It seems all the OTT platforms are now building up their Asian content, with something new popping up on a daily basis. While Netflix gives us quality content via shows that come once a week, Prime has been lucky to sport all the big films of the Korean industry, such as Parasite, The Wailing, and more. Their latest addition is not one that stands out. In fact, it’s rather unassuming for its subject matter. My Love Puppy stars Yoo Yeon-Seok and Cha Tae-Hyun, two mighty stars of the Korean industry, yet even with their magnificent star power, this film is as flat as the roads they travel within it. It seems it may not be as hard as we imagined to make a movie about dogs devoid of any real substance. At the end of the day, My Love Puppy ends up being less emotional and more PSA.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Does Min-Soo Have To Find A New Home For Roonie?
Min-Soo is finally in a position to propose to his long-term girlfriend, Seong-Gyeong. After setting things up and making sure everything is perfect, he manages to pop out the question, and Seong-Gyeong’s answer is yes. Min-Soo is overjoyed, but he’s been hiding one small detail about his life from her. He’s trying to sell the house his mother and he used to live in in order to purchase a new place for the family they’re about to start. Seong-Gyeong doesn’t know about this house, and while at first she gets upset that Min-Soo’s been keeping something from her, she realizes there’s something she hasn’t told him either. Seong-Gyeong’s family has a dog allergy, so she’s been taking medication every time they meet with his dog Roonie around. Of course, Seong-Gyeong can’t be taking medication all the time at home, so Min-Soo decides to send Roonie away to a relative whom he trusts.
Why Do The Men End Up Meeting Jin-Guk’s Acquaintances?
Min-Soo and his cousin Jin-Guk quickly realize that his extended family is actually not ready to look after Roonie, so they must find someone trustworthy, and fast. Jin-Guk offers to post on his Instagram because he has about 30,000 followers (our very own influencers) in exchange for Min-Soo fixing his broken phone screen. Yes, the man is extremely broke. As long as Min-Soo is able to find a decent human to take Roonie in, he’s willing to do anything. Jin-Guk is a trainer who also used to run a cafe that went out of business. They first meet an ex-trainee who has a baby now and believes the baby will grow up well in the company of a dog. She’s at a very early stage of parenting, though, and Min-Soo is skeptical about how they would manage to look after a newborn and a dog simultaneously.
Next, they meet a gangster-looking businessman who wants a dog as a showpiece rather than a companion. The only reason he wants a golden retriever is because it would make him appear impressive. Finally, they meet a client and his fourteen-year-old son, who used to visit Jin-Guk’s cafe. They’ve recently lost their dog, a golden retriever just like Roonie. Unfortunately, the young boy is so laser-focused on his old dog that he can’t see that Roonie is not his old dog. Min-Soo is certain that Roonie and he would not get along because he’d just want Roonie to be exactly like his old dog. Ultimately, they’re back to square one, and Jin-Guk’s last resort is to visit an uncle who has a dog of his own. It turns out Jin-Guk’s uncle wants him to look after his own dog because he has to go to the US for some time to look after his pregnant daughter. This leaves Jin-Guk and Min-Soo with two dogs in their care now and nowhere to put them.
Why Does Min-Soo Blame Himself?
Min-Soo and Roonie are especially close because the dog was there for Min-Soo when his mother passed away. Min-Soo believes that he caused so much stress to his mother that it all gathered up, growing into a cancer and killing her. Similarly, he thinks he’s a burden to Seong-Gyeong, who has been secretly taking medication just to see him.
Who Is A-Min, And Why Do Min-Soo And Jin-Guk Go To Jeju?
After some research, Jin-Guk finds an Instagram account of a person who lives on Jeju Island. This profile includes pictures of many happy dogs, and he has a hunch that the owner of this estate will probably be able to look after Roonie well. Because Roonie has trouble with flights, Min-Soo and Jin-Guk decide to take a road trip. At first, they start off with two dogs, Roonie and Rey (Jin-Guk’s uncle’s dog). On the way there, Jin-Guk ends up dropping Min-Soo’s phone on the road (ZNMD fans will see the resemblance), and when he runs off to find it, the dogs in the car notice a little box in the field by the road. It turns out someone’s abandoned four puppies, and now Min-Soo and Jin-Guk are responsible for them. They find a shelter nearby, but the shelter is already full, and the owner tells Min-Soo that mixed-breeds would end up being put down anyway because nobody wants them. Feeling absolutely devastated, Min-Soo thinks it’s better to take the dogs to Jeju than leave them here waiting to die.
In the meantime, Jin-Guk, who thinks it’s a terrible idea, tries to persuade the owner himself. Instead of succeeding, his emotional self manages to bring back another dog to join the family. There’s more, though: the owner of the Airbnb that they stay at has a dog that he plans on fattening up and selling to a restaurant (not for pet-keeping purposes). Min-Soo is terrified by the idea and buys the dog too.
In Jeju, Min-Soo and Jin-Guk find out that A-Min is a young girl who has Parkinson’s disease. A lot of abandoned dogs on the island are left in her care because she’s the daughter of a rich man and has many people to aid her. A-Min herself is like an abandoned puppy, though, and it seems like she’s already given up on life because she’s happy to keep all the dogs that Min-Soo and Jin-Guk have brought along, but she doesn’t care for their names since they’re all going to die someday. Her pessimistic nature frightens Min-Soo, and ultimately, they return home with more dogs and a lot less hope.
What Does Min-Soo End Up Doing?
Jin-Guk comes up with the idea that he will start a cafe again and keep the dogs there. He got this inspiration after seeing how the bakery on Jeju Island had cats for the customers’ benefit. He also promises to look after Roonie for the time being at his uncle’s house. It Seems Min-Soo was traumatized by his mother’s death in the old house, which is why he wanted to sell it off. He never spoke to Seong-Gyeong about his feelings, but after staying a night without Roonie in his care, he ends up returning to his old home and cleaning out all the excess growth in the garden. This is also him trying to get over his trauma and accept his new life. Finally, he invites Seong-Gyeong to the house, and she’s delighted to be there. Min-Soo tells Seong-Gyeong his plan to build a home for Roonie in the garden in front of the house so that Seong-Gyeong will be at a safe distance from him. Seong-Gyeong worries about Roonie’s well-being, but Min-Soo knows exactly what he needs to do to make sure he’s well taken care of. One doesn’t have to abandon their old family in order to start a new one. Seeing Min-Soo’s dedication to Roonie, Seong-Gyeong realizes that he will do anything in his power to look after their own little family too. She promises to be by his side in all his hardships, and ultimately, she takes him to the room where his mother died to take it all in. At the end of My Love Puppy, all the dogs are looked after, and Min-Soo doesn’t have to let go of his beloved Roonie.
