Sing My Crush (2023)

the Best Song from my Crush

This will now rank in the top 3 of my most favorite KBL drama, ever.

First of all, id like to thank the heavens for gracing us with this drama in a Netflix-style one-time drop of 8 episodes. I think I would have felt a lot differently had I seen this one or 2 episode per week. The bitch watching, i mean the binge watching has helped me cope with my week.

Second, its rare to see a Korean BL series that is not long but doesnt feel rushed. This one has the perfect pacing and rightly focused on the main characters, without the unnecessary fillers. The creators have amply contained the storyline and used what little time they have in progressing the story.

Third, my goodness the soundtrack is amazing. Is that the real voice of Jang Do Yoon cause he sounds divine? The first main song "Letter of Apology" and the last song "Second Wind" are both emotional and perfectly sung!

Fourth, and I don't know if I still need to mention this, but the two main leads made me fall in love with their characters. They are both really pleasant to look at and believable - even when they were playing young students to the time that they were living together chasing their dreams, I cant even believe that both actors are already in their late 20s.

Understandably, the show isn't perfect.

I specially find it unbelievable that the guitar teacher became a newly-debuted idol at his age - he looks a bit old to be honest. However i did appreciate the series'way of tying his storyline without him being too evil.

I also noticed how super physically touchy the male characters around Han Ba Ram -sometimes to an uncofortable degree. It happened both with the teacher and then with Im Han Tae. 'One would feel and see they were clearly leading him on. I would have misinterpreted those moves myself if Im around these 2 guys. But when Ba Ram told them about his feelings both of them acted surprised - and I really found it perplexing in Han Tae's case since I thought he himself was inloved with Baram eversince episode 1.

However, despite its flaws, I still find myself pining for the leads and cheered for the triumph of their love story. For me, the strongest part of the whole series is when Ba Ram and Han Tae were just hanging out together. Great easy watch for a day (or two) and will relatively be easy to re-watch on a rainy day. Overall, I give it a 9 out of 10.

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Second Wind

A refreshingly cool wind that blew a young, heart-fluttering love my way.

This far exceeded my expectations. I expected mediocre and was greeted with the memorable innocence of a first love, sincerity in words, actions, and music, conflicts that hit and weren't dragged out, and a beautiful dream small enough to carry in your pocket yet expansive enough as to fly out into the world.

This felt like a secret so gorgeous I wanted to keep it to myself. But I believe it deserves to be seen by many.

Side Note: Don't worry, the chemistry is there and romantic moments aren't brushed aside. This couple shines wonderfully and makes you root for them all along the way.

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Beautiful

"Sing My Crush" is an absolute gem of a Korea drama that captures your heart from the very first episode. The engaging storyline, delightful characters, and stellar performances by the cast make it an unforgettable experience. The plot intertwines music, romance, and personal growth, leaving you eager for each new episode. The show's OST is a masterpiece in itself, perfectly complementing the emotions conveyed on screen. Whether you're a K-drama fan or not, "Sing My Crush" is a must-watch, as it beautifully showcases the magic of Korean storytelling and keeps you hooked until the very end. Don't miss out on this heartwarming and soulful journey!

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Sing it loud for another cute Korean BL

First of all I'd like to thank the team for dropping all 8 episodes of this on the same day instead of giving us the week to week angst we've had to suffer with Our Dating Sim and The Eighth Sense. Kamsahamnida!Second we continue with the school friends to now adults theme of 2023 and we are here for it all. Good to see grown up stories being done without the toxicity.

Yes this is a walking green flag BL. This is a light watch and an easy watch which is just what we need right now. It's got shades of Love Tractor and Im Hantae is adorable and silly. The female characters are also great which is always nice to see, especially the mum. There's some angst of course and some evil idol stuff that we have to navigate. They really did this well included OTT fans!

The Songs are good and the storyline with the idol / music industry backdrop work well

Will add more later but lots of you haven't seen it and I don't want to spoiler it but I defy you not to fall for Ba Ram and Han Tae

Enjoy!

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enjoyable KBL

Overall: this is a nice KBL, though I would have rated it significantly higher if they had done 1 plot tweak in episode 5. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI.

