Hallyu Spotlight: Here’s why you should catch the new K-drama No Gain No Love

There’s a new K-drama in town. No Gain No Love (2024), starring Shin Mina, Kim Young-dae, Lee Sang-yi, and Han Ji-hyeon, tells a fictional yet unorthodox story.

The story revolves around Son Hae-yeong (played by Shin Mina), who has an eccentric way of combating her fears of missing out on a promotion opportunity at work. Her solution? Plan a fake wedding.

In this case, she ties the knot with Kim Ji-wook (played by Kim Young-dae). Kim is a convenience store night shift worker but also a citizen police officer.

If this storyline intrigues you, read on to find out why you should give this new K-drama a catch soon.

1. Shin Mina’s return

No Gain No Love marks actress Shin Mina’s return after 2 years, and it’ll be her most refreshing role yet.

“I read the script with Shin Mina in mind. I thought that she was the only one who could portray Hae-yeong,” director Kim Jung-sik said. Her co-star Kim Young-dae also said: “It was a (precious) opportunity to work with Shin Mina, so I didn’t think twice and signed on immediately”.

2. Intriguing characters

Just by reading the plot, you’d know that the characters in No Gain No Love aren’t your typical K-drama characters.

Explaining her role, Shin Mina said: “Hae-yeong is calculative and thinks about whether something will result in a loss to her. She has her own set of rules, she’s smart and assertive”. Her co-star Kim Young-dae said, “Ji-uk (his role) is a part-timer at a convenience store. He’s the opposite of Hae-yeong in that he doesn’t want to cause harm to others even if he incurs a loss”.

With the two extremes, you’d be able to see viewpoints both similar and dissimilar to your own.

3. A fake wedding?

Fake weddings are wild. But it’s made more absurd when the other party actually accepts the wedding. That’s what happened to the two main characters in the K-drama played by Shin Mina and Kim Young-dae.

Of course, the plot thickens when they both work at the same place following the wedding.

“The fake wedding and office romance between my character and Kim Young-dae’s is something to look out for,” Shin Mina teased.