Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review: Raw and Heartwarming Beginning to a Healing Process

Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review

Director: Yoo Je-won

Date Created: 2025-08-06 00:10

Editor's Rating:
4

Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review: Directed by Yoo Je-won, 첫 사랑을 위하여 features a seasoned cast including Yeom Jung-ah as Lee Ji-an, Park Hae-joon as Ryu Jeong-seok, Choi Yun-ji as Lee Hyo-ri, and Kim Min-kyu as Ryu Bo-hyeon. This 12-episode K-drama is an adorable story of first love, single parenthood, and emotional rollercoaster riding when life hands you lemons.

Set in the village of Cheonghae, Love Take Two kdrama introduces us to Lee Ji-an, a single mom and site manager whose life is soon to undergo a radical transformation. Her daughter, Lee Hyo-ri, a bright medical student, is the centre of her world—until rebellion, illness, and an unexpected reunion with Ji-an’s first love, Ryu Jeong-seok, begin to test the fragile threads of her carefully managed life.

Love Take Two Episode 1 Recap

Episode 1 of Love Take Two begins with devastating news—Hyo-ri is diagnosed with a tumour, leaving both mother and daughter reeling. Ji-an throws herself into work, but tensions at the construction site and at home continue to mount. Her colleagues appreciate her charisma, yet she faces betrayal when Chief Hwang backs out on repaying her, jeopardising Hyo-ri’s tuition.

Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review Still 1
Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review Still 1

Hyori is fed up with her mother’s decisions and the stress of medical school, so she gets in the face of one of the seniors at the hospital one day, quits on a whim, and departs without answering any of Ji-an’s phone calls. Sook and Hyori head to an architecture studio but get lost in Cheonghae Village, and so by coincidence, she finds herself on Ryu Bo-hyeon’s doorstep.

Meanwhile, in Seoul, Ji-an is shocked to discover her daughter has emptied her bank account. Following social media trails, she arrives at the village where she finds Hyo-ri. Their reunion is far from loving, however. The mother-daughter conflict escalates and ends with Hyo-ri revealing her condition. Ji-an confirms the diagnosis and is left stunned. Hyo-ri declares her intent to stay on in Cheonghae, requiring room to get her head around things.

Love Take Two Episode 2 Recap

Kdrama Love Take Two Episode 2 starts with Hyo-ri silently wrestling with reconciling her diagnosis. Alone, she continues to consider the psychosurgery Ji-an contemplates when she makes the decision to research surgical possibilities, believing they are too costly and too risky. Ji-an attempts to go back to work when a fiery argument with the CEO causes her to storm off for good.

Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review Still 2
Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review Still 2

Refusing to let Hyo-ri down, Ji-an goes to Cheonghae. She meets up with her old flame, Jeong-seok, who is now living with his son, Bo-hyeon. She discovers Hyo-ri has been living on his land. She visits Hyo-ri once more and is informed—one way or another—that Hyo-ri requires some space and is unable to handle all those emotions right now.

Tragedy is nipped in the bud when Hyo-ri runs into the sea in despair and is saved by Bo-hyeon. After that, she icily tells Ji-an she’s never going back to Seoul. There’s a confrontation that night too, and Hyo-ri expiates all her pent-up frustrations, telling her mom off for parading her single-mom status as a badge of honor. This cuts Ji-an badly, reminding her of all the emotional scars of being a young mom.

Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review Still 3
Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review Still 3

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On the next day, Hyo-ri goes with Bo-hyeon to his flower farm. As they get along, things heat up when he confronts her regarding how she treated Ji-an. Meanwhile, Ji-an visits Chief Hwang in an attempt to retrieve her money. Feeling sorry for his plight, she lets him keep it temporarily. In a touching gesture, he gives Ji-an an old farmhouse as a present. Ji-an then goes to the property with Jeong-seok, where she finds out that her daughter has already moved in.

Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review

It is a deeply character-driven and emotional drama that doesn’t blink. From the very start, the show balances the bitter pathos of illness and isolation with moments of warmth, humour, and nostalgia. The first two episodes set the stage for a moving experience, introducing themes of filial sacrifice, pride, and the fragile bond between mothers and daughters.

The highlight of the drama lies in Yeom Jung-ah’s powerful portrayal of Ji-an, a woman hardened by life yet still vulnerable when it comes to her daughter. Her dynamic with Choi Yun-ji’s Hyo-ri is the emotional core, beautifully layered with years of unspoken love and frustration. The script doesn’t shy away from portraying the uglier sides of familial tension, making the characters feel relatable and real.

Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review Still 4
Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review Still 4

What impresses about Love Take Two kdrama ep 1 and ep 2 is the subtle yet powerful utilisation of flashbacks and emotional callbacks. Ji-an’s past returns to torment her, not only in the person of Jeong-seok, but in the internalised shame and courage she has accrued over the years. The reintroduction of first love, both romantic and filial, is done with quiet delicacy that suits the tone of this healing drama.

As we close out episode 2 of Love Take Two, the pieces are falling into place—but at a cost. Hyo-ri’s romance with Bo-hyeon is just beginning, Ji-an’s efforts to begin again are tenuous, and Jeong-seok’s return primes the way for the past in a fashion bound to shake up unresolved emotions. The serene setting of Cheonghae Village may offer refuge, but the storm within each character has yet to begin simmering.

With the next episodes promising to explore deeper emotional healing and potentially romantic reconnection, the show hints at further complications to be uncovered. For audiences drawn to emotionally authentic storytelling, multi-dimensional women protagonists, and introspective slice-of-life drama, Korean drama Love Take Two is starting well.

Also Read: Beyond the Bar Episode 1-2 Review: Cold Logic, Fierce Ambition, and a Legal Showdown with a Personal Edge

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Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review: The show demonstrates potential with good emotional depth, complex performances, and sincere mother-daughter conflict. The drama combines personal trials with subtle charm, making its first two instalments both moving and interesting.Love Take Two Episode 1-2 Review: Raw and Heartwarming Beginning to a Healing Process