Content Warnings: manhandling, blackmail, harassment

What I Liked
- cute and sweet moments
- I enjoyed a rarely seen plot thread of dealing with/getting over a certain something
- ongoing physical affection
- production value

Room For Improvement
- how I wish in episode 5 Ba Ram had only talked about his feelings regarding the teacher, because the lack of a certain response (I'm keeping this spoiler free) made zero sense to me and created cliche drama for the next episode+
- related to the previous point, in episode 7 Han Tae is unrealistically dense, he doesn't know why Ba Ram took back something he said...it's extremely obvious
- dead fish lip press (the dream one was much better but it was a dream)
- cliche near kiss in episode 8 when he was sober enough to carry him mere seconds before
- lack of plot resolution, the anti fans went where??? is there going to be a season 2?

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Cute but not the best BL of the year!

While watching this, I realized I cannot stomach this kind of insipid fluff any more! I am not the target audience i.e. I am not a 16 year old girl to swoon over two slightly cute boys in a trope filled diabetes inducing romance.

BaRam meets HanTae on the day he thought was going to be the best but turned out to be the worst day of his life. Seeing BaRam crying in the park, HanTae cannot do anything else but offer a friendly hand. A couple of years later, we find them out of high school and sharing an apartment: HT manager to BR's promising singer/songwriter. When BR's former guitar teacher turns out to have stolen one of his songs, BR comes out to HT catching him by surprise.

The boys' relationship goes from friendship to love but I must say I do not like this "gay for you" trope they used here. When BaRam confesses to him, Han Tea recoils unpleasantly surprised. Their relationship was never more than friends and HanTea always treated more like a younger brother who needs to be taken care of then a friend, let alone more. Even though they are the same age, BaRam always looks much younger in the way he dresses, speaks and behaves. We have here a classic example of seme and uke characters from mangas. Yes, I know the drama is based on a manhwa but is there a law prohibiting mangakas from trying to be original in their storytelling and do things differently? At one moment uke even explains to seme how to do laundry properly. Really, guys?!? Give me a break! It is not domestic bliss but gendered roles (male/female partners in a relationship).
Anyway I was not really convinced by their romance. They lacked that romantic chemistry, they were good friends but nothing really showed they had any romantic inkling. Bo Ram knew that and never really considered HT's expressions of love for more than they were which is literally brotherly affection. I actually liked the character of BaRam very much because behind his apparently fragile exterior, he is really a strong and determined young man who knows who he is, where he's going, what he wants and how to get it. He never made a pass on HT since BR knew that he was just like a younger brother to him.
And while Han Tae showed a certain growth as a character (except for being in love!) by becoming an adult, BaRam seemed to get infantilized as time went on. They rode on a bike together often and in the very last scene of the series which is on a bike, they looked (clothes & styling) more like a father and a son then lovers!

We do not know very much about them: there are no parents or siblings. Yes HT's mother makes a fleeting appearance when he goes home and she insists on feeding him. She has no influence on the plot whatsoever.

Then there is the guitar teacher and a wannabe idol. We meet him in the first minutes of the drama and he is creepy,touching BaRam all the time, being unnecessarily very touchy feely with him. So much so that BR thought he was in love with him. What the teacher wanted was to steal BaRam's music which provided a minor drama somewhere midway this fluff. What is it about BaRam that makes men around him want to touch him all the time? Both the teacher and HanTae were very hands on BaRam: touching him, hugging him, caressing him as if he were a cute little pet. Well, to be honest sometimes he looked like a lazy cat unwilling to move or talk....

This is a Korean web drama and it has the feel of a Korean WEB drama as it looks a cold and distant. There were some nice shots of autumn trees. The costume designer made an effort to choose clothes that match the colours of the nature. I spotted a few continuity errors: unimportant but still...
Music was boring. What kind of singer/songwriter writes only one song in a couple of years.Apparently BaRam can compose only when he's in love! So he's been in love twice and wrote two boring songs. The rest was just the most forgettable lift music.
The actors were cute and obviously worked hard, so their acting skills were adequate.

