A former handball national athlete is forced to give up her sports career after the sudden death of her mother leaves her with a  younger brother who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and a young niece to raise.  Now she owns a small side-dish shop with her best friend.  But when her niece enters high school, she discovers there is a whole world of educational training and demands that she had never known.  When she meets a famous math tutor, she strikes a deal with him to trade math lessons for food from her shop.  And as the pair get to know each other, they find comfort in each other’s company, and learn that they share a surprising connection from their past.   

Jung Kyung Ho as Choi Chi Yeol

Choi Chi Yeol is known as the “1 Billion Won Man” because of his popularity as a math tutor.   Mothers are lining up to get their children enrolled in his classes.  In the classroom, he is passionate and full of energy, but after hours, he has become increasingly cold and withdrawn.  He is haunted by the suicide of one of his first private students, and he has never forgiven himself for her death.  Because of this, he struggles to eat or sleep.  But when he tastes Haeng Seon’s cooking, he is surprised to find it doesn’t make him sick.  He offers to teach Hae Yi both because he has seen her potential, and because he wants Haeng Seon to cook for him.  But he never expects to become so attached to their family and especially Haeng Seon.  

Choi Chi Yeol is competitve and driven when it comes to teaching.  His students have been the thing that kept him going through years of emotional struggle.  But when he meets Haeng Seon, he starts to find real joy in his own life and their relationship.  Jung Kyung Ho is a great actor and I love his breezy personality, and the way it comes through on the screen.  He exudes a charm and confidence that brings his characters to life.  I really enjoy watching him act, and I think he fit this role exactly.  

Shin Jae Ha as Ji Dong Hee 

Ji Dong Hee is Choi Chi Yeol’s personal assistant.  He has worked with the teacher for years and is his most trusted employee.  But Dong Hee has a dark secret from his past that connects him and Chi Yeol in a surprising way.  His sister is the student that killed herself after being tutored by Chi Yeol.  And now, Dong Hee’s obsessive attempts to “protect” Chi Yeol will lead to further tragedy.  

 ♥ Nam Jae Woo

Oh Eui Shik is a wonderful actor and I really enjoyed his portrayal of the neurodivergent brother in this drama.  Jae Woo’s character was more than just a man with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  The role had depth and development, and his interactions with some of the other characters highlight the fact that while his brain may process things differently, he is still a man and not a child.  I especially loved his relationship with Chi Yeol, who often appealed to him man to man.  

♥ Teaching

As someone who has spent the last 30 years of my life involved in some facet of teaching and education, it was a pleasure to see Chi Yeol’s passionate approach to teaching.  His love for the subject and his students was fun to watch and I believe that good teachers like him do exist in the real world.  So often, dramas portray all teachers as disillusioned and burnt out.  It was interesting that in this case, Chi Yeol was burnt out in his life, but work was the only thing that gave him any joy.  

Haeng Seon’s Appearance

Haeng Seon’s character was unique and interesting, but whoever was responsible for her wardrobe choices should be fired.  I get it that she isn’t overly interested in fashion or spending money on fancy clothing.  But she didn’t need to dress like an 80 year old woman whose sight is failing.  The hair and clothing choices only excentuated the 10 year age gap, which was totally unnecessary.  Just a bit of subtelty would have gone over so much better.  

Sub-Plots

This drama was full of sub-plots that didn’t really add anything to the story as a whole.  For me, those storylines would include Soo Ah’s journey into madness, Hae Yi’s mom’s brief return, and Dong Hee’s career as a serial killer.  All of these stories had potential, but there was no way to do all of them justice within the 16 episodes of this series.  It just felt like they tried to do too much, and it negatively affected the overall focus of the show.   

“Crash Course in Romance” ties up most of the loose ends pretty well.  Dong Hee’s true identity is exposed, but he ends up falling off a building before he can be arrested. Hae Yi’s mother quietly runs away again, which restores some much needed peace to their family.   Haeng Seon and Chi Yeol get engaged before jumping ahead 2 years.  In the future, we find a pregnant Young Joo happily married to Jae Woo.  And Hae Yi and Sun Jae are together at university.  Hae Yi finally agrees to make their romantic relationship official, which makes Sun Jae overjoyed.  After 2 years of studying and test attempts, Haeng Seon passes her exam to become a sports instructor, which means that she can finally marry poor Chi Yeol, who has been waiting none too patiently for this joyous event.  It seems like smooth sailing from here on out for our 3 main couples!