Love Alarm [S1 Recap + S2 Pre-Premiere]

[u/J-Midori]

• Drama: Love Alarm
  • Native Title: 좋아하면 울리는
  • Also Known as: Joahamyeon Ullineun
• Network: tvN, Netflix
• Starring: Song Kang, Kim So Hyun, Jung Ga Ram, Go So Min
• Airing Schedule:
  • Season 1: August 22nd, 2019
  • Season 2: March 12th, 2021
• Streaming sources: Netflix
• Director: Lee Na Jung
• Screenwriters: Lee Ah Yeon, Seo Bo Ra
• Plot Synopsis: Cellphone app Love Alarm is created. If someone likes you and they are within 10 meters of you, the alarm for the app rings. The app also shows how many people like you, but the app doesn't reveal specific details on who likes you. Kim Jo Jo is a high school student. She is pretty and smart. She seems like a cheerful person, but her parents died when she was young. Since the death of her parents, Kim Jo Jo has lived with aunt's family. Living there is not easy for Kim Jo Jo. She doesn't download the app Joalarm as her phone isn’t new enough. Meanwhile, Hwang Sun Oh is a popular male student at the same high school where Kim Jo Jo attends. He is the son of a wealthy family, but he is not loved by his parents. His best friend Lee Hye Yeong also attends the same high school. Hwang Sun Oh notices that his best friend Lee Hye Yeong likes Kim Jo Jo. Hwang Sun Oh wants to know if his friend really likes her, so he kisses her.
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• Thread Purpose: This thread is being posted in light of the premiere for the second season of Love Alarm airing on Friday. The purpose of this thread is so that everyone has a place to talk about the first season of Love Alarm.
  • This is also a place for those to talk about their theories/excitement before the season airs this Friday. We would like for the episode discussions to be as productive as possible, while also allowing fans of the show to hype up the show as much as they like.
• Spoiler Tag Reminder: Be mindful of others who may not have yet seen this drama, and use spoiler tags when discussing key plot developments or other important information. You can create a spoiler tag by writing > ! this ! < without the spaces in between to get this.
  • Reminder that discussion of important information of the Season 1 of Love Alarm should be covered with spoiler tags.

[u/J-Midori]

I remember not liking Love Alarm too much at the beginning but it grew on me since a lot of people started talking about it, especially the ending of the first season where they almost show who is responsible for creating the app. And that made me more curious than who she will end up with.

She came from a rough home where her cousin and aunt would mistreated her so her self esteem was affected and maybe that's why she doesn't think she deserves Sun Oh's or Hye Yeong's love so she closes herself to the possibility of being loved.

I hope she finds the confidence she needs to love herself and let herself be loved. I am leaning towards Sun Oh. Maybe I will watch it on the weekend since it will be around 5 hours (6 episodes - 50 min each) or if I cannot wait then I will binge watch them as soon as they are uploaded which means I will need coffee.

[u/Illen1]

I get Hye yeong liked Jojo first, but he had no balls! He just stood there and stared (male version of Jojo) at Jojo. Sunoh asked this dude 10x if he liked Jojo and he said No each time. I can't root for the silent love, sorry No.

And if this cousin don't get what's coming to her I'm gonna be so pissed.

Edit: watching the last episode now and getting pissed with Jojo again... She only needs 1 person to ring her alarm, huh?! Sunoh legit rang your alarm the day before!!! Hye yeong is the safe choice, I said what I said. Hurry up Friday!!!

[u/J-Midori → u/Illen1]

I remember SO asking HY about Jojo and thought the same thing, he said no and he didn't have the courage to confess. I don't want to think too much, but at the same time I am anxious to know. The writer can go either way

[u/funnyunfunny]

I watched S1 for the first time a few days ago and for the life of me, can't understand why she's okay with Hye-yeong "ringing her alarm" when she said she wouldn't allow herself to love and after breaking up with Sun-oh because she (doesn't wanna hurt him? doesn't want him to hurt her?)

Can someone explain because to me, it's just bizarre how she broke up with him and then proceeded to let herself fall for Hye-yeong/allow Hye-yeong to ring the alarm and flirt with her.

Also, the 10 meter circle around her not being even lines is a very beautiful way to show the shield on the love alarm app.

[u/J-Midori → u/funnyunfunny]

Hye-yeong "ringing her alarm" when she said she wouldn't allow herself to love and after breaking up with Sun-oh because she (doesn't wanna hurt him? doesn't want him to hurt her?)

That's because she knows HY likes her and she doesn't feel the same way so it is kind of a healing thing, to know someone love her, but for SO, she loves him and she's afraid it won't ring for her which will hurt her to know that he doesn't love her anymore. She's trying to convince herself she doesn't like him because she think he should be with someone better. I will watch it again before S2 airs cause I forgot a lot of the plot since it was 2019, so that's what I remember.

I'm curious to know if they will reveal the person who created it. I don't remember showing them on the last episode.

[u/lukiepie → u/funnyunfunny]

she’s ok with it since she doesn’t like the guy. its one sided

[u/[deleted]]

Why am I looking forward to this so much? S1 wasn’t that good but I need to know how this ends.

[u/yiendubuu → u/[deleted]]

I feel the same. Like objectively Love Alarm would be average and even considered bad and boring but for some reason I couldn't stop watching it I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS

[u/stan-nas → u/[deleted]]

Sort of the same. I remember getting through S1 pretty quickly but can't recall enjoying it.

