Do You Like Brahms?

 It was news to me that there was a love triangle among classical music composers.  Robert Schuman married Clara, a concert pianist while Johannes Brahms pined for her.  Apparently some modern musicians took sides.  For some fans the two composers had personal attachments that interfered with romances.

"Do You Like Brahms?" (2020) is similar in plotting to a soap opera.  Girl and boy stumble to discover love and then circumstances conspire against them before a happy ending.  Chae Song-ah had graduated from business college, but decided to pursue the violin, even though disadvantaged by her late start.  Park Joon-young was established as an international concert pianist.  A few colleagues felt there was too big of a talent gap.  

Lee Jung-Kyung was a violinist of the same age, but more experienced.  She had been the girl friend of Joon-young who was tired of her, but she had a hold through her wealthy family and helped pay off his family debts.  She had also dated Han Hyung-ho, a cellist and friend of Joon-young.

Previous love affairs, heavy debts incurred by a father cloud prospects and a cheating teacher conspire for a complicated plot.  Joon-young generates a good income from international performances, but unknown to Song-ah it mostly goes to pay debts and an ex girl friend with money exploits his vulnerability.  She is not liked by many and has her ups and downs.

Song-ah is quiet and became attracted when Joon-young played a version of Schuman's "Treumari" that plays a role in the film involving others.  Joon-young found himself in conversations with Song-ah and felt comfortable.  He asked her to be a page turner for one of his performances.  They are both introverted and eventually they decide to date.

The relationship moves slowly with a few complications to spice it up.  Song-ah is very uncertain about her future career and is advised she will never be a solo performer or even accompany solo performers.  An agent for Joon-young is very candid with Song-ah saying she is not good for Joon-young.  He keeps his debt problem secret from Song-ah, but others know about it.  The other young musicians are intertwined and the staff have their own politics.

You do hear snippets of classical music, but even more of Korean romantic film songs.  Classical music for most of us is something only refined or weird people take any notice of--I am one of them, not sure which one.  For some viewers they will feel comfortable with the culture.  Stirring contemporary Korean songs may appeal to a wider audience.  The two main characters are very likeable.  

It takes a good cast and crew to make a series work.  Here are a few.

Young-Min Jo was the director.  He has 3 directing credits and 1 for editing.

Ryu Bi-Ro was the writer.  He has 4 writing credits including "Trolley" (2022-23).  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/02/the-trolley.html

Jay Kim was the composer.  He has 54 composing credits and 13 for the music department including "You and Everything Else" (2025).   see  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/03/you-and-everything-else.html

Park Eun-Bin  played Chae Song-ah and re-learned to play the violin  She has 30 acting credits including "Hot Stove League" (2019),"The King's Affection" (2021), "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022) and "Castaway Diva" (2023).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/extraordinary-attorney-woo.html and also http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/07/baseball-lovers-will-find-hot-stove.html  While watching this I also started watching her latest series, "Spooky in Love" (2026) which is very different, but demonstrates her versatility with two more episodes to go.

Kim Min-jae played Park Joon-young and learned to play the piano.  He has 20 acting credits and 2 for soundtrack including a voice role in "Swing Kids" (2018).

Park Ji-hyun played Lee Jung-Kyung.  She has 23 acting credits and 1 for the camera and electrical department including "You and Everything Else" (2025).

Kim Sung-cheol plays Han Hyun Ho. a cellist, friend to Joon-young, a boyfriend to Jung-Kyung.  He has 23 acting credits including "Vincenzo" (2021) and "The Wind Blows" (2023).  see   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/11/the-wind-blows.html 

Ye Soo-jung plays Na Moon sook, wealthy director of the music institute and grandmother of Jung-Kyung.  She has 48 acting credits including "Along with the Gods:  The Last 49 Days" (2011), "The Thieves" (2012), "Train to Busan" (2016), "Black Dog" (2019-20) and "Spooky in Love" (2026).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/01/black-dog.html

Seo Jung-yeon played Cha Young-in, an advisor to Song-ah.  She has 79 acting credits including "Live Up to Your Name" (2017), "Something in the Rain" (2018), "Black Dog" (2019), "Trolley" (2022), "Castaway Diva" (2023) and "You and Everything Else" (2025).  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/07/live-up-to-your-name.html

Choi Dae-hoon played Park Seong-jae.  He has 32 acting credits including "Flower of Evil" (2020), "Melancholia" (2021), "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022), "Decision to Leave" (2022) and "When Life Gives You Tangerines" (2024).  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/flower-of-evil.html  and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/04/when-life-gives-you-tangerines.html

Joo Suk-tae played Joon-young's agent who pushed for deals not wanted.  He has 75 acting credits, including "Tunnel" (2006), "A Hard Day" (2014) and "The Age of Shadows" (2016). 

