First Note of Love (2024)

They played with my heartstrings along with their guitars.

This was such a roller coaster of a series with how it would bring the viewer up and down and all around. There was such a tragic undertone throughout (which was beautifully done) while they still managed to make me laugh at some of their antics. And then the last two episodes had me bawling my eyes out with how bittersweet it was.

I will start off by saying if you simply want a story about a washed up singer falling in love with his new music composer, this isn't for you. While this series does have that, it does not focus on their relationship under a magnifying glass of scrutiny. The viewer isn't expected to analyze what every action means as far as their feelings for each other. Actually, there's not a lot of guesswork at all in their relationship since the show is very straightforward with that aspect. (You mean they actually communicate and there are no plot points centered around misunderstandings and assumptions?! Is it even a BL, then?)

While the main leads get equal attention, I will say it feels like the show is mostly centered around Neil and his grieving process for his brother. He has not moved on from his brother's death and only the threat of losing the last thing he had of his brother (their music) kicked his ass into gear to do something about it. That snowballed into him finally finding the encouragement to move on and live his life instead of just existing.

With Sea, we get a little glimpse into his background - absent parents, growing up alone and clinging to the idol who was likely the only person to show him any interest in his young life. His lifeline in Magnet was yanked away with the crash and affected him deeply, which is what they finally bond over.

Anyone who has ever lost a close loved one could relate to the pain and suffering and feeling of being lost without direction that Neil is going through. He was a big child who had his brother looking out for him and then he wakes up one day to find his brother is gone. Even for someone who hasn't experienced it, the way Charles portrayed it was gut-wrenching. He seriously acted his tush off for this role and I think it paid off.

The story was so well thought out and it progressed in a way that made sense. Yes, this meant it was a slow burn and yes it meant their romantic relationship was sometimes put on the back burner to simmer, but I feel like that made their coming together that much more satisfying. They each had obstacles to overcome and, while they were supportive of each other, they didn't rely on the other to fix their problems for them. They worked on themselves to improve and it was so refreshing to watch.

I like that there wasn't an abundance of side characters and that everyone who was introduced had a purpose. There was no real villain which was nice as the characters had enough inner demons to face without needing an external force to add to it.

If I had to say one thing that I wish were done differently, I wish they had more music (either as Magnet or as Neil and Sea) to play throughout the series. They kept playing the same 4 or 5 songs over and over and, while I get why they did it, it made things seem repetitive, even if they weren't. If you pay attention, you'll see there are storyline progressions with each time the play the same song, but to a casual watcher, it may be lost on them. Plus, I just really enjoyed the music so of course I wish there was more of it.

This was a very mature series without all the unnecessary NC filler. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy NC content and am a sucker for smut, but I feel like if they went any more detailed than they did, it would kill the vibe of the series and, honestly, it was perfect as it was.

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Simply Just Not For Me

I told myself at the beginning of this year that I wouldn't force myself to watch anything that doesn't immediately catch my attention or interest. Unfortunately, First Note of Love did just that.

Let's Dive In.

I think this is just one of those series that just isn't for me. I cannot handle the long drawn-out singing scenes, or the fact that none of them look like they can actually play an instrument. I feel like in my watch of just 3 episodes, I did more skipping than watching, and that says a lot.

There are also some characters that appear on screen way too much for me, like Neil's managers or workers or whatever the hell they are. They have their own scenes, but they feel so irrelevant and added just for timing purposes. I can't sit through series anymore where the main focal point of the series is taken away just for the added functions of nuanced characters.

I feel nothing for Neil and Sea, just purely nothing. I think Sea does shyness pretty darn good, and Neil is good at acting like he doesn't give a fuck, but together, I'm just not feeling it. Which is sad, cause I love age gaps, but they didn't spark anything out of me. The ending scene in episode 3 though was actually pretty cute, just not enough for me to keep watching.

I feel like this series in itself isn't bad, it's just simply not for me. I felt like I even forced myself to watch the first three episodes, and I don't want to do that for the remainder of the series.

Ratings:

Story: 6/10 - honestly, a decent plot about a band that falls apart after the death of one of the brothers. The story seemed like it could've really gone somewhere with the growth of Neil as he processes all of it, but it's not enough to keep me watching, Too many irrelevant characters get too much screen time, which is a no-no for me. The romance, from what I've seen in three episodes, does absolutely nothing for me.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Great, no one looked like they couldn't act. If anything, it's this series' strong suit. But they should've done some rehearsing on how to fake-play instruments.

Music: 5/10 - Skipped through it all. A personal problem of mine, not the series.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - If you like singing, this series might work out for you. Otherwise, no.

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Lebih menekankan background story dibandingkan musik.

Series bL ini menurutku punya cerita yang unik, dengan latar belakang konflik yang bagus. Walaupun begitu menurutku pribadi ceritanya disajikan terlalu sederhana, beberapa resolusi konflik mungkin terasa biasa saja. Dari segi looks aktor, menurutku ini dapet banget ya tapi ini soal selera. Vibrasi dan romansa di series ini kurang begitu terasa, slow-burn dari series ini menjadi ciri khas. Dari segi warna cukup baik, ini memang drama tentang musik, namun tidak menunjukan suasana musik yang kuat ( jika dibandingkan dengan my school president series ) series first note of love lebih menekankan kepada latar belakang cerita utama dibandingkan dengan musik yang ditampilkan. rekomended? yes.

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