bring it to fruition, or even to forget an old one. For those beginning their journey, I hope you cherish and fulfill that love.” He adds, “If one love has ended for you, then please don’t forget to keep the faith that new love will come for you.”

Director Lee hopes that despite the cultural differences in each nation, the love language that the movie aims to convey would be understood universally.

Sweet and Sour is produced by 26company and co-produced by Kaebyeok Mulsan, Echo Film, and Balpo Plan. The film was released on Netflix on June 4, 2021.

(The author is a Communication and Media Studies student of UP Visayas)