Way Back Love ~ Rom-Com Based on a Novel of the Same Name
“Way Back Love” is a 2025 Korean drama series, with episodes, categorized as Fantasy, Supernatural, Romance, and Comedy (Rom-Com); based on a novel of the same name; and available on Viki.
SUMMARY: A grim reaper comes back to visit a dear friend he left too soon.
♦ Let’s Switch Names
In “Way Back Love”, Jung Hee-Wan is a prankster although her pranks are innocent and she means no harm or ill will. Kim Ram-Woo is quiet, well-mannered, smart, a model student, and practically perfect in every way. Can you believe he still plays board games? Not on a desktop computer or in a video game. It’s an actual board game with a colorful board that you lay on a table or a desk with pieces that you pick up in your hand and move around like Monopoly.
He does not live his life with wild abandonment, reckless and free like Jung Hee-Wan. That’s why when she came up with the idea to prank the substitute teacher by switching names, he tried to get out of it. I mean … does EVERYBODY have to participate? It’s not mandatory or required, is it? He just transferred to this school and hardly knows anybody. Can you imagine how hard it would be to learn the real names if everybody switched names? His objections were overruled because EVERYBODY insisted that he play along.
However, the way he understood it, they only switched names to prank the substitute teacher. But Jung Hee-Wan started using his name almost everywhere. It got to be very confusing. He kind of wondered why she wouldn’t stop. Jung Hee-Wan told him that since she started using his name instead of her own name, good things began to happen to her and for her. Kim Ram-Woo couldn’t say the same, and one day they were both called to the school with their parents.
Both the parents and the students thought there was some kind of trouble and began apologizing. The teacher said he called them to let them know that both kids were going to receive rewards, even though the rewards they each received had their names mixed up! Still! It was something good that happened to both of them. From that day forward, the relationship between Jung Hee-Wan and Kim Ram-Woo. He was Jung Hee-Wan’s first love, but she never confessed it to him. Did he also love her? Not sure because … he died.
After Kim Ram-Woo’s untimely death, Jung Hee-Wan no longer lived her life with wild abandonment, reckless and free. Most of the time, she was depressed. One day, there was a knock on her door. When she opened it, Kim Ram-Woo was standing right in front of her. But how could this be?
Jung Hee-Wan asked this person who looked exactly like Kim Ram-Woo:
He replied: “Yes.”
Jung Hee-Wan is completely taken aback. YOU’RE WHAT??!! WHY ARE YOU HERE???!!
Main Characters:
- Kim Ram-Woo (played by Gong Myung, “Citizen of a Kind”, “Lovers of the Red Sky”, “Extreme Job”, “The Bride of Habaek”)
- Jung Hee-Wan (played by Kim Min-Ha, “Light Shop”, “Partners for Justice”)
- Lee Hong-Suk (played by Jung Gun-Joo, “Check in Hanyang”, “The Secret Romantic Guesthouse” )
- Yoon Tae-Kyung (played by Oh Woo-Ri, “A Killer Paradox”, “Welcome to Samdal-ri”)
Viewership and Rating:
My personal rating is the same as IMDb.
I added this K-drama to my watch list because I usually like the way Korean scriptwriters handle grim reapers. But “Way Back Love” didn’t do it for me. It’s not so much how the Grim Reaper was handled. It was more because the personality of the female lead was … ??? … there are so many words to describe her. But none of them are flattering. Annoying. Inconsiderate. Childish or immature. But I didn’t let the first episode discourage because I wanted to see where the storyline was heading.
To be honest, I even think IMDb’s rating is generous. Other Korean dramas with grim reapers, like the one listed below, probably raised my expectations.
Black– A grim reaper enters a detective’s body, breaking the rules of the afterlife, but also solving crimes.
Doom at Your Service– A terminally ill woman cried out for doom in frustration and a grim reaper showed up. He said he heard her, and that’s why he came.
Kokdu: Season of Deity– A grim reaper returns to Earth every 99 years, but this time, he gets entangled with a mysterious doctor.
Tomorrow– Because of so many suicides, hell was becoming too crowded. A team of grim reaper were tasked with suicide prevention.
There are a few others on this Screen Rant list that might interest you.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
K-drama “Way Back Love” Tugs at Heartstrings: When 1st Love Returns as the Grim Reaper – KBIZoom
Fantasy Romantic Kdrama Redefining Life’s Meaning: ‘Way Back Love’ A Grim Reaper’s Second Chance Love | ViuScene
Gong Myoung and Kim Min Ha showcase emotional connection in ‘Way Back Love’ preview | CHOSUNBIZ
14 New K-Dramas To Check Out In April 2025 | Soompi
TRAILER/TEASER:
CJ ENM Global. “[SUB] Way Back Love.” YouTube, 4 Apr. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FOi21A42lI.
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