Two Exes Can’t Quite Become Strangers In The K-Drama ‘Strangers Again’

Oh Ha-ra and Goo Eun-beom are both divorce lawyers, so they knew exactly what to expect when their own marriage fell apart. The break-up left them cynical about love, but they were practical about the process and cut all ties. They had seen enough divorces to know it could happen to anyone. Ha-ra, played by Kang So-ra, was hurt by her cheating ex, but reasoned that at least she would never have to see him again. Imagine her surprise when he signs on at the law firm where she works.

That’s the premise of the ENA Korean drama Strangers Again. Signing those divorce papers made Ha-ra and Eun-beom strangers, at least legally. But it’s hard to forget someone you’ve been so close to for so long. It’s hard, perhaps impossible, to go back to being strangers.

When Eun-beom shows up at the law firm, Ha-ra has not forgiven him and works hard to get rid of him. She not only fails to expel him, but winds up making one of those implausible but great-for-comedy deals with him. If Eun-beom, played by Jang Seung-Jo, can help her win an impossible case, she will no longer object to his joining her law firm. Naturally, he helps her win and that means Ha-ra has to see him every day. Even worse, they work on cases together in which they have plenty of opportunities to discuss what makes a marriage not work—and possibly eventually discuss what made their marriage not work.

These characters are definitely not over each other. Ha-ra even thinks Eun-beom might be trying to win her back, that is until he suggests she go on a blind date with his handsome friend, Min Jae-gyeom, played by Mu Jin-sung.

Strangers Again is yet another legal drama, but it has a different focus from all of last year’s courtroom stories in that it focuses on divorce. The emotional awkwardness of interacting with an ex could make for a sad story, but Strangers Again makes the subject dryly funny. The drama features both subtle and silly humor, plus finely-timed comic performances by Kang and Jang as the warring but secretly lovestruck exes. Ha-ra also has some droll co-workers and friends at the law office, played by wonderful character actors Jo Eun-ji, Lee Jae-won, Jeon Bae-su and Gil Hae-yeon.

Kang previously appeared in the dramas Revolutionary Love, Warm and Cozy and Misaeng: Incomplete Life. Jang can be seen in The Good Detective, The Good Detective 2, Snowdrop and Chocolate. He and Kang So-ra starred together in the film Secret Zoo. Mu can be seen in Beautiful You, Scholar Who Walks The Night and Shine Or Go Crazy.

Strangers Again airs on Viki.com in the US.