More Like Father-Daughter Than Lovers? Expectations for Lee Jung-jae & Lim Ji-yeon’s Drama Crumble Before Premiere
The upcoming tvN drama Impudent Love (tenative title) is already generating buzz—but not all of it is positive. Set to air in the second half of this year, the drama stars veteran actor Lee Jung-jae and rising star Lim Ji-yeon in a romantic lead pairing that has sparked widespread backlash due to their 18-year age gap.
What Is “Impudent Love” About?
Impudent Love follows the story of Im Hyun-joon (played by Lee Jung-jae), a detective-turned-actor who dreams of becoming a melodrama master, and Wi Jung-sook (played by Lim Ji-yeon), a once-award-winning political journalist demoted to the entertainment desk. Their love-hate relationship sets the stage for a quirky, emotionally charged romantic comedy. The drama reunites screenwriter Jung Yeo-rang (Doctor Cha) and director Kim Ga-ram (Good Partner), raising expectations for a strong narrative and production quality.
This will mark Lee Jung-jae’s first return to a television drama in nine years, since JTBC’s Chief of Staff 2 wrapped in 2019. The actor, best known globally for Squid Game, has recently focused on films such as Deliver Us From Evil, Hunt, and Revolver.
Casting Backlash: Age Gap Sparks Debate
Despite both actors being managed by Artist Company and having successful individual careers, the significant age difference between Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon has raised eyebrows. Many viewers have voiced concerns that such a wide gap makes it difficult to feel immersed in the romance storyline, especially in a genre that relies heavily on natural chemistry.
Recent romance dramas like Love Scout (starring Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk) and Motel California (with Lee Se-young and Na In-woo) have been praised for casting leads with minimal age differences, enhancing realism and relatability. Audiences—especially women, the core demographic for romance dramas—tend to prefer believable pairings that balance fantasy with emotional authenticity.
Comments online have been blunt. Netizens have remarked, “Isn’t she young enough to be his daughter?” and “There’s no chemistry at all,” after viewing promotional stills of the two actors together. Others question why producers chose this pairing when more age-compatible actors are available.
Can the Drama Overcome the Skepticism?
Lee Jung-jae is fresh off the global success of Squid Game Season 3, which debuted on June 27 and amassed 46.3 million views in one week, topping Netflix’s global charts in all 93 tracked countries—a first for any Netflix series. However, even this momentum may not be enough to fully offset viewer skepticism around his role in Impudent Love.
As Impudent Love heads toward its premiere, all eyes are on how the production team will navigate the controversy. Will Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon be able to build convincing on-screen chemistry despite the age gap? Will the story and direction be strong enough to win over hesitant viewers?
Whether Impudent Love becomes another hit for both actors—or falls flat under the weight of early backlash—remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: it’s a drama that people will be watching closely.
