Netflix's latest K-rom-com, "Our Sticky Love," introduces a premise where a prosecutor suffering from amnesia develops feelings for the boxer-turned-gangster tasked with keeping her safe.
The series opens with the prosecutor, identified as Go Ji-won, in a critical condition after being severely beaten. Her identity is initially unknown due to a lack of identification and damaged fingerprints. Weeks later, she awakens in a hospital with amnesia and is assigned a new identity, Go Eun-sae. A man named Jang Tae-ha, who runs a boxing gym, claims to be her boyfriend and states they have been dating for two years. He tells her she works with him in a taffy store in their village.
However, Eun-sae harbors doubts about the fabricated story. Her instincts suggest a life of higher status and refined taste, a stark contrast to the humble existence Tae-ha describes. Upon her release from the hospital, she goes to live with Tae-ha, though she remains skeptical of his narrative.
The True Story Revealed
Flashbacks reveal Ji-won's actual life as an anti-corruption prosecutor in Seoul. She was investigating Baek Sang-gil, the chairman of Mirae Eden, a company that originated as a criminal gang and continues to use its legitimate corporate front to conceal illegal activities. Ji-won was attempting to gather evidence of Sang-gil's illicit dealings with the mayor when she was discovered and brutally attacked. Tae-ha, a loyal subordinate of Sang-gil, was ordered to eliminate her but chose to protect her upon seeing her injured state.
Genre Blending and Narrative Approach
The show's narrative balances rom-com elements with crime drama, a combination that sets it apart from typical romantic K-comedies. The writer, Mo Ji-hye, dedicates a significant portion of the first episode to explaining the circumstances that led to Ji-won's predicament and Tae-ha's protective actions. This early clarification helps avoid prolonged mystery about the characters' identities.
As Eun-sae and Tae-ha hide in a village, he works as a boxing coach and she as a taffy maker. The series explores their developing romance while Eun-sae's memory gradually returns. The conflict between her resurfacing past and her burgeoning feelings for Tae-ha is central to the plot.
The initial tone of the first episode shifts from lighthearted romantic comedy to a more serious crime drama, which some viewers might find unexpected. The ruthless nature of gangster Baek Sang-gil, who heads the Mirae Eden conglomerate with Tae-ha's help, is expected to drive much of the crime narrative as he learns the prosecutor pursuing him is still alive.
"Our Sticky Love" features Ha Young in a performance praised for her comedic timing as Eun-sae navigates her new reality. Heo Sung-tae is noted for his portrayal of the ruthless gangster Baek Sang-gil.
The series is available on Netflix.