This review may contain spoilers
Worth watching and rewatching.
It was nice to see a wholesome drama with a great cast.My problem with it is how country people are portrayed as somewhat stupid, and then again, not. It was not something that made me dislike it but just something I thought a few times during the drama.
It is fun and not too much sweetness. It is a "Back to basic" drama with a lot of life choices. I would watch it again because I love the scenery and cast. The story is nice too. The cast is good.
In the end, it all makes sense, and when you follow your soul, all good things come to you.
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Refreshing dynamics is exactly what we all need from time to time.
Love Tractor just does not follow any of the cliché character portrayal and I love it.Is the story complex? No. Do any of the side characters have any depth? No. Is there any solid conflict? No. And that’s why it’s so good and serves as a perfect fun and relaxing watch. Each episode makes you fall in love with a new aspect of the drama. At first I just adored Yechan, then I started to appreciate the aesthetically pleasing shots of the rural area. Without me even noticing I started to like Yul more and more and by the end I was completely smitten by his dynamic with baby Yechan. It just gradually builds positive emotions and energy - I could not stop smiling as I was watching.
Some scenes and plotlines seemed a bit random, most were underdeveloped, but at the end of the day, the focus was on the growing relationship and trust between Yul and Yechan, and I’m fine with it.
The acting was great and I will even defend the village head chief (or however they called him). Was his presence extremely random? Yes. But somehow even that aspect was endearing and his friendship with Yechan was simply adorable. I loved how Yoon Do Jin was able to make extremely expressive Yechan feel natural and never over the top in an unrealistic manner. I appreciated how Do Won’s presentation of Yul showed you can have a more reserved character that does not come across as cold and distant.
Production value was great. The visuals were stunning - both in terms of cast and the scenery ;)
Overall, such a pleasant watch.
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well done countryside K-BL
Overall: although I wish it had more episodes to more fully flesh out the plot/characters, they did a good job in 8 episodes. Aired 2 episodes per week about 20 minutes each on iQIYI.Content Warnings: colorism, blood, vomiting, manipulation
What I Liked
- intro/OST
- bubbly guy Ye Chan and more serious guy Yul weren't unrealistic caricatures (though Ye Chan was maybe a bit too dense for my taste as a 20 year old)
- cute & funny moments
- the writers efficiently gave us important information about Sun Yeol without using a voice over or an exposition dump
- horror music/tone at the beginning was funny
- supporting characters (including the ex who wasn't a 1 dimensional villain)
- how Yul sought out communication in episode 6 and also they avoided something cliche towards the end
- decent kiss
- sound effects/music
Room For Improvement
- needed more screentime to fully develop the plot and the characters, could have made it more clear about what happened in high school with his dad and music
- the colorism remarks, I know this happens a lot in real life but that doesn't mean I want to see it in my fiction, both guys are gorgeous
- why did he throw the water? seemed to be a 'because the writer said so', they could have explained this a bit (there is more information in a comment so this could happen in real life)
- unrealistic, Yul didn't notice that harmonium on the ground immediately and comment on it???
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This review may contain spoilers
BL Hometown Cha Cha Cha
It is one of the two things: either the recent months' BLs are average at the best or I have reached my point of BL saturation because I found this one, again, cute and excessively boring!The story is chock full of clichés and I finished it only because it was short and pretty otherwise it would have quickly landed onto the ever growing not interested pile. It reminded me very much of Hometown Cha Cha Cha! A world weary big city man comes to a cute village filled with quirky but nice and of course naive characters! Opposites attract and the ending is very much predictable. There is of course an ex who comes to stir the trouble, the wise town head offering sage advice (on the form of westerner: I could not find the name of the actor!). And last but not least, there is a usual bunch of rude and spoilt kids creating problems(running away!) with adults apologizing for being a bit strict and demanding that the kids have at least the basic manners. By the way, this is my latest pet peeve: kids in K-dramas: awful rude little monsters considered by everyone as cute! Not where I come from (Europe!).
But, let me get back to this Love Tractor drama everyone considers wholesome and cute! Well it probably is and that is probably why I found it so very boring. I really do not like this particular trope of country folk who heal the depressed city dweller by being naive and pushy and without respect for personal boundaries.
