[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Dating Agency: Cyrano" Episode 10

If the last episode was about the negative consequences fear has on love, this one is about the problems involved with courage. Nearly every character seems to have taken a cue from spooky girl's plot arc and started acting deliberately with more initiative. It's definitely a change for the better, from a narrative standpoint anyway. It forces character whose roles have so far been unclear into acting in a more dynamic, interesting way instead of the usual sneaking around.

Advertisement

Like Ah-Rang (played by Jo Yoon-woo). I'm actually not totally sure what he even did on this drama before he started videotaping stuff at random. He really has started to take this love manipulation stuff to the next level, and is now engaging in his own scheming without the approval of the rest of the group. I can't decide whether I want his plans to succeed or get discovered, since both lead to equally fertile comedic territory.

This episode takes a shot at a concept that's constantly played at in romantic comedies, and even in this drama. The idea that all you have to do is be brave, ask your crush out on a date, and everything will work out fine. On multiple occasions in this episode, characters who try to do this don't get what they're expecting. And no, they're not necessarily expecting a "yes", so much as they are something that leads to an obvious course of action. Here, ambiguities just beget more ambiguities.

Sound familiar? If not, you must have an extremely serendipitous love life. This continues to be the strongest point of this drama- just how relatable it is even though by design the premise is absurd. These ideas of love are also really well-worked into the storyline. We don't arbitrarily switch gears from "realistic" love problems to a world where characters pretend like the concept of a love manipulation agency doesn't exist. Because people know about the Cyrano Agency, it influences their decisions and personal direction. And why wouldn't it? People who want something (like love) bad enough will do just about anything to get it.

On the other end, I still prefer the more voyeuristic qualities of the drama, of just wanting characters to get together and wondering how this end is going to be achieved. This episode ends with a lot of different possible directions, but no clear solutions to any of the multiple love entanglements that have sprouted up. It looks like the story's about to get convoluted again- and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Review by William Schwartz

"Dating Agency: Cyrano" is directed by Kang Kyeong-hoon, written by Shin Jae-won and features Lee Jong-hyuk, Choi Soo-young, Hong Jong-hyun and Jo Yoon-woo.