Kim Jeong-yeong played Joon-young's mother.  She has 44 acting credits, including "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and... Spring" (2003), "Signal" (2016) and "The Glory" (2022-23).

Kim Seon-hwa played Song-ah's mother.  She has 31 acting credit including "The Glory (2022-23) and "Teach You a Lesson" (2026).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/06/teach-you-lesson.html

Korean romance lovers should enjoy "Do You Like Brahms?" available subtitled on Netflix.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favourite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

Baseball Lovers will find "Hot Stove League" fascinating

 Baseball is a game loaded with statistics and the art of hitting an elusive ball where no one can catch it.  "Hot Stove League" (2019) is the most comprehensive sports series I have seen.  We mostly see the players and coach in most sports films, but it takes more to keep a professional sports franchise operating

The main character Baek Seung-soo, with an unusual background applies for the the general manager job for a Korean baseball team.  Although he has no baseball managing experience he had taken teams in three different sports (handball, wrestling and ice hockey) to the top after which they disbanded.  The operations manager, Lee Se-young and the coaches are repulsed by the idea, but somewhere in the ownership they are impressed with him and he does get hired.  

He certainly does have some odd ideas to turn a last place team to a winner.  At first he makes no changes amongst the management or coaching staff although aware of quarrelling among the coaches, but soon makes a move upsetting to them all.  He wants to trade their one top player who is very resentful to the idea.  It turns out Seung-soo has analyzed statistics in a sophisticated manner and starts to win over some of the management staff.

But this is just the tip of an iceberg.  The series explores scouting, statistics, drafting, training, contracts, public relations, marketing merchandise and ad space.  Trades are at the heart of what a general manager does.  Seung-soo sought teams with a weakness at a position that he was strong in and offer a player for their weakness.  At one point breaking down batting average to the spring, summer and fall.  When the steroid scandal developed, punishments were adjusted to discourage, but also to early confessions and this affected trades.        

Two other issues provide complications.  Match fixing is a concern at the league level.  Citizenship requirements, unique to Korea provide emotional concerns.

The corporation owning the team is concerned with branding, while keeping expenses low and reputation. intact  They force changes for the baseball operations.  Their inner workings with regard to the dynamics outside baseball inevitably impinge on the team.

The cast and crew have created a very engaging series.  Here are some of them.

Dong Yoon Jung was the director.  He has 3 directing credits.

Lee Shin-Hwa was the writer with this being his only credit.

Park Eun-bin played the operations manager, Lee Se-yeung who personifies a feminist heroine in that she is not only attractive and likeable, but also does a good job without any romantic entanglements.  She has 30 acting credits including "The King's Affection" (2021), "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022) and "Castaway Diva" (2023).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/extraordinary-attorney-woo.html

Namgoong Min played Baek Seung-su.  He has 34 acting credits.

Oh Jung-se played Kwon Kyeong-min, a key ownership executive.  He has 100 acting credits including "Swing Kids" (2018), "When the Camellia Blooms" (2019), "It's Okay Not To Be Okay" (2020), "Little Women" (2022), "When Life Gives You Tangerines" (2023), "When the Stars Gossip" (2025) and "We Are All Trying Here" (2026).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/its-okay-not-to-be-okay.html   Note: Both Oh Jung-se and Park Eun-Bin have won awards for prominent roles as autistics in a series.

Song Jong-hak played Go Kang-seon, an ownership executive.  He has 57 acting credits including "When the Camellia Blooms" (2019) and "Flower of Evil"(2020).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/flower-of-evil.html 

Ha Do-Kwon played Kang Do-gi, one of the traded baseball players.  He has 31 acting credits including "My Mister" (2018) and "Doctor John" (2019).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/02/doctor-john-highlights-pain.html

Kim Soo-jin  played Lim Mi-jin, the marketing manager.  She has 37 acting credits including "Navillera" (2021).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/11/navillera.html

Jeon Gook Hwan played Kwan Il-do, the chairman of the ownership group.  He has 62 acting credits including "Glove" (2011), "Silenced" (2011), "My Mister" (2018) and "Crash Landing on You" (2019).  Note:  "Glove" is another Korean baseball film based on a true story about a suspended pro baseball player required to coach a team of deaf students.  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-very-addicting.html

Most sports movies are all about a team overcoming odds to be a winner.  "Hot Stove Lounge" is more about maintaining a sports organization under very trying circumstances.  It can be viewed on Netflix subtitled.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favourite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.