Best Mistake 1

Review

My rating: 9/10

I really enjoyed Best Mistake 1. This is exactly the kind of light, fluffy teenage romance that I can sit down and enjoy without needing it to be complicated. It is predictable, but honestly, that isn't a criticism when you're a serious fan of romantic tropes. Sometimes you know exactly where a story is going, and you still have a great time getting there.

I especially liked the premise. Yeon Doo (female lead) picks a random boy's picture to use as her fake boyfriend in an attempt to get someone who won't leave her alone to back off. Unfortunately for her, she happens to choose Hyun Ho (male lead), one of the most popular and intimidating boys at school. He is understandably furious when he discovers what she has done, but what starts as an annoyance gradually turns into something neither of them expected.

I loved Hyun Ho. He has that classic tough-on-the-outside, soft-and-warm-on-the-inside personality, and I thought it worked particularly well here. I also liked that it took him some time to realize that his feelings for Yeon Doo were becoming genuine. It made the romance feel more natural than if he had immediately decided he was in love with her simply because she was the female lead.

I also really liked Joo Ho (second male lead). He was cute, sweet, and believable enough as an alternative that I could genuinely see Yeon Doo ending up with him if Hyun Ho weren't around. That's what I want from a second male lead. I don't necessarily need to want him to win, but I want to understand why the female lead could choose him. He accomplished that.

I thought the drama also handled the teenage relationship appropriately. By the end, Yeon Doo and Hyun Ho are together in a way that feels like two teenagers actually being together—holding hands, kissing, going on dates, and enjoying one another's company. It doesn't turn into some overly sexualized version of teenage romance, which I appreciated.

There is also just enough drama to keep things moving without turning this into something heavy. The school setting, friendships, misunderstandings, jealousy, academic pressure, and romantic rivalry all fit nicely into the story without overwhelming the central relationship.

Other viewers have similarly described the first season as cute, light, and enjoyable, with several noting that the youthful romance and familiar school-drama tropes are a big part of its appeal. Some reviewers did find the pacing and love triangle underdeveloped, but those weren't major problems for me.

Overall, this was just a fun watch. It doesn't pretend to be something profound, and it doesn't need to be. If you like school romances, fake-dating situations, bad-boy-with-a-soft-heart characters, second-lead competition, and predictable romantic tropes, this is exactly the kind of drama that can be a lot of fun.

Spoilers

I loved the basic setup of Yeon Doo choosing Hyun Ho's picture as her fake boyfriend. It is such a ridiculous teenage solution to her problem, which is exactly why it works. Of all the pictures she could have chosen, she somehow picks the picture of the school's intimidating troublemaker. And then she has to deal with the fact that the person she pretended was her boyfriend actually knows about it.

Hyun Ho's initial reaction was completely understandable. He didn't ask to be involved in her scheme, and suddenly everyone at school thinks he is dating her. But I really liked watching his attitude toward her change gradually.

He didn't just see her picture and suddenly fall head over heels. At first, he was irritated by her. Then he became curious about her. Then he started caring about her. Eventually, he realized that he actually liked her. That progression made his feelings much more enjoyable to watch.

And I really loved the way Hyun Ho's tough exterior slowly gave way around Yeon Doo. He could be intimidating and rough with everyone else, but there was clearly a much softer person underneath. Especially when it came to her. That is one of my favorite romantic tropes when it is done well—the guy who looks like trouble but is actually incredibly protective and caring toward the person he loves.

I actually preferred Hyun Ho's blonde hair. I know the black hair was part of his character development, and I understand why they changed it. But aesthetically, I thought he looked better blonde. I also understand that, culturally, bleaching or dramatically dyeing your hair when you're an ordinary student can signal rebellion in a way that is somewhat comparable to how tattoos once carried a stronger rebellious association in American culture. So the hair change made sense for the character even if I personally preferred the original look.

Joo Ho was also exactly what I want from a second male lead. He wasn't so wonderful that I was desperately hoping Yeon Doo would dump Hyun Ho, but he was genuinely likable. I could see why she would like him. If Hyun Ho weren't in the picture, Joo Ho would have been a very believable choice for her.

That is what makes a good second male lead for me. He should be a legitimate possibility rather than someone the audience immediately dismisses because obviously the female lead could never choose him. Joo Ho gave the romance that extra little bit of tension without making me unhappy about the eventual outcome.

One of my favorite storylines involved Yeon Doo's wish for Hyun Ho. Instead of asking him to do something romantic for her, she wanted him to do something that would actually benefit himself—improve his grades.

I thought that was really sweet because it showed that she wasn't just trying to change him into the kind of boyfriend she wanted. She genuinely wanted something good for him.

