No Gain No Love Ep 9-10 Review: Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae’s warm romance cut short by tragedy

No Gain No Love episodes 9 and 10 brought us Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae’s cute dating era but it was soon cut short by tragedy. Read the full review here.

Updated on Sep 25, 2024  |  11:57 AM IST |  629.9K
Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae in No Gain No Love; Image: tvN
Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae in No Gain No Love; Image: tvN

Name: No Gain No Love

Premiere Date: August 26, 2024

Cast: Shin Min Ah, Kim Young Dae, Lee Sang Yi, Han Ji Hyun

Director: Kim Jeong Sik

Writer: Kim Hye Young

No. of episodes: 12

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Language: Korean

Where to watch: tvN, Prime Video 

Synopsis of No Gain No Love

No Gain No Love follows the story of Son Hae Young, a calculative woman who doesn’t like to suffer losses even in her relationships. To secure a big promotion at her company, she has to resort to a strange thing: fake marrying someone. Son Hae Young, to guarantee her promotion, marries Kim Ji Wook, a convenience store worker. 

Soon after, their fake marriage begins to turn into a real one as they begin to have feelings for each other. In the last few episodes, we saw Son Hae Young and Kim Ji Wook confessing they like each other; however, the truth about the charming male lead comes to light. It sends their blooming love story into a spiral. Can Son Hae Young and Kim Ji Wook find a way to stay together regardless of obstacles in their way? 

Watch the No Gain No Love trailer here:


No Gain No Love Episode 9 and 10 Review 

The new episodes of No Gain No Love were absolutely double the drama with the only consolation being the adorable chemistry brought to us by Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae. 

One of the best things about this week’s episodes was that the drama still managed to give us some of the best comedy scenes, not to mention how all the boys suffer from bathroom problems at Son Hae Young’s house. 

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Shin Min Ah’s Son Hae Young and Kim Young Dae’s Kim Ji Wook finally enter the highly waited dating era and go on an adorable date in Busan, the whole sequence made us swoon. 

The couple comes closer by understanding each other, the way Hae Young gets the pain Ji Wook would have felt as an abandoned child and he does the same for her by empathizing with her pain related to her father and mother. 


Son Hae Young and Kim Ji Wook’s love story makes us swoon with happiness, especially after their theatrical confession of love, which, kudos to the writer, was surprisingly realistic. However, the love story is set to go through hellfire because of Ji Wook being Hae Young’s mother’s missing foster child. 

How were the acting performances in No Gain No Love Ep 9 and 10?

Talking about the acting performances in the latest episodes, Shin Min Ah once again won hearts with her perfect portrayal of Son Hae Young. The way she channels the character is praiseworthy as a partner, sister, and daughter. 

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She is especially fun to watch when she is angered and in her element, while scaring Bok Gyu Hyun, rebuking her sister Nam Ja Yeon, or being an adorable lover to Kim Ji Wook. Her moving burst of emotions that only Kim Ji Wook manages to bring out, pulls the audience's heartstrings. 


On the other hand, Kim Young Dae’s depiction of Kim Ji Wook captivated us. He became the perfect partner by putting himself on line to protect Hae Young and a good sibling by still trying to understand his half brother.

He lives up to his character being selfless and kind. Kim Young Dae as a boyfriend further made us swoon and emotional when he found the courage to follow his heart. 

Kim Young Dae and Shin Min Ah truly brought the love equation to fruition through their heartwarming chemistry. 

Furthermore, Han Ji Hyun as Nam Ja Yeon was the one who took us by surprise by effortlessly conveying complex emotions of hurt and trauma. The looming danger of her murderous father coming back to haunt her has been portrayed flawlessly by the actress, as was the romance. 

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However, Lee Sang Yi as Bok Gyu Hyun is considerably better when he plays an adorable drunk, a good person who tries to do his best, as compared to when he has to threaten Kim Ji Wook. 

What can be expected in No Gain No Love’s next episodes?


With only two episodes left to go for No Gain No Love, they finally will bring a conclusion to all loose ends. But being the finale week, this ship can either sink or float. 

Son Hae Young and Kim Ji Wook’s love story will have to go through the shocking truth about his past, a murderer on the loose, an evil rich woman trying to ruin it all, and many more. We can expect a reconciliation between the estranged daughter and mother, bringing us a happy ending at last. 

On the other hand, Nam Ja Yeon might finally be truly free of her tormented past that haunts her to this day and accept that she deserves happiness much like anybody else. Bok Gyu Hyun would also find the courage to stand up to his overbearing parents and for his "Lucifer,” aka Kim Ji Wook. 

ALSO READ: No Gain No Love Ep 7-8 Review: Shin Min Ah and Kim Young Dae’s love story flawlessly conveys rush of dating in marital life

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About The Author

Tanya, on this side of the screen, probably with a Bangtan Bomb and my K-pop playlist on the play.

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Credits: tvN
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