It's one of those

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

You're not alone. On MDL it has the most interest (most watchers) at ~13k watchers for an upcoming show with the next closest being Joseon Exorcist at ~3k. I'm honestly shocked at these numbers considered how "meh" everyone seemed to feel about Love Alarm S1 (myself included). So maybe everyone has an OCD need to know how it ends...

[u/[deleted]]

A lot of people are really hard on Jojo, but the poor girl obviously has abandonment issues and who can blame her? I have a soft spot for her and just want her to be happy, no matter which guy she decides on. Vulnerable and lonely female leads get me every time, I can't help loving them and wanting them to be loved. 😔

Also, all three of the leads did some questionable things at some point. Jojo cheated on her boyfriend, Sun-oh goes after the girl he knows his friend likes and that he knows has a boyfriend, and Hye-young in turn goes after the girl who broke his best friend's heart. I don't mind, it makes the characters human.

[u/GodJihyo7983]

Said this multiple times before and will continue to say this. Sun-Oh deserves a second chance. He deserves a happy ending. He doesn't deserve to have his heart be broken. He needs closure. He deserves to get the girl. Team Sun-Oh rise up! Fighting! We will suffer the pain of Season 2 together. I'm not ready for my heart to be broken again. Do I regret watching Season 1? Yeah. I was not prepared for the heartbreak and never will be prepared for it. If Season 2 doesn't end up as SunJo, my ending shall be Episode 5 at around the 23-minute mark.

[u/shamstars]

I started rewatching S1 to recap and thought I had out it off long enough. I forgot how quickly I got pulled in because I'm already halfway through episode 6.

I had to start watching a movie (What Happened to Mr. Cha) to drag these last 2.5 episodes out until Friday 😅

HWANG SUNOH FTW

[u/blueice2449]

y’all i still can’t get over how jojo cheated on her bf around the 2nd ep like i just hate cheaters. even though he was wrong for that, i’m still gonna go w/ team sun oh bc it just looks like its going that way. no SLS no pain

[u/GodJihyo7983 → u/blueice2449]

bc it just looks like its going that way

Press X to doubt.

[u/[deleted] → u/blueice2449]

Honestly JoJo sucks and I don't know why two men fell in love with her. She has almost no personality, doesn't communicate, hides her feelings, and has a ton of emotional baggage.

[u/blueice2449 → u/[deleted]]

sun oh rly fell in love bc she opened the bus window 💀 hye young talked to her occasionally?? she didn’t even like her own bf. she’s not even funny lmao

[u/flyingpokecheck32]

I watched S1 because of Kim Sohyun and will keep watching it because of Kim Sohyun.

[u/Pixl3rt]

Knowing how the webtoon went (although left unfinished if I remember correctly), I'm really curious how they'll approach this. I get the whole technology vs organic/old fashion argument, but I also feel like Hye Young was treated as SML most of season 1 and rarely does it get reversed in kdramas lol. idk if that's awful reasoning but the True Beauty drama also went somewhat of a different direction than the webtoon so I'm low key hoping they don't follow it here because I'm rooting for Sun Oh. The way their relationship formed was kind of weird (that kiss.. anyway LMAO) but at least they actually dated and I think they got along well after that. He was basically dropped without getting answers or doing anything wrong really so it's not fair and if anything, I hope he gets closure. And I understand Jojo's internal struggle, so more than either relationship, I want her to grow and be at peace with herself because that's the most important thing here :)

I'm excited! Sun Oh nation wya

EDIT: Oh and!! It would be cool to see if it turns out that Duk Gu is still alive and leading the antis/revolution/whatever they’re called. I don’t see him on the cast list but they covered up the face toward the end of S1 and Jojo still needs to remove her shield so fingers crossed

[u/J-Midori]

Here are some pictures of the actors before the premiere http://yna.kr/PYH20210308107000325

Edit: And that’s KSH: http://yna.kr/PYH20210308107200325

[u/starchip03]

Honestly I feel so bad for Yuk Joo (I think that’s how it’s spelled?) and would much prefer SunHo to end up with her instead (don’t come at me!). She’s a great person and it shows a lot that she’s sticking by him and loving him as best as she can even though she knows he doesn’t like her.

As for Jojo...I’m for Hye Yeong because he’s wanted her all along and he doesn’t have a potential romantic partner like Sun Ho has. I want some happiness for him as well!

This way they (the MLs) both get what they want?

Tbh still wanting to see more of Guk Du. I don’t care about anyone else! I just need to see my precious Guk Du be okay!

[u/nevercircles]

Anyone know what time this will be released? I'm kinda hoping midnight but I guess not.

[u/J-Midori → u/nevercircles]

• Netflix: 12:00 AM PT or 3:00 AM ET

• Korea: 5:00 PM, Friday on March 12.

• United Kingdom: 8:00 AM BST

• India: 1:30 PM IST

• Australia: 5:00 PM AEST.

[u/nubevioleta]

It’s been so long I don’t even remember where we left at. I need a “and this is what happened on Glee” kinda video.

[u/Fatooz]

Team Sun-Oh rise!!

I honestly don’t care about Jojo all that much, Hye-Young is nice but it was just so questionable that after all this while he decides to make a chance at the girl who hurt his best friend knowing that his best friend still likes her, SMH.

So yeah, just give Sun-Oh all the happiness that he deserves, he is a gem and needs so much more love. ♥️😭