While the main couple of Dynamite Kiss has viewers eagerly urging them to collide into romance as soon as possible, the drama’s secondary couple is receiving the opposite reaction. Despite solid acting and good looks, audiences admit they often want to fast-forward through the second male lead’s scenes.
The drama takes a familiar route in shaping its female supporting character. Yu Ha-yeong (played by Woo Da-bi) is the wealthy, well-matched fiancée and childhood friend of chaebol heir Gong Ji-hyuk (Jang Ki-yong). However, she isn’t written as a scheming antagonist competing for love.
Instead, Ha-yeong feels stifled by her family’s rigid expectations of elite status and refinement. Longing for warmth and sincerity in art, she becomes captivated by the works of photographer Sun-woo (Kim Mu-joon) and gradually falls for him.
Once she decides to follow her heart, Ha-yeong firmly rejects her arranged engagement with Ji-hyuk. She doesn’t care that Sun-woo is a single father or that he doesn’t meet her family’s “appropriate background” standards. She openly confesses her feelings yet respects his honesty when he admits he has unrequited feelings for Da-rim (Ahn Eun-jin).
Ha-yeong’s sincerity extends to caring deeply for Sun-woo’s son Jun, even enduring Ji-hyuk’s harsh accusations of being a “homewrecker” simply because she keeps her promise to Sun-woo. Woo Da-bi portrays Ha-yeong’s gentle defiance and lovable frustration with family pressure convincingly, bringing a bright, pure, and sweet energy to the screen.
Before Dynamite Kiss, Woo Da-bi earned praise for her supporting role in the hit drama Jeongnyeon, where she played the kind-hearted and down-to-earth Joo-ran.
Sun-woo, on the other hand, started out with strong viewer goodwill. Gentle, polite, and even going viral for resembling Jin of BTS at certain angles, he maintained positive reception until around episode four. The turning point came when the drama leaned into the overused trope of the longtime male best friend secretly in love with the female lead.
Sun-woo knows Ji-hyuk’s feelings for Da-rim and begins showing passive jealousy, subtly blocking Ji-hyuk at every turn. He uses Da-rim’s “fake husband” situation to get closer to her, confesses his feelings, yet refuses to clearly reject Ha-yeong creating frustration among viewers.
Though not written as a villain, Sun-woo has become the most irritating character for many fans. International viewers have been particularly vocal:
- My sweet princess deserves someone better.
- He acts like everyone else is wrong while he’s the one too cowardly to be honest.
- Why do these guys only realize their feelings when another man shows up?
Still cuts from episode 11 reveal Sun-woo witnessing Da-rim and Ji-hyuk embracing after escaping a fire. However, even with this turning point, many viewers feel it may be too late to salvage their goodwill toward the photographer.
In short, while Dynamite Kiss continues to thrive on the explosive chemistry of its main couple, its secondary romance highlights how a stale character trope even paired with strong acting can quickly turn audience affection into impatience.
Sources: TP