Byeon Mu Jin was scammed out of all his money and his wife’s business.  At the end of her rope, Ae Yeon divorces him and tells him to never contact her or their kids again.  But after 11 years of hunting down the swindler, Mu Jin returns with the money he lost, plus a healthy profit.  And the first thing he does with his new-found fortune is buy the apartment building his family has been living in.  But while he has dreamed of coming home to reconcile with them, his family isn’t quite ready to welcome him with open arms.  

And while Mu Jin is focused on winning back the love and trust of his family, his new tenants are fixated on a different problem.  They all know that Mu Jin left Korea as a man in serious debt.  So how does he return with enough money to buy an apartment building in cash?    And does their former landlords mysterious death have anything to do with Mu Jin showing up?

Byeon Mu Jin is kind and generous, which is what got him into trouble in the first place. He is surprised and disappointed to discover that in his absence, the daughter who had once adored him, has developed a lot of resentment toward him.  Perhaps, even more than his relationship with his wife, Mu Jin is desperate to repair the fractured relationship with his daughter.  Ji Jin Hee may be stronger in action style dramas.  The chemistry in this one felt a bit flat for me.  But he handled the character himself well enough.  The smooth, happy-go-lucky role is a good fit for him.  

Geum Ae Yeon married Mu Jin when they were young. And although she loved him, she couldn’t stand to watch him put their family in financial distress.  So she divorces him and works hard to raise their two kids on her own.  Now the kids are adults themselves, and her daughter, Mi Rae works a full time job to support the family, while Ae Yeon works part time as she can.  So Ae Yeon is shocked when the wealthy new landlord of their apartment building turns out to be her estranged ex-husband.  

But the fact that he is financially well-off now does not immediately absolve him of the stress and misery his early actions caused them or what she has had to go through as a single mom for 11 years.  But what his reappearance does do is take some of the immediate pressure off her. And with her kids grown and living their own lives, she realizes for the first time she has an opportunity to explore her own dreams.

Geum Ae Yeon is a great reminder that it’s never too late to achieve your dreams, even if they have been delayed by life and family.  She is hardworking and a devoted mother.  She is also a great friend to her neighbors in the apartment building.  I thought this role as a mature mother with flashes of fierce independence and youthful enthusiasm fit Kim Jee Soo well.  It’s been a few years since we have seen her on the small screen, and it was great to have her back.  I liked her in this role.  

‘Romance in the House’ is a family drama that explores themes of second chances and forgiveness. Thanks to its tone and pacing, this one falls more into the romantic drama category than rom-com.  But there are plenty of silly moments.  The cast is talented and the reunion of the leads, who starred together back in 2013, is a fun touch.  

Unfortunately, the plot just felt kind of average.  The blend of romance, family melodrama, comedy, and mystery all crammed into 12 episodes made the plot feel like a lackluster hodgepodge of dramas we have seen before;  particularly last year’s “Not Others”. For me, the bottom line is, this is not a bad drama.  I enjoyed it enough in the moment to keep watching.  But there was nothing especially memorable about it.    I give ‘Romance in the House’ a 7 out of 10 ramen.

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