leadtheprotection

Gosh...just where do I start??

Some dramas, you seek them out. Some other dramas find you when you most need them and leave an impression so big, you know you will inadvertently compare every new show you watch with it.

Absolute Value of Romance is definitely the latter for me. Carrying me through two of the heaviest months of my life, this show has been the reason I looked forward to my weekends. It feels bittersweet to finally see it finish but what a journey it has been!

From story to pacing to the performances, theme and OST, everything kept getting better every week, and to maintain not just consistency but to keep getting better and better with every new episode over a 16 episode stretch is not an easy feat. But this drama managed to do that, no excuses, and to me, that feels like witchcraft considering I usually do not watch high school themed shows unless someone is chasing another violently with a box cutter.

And as far as high school themed dramas or any drama for that matter goes, this show has one of the most unique premises I've come across. To feature a high school student who writes BLs for a hobby and is using her teachers as her muses for her new fiction novel featuring men in love with each other takes guts, but then to do that this tastefully is nothing short of brilliance from the makers and cast. To handle a subject like this with lightheartedness could not have been easy because every joke is inevitably walking a thin line between humor and offense. And this drama doesn't slip once. Like I said, witchcraft ✨️

Kim Hyangi as Yeo Euiju is truly the star of the show. She shines in every single moment, her knack for humor and the warmth and sincerity she brings to Euiju is one of the biggest reasons this drama stands out. Truly a phenomenal actress who is bound for greatness!

Cha Hakyeon as Ga U Su made me wish for a teacher like him when I was a student. Not only is he gorgeous, but the passion he brings to his job and the way he respects his students going to any length to see them succeed was super inspiring. The cat and mouse dynamic between Euiju and him are only made more interesting by the natural chemistry between them. The drama excels in showing Ga U Su as the swoonworthy math teacher he is. The maturity, acceptance and respect he shows to his students was attractive enough that I couldn't blame Euiju, an adolescent who was witnessing her first example of what masculine goodness can look like, for eventually falling for him like anyone would have.

But do not be mistaken. This is not a show about a teacher x student romance. In fact, all the teachers in this show exercise very clear boundaries with their students even when the students make their awkward moves. If you've been through adolescence yourself, you'd know that feeling attraction for someone older and more mature and stable than you is a normal part of growing up, so please approach it with an open mind.

There are so many moments that stand out in this show, like the way Euiju sorts garbage in a dumpster truck just to find Ga U Su's glasses she dumped in it before realizing he had a serious eye condition and couldn't function normally without them, or the moment when Ga U Su gives Euiju the best advice he possibly could have in a moment when Euiju's entire life feels like it's crumbling in front of her, or the way Euiju finally makes her confession to Ga U Su in the only language he will understand, and that's math! She writes her feelings in a formula and let's him calculate it haha! He obviously doesn't accept but I couldn't have thought of a better way for that scene to play out. When she said that her absolute value of romance was him, I literally swooned, not because I was cheering for their relationship but merely from a technical confession analysis standpoint. It was a genius creative decision because it completely aligns with the theme of the show: her using her strength in writing to communicate to someone in a language they can understand, which was in this case, math. 

All the moments of friendship also stand out. It was so refreshing to see a high school story where the kids weren't violently bullying each other but instead were genuinely supportive. Even misunderstandings were resolved with the innocence of adolescence. The four teachers have their own bond, long term friends who happen to share the same profession and are roommates. Their unconditional support of each other was also a delight to watch every week.

There is so much more that I can say about this show but I think this is one of those dramas that's best experienced for yourself.

At its core, this is a story of friendship, what it means to have good mentorship in your life from caring adults, and the awkwardness and hilarity that naturally come out of a coming of age story about young girls who learn to find confidence and purpose within themselves and each other.

I truly wish viewers who are willing to go into a show woth open mind give this show a chance. I also recommend this for viewers who enjoy absurd comedy, and a whole lot of heart in their dramas.

Thank you to the makers! My Absolute Value of Romance has been your drama these past 8 weeks :")