And the situation that followed was also very believable. Hyun Ho goes from being a student who normally gets terrible grades to suddenly getting a 100, so naturally the teacher suspects that he cheated. I actually liked that. It would have been completely unrealistic for the teacher to simply say, "Congratulations!" when his performance changed that dramatically overnight.

But then Yeon Doo gets the opportunity to stand up for him, and I thought that was one of the sweetest moments between them. She wasn't just defending her boyfriend because she wanted to protect him. She believed in him and wanted other people to recognize that he was capable of more than the reputation he had developed.

That also ties into what I liked about their relationship overall. They weren't simply attracted to each other. They gradually started seeing qualities in each other that other people overlooked.

Hyun Ho wasn't just the scary, rebellious guy everyone assumed he was. Yeon Doo wasn't just the quiet, studious girl who needed to be protected. They each got to see more of the person underneath the reputation.

I also really liked where they ended up. The story doesn't suddenly turn them into some overly mature adult couple. They're teenagers. They're dating. They hold hands, they kiss, they go on dates, and they're happy to be together. That's enough.

I actually appreciate that more than some American teen movies that seem determined to make teenage relationships much more sexually explicit than necessary. This felt appropriately youthful and innocent while still allowing the romance to be satisfying.

And yes, it was predictable. I knew where this was going. I knew Yeon Doo and Hyun Ho were going to end up together. I knew Hyun Ho was going to fall for her. I knew Joo Ho wasn't ultimately going to win.

I didn't care.

If you enjoy romantic tropes, predictability isn't automatically a flaw. Sometimes the fun is watching the story hit all the beats you came for. Best Mistake 1 does that very well.

There are certainly places where the story could have had more depth, and I understand why some reviewers found the love triangle underdeveloped or thought the pacing could have been better. But those weren't deal-breakers for me. This was never something I was watching because I wanted a complicated examination of teenage psychology. I wanted a cute romance, and it delivered exactly that.

For me, Best Mistake 1 was light, sweet, predictable, and fun. Sometimes that is exactly what I want.

Overview

Year Aired: 2021

Number of Episodes: 1 (Movie)

Run Time: 129 minutes

Country of Origin: South Korea

Genre(s): Romance, Drama, Comedy

Synopsis

Kim Yeon Do has a simple goal: get rid of the boy from her past who refuses to take no for an answer. In an impulsive attempt to convince him that she already has a boyfriend, she posts a photograph of a handsome stranger on social media. The plan seems foolproof—until she discovers that the boy in the photograph is actually Ji Hyun Ho, one of the most notorious and intimidating students at her own school.

Hyun Ho is not amused by becoming the unwitting star of Yeon Do's fictional relationship. What begins as an embarrassing misunderstanding soon forces the two teenagers into repeated interactions, drawing the attention of their classmates and turning Yeon Do's hastily invented romance into something considerably more complicated.

As Yeon Do discovers that Hyun Ho is very different from the reputation he has earned, their relationship gradually shifts from an inconvenient arrangement to a genuine connection. Meanwhile, the people around them bring their own friendships, rivalries, and romantic possibilities into the mix, creating the kind of youthful confusion where a small mistake can unexpectedly become the beginning of something real.

Best Mistake 1: The Movie is a lighthearted coming-of-age romance about first impressions, unexpected attraction, friendship, and the surprising ways a completely fabricated relationship can lead two people toward something neither of them planned.

Major Character List

Kim Yeon Do (Lee Eun Jae)A bright and studious high school student who is being persistently pursued by a boy she does not want to date. In an attempt to discourage him, she uses a stranger's photograph to create a fictional boyfriend, only to discover that the boy she selected is actually a classmate. Main female lead.

Ji Hyun Ho (Kang Yul)A popular and rebellious student with a reputation for being intimidating and uninterested in academics. Although he initially resents Yeon Do for using his photograph without permission, spending time with her gradually reveals a much softer and more caring side. Main male lead.

Seo Joo Ho (Yoon Jun-won)A smart and well-liked student who is part of Hyun Ho's social circle. His kindness and genuine interest in Yeon Do create a believable alternative romantic possibility and add another layer to the developing relationships. Second male lead.

Ryu Seol (Park Yi-hyun)A fashionable and confident student who is part of Hyun Ho and Joo Ho's close-knit group. Her friendships and changing feelings add another dimension to the complicated romantic dynamics among the students. Major female character and member of the main friend group.

Jung Ji-sung (Choi Chan-yi)A member of Hyun Ho's circle whose friendship with the group provides both humor and additional perspective on the relationships developing around them. Major male character and member of the main friend group.

Koo Hyung-tak (Lee Hyung-seok)A student connected to the events surrounding Yeon Do and her classmates whose presence contributes to the conflicts and misunderstandings that develop throughout the story. Important student character.