Jung Hee Wan, a 24-year-old college student, lives a lonely life with no spark left in her. Everything changes when her childhood friend and first love, Kim Ram Woo, suddenly shows up—except he’s been dead for four years and is now a grim reaper. He tells her she has just one week to live. This is the emotional start of the new South Korean drama Way Back Love, which premiered on TVING on April 3, 2025. With only six episodes, the show wastes no time pulling viewers into a story of friendship, love, and loss that feels both sweet and heartbreaking.
A Lively Past Meets a Broken Present
The drama opens with Jung Hee Wan (played by Kim Min-ha) in her dull, lonely present. She’s a recluse, barely living, with no energy or joy. But the story quickly jumps back to her high school days, showing a very different Hee Wan. Back then, she was full of life—cheerful, bold, and always up to something fun. She’d livestream online, stand up to bullies, and light up any room she walked into.
That’s where she meets Kim Ram Woo (played by Gong Myung), a quiet new student who loves board games and keeps to himself. He’s shy and focused, the total opposite of Hee Wan’s wild energy. Their paths cross during an April Fool’s prank when they swap name tags to trick their teacher. What starts as a silly joke turns into something bigger. Hee Wan decides she likes being called Ram Woo—it feels lucky to her—and convinces him to keep the switch going. Soon, everyone at school calls her Ram Woo and him Hee Wan.
Their bond grows fast. In one scene, Hee Wan drags Ram Woo into a showdown with bullies after she throws chocolate milk at them for picking on someone. To scare the bullies off, they draw fake tattoos on their arms and act tough. It works when a teacher steps in, and the bullies scatter. Moments like these show how Hee Wan’s fearless spirit pulls Ram Woo out of his shell, while he quietly keeps her grounded. You can feel the warmth between them, even if they’re too young and shy to admit their feelings.
But then the story flips back to the present, and everything’s different. Hee Wan avoids anything tied to her past—like refusing a yearbook—and shuts down at the mention of April Fool’s Day. When Ram Woo appears at her door, she’s stunned. He reveals he died four years ago and is now a grim reaper here to warn her: she has one week left. The shift from their happy high school days to this dark twist hits hard, and it’s clear something big happened to break Hee Wan so completely.
A Bucket List and Unspoken Love
Hee Wan doesn’t believe Ram Woo at first. She thinks he’s a trick of her mind and tries to ignore him. But when he doesn’t go away, she faces the truth: he’s real, and her time is running out. Ram Woo tells her she can die peacefully if she calls his name three times. Hee Wan refuses—she doesn’t want to lose him again. Instead, she strikes a deal: they’ll complete a bucket list of 10 things together, and then he’ll leave for good.
The list feels like a mix of simple dates and personal wishes—things like eating together or revisiting old places. Since only Hee Wan can see him, she does these tasks alone in the eyes of others, which adds a quiet sadness to every moment. As she checks off each item, memories of Ram Woo flood back. You can see the longing in her eyes, the way she misses who they used to be. Ram Woo pushes her to live without regrets, but it’s obvious her biggest regret is losing him.
The drama hints that their name swap might be tied to his death. People blamed Hee Wan for what happened four years ago, and she’s been carrying that guilt ever since. It’s a heavy burden that explains why she’s so lost now. The show doesn’t reveal how Ram Woo died yet, but the mystery keeps you hooked, wondering how it all connects.
Perfect Blend of Heart and Humor
Even with its sad core, Way Back Love balances things out with humor. The high school scenes are packed with funny moments—like Hee Wan’s wild pranks or Ram Woo’s awkward attempts to keep up with her. One standout bit is when Hee Wan buys lacy underwear from Ram Woo’s mom online, not knowing it’s her. She later gives it to their friend Yoon Tae-kyung (played by Oh Woo-ri) as a birthday gift, leaving Ram Woo flustered. These light touches make the past feel alive and real, which only makes the present sting more.
The cast shines bright. Kim Min-ha plays both the lively teen Hee Wan and the broken adult version with ease, making you root for her every step. Gong Myung brings a soft charm to Ram Woo, showing his shy side and his growing care for Hee Wan perfectly. Supporting actors like Jung Gun-joo as Lee Hong-seok, Ram Woo’s nerdy friend, and Oh Woo-ri as Tae-kyung add depth to the group, hinting at bigger roles to come.
Why It Stands Out
Way Back Love isn’t just a love story—it’s a look at youth, loss, and what it means to keep going. The flashbacks to high school glow with autumn colors and a carefree vibe that feels so real you can almost touch it. Then the present hits with its gray tones and heavy silence, showing how much Hee Wan has lost—not just Ram Woo, but herself too. The mix of nostalgia and grief is what makes this drama special. It’s a quick watch at six episodes, but it packs a big emotional punch.
Viewers are already feeling it. Posts on X call the first two episodes “a work of art,” praising the shift from past to present and the leads’ chemistry. Fans say it’s a tearjerker that reminds them of other emotional K-dramas like Seasons of Blossom, but with its own unique pull.
What’s Next
With four episodes left, Way Back Love promises more tears and answers. Will Hee Wan find peace before her week is up? Can Ram Woo help her heal from whatever broke her? And what really happened four years ago? The story’s short run means every moment counts, and it’s already off to a strong start.
We use cookies to enhance your experience. By consenting, you allow us to process data like Browse behavior and unique IDs. Declining may affect some site features.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
![50 Cent Shares AI-Generated Trailer Mocking Diddy and Other Celebrities; Internet Calls Him the “Goat of Trolling” [WATCH]](https://vviptimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/50_cent_and_Diddy.webp "50 cent and Diddy")
