When a remake does what the original couldn’t
The Korean remake was much better than the Thai original, at least in my opinion. While there are many differences between the plots, I found this one much more interesting and enjoyable to watch. The original dragged on forever, there were too many couples and no logical continuous story. Korean remake of the series had a much better structure and story development, it also only focused on the main two couples which gave the two relationships time to develop. I also found the two couples in this drama much more interesting.I think the visuals and the aesthetics are very nice. I really enjoyed the locations as well. I liked the change from engineering students to something a bit more artistic, I think it fit the whole overall vibe of the drama better. I do believe it has a lot to do with the cultural differences between the two countries, but I don’t know enough about that to actually say anything. I still think it was a smart move.
I think the pacing was not the best in certain parts, and scene cuts and changes were not the best at times. But I didn’t find that too bothersome.
Kim Ji Oh & Jung Lee Won: I absolutely loved them! I might be in the minority, but I actually really liked their bickering. I find it cute and funny, it’s not obnoxious or feeling awkward. Kim Ji Oh was obviously the first to realize he is enamored with the other boy. Jung Lee Won was just as in love but was living in denial. I mean, who would want to admit that their sibling was right about something? No one. Jung Lee Won’s reactions whenever something happened that was similar to what his sister wrote were everything! I think the two actors had great chemistry. I loved seeing the two on screen together, either being cute and adorable or bickering and annoying each other.
Ko Yoo Kyeom & Woo Sun Woo: I found the two cute. It was very obvious that Ko Yoo Kyeom was struggling with his feelings. He wasn’t sure how to act around Woo Sun Woo, but he knew he wanted him close. Ko Yoo Kyeom remembered a lot of little details about him. And don’t get me started on him wanting him for his project. Woo Sun Woo didn’t seem to struggle that much, but he still felt very guilty about possibly taking his friend’s boyfriend. I liked the slow progress between the two of them. The chemistry between the two actors was really good too. The longing glances and soft looks. How sweet!
I liked the side characters too. We didn’t really see that much of them, but what we did, fit well within the whole plot. Woo Sun Woo’s relationship with his sister was so adorable! I was really enjoying their interactions. Very typical siblings stuff, I assure you. The friend group was fun too, even the acting teacher!
Was this review helpful to you?
huge amounts of silly fun
genuinely didn't expect a lot because the views on this show seem to be so mixed but i went in blind and i have to say, as of ep 6, i am having a GREAT time watching it.the show doesn't take itself too seriously and neither should you. the acting is solid, the chemistry/ cast is great!!!! and the writing is funny as hell. the plot is secondary to the fun shenanigans but i like it that way sometimes - not everything has to be life-changing and philosophical. the dialogue does have its sincere and pondering moments (well done, too!) but the show really does to weigh more on the entertainment than the emotional scale.
definitely give it a shot if you've got the time!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Dont compare to Thai Original
Having seen both the Thai and this Version i love them both but for completely different reasons. The Thai Version was steamy and full of sexual Tension. I adoreeed Tutor and Fightor and they will forever be my faves. Thai Why R U? Was all about finding your sexualty, denying your feelings and still not being able to resist. Fighter was constantly teasing Tutor bcs there was no other was for him to show his feelings.The Korean Remake starts out similar but then goes a different route by making the main conflict not theyr sexuality but the fact that yoo Gyeom and Doo Yeon used to date. So Sun Woo feels like he is betraying his friend. That being said i enjoyed them both. They are both fluffy and sweet and just really feel good shows.
Also bonus point for the korean remake bcs i really enjoyed Lee won and Ji Oh‘s story line. They were adorable. Where in the thai version i just skipped over saifah and Zon‘s parts.
Also You cant compare the kiss scenes to the sizzling chemistry zee and Saint had in Thai Why R U? But thats also a ridiculous high bar The thai version set right there. Like Zee and Saint were ??????where Korean version is just cute. Not bad kisses but gentle and sweet.