Well, apparently I shall never learn or follow my own advice, for that matter. I was again swayed into watching a recently released and universally loved drama just to be disappointed. I wanted something light and fluffy to watch and I got it in a shape of an almost sugar overdose.

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Another good K-BL drama!!

Actually I didn't know about this drama and I accidentally saw it and decided to watch it on the spot...and I definitely didn't regret it!!
S Korra lately is giving us so many good BL's I'm grateful and excited for the upcoming ones.
This drama is so cute and fluffy, with healthy relationships between friends, family and couples!! There's only one toxic character and he got what he deserved. I really liked how much the main couple trusted each other,and especially how Hantae didn't doubt Baram even for a second!!
The acting is very good and the chemistry of the main couple is great!!
The music is also very nice and as a plus there are some moments with great cinematography!!
Overall I really enjoyed the drama !!
I binge-watched it and when it ended I wanted more, so I totally recomend it!!!I'm also glad that they released all the episodes at once!!

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SUPERB!! Recommend it 100%

This series it’s one of a kind. Really went to the spot. Did not disappoint. The atmosphere was right, the soundtracks were outstanding, the way the actors portrayed the scenes let as go deep into what the characters were feeling at the moment. The storyline was so well made that I had no doubts on keep watching the 8 episodes.
From the first scene, the drama got my attention.
Claps to the outstanding performance. In no time I could sympathize and got attached to every word. This drama served voice, views, great acting, perfect cast and several songs i will take to my heart and listen on repeat. 10/10

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Great one, really.

This show exceeding my expectation. After watching The 8th sense and blueming my standard on k-bl is totally high. I watch a lot k-bl just to wasting time but nothing really got me hooked after blueming and the 8th sense. i don't expect anything when i watch this bcs not many ppl talk about this drama on twitter.

Also knowing it's not an adaptation making me more skeptical about the storyline. But when i watched, it changed my mind. The characters are such a fresh air. Hantae reminds me of Yechan from Love Tractor! I really love that kind of golden retriever character! And Baram isn't the type who's afraid to facing the problem, he might choose to hide from it first but when it's time to face it, he face it.

And the trope??? I always think about how we don't really get any friends to lovers on k-bl, and then boom this drama appears.

I love how they started it from they being strangers, to friends then end up being lovers. The development and everything is perfectly pictured. The pace is perfect, it's not too fast and not too slow either. I, myself shocked how they got enough duration, like they showed us a full episode where they officially being boyfriends, not many k-bl did that, the others usually ends when they confessing/kiss.

Don't be afraid of the guitars!! They can sing?

And about the conflict, i thought it'll be about the stolen song only and the storyline will be about how they take the song back. But they also show us about hantae struggling dealing with his feeling. Even tho the stolen song conflict ended quite abruptly for me, we don't know what happen to the teacher after, it's just like everything suddenly stopped and none talks about it anymore (well i guess it's an accurate representation of society/people on the internet??)

OKAY TO THE MAIN HIGHLIGHT OF THIS SERIES : The Chemistry!!!

They're so so so so so so so comfortable with each other. Omg both actors did great really. They're not awkward with each other's touch likeeee it's so pleasing to watch?

And special shout out to the actor who plays Hantae, his acting is bomb, he's very natural. The way he jumps here and there, his sleeping pose, etcetc it's so natural, he's fun to watch!

I swear K-BL shouldn't be released at one go! 2 episodes/week is the best option for k-bl with only 8 episodes. It'll make a bigger sound. It's like blueming all over again. A good show but not many people knows/talks about it bcs of the lack of promotion.

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Low Beginning Expectations, But No Regrets.

(Spoiler free review)
I watched this after watching a clip on Youtube, but didn't expect to enjoy it. Was it the best Korean BL I have seen? No, but its definitely a must watch. 2023 has been a great year for Korean BL's, from acting to the amount of screentime, this is another addition to its improvement.

Here are my personal Pros and Cons:

Pros-
1. Acting. SMC had some of the best acting I've seen. It felt so natural and comfortable, making it feel like I was watching a reality show.
2. The couple. Goes along with the first one, but they did really well at showing the friendship and relationship aspects. Usually in drama's, its like they act normal with each other at first, but as soon as they start dating and it gets super cringe. But I didn't feel that at all!
3. The friends-to-lovers trope. About 95% of BL's seem to be enemies-to-lovers, so SMC was refreshing.
4. The music. They played one song multiple times, but I didn't get tired of it.

