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Sex First Love Second
Movie

Sex First Love Second

2017Comedy, Romance

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

N/A

Overall Series Review

Sex First Love Second is a South Korean romantic comedy centered on a workplace love triangle in an underwear company. The main conflict involves the protagonist, Gong-soo, who is crushing on new designer Soo-yeon, and his rivalry with a handsome and talented competitor, Chief Lee. The film’s themes revolve around modern relationships, seduction, and the tension between sexual attraction and developing genuine affection. As a contemporary film produced in a non-Western cultural context, the narrative focuses on universal personal and professional rivalries rather than Western-centric intersectional political issues or critiques of Western civilization. The core themes are highly secular, emphasizing personal romantic ambition and workplace dynamics.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The movie is a South Korean production with an ethnically homogeneous cast, making the categories of 'vilification of whiteness' and 'forced diversity' irrelevant. The character conflicts are driven by personal qualities such as talent, attractiveness, and romantic rivalry, maintaining a principle of universal meritocracy in the plot's engine.

Oikophobia1/10

The narrative is a modern, secular romantic comedy set in a contemporary office, focusing on a love triangle. It does not engage in a deconstruction of Korean cultural heritage, demonization of ancestors, or hostility toward its own civilization, keeping the focus entirely on personal, non-political romantic life.

Feminism3/10

The female lead is a designer in a modern, competitive office environment. While she is portrayed as independent and the object of male competition, the plot is a traditional love triangle and does not overtly preach an anti-natalist message or depict systemic male incompetence. The men are rivals based on talent and charm, not universal emasculation.

LGBTQ+1/10

The core plot is a traditional male-female love triangle involving a man, a woman, and a male romantic rival. The movie offers no evidence of centering alternative sexual identities, deconstructing the nuclear family as an oppressive structure, or promoting gender ideology. Sexuality in the plot is framed as a private matter related to seduction and romance.

Anti-Theism2/10

The movie is a secular romantic comedy and adult-themed drama. There is no presence of traditional religion, specifically Christianity, in the central plot, preventing the possibility of overt anti-theism or villainizing religious characters. The core theme of 'sex first, love second' suggests a moral relativism in the pursuit of romance, but not active spiritual hostility.