All that being said if you dont compare it to the Thai Version and see it as a stand alone its a cute enjoyable drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Did not like it
The scenes seemed disjointed and lacked coherence, leaving me feeling confused and disconnected from the plot. However, I did appreciate the chemistry between the actors in certain scenes, which added a touch of authenticity to the overall production. While this particular show may not have been my cup of tea, I am grateful for the opportunity to witness the cultural exchange and artistic collaboration that took place.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A little slow in parts, but overall it is a good series and worth watching until the end.
I wasn't sure I was going to like this Korean version but I was pleasantly surprised. it is not perfect and is a little different than the Thai version, but is enjoyable and actually good. Unlike the Thai version it is not using any big name BL stars to play any of the characters and I think it works in their favor. For many of the lead characters this is their 1st series and I feel they have a lot of potential and hope to see them in future series. There is some chemistry between the lead characters. This series is about half the length of the Thai version and I like how the Korean BL series cut out a lot of the B.S. drama that you find in series from Thailand.Was this review helpful to you?
I Can't Kick the Puppy
Regarding my rating: Rating it any lower seriously feels like bullying and my conscience simply won't allow it! *groans* Honestly, if I didn't feel guilty doing so, I would be rating it a 6 at the highest."Why R U?" No, seriously, like, why are you? Hearing the original Thai drama was going to get a Korean remake made me feel skeptical as to the quality, to say the least. Seeing it come to fruition, I could not even muster disappointment, because, really, what did I expect anyway? To be pleasantly surprised? LMAO. The original drama already had its problems but at least it had some semblance of a story and plot and sizzling chemistry to distract the viewers.
When I tell you this made less than no sense! Just . . . Why? Trying to think of something nice to say feels like work. The kisses were better than some K-BLs? I don't know, that's all I can seem to come up with!
Save yourself the time and find something else to watch, or go binge the Fighter and Tutor cut on YouTube. We both know you watched it last week anyway. I see you.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Potential to be so much better
If you like few plot points, enemies to lovers trope and have time to waste, this is for you.*SPOILERS*
First of all: The story of sunwoo and yugyeom was very nonsensical and didnt make sense at all, especially the pretending to be the boyfriend part. Who in their right mind sees someone taking advantage of a drunk friend and doesn't do anything to save the friend but.... ask that "someone" to be a pretend boyfriend? How stupid is that?? Also sunwoo's actor didn't convey any feelings at all. Till 5 or 6th ep i was still debating whether he liked the girl or not and suddenly there's whiplash and he confesses to a guy. And btw the guy acts like this is a new development when he has already kissed sunwoo twice, both when sunwoo was drunk. That was veryyy icky.
The saving grace was definitely yiwon and ji oh. Not a complicated story, not very well developed either but it was fun to watch and their chemistry was great both as lovers and enemies. They were better than both the couples of the og thai version. If you want to watch , id recommend skipping all scenes on 2nd couple and just watching the story of main leads. This could have been a 7.0 if it was just them.
Production: There were so many bizarre cuts in scenes and editing was very lacking for me. The story didnt flow naturally at all and the 2nd couple got too much screentime we could've gone without.
Was this review helpful to you?
Odd, Odd, And Odder Still - And Yet I Like It
What a strange little oddity this show is.First off let me say that I haven't seen the original series so I don't know how it compares, but this version has given me plenty to talk about just by itself.
This show mashes the zany, off-the-cuff charm of Thai shows with the more grounded, realistic approach of Korean dramas and what you end up with is an absolute beast of a hybrid the likes of which I've never seen.
The entire thing feels like a very long joke, but one I didn't even remotely mind being the butt of.
The actors are great, they clearly have genuine skill, but the audience only ever gets to see teasing glimpses of this before the characters retreat back behind the quirky, over-the-top plot.
Furthermore, the editing is incredibly choppy and through all 8 episodes I never actually learned to understand any of the characters. Strangely enough, that's exactly what made it so fascinating and fun to watch. I could never predict how any of the characters were going to act next, whether they were going to hit me with some hilariously insane "twist" or whether I was going to get gut-punched by a genuinely emotional scene. Because yes, to my great surprise the show does have some of those and you can never tell when one is around the corner.
The series also never once takes itself seriously and there are enough tongue-in-cheek nudges and genuinely hilarious one-liners to let the audience know that, whatever joke is being played, they're in on it.