Cons-
1. It started to lose my attention at episode 7. I have a hard time concentrating on dramas, so its probably just me.
2. The lack of conflicts. Personal taste, but I like dark and heavy elements of shows, so chill ones aren't really chill for me. If you like that kind of stuff, definitely watch it.
3. The first real "kiss." What the hell was that? I swear Korean BL actors cannot kiss for the life of them. Like I get why, but at least try to put effort it it! Wasn't as bad as cough*Color Rush*cough though, which should be considered a flex.

Thanks for reading!

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Sweetly Sung

Sing My Crush is a sweet, breezy little drama that manages to keep a good balance of fluff with a little bit of angst and drama to keep it from being cloying. It's easily bingeable and can be completed in an afternoon and is a great de-stressor after a long day at work. I speak from experience. The characters are endearing, the plot simple, and the music divine.

The story is simple and it's simplicity is an asset considering the limited number of episodes. There are no deep dives into the characters' backgrounds, no real flashbacks, just a steady progression as the characters grow and it works. The story is overall cohesive, there are a few loose threads, the issue with Sangin doesn't feel fully resolved, for example, but nothing huge to complain about. The pacing is steady and overall well done despite a few laggy moments, but they're not enough to hold the story back too much.

The characters aren't overly complicated; on the surface, they're fairly transparent.
-Han Ba Ram is a sweetheart who, after being burned by love, is a bit hesitant to confess again. Being gay also complicates the matter and elevates his fear, so he keeps it a secret and continues living with the man he loves until his first love re-enters his life and complicates things. There's an element of frustration with him, the feeling that wouldn't it be better to just confess and get rid of the proverbial sword hanging over his head. But, having been in his shoes, I can also understand how incredibly difficult it is to confess, especially when you're afraid of ruining the friendship that you have. I was impressed with the character growth seen in such a short period of time. You can really see his confidence grow both in his music and as a person.
-Im Han Tae has to be one of the most dense characters I've seen. I truly thought he was already in love with Ba Ram up until Ba Ram confessed and he was totally clueless. His actions and behaviour afterward left me alternately laughing in exasperation and wanting to bash my head against the wall. It's a good thing he's cute. Nevertheless, I appreciated his loyalty and steadfastness when it came to Ba Ram and even when he wasn't 100% certain of his feelings, he still took care of and protected him.
-Sangin annoyed me from the get go and just got worse from there. He was far too handsy for any kind of reputable teacher and the way he baited Ba Ram into trying to kiss him to prove his love was disconcerting. Coming back after the fact and trying to steal Ba Ram's song was the cherry on top. I found it disappointing that he never once took responsibility for his actions, but continued to blame Ba Ram till the end. As a side note, he seemed too old be debuting, not that I'm any kind of expert on that and frankly I think expanding the age range would be great, but realistically, I didn't buy it.
-While they didn't play huge roles within the story, I liked Young Mi and Jeong Pal. They were cute as a couple, but I also liked their friendship and dynamic with Ba Ram and Han Tae.

The acting was good all around. Do Yoon and Hyun Woo had good chemistry. Even their first kiss, which I would normally consider a dead fish lip press, actually worked for them. It was hesitant and sweet and felt realistic for a first tentative kiss. They just seemed very comfortable around each other and I liked them together. I felt both actors did their character's justice.

I loved the music. Both "Letter of Apology" and "Second Wind" are beautiful songs. "Letter of Apology" was utilized throughout the run but it was done in such a way that I didn't get tired of it or feel that it was overplayed. The rest of the music was pretty generic but those two definitely stood out.

This is not a deep drama, it's too short to delve into any kind of real issues, and again they were smart to keep it simple. But simple doesn't mean without it's merits and it does touch on elements like having confidence in yourself, growing as a person, and pursuing what you love. I found it to be an enjoyable diversion for an afternoon and one that I would recommend and will likely come back to in the future.

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