How to Buy a Friend

User Rating

Current user rating: 80/100 (518 votes)

You need to enable JavaScript to vote

Profile

Drama: How to Buy a Friend (English title) / Friend Contract (literal title)
Revised romanization: Gyeyakwoojung
Hangul: 계약우정
Director: Yoo Young-Eun
Writer: Kwon Laad (webcomic), Kim Joo-Man
Network: KBS2
Episodes: 8
Release Date: April 6 - 14, 2020
Runtime: Mon & Tue 22:00
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Park Chan-Hong (Lee Sin-Young) is an ordinary high school student. He has talent for writing and he gets pressured by his parents about his studies. Park Chan-Hong doesn't have any specific dreams. He is friends with Eom Se-Yoon (Kim So-Hye), who attends the same high school. She is popular at school. Meanwhile, Heo Don-Hyeok (Shin Seung-Ho) is classmates with Park Chan-Hong. Heo Don-Hyeok is not interested in studying and he works to pay for his living expenses. One day, Heo Don-Hyeok saves Park Chan-Hong from a school bully. To pay for his rent, Heo Don-Hyeok asks to borrow 300,000 won ($270 USD) from Park Chan-Hong. Park Chan-Hong lends him the money, but that money was supposed to pay for his private institute tuition fee. After school, Park Chan-Hong now doesn't have a place to go. He begins to spend time with Heo Don-Hyeok.

Notes

Takes over KBS2's Monday & Tuesday 22:00 time slot previously occupied by "The Tale of Nokdu" and will be followed by "Born Again" on April 20, 2020.
Based on webcomic "Gyeyakwoojung” by Kwon Laad (first published April 17, 2018 via Daum Webtoon Company).
First script reading took place January, 2020 at KBS Annex Broadcasting Station in Yeouido, South Korea.

Cast



Lee Sin-Young	Shin Seung-Ho	Kim So-Hye
Park Chan-Hong	Heo Don-Hyeok	Eom Se-Yoon



Oh Hee-Joon	Min Do-Hee	Cho Yi-Hyun
Oh Kyung-Pyo	Choi Mi-Ra	Shin Seo-Jung

Park Chan-Hong's family



Kim Won-Hae	Baek Ji-Won
Park Choong-Jae	Oh Jung-Hee

Jo Pyeong-Sub & her subordinate



Jang Hye-Jin	Kim Do-Wan
Jo Pyeong-Sub	Kwak Sang-Pil

Jeil High School



Kim In-Kwon	Kim So-Ra	Lee Jung-Hyun	Yoo Yeo-Woon
Woo Tae-Jung	Choi Jung-Won	Kim Dae-Yong	An Sung-Do

Additional Cast Members:

An Seok-Hyun - Oh Kyung-Pyo (young)
No Seong-Eun
Kim Seok-Jin

Trailers

Episode Ratings

Date	Episode	AGB
Date	Episode	Nationwide	Seoul
2020-04-06	1	2.3%	NR
2020-04-06	2	2.7%	NR
2020-04-07	3	1.4%	NR
2020-04-07	4	1.6%	NR
2020-04-13	5	2.6%	NR
2020-04-13	6	2.4%	NR
2020-04-14	7	1.4%	NR
2020-04-14	8	1.8%	NR

Source: AGB Nielson

NR denotes not ranked within the Top 20 TV programs (including news, sports, variety, etc.) for that day according to AGB Nielson.

Awards

2020 KBS Drama Awards - December 31, 2020
- Special Short Drama Actor (Lee Sin-Young)

Comments

Dal Jun 06 2021 4:31 am What is the song where they meet each other at the store for ep 3?

banananana Feb 22 2021 11:26 pm Was hesitant to watch it at first and put it on hold on my watchlist for so long. Decided to watch this after I had my semester break and I swear IT WAS SUCH A GOOD DRAMA and you won't regret binge on it!! I got hook even on the first episode and one thing I loved watching a short drama is the storylines aren't dragged. I even fell in love with the lead characters, Chanhong. Although he seems naive sometimes, but his words and advices are totally remarkable. It is such a warm drama about family and friends. On a side note, the poems things and the 90s vibe in it make this drama very special to me!! <3

I'm bad at English:( Jan 21 2021 2:52 pm I watch this after watched awaken~ and get suprised knowing that some of awaken actors in here ?

Tish Jul 29 2020 10:48 am The parents of Chang-Hong were great especially the mother I loved her. All the characters were good and did a great job. I love Min Do-Hee I wish they would give her some roles with more meat in them, She is too talented for 10 minutes of screen time.

