Dynamite Kiss started with a bang, but its finale left many viewers disappointed. Starring Jang Ki-yong as Gong Ji-hyeok and Ahn Eun-jin as Go Da-rim, Dynamite Kiss was widely regarded as one of the best K-dramas of 2025. The international Netflix romance began as a fresh take on the K-drama genre, putting modern and unexpected spins on classic genre tropes.
Its strong start made Dynamite Kiss a surprise hit K-drama, with many fans putting it in conversation as one of the greatest Netflix releases of the year. The unconventional love story built on a failed fling, workplace misunderstandings, and sexual tension was refreshing, making Dynamite Kiss a totally unique drama that sadly lost its flair in the pivotal final episode.
Dynamite Kiss Saved Its Happy Ending For A Series Finale Montage
A Last-Second Conflict Derailed The Main Romance
What made Dynamite Kiss such a breakout title was how innovative it felt. The very first episode of Dynamite Kiss breaks K-drama rules left and right, with the central pair kissing before the first credits roll. After grabbing viewers’ attention, Dynamite Kiss continued putting spins on familiar tropes, instilling hope that the Netflix K-drama would only get better.
The drama then went deep into the classic boss/employee dynamic — with a major twist. Da-rim was posing as a married mother to get the job, and Ji-hyeok was in a loveless arranged engagement. As they worked together, however, the ice slowly began to thaw. Nevertheless, Dynamite Kiss made the couple earn their happy ending throughout the first 13 episodes.
Yet, when it came time to reward their efforts, Dynamite Kiss introduced an absurd last-second storyline that ruined their romantic momentum: just as everything fell into place for the estranged lovers to reconcile, Ji-hyeok was hit by a car and fell into a coma. Da-rim tirelessly waited by his side, but he awoke with a K-drama classic, retrograde amnesia.
Everything that happened in the drama became lost memories until Da-rim recreated the K-drama’s iconic kiss from the first episode. From there, their future was shown in snippets: Da-rim and Ji-hyeok moved in together, got engaged, went into business again at a new company, got married, and had children — all within the last 10 minutes of the series.
K-Drama Couples Rarely Get The Follow-Through They Deserve
The Emphasis Stays On The Build-Up
Dynamite Kiss‘s lackluster ending was disappointing for multiple reasons. Devoted fans eagerly tuned in each week, buying into Da-rim and Ji-hyeok’s romance with the relatively safe assumption that Dynamite Kiss — like most dramas — would give them a happy ending. By cramming major relationship milestones into a surface-level montage, Dynamite Kiss robbed its fans of a satisfying K-drama ending.
Plus, the series finale was encumbered by its use of contrived tropes, with Ji-hyeok’s amnesia particularly sticking out like a sore thumb. Dynamite Kiss had hitherto felt novel, captivating global audiences who were unilaterally let down by the cliché-ridden finale. Worse, after months of watching their relationship develop, Dynamite Kiss offered a mere snapshot of Da-rim and Ji-hyeok’s life together.
Sadly, even the best K-drama couples of all time are typically overlooked for a final act twist. Whether it’s an unnecessary breakup, a shocking revelation, or some dramatic external force keeping them apart, the main characters of any given K-drama only get a taste of a happy ever after before something goes awry and leaves the romance sidelined.
The happiest ending most K-drama couples get is an emotional scene in the finale that indicates all their troubles are solved, sometimes sealed with a kiss or a pre-proposal. In that sense, Dynamite Kiss provided uncharacteristically detailed proof for Da-rim and Ji-hyeok’s happy ending. Based on its enthralling lead-up, however, the K-drama could have better stuck the landing.
How Dynamite Kiss Could Have Fixed Its Finale
The K-Drama Ignored Some Glaring Plot Holes
Dynamite Kiss should have continued its subversive storytelling by distancing itself from the third-act breakup entirely. Rather than give Ji-hyeok a near-death experience, Dynamite Kiss could have secured its spot as a one-of-a-kind K-drama by reserving the final episode for pure romance. Da-rim and Ji-hyeok deserved a full-blown happy ending, uncomplicated by cruel twists of fate.
Dynamite Kiss could have even returned to its steamy K-drama roots by focusing on the couple’s physical intimacy in the final episode, as they spent the vast majority of the series resisting their attraction. Furthermore, centering the relationship would have organically made space for milestones — like a proposal, wedding, pregnancy, and career change — with enough time to truly establish them.
Alternatively, the Netflix hit could have explored more of the K-drama’s family-focused plots. Da-rim only got the Natural BeBe job as a means to support her mother after her sister absconded to escape loan sharks. Aside from a short scene in the finale, however, the storyline involving Da-rim’s sister was never resolved. Similarly, the secondary couple was left infuriatingly ambiguous.
If Dynamite Kiss built off episode 13’s optimistic ending and prioritized its characters, the series finale would have given everyone the in-depth denouement they deserved. Aside from being more entertaining, Dynamite Kiss letting its characters simply be happy in the finale would have been a well-earned conclusion to preserve an already groundbreaking legacy.
- Release Date
-
November 12, 2025
- Network
-
SBS
- Directors
-
Kim Jae-hyun
- Writers
-
Ha Yoon-ah
-
Jang Ki-yong
Gong Ji-hyeok
-
Source link
Add Comment