This review may contain spoilers
An impactful must watch drama
If you have not yet seen Love in the Big City, I implore you to do so. This story contains so much beauty and intricacy that can only be experienced though watching it, SO GO DO IT!
Anyway here’s my review:
In the ten years we follow Go Young we bear witness to every aspect of his life, from the realities of living with HIV, to dealing with his hyper-religious dying mother, to a suicide attempt. These sensitive subjects are handled with care but not sugarcoated, resulting in something that feels raw, realistic, and personal.
This drama is guided by Go Young's retrospective narration, which I interpreted as excerpts from a future novel of his. The narration is often poetic and brings another dimension to Go Young and the people around him. Go Young's narration also delivers one of my favourite quotes from the series: "In the face of a tough life and a long time love is powerless".
This line harkens back to one of the central ideas of the drama; is everlasting love real? Throughout the course of Love in the Big City we see Go Young enter various romantic relationships. They bring him moments of happiness and suffering, subsequently ending in hurt. Which makes him question if love has an expiration date.
Another theme that stuck out to me was loneliness. We see the different ways it develops in Go Young's life and his futile attempts to quell it. Even when he’s dating, even when he’s living with someone, the loneliness inevitably sets back in. All of his solutions are temporary.
Although Go Young’s loneliness is ever-present, it isn't permanent. A beacon of light that consistently makes him feel seen is his friends. When he spends time with them he can be loud, unabashed, and confident. He can stick his head out the window as they drive around in a bright pink car. Go Young’s friends are also the only characters that stay with him from the beginning to the very end of the series, affirming their loyalty. Absent of everything else, Go Young still has his friends.
In the final episode of Love in the Big City, we see Go Young write down a wish on a floating lantern. He wishes for love. After the lantern is released into the air, it burns down and falls into the sea. His hopes quite literally go up in flames. Despite this, the series ends on a rather optimistic note; Go Young smiling as he watches fireworks with his friends. I think in this moment Go Young realizes that he is loved and has been loved this whole time. Love exists in many forms, it doesn't have to be romantic or familial. Love's versatility is an aspect of its beauty.
Anyway here’s my review:
In the ten years we follow Go Young we bear witness to every aspect of his life, from the realities of living with HIV, to dealing with his hyper-religious dying mother, to a suicide attempt. These sensitive subjects are handled with care but not sugarcoated, resulting in something that feels raw, realistic, and personal.
This drama is guided by Go Young's retrospective narration, which I interpreted as excerpts from a future novel of his. The narration is often poetic and brings another dimension to Go Young and the people around him. Go Young's narration also delivers one of