This review may contain spoilers
Interesting Additions to a Tried and True Formula
Summertime is elevated by the performances of Seong In Ho (Cha Do Hyun- in his debut!) and Kim Do Min (Yeo Eun Ho). While much of the plot is well-worn ground for most BL fans, it's the unique additions that elevate this beyond a typical entry.
Usually, it is the dominant personality that is the tsundere in the relationship dynamic- here, our reluctant lover (Yeo Eun Ho) is the Grumpy Grumperson. I appreciated that twist. A level of realism was brought to the story when it represented sex outside of simple (seemingly ready without preparation) penetrative sex. The skinship and the sexual exploration felt true to life and the actors really had an amazing physical chemistry.
With regards to the physicality of the relationship, I felt like the writers/directors didn't "pick a side". It seems that far too often, a series wants to either be "rose-colored romanticism" without the messy reality of desire and lust, or it wants to push the boundaries by putting the passion at the forefront. It is rare to find a series that reflects the reality that love is both warm, safe and filled with emotional, puppy dog yearning, but shifts when sex and sexual desire for your partner is present. These characters have both the romanticized and the passionate in equal measure. In other words, sometimes it's very PG and (true to life) there are times when it is decidedly NOT very PG.
What was far more subtle was their emotional intimacy, and the chemistry between the two actors was strong here as well. Do Hyun (pursuer) seemed to be a satellite orbiting around Eun Ho's emotional orbit- so finely tuned to his emotional state that Do Hyun's physicality would subtly change in response (the nearly imperceptible turn of the body, the way an assessing eye lingered to move past the superficial emotional response to the more nuanced emotions running underneath). The two really embodied an emotional connection decades in the making, where responding to each other's emotional state is muscle memory. And Eun Ho responded in kind with his own brand of emotional intelligence for Do Hyun. Eun Ho knew how to play the play fight dynamic that was the foundation of their bond without pushing too far, always having his grumpies, but never using Do Hyun as an emotional punching bag. That kind of interpersonal dynamic is difficult to fake and attests to the actors' commitment to the material, the fictional relationship, and the story being told.
Some may find that the ending leaves them confusedly cold and the last four to five minutes were... a choice, I guess? Irrespective of those last four minutes and how you read them, the journey was worth every step. And isn't that why we go on these adventures- to experience the journey?
Usually, it is the dominant personality that is the tsundere in the relationship dynamic- here, our reluctant lover (Yeo Eun Ho) is the Grumpy Grumperson. I appreciated that twist. A level of realism was brought to the story when it represented sex outside of simple (seemingly ready without preparation) penetrative sex. The skinship and the sexual exploration felt true to life and the actors really had an amazing physical chemistry.
With regards to the physicality of the relationship, I felt like the writers/directors didn't "pick a side". It seems that far too often, a series wants to either be "rose-colored romanticism" without the messy reality of desire and lust, or it wants to push the boundaries by putting the passion at the forefront. It is rare to find a series that reflects the reality that love is both warm, safe and filled with emotional, puppy dog yearning, but shifts when sex and sexual desire for your partner is present. These characters have both the romanticized and the passionate in equal measure. In other words, sometimes it's very PG and (true to life) there are times when it is decidedly NOT very PG.
What was far more subtle was their emotional intimacy, and the chemistry between the two actors was strong here as well. Do Hyun (pursuer) seemed to be a satellite orbiting around Eun Ho's emotional orbit- so finely tuned to his emotional state that Do Hyun's physicality would subtly change in response (the nearly imperceptible turn of the body, the way an assessing eye lingered to move past the superficial emotional response to the more nuanced emotions running underneath). The two really embodied an emotional connection decades in the making, where responding to each other's emotional state is muscle memory. And Eun Ho responded in kind with his own brand of emotional intelligence for Do Hyun. Eun Ho knew how to play the play fight dynamic that was the foundation of their bond without pushing too far, always having his grumpies, but never using Do Hyun as an emotional punching bag. That kind of interpersonal dynamic is difficult to fake and attests to the actors' commitment to the material, the fictional relationship, and the story being told.
Some may find that the ending leaves them confusedly cold and the last four to five minutes were... a choice, I guess? Irrespective of those last four minutes and how you read them, the journey was worth every step. And isn't that why we go on these adventures- to experience the journey?
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