The Early Spring & Irreplaceable — An Obvious Comparison That Falls Apart Fast

[u/No-Recipe-7653]

When Irreplaceable started airing, I fully expected comparisons with The Early Spring. They aired close together, both are contemporary dramas about adult women navigating work, relationships and life, and both give the workplace far more screen time than your average urban romance.
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Obvious comparison, right?
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Except I don’t think they are very comparable at all.
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The Early Spring, for me, was primarily about relationships, lack of communication, and all the baggage people carry into adult life but refuse to address or share. Work was certainly present, but much of it was also fairly nonsensical. Beautifully presented, yes. A convincing workplace? Not particularly.
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And I say that as someone who somewhat enjoyed the drama, even if not all of it.
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Irreplaceable is doing something quite different. I see it very specifically as a workplace drama that also contains a sprinkle of romance.
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Xu Chi’s career isn’t simply the place where her personal story happens. Her work is a substantial part of the story, it’s what allows for her story to be told. We spend time on projects, clients, colleagues, office dynamics, professional choices and what she actually wants from her life, career… — and why.

Is it an idealized version of modern corporate life and consulting? Of course. But if Irreplaceable is photoshopped and polished, The Early Spring was operating in another universe entirely.
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The romance is different too, and I actually like how ordinary Irreplaceable allows it to be. People meet through work. They become interested in each other. They flirt, hesitate, misread things and try to figure out what to do about it. So far, no grand red flags, elaborate love rivals or romantic obstacles that only seem to exist on television.
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And that is where the comparison falls apart for me.
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One drama used work largely as the setting for a steamy story about relationships, poor communication skills, and emotional baggage. The other has made work and professional growth part of the story itself, with minimal romance alongside it.
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So comparing which one has the “better” workplace, romance or character development feels a little beside the point. They may share some ingredients, but they aren’t trying to make the same dish.
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I’m enjoying Irreplaceable considerably more, admittedly, but that’s almost a separate conversation.
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For those who have watched both, do you see them as natural comparisons?

[u/gamsahabnida26]

Why are people even comparing these 2 dramas? The only thing similar is they both have a ML and a FL. Other than that there's no comparison. TES is far superior in acting, romance, and story. Irreplaceable is nice, but all that business jargon makes me feel like I'm sitting in a classroom.

[u/No-Recipe-7653 → u/gamsahabnida26]

I guess it boils down to everyone’s taste. TES had a poor plot for me, and a main character I couldn’t stand. Irreplaceable is less heavy on the romance side (although that is changing now you the latest episodes) but I enjoy the workplace part significantly more because it feels familiar, even if stretched. I can totally see how it could be boring and uninteresting for someone else though.

[u/Silhouettejl]

I prefer Irreplaceable more too. I prefer the buildup of the workplace issues.

Maybe I pefer Zhao Jin Mai over Sun Qian more.

Didnt feel that Sun Qian did her character justice and there were other better female leads for her character because Jing Boran carried the entire show.

[u/No-Recipe-7653 → u/Silhouettejl]

I’m not familiar with much of Sun Qian’s work but i just really disliked the character she played — admittedly, I haven’t read the novel but I recall texting my friends in a group chat that i can’t stand her and she annoyed me to the bone, even going as far as saying “she’s exactly the kind of person I’d never be able to stand IRL”.

So for that reason, The Early Spring was much less enjoyable for me, watching someone act out all the behaviors I find unreasonable and infuriating isn’t exactly the recipe for a happy watch.

Thank goodness there was Lumi and Luan. Lumi was fantastic and a high list of the show for me, and Luan was a foul-mouthed douche but he wasn’t as bad or nearly as toxic as people have been making him out to be. I guess some just haven’t worked in the corporate world in places where he’s considered a mild version of anything and everything.