While Yechan is a 10yr old in a body of a 20yr old, Yul is a normal 27yr old adult. Why was he attracted to Yechan? Mystery!
They had zero chemistry and that childish behaviour together with that grating accent and loud voice made him very annoying by the end of the drama. As someone in comments pointed out: love works in mysterious ways, we do not choose who we fall in love with. I guess this can serve as an explanation as well as any other!
Fortunately, it was short! It was watchable, not memorable in any way and form. I would not recommend it or rewatch it!
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Love Bulldozer meets Icicle
This is a sweet, short easy binge as we meet mr. cold but sweet smiles as he ventures out in to the country side to escape his fathers pressure (and some other stuff), where he meets mr. tractor (also cutie smiles).Mr cold but sweet smiles is a walking talking lip gloss commercial. He is very a bit distant, angry, puts up walls but is shown to be sweet deep down inside. I guess we could say he is a popsicle melting in a water fight (the writers seem to have a thing for water-fights in this).
Mr tractor is probably more of a bulldozer portrayed a little bit to stereotypical, stupid country bumpkin for my taste, and I would be lying if I said it did not bother me. However he is really sweet and extremely lovable, the type who can tear down the wall of china with his smile.
The characters around them have limited screen time, most of them use that (limited) time extremely well and dare I say almost steal the show... other add on with a pretty face but an unnecessary twist. There is also an old dog, adorable farm animals and a whole lot of pretty scenery and splashes of water.
Definitely a drama I recommend, just be-were of the stereotype.
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perfect for when you need something light and refreshing
The biggest strengths of Love Tractor are its comforting country setting and lack of plot. It's a short, easily digestable drama filled with simple fluff and cute character dynamics. I didn't think I would like this drama at first, but the simplicity was much needed and the lovable characters really carried. However, the romance, despite being the major genre, was actually one of the main things I wasn't completely sold on in this drama.The main reason I got through this drama was probably thanks to the characterization. Seon Yul, Suh Yechan, and even Village Head Ma and Yechan's mother, really defined the experience of this drama. Each character was distinct and unique, and the actors really brought out the charm in each of their characters. Like many other watchers, I absolutely fell in love with Seon Yul despite not thinking too highly of him in the first few episodes and am now prepared to sacrifice anything for him. The actor who portrays him, Do Won, managed to extract so much charm and naturalness out of Seon Yul's small reactions. His cold exterior but soft heart has been done so many times, and I rarely like these kinds of characters, but Seon Yul just works. Yechan has his own charm as the young, adorable, golden-retriever-like countryside local. His energy, dedication, and lovesickness were both very funny and heartwarming to watch–although at times, I do think he was just a bit too over-the-top.
(Extra shout out to Village Head Ma for somehow being so random and yet so perfectly in place)
Unfortunately, I was not really feeling the romance for one reason or another. I got very strong siblings energy from them, which may be in part because of how young Yechan was/acted, and also because while I could see that Yechan liked Yul, I didn't think the drama portrayed Yul's attraction to Yechan very clearly. It felt like Yul viewed Yechan very affectionately as a little brother for majority of the drama, and I definitely think the transition to romance could have been done more naturally and clearly.
I also felt that the actors' energies were a bit mismatched, since Yul seemed under-emoted (showed muted emotion most of the time) while Yechan seemed over-emoted (showed exaggerated emotion), so at times, it felt as though they didn't complement each other's styles well. Still a very cute calm/hyper dynamic, though!
It's no masterpiece by any means, but it's a fun, low effort watch. Would recommend to chill and unwind.
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This drama gave me a very calming, refreshing & healing yet unique vibe and great atmosphere.
Highly recommended especially for beginners. Refreshing. Calming. Healing. Amazing casts. Great OST. Cinematography is outstanding too. Lots of good great laughters. Simple story yet the vibe and approach for me is unique.I'm just smiling nonstop from first episode to last. I just hope there are more of them but it's also understandable that this is how KBL works. I just hope episodes will increase and be longer in the near future. This is top tier for me, yes, there are lots of better BL's in terms of storyline and such but to me Love Tractor hits different. No cringey moments. I especially commend the actor who plays Yechan (Yoon Do Jin), since after rewatching the drama, I appreciate more the way he projects his facial expressions. He and Yul also gave justice to their characters really well based in the manhwa version.