JJ Jun 25 2020 3:39 am I just finished this drama and thought it was first rate. For a short drama I thought the writers did a good job developing the characters. I also think the young actors all did a good job and that Kim So-Hye has star potential. I recommend this drama for anyone that is on the fence about watching it.

NM Jun 04 2020 2:47 am I never gave any comment before but this drama is the best I must admit. I love how short it is nd the story flow ?

ell May 17 2020 7:24 am This is really good~!

nae May 10 2020 11:36 am It's like a teen movie, since it's very short. interesting poem.

Jason Apr 29 2020 8:42 am Sooooo great kdrama ever!!! Music, cinematography, casting were perfect. Loved this drama’s staffs especially directors!!! Hope to see you guys on Netflix.

cld Apr 25 2020 5:15 am Can't wait to see our penguin again ?

Howtobuykimchi Apr 22 2020 4:08 am I love how short this drama is but if you look for a 16 eps... I recommend watching "class of lies" its a drama that also has the same plot wherein the girl dies and they want to find out the truth

Fanny Apr 17 2020 3:43 pm Why does this good drama only have 8 episodes? (literally 4 episodes!!!) I swearrrrrr! this is one of the best dramas this year! Character development is great! Each character has a story that makes them united. And what I like the most is the ending part of the story. This might sound like a spoiler, in my opinion the ending in this drama is so realistic (for a school-themed drama). Then I also like the chemistry of Sohye and Shinyoung! I hope they will be reunited in other dramas as couple again (but I beg the story not to be tense like this anymore lol).

debee Apr 13 2020 5:28 pm best drama of 2020 for me personally , love the cast , storyline, character and everything! im sad that it's so short but also glad that they decided to make it short and neat ( some dramas are way too long for no reason at all ) and personally i think making it short is a great move as most of the viewers are used to watching dramas that are longer ( eg . 16eps 20eps ) hence we have a zest of the general timeline of the story but not with this one , im very excited to watch ep 7 and 8 !

Dalbang Apr 13 2020 2:52 pm This drama is so fresh... The cinematography is so good!

MissMakjang Apr 11 2020 8:42 am Class of lie vibes... I'm just happy it's short. No need to stress my heart from all the intensity.

DDD Apr 10 2020 1:41 am wait is it a short drama? only 4 eps? 2 first eps it's very good. i thought it will be 16 eps. too bad because this drama has potential story

Ashton Apr 07 2020 10:09 pm Whats that song in episode 2 where shes looking at her dead friend on the phone getting molested and it goes "help me me if you hear this so sou sound and keep your eyes wide open and look ar aro around"

Icarusfalls Apr 04 2020 8:59 am wait why is it 4 eps only?????

Moonstar Apr 02 2020 10:02 am Yessss finally seeing kim so hye acting again I'm so happy ❤

Offsea Mar 23 2020 8:14 am Please replace for following schedule after this drama. It is not Once Again, but Born Again. Thanks.

Maja Salvador Mar 20 2020 11:55 pm Waiting for something new from Lee Shin Young's Character in "How to Buy a Friend".

LKB Mar 10 2020 8:39 pm So Crash Landing on You's "model handsome" NK youngster, Moment of 18's stress bomb with a crush and entitled behaviors, and spa building owner's grandkid shut-in plagiarized cartoonist turned chicken server turned actual cartoonist meet together... what a peculiar mix.

Nevertheless, I'm very happy to have this time slot FINALLY freaking active again after however many months of sitting dormant (I get it; I couldn't move on from Tale of Nokdu, either, but... the way to move on is to find a new love, or so kdramas always preach at us)!

btam25h Feb 25 2020 9:44 am hopefully Sinyoung'll success in this project^^

KTTS Feb 03 2020 6:18 am Yesssss ! Lee Sin-Young is the Lee Min Ho of this decade and I’m so excited to witness his career flourish ? lasskiaauuuu !!!

Nadia Jan 30 2020 8:33 am Both leads are so cuteeee definetly I will watch

Widi Jan 30 2020 7:23 am New actor from crash landing on you... finally. I wonder for him when will gonna be the main lead. Fighting! Can't wait..

79.32 FM Jan 29 2020 9:52 pm 98liners new actor syndrome again after Jae wook!! >.< fightiing!!

79.32 FM Jan 29 2020 9:48 pm Ughhh.... 98liners new actor syndrome again after Jae Wook :'D Can't wait for this drama^^

External Links

Official Website

How to Buy a Friend

Contents

User Rating

Profile

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Notes

Cast

Park Chan-Hong's family

Jo Pyeong-Sub & her subordinate

Jeil High School

Trailers

Episode Ratings

Awards

Comments

Leave a Comment

Comments

External Links