Written and directed by Lim Sung-yong, “Love My Scent” is a 2023 Korean romantic comedy movie. It follows a car salesman who is afraid to profess his love to the woman of his dreams. Eventually, he gets a strange perfume that turns his life upside down. In this comedic film, Yoon Shi Yoon stars as the hopeless romantic Kim Chang Soo, whereas Seol In Ah stars as Choo Ah Ra, the woman he loves. Besides them, the film stars Steve Noh, Moon Ji In, Lee Gyu Bok, Kim Young Woong, Heo Eun Jung, Im Do Hwa, and Ban Hye Young,
Spoilers Ahead
Love My Scent (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“Love My Scent” is a Korean rom-com that follows a young car salesman who tries to woo a woman he has a crush on. After a while, he musters the courage with the help of a mysterious perfume.
What is ‘Love My Scent’ about?
Lim Sung-yong’s “Love My Scent” begins with its male lead, Kim Chang-Soo (Yoon Shi Yoon), running to catch a bus. He is clearly late for his office. But he wants to take the bus at the exact time just so he can see Cho Ah Ra (Seol In Ah), whom he loves, from a distance. Despite his passionate feelings, he never dared to speak with her. He leads a miserable life as a punching bag for his boss, Mr. Na (Kim Young Woong), and his senior, Gye Jun Il (Lee Gyu Bok), who keep humiliating him.
Mr. Na expects Chang Soo to be presentable on the job to preserve the reputation of the brand. Subsequently, he sends Chang Soo to buy a new suit. At the mall, Chang Soo enters a shop with pricey suits. So, the saleswoman tells him to check another shop with clothes in his budget. While walking out, Chang Soo accidentally tears an expensive jacket. So he needs to pay for it. While he keeps worrying about its cost, Ah Ra’s friend, Moon Ji In (Geum Eun Hee), tells her that she should look for love.
The Strange Perfume
After getting an expensive jacket, Chang Soo remains miserable. His co-workers force him to deal with a client who always walks into the showroom for a test drive. Later, he joins a father and his daughter for dinner. The father keeps crying over his wife leaving him. Chang Soo fears he will be the same as this man. While walking back home, Chang Soo bumps into a stranger in the middle of a sudden fog. The stranger hands him a bottle of perfume.
The next day, Chang Soo puts on this perfume on his way to work. Along the way, everyone who smells it gets attracted to him. So, a flock of women starts following him. On the bus, Ah Ra suddenly develops feelings for him. At the showroom, Mr. Na & Jun Il develop feelings for him. Later, he returns to the mall to speak with the saleswoman. Once he puts on his perfume, she also gets attracted to him, followed by other women. While running away, he bumps into Ah Ra, who kisses him.
Chang Soo & Ah Ra’s Love
Mr. Na & Jun Il take Chang Soo out for dinner. Ah-Ra comes to the same restaurant with Eun Hee to have a meal and gets drunk. There, they notice each other but don’t talk. Outside, at the bus stop, she suddenly tells him that they should sleep together. The next morning, he wakes up to find himself in bed with her. He worries whether they had protected or unprotected sex. After this awkward incident, they try to avoid each other. But they get on the same bus. He leaves her with a note.
At the office, Ah Ra remains restless, thinking about Chang Soo. So, she goes to a fortune teller, who makes her hopeful about the prospects of her relationship with Chang Soo. Because of this, she decides to go on a date with him. After their date in an aquarium, she starts feeling strongly for him. Later, she & Eun Hee join him & Jun Il on a surprise double date. Jun Il flirts with Eun Hee, who doesn’t respond to him until she smells the scent. It leads her to feel strongly for him.
Love My Scent (2023) Movie Ending Explained:
After their dinner date, Ah Ra & Chang Soo go out for a walk and kiss each other. During the time they’re together, Ah Ra’s ex-boyfriend, James (Steve Noh), keeps a watch on them because James still has feelings for Ah Ra even though she has moved on. Gradually, James starts getting jealous of Chang Soo. So, he meets Chang Soo to reveal his knowledge about the perfume. Later, he meets Ah Ra to tell her that she fell in love with Chang Soo because of a limited edition perfume his company designed. Now, Ah Ra starts questioning herself about her feelings for Chang Soo.
Do Ah Ra & Chang Soo end up together?
After James’ shocking revelation about the perfume, Ah Ra starts worrying about her feelings for Chang Soo. Eventually, she questions him about the perfume. He tries to prove that his feelings for her are true. But she wonders whether she ever felt anything for him. Later, they both meet James, who reveals that the perfume was supposed to make her fall in love with him. So, it was just an experiment he worked on to get back with Ah Ra. Hearing that, Chang Soo gets emotional. But despite this plan to woo her, James cannot win her back.
After this incident, Chang Soo & Ah Ra go their separate ways and grow apart. Chang Soo gets promoted to a senior position, whereas Ah Ra leads a happy life with her mother & her sister. Suddenly, Chang Soo decides to take the bus he used to take. Inside, he meets Ah Ra after what seems like ages. Although the ending doesn’t reveal any exact future for their relationship, it hints at the possibility that Ah Ra & Chang Soo will reunite and will end up together.
Love My Scent (2023) Movie Review:
“Love My Scent” is a light-hearted romantic comedy that follows a miserable male car salesman falling for a female corporate employee. He is afraid to express his feelings, and she is unaware of his existence. Eventually, perfume helps him break the ice with her. This perfume acts as a catalyst for their relationship and makes them fall deeply in love. With this premise, “Love My Scent” becomes just another cookie-cutter romance that follows a predictable route we have seen numerous times before.
A guy falls for a girl but is afraid to tell her. The only way he can woo her is through deception. After using that lie, he worries whether their love is all based on just a lie. Thus, the journey of self-inquiry begins. In a way, it is also about people who lack the courage to fulfill their hopes and dreams. However, the script doesn’t seem interested in developing these themes. Regardless, there is enough audience available for these repetitive films that they provide a predictable & fantastical escape with low-stake conflicts.
The humor in “Love My Scent” uses conventional tricks to make us chuckle. So, it is tailor-made for those who just want to see a cute love story where two people fall for each other and experience this magical feeling.