This made me realize that you don't need a drama where there are lots of daring and intimate scenes to keep yourself smiling all over.
I'm hoping there will be a season 2 though, since there are lots of possibilities too and other details in the manhwa version.
Definitely worth it! ~
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This review may contain spoilers
Hyung romance, puppy/cat pairing
Most of this country-set BL had me feral for the beautiful broken city boy and his hot young farmer. Hyung romance, puppy/cat pairing, open frankness meets jaded reserve, language play, water hose frolicking, only one bed, just all my favorite tropes. This show was basically a light-weight Restart After Come Back Home and I’m not even slightly mad about that.But (and you knew there was a “but” coming) something about the cringe of the final 2 eps and the impermanence of the ending (both of which highlight the fact that ultimately these 2 are I’ll-suited: too different and too far apart) left me with the feeling that they probably won’t last as a couple. However, in this case, rare for me, I forgive it this finale for my love of the rest.
I did dither a lot though, it’s not an 8 but not a 9 either. Better than Love Mate (8/10) not as good as The New Employee (9/10) but in the end I’m value adding up for the premise and the cast, which earned it a 9/10.
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Adorable and calming
It was adorable! I really enjoyed the simplicity of the plot and of the farm life we got to see. It felt calming and refreshing, different from what I usually watch. I really liked the cinematography and how they used it to portray some of the differences between the main characters, especially in the ending scenes.Yul & Ye Chan: Ye Chan is an absolute sweetheart! He was cute from the start to finish. Him realizing his feelings and trying to deal with them had me smiling. And his whinny voice when Yul did something that got him mad? Adorable! Yul came to the countryside to escape both his life and father. He might not fit in right away, but he does start to adjust and relax quite quickly. He is older than Ye Chan and also more mature, but their dynamics still worked. Ye Chan is the golden retriever boyfriend, while Yul is similar to a black cat boyfriend.
My pet peeve with the drama is their portrayal of the country folk. It often portrayed them as dumb. They might lead a simple life in the eyes of many, but just because they spend most of their time working outside does not mean they are stupid. That is something that has been implied a few times and it didn’t really sit well with me.
Let’s talk Mark for a second. He stole the show whenever he appeared. He is a foreigner who settle down in the same village as Ye Chan and became friends with him. He’s advice is always very solid and realistic, but he also makes sure to remind Ye Chan that there are certain boundaries he should not cross. I liked that. But it also annoyed me how this whole foreigner thing played into the idea that the rest of the villagers are not very bright.
I still have some questions about the ending, but all in all, I am happy with the way it ended.
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I loved this, and I hate everything.
I don't know where they found the actor playing Ye Chan, but he was amazing. It can be hard to play a reserved character, but it's also hard to play one who hides nothing. He could slide so effortlessly between happieness, outrage, worry, shyness, and smoking hot sexy all within a few seconds - what a vesitile man.The plot is sweet without being saccharine, and alhough it uses some BL tropes, it uses them logically, consistent with the characters, and seem like a natual extension of what was already going on.
There is no external drama thrown at the couple to keep them apart - everything doing that is organic to the characters, and not artificially inserted in the usual lazy writing that plagues BL.
The do start out with a mild enemies-to-lovers trope, but because they're realistic people, they quickly realize there was a misunderstanding and acknowlege their role in it.
I would do anything to have my own Ye Chan - how could anyone ask for a better boyfriend? 100% honest, 100% supportive in a selfless way, muscles all over the place, uncynical, and able to find happiness in simple things. And simultaneously cute and handsome, which is a brutal combination.
This is a story that could easily segue into a season 2, so here's hoping for that.
If I were to list negatives, it would be that Yul is not a very appealing character. He's a bit bland and often unpleasant, although that improved in the later episodes. Still, the actor was badly overshadowed by Ye Chan. It could have been longer, as the music issue was squeezed entirely into the last episode, and although it was set up earlier, maybe not enough.
Still, this was easily the most enjoyment I've gotten out of a BL in months, and you absolutely can't go wrong watching it
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