What's more - this show feels safe. While watching you know that no matter what nonsense lies around the next corner, nothing bad is going to happen. There are no great twists, no angsty drama, and most importantly no problematic writing decisions to be wary of. It's a roller coaster ride of a show and the audience can rest securely in the knowledge that they are firmly buckled into their seats and the train won't leave its tracks.
If you can get past the at times sub-par audio and if you are willing to let yourself be swept away, down the rabbit hole into mad, wildly entertaining unreality then you will almost certainly have a great time with this drama.
Go into it with no expectations or even just a certain enthusiasm for silliness, and you'll be in for a delightful 4ish hours.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Cute Overview of the Thai Original
I was very excited for this "remake" but when I saw it was only 8 episodes I knew it was just going to be a little fluffy piece.I did enjoy this dont get me wrong but other than the sister writing a fan fiction about her brother there was very little that resembled the Thai Original.
I had hoped that this would bring K-BL's out of there sade zone but no it did not. There is SO much more to this story that if it were included would have made the fluffy story have more grit to it.
If you haven't watched the Thai version watch the Korean one first so you can enjoy it for what it is. It is a good but not when you have the Thai version in your head already!
Was this review helpful to you?
rushed with some cute parts, loose adaptation of Why R U (Thailand, 2020)
Overall: This is a remake of the 2020 Thai BL Why R U (which in turn is based on a book) but I will review it on its own merits. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Note: there is an extra scene after the next week's preview in some episodes. Aired on iQIYI & Viki (depending on your country). Idol Romance also produced: Roommates of Poongduck 304, The Tasty Florida and Kissable Lips.Content Warnings: manhandling, non con touching, non con kiss?, slap (part of acting)
What I Liked
- I did laugh a few times (swearing at each other with their fingers)
- cute moments
- Max & Nat cameo
- the original Why R U series playing in the background in a scene
- the perspective change in ep 2
- Sun Woo & Yoo Kyeom (up until the end of ep 4 when that reaction made zero sense to me)
- good kissing
Room For Improvement
- the intro felt like a trailer/exposition dump, it didn't hook me
- another bad "plan" that belongs in middle school (from Ji Oh), however Ji Oh had a personality change around episode 5 and I liked his character more/the dynamic
- confusing, did not clearly differentiate the flashback from present (the widescreen is flashback, full screen is present), several fast cuts
- was too choppy/rushed, should have cut out the sister/book thing entirely
- interjecting women/love triangles, (she had such a stupid plan, why wouldn't she tell her friend?)
- why didn't Yoo Kyeom tell Sun Woo about the girlfriend situation, he knew that they are friends
- cliche overhearing something and not telling the person what is wrong, and then a few days later he says he believes in being clear and finally tells him
- long recaps
Was this review helpful to you?
I don't know what's going on but I liked it
Korea decided to remake, of all possible Thai BLs, Why RU? And that is exactly what we got: a short form, clean & pretty, uneven chemistry, slightly confusing, all the same tropes KBL that kind of cliff-noted the original but with none of the heat or complex relationship dynamics. I just … what world is this? Because it is BOTH bizarro land, and EXACTLY what I expected.SaifahZon (no matter what country) are probably the softest enemies to lovers ever put on screen. Yes they are very cute, and I like them better than the original. However, no one can out do ZeeSaint for the count down kiss on the rooftop.
All in all, I liked this remake/parody/annotate/whatever a lot but I’d love to know what somebody thought who hadn’t seen the original.
How do I rate something like that? In the end I have to go back to simple questions: did I like it, would I rewatch it, and would I recommend it? Yes. Probably. And probably not. What the actual hell? 8/10
Was this review helpful to you?
It's OK
I'll get right to the point. It's not the Thai version and for me it never obtains any of the magic and awe that is in the Thai version. For me there was a flow issue and a clarity of intent issue with the actual scripting. I never really connected to any of the characters. I have a bit of a crush going on for Lee Jung Min, he was the most likeable character too. The females were all good, that's a plus, but the guys were difficult to get with for me. Otherwise quality was good, cinematography good, set scences etc. The music was ok. Watchable for sure. Rewatch not so much.Was this review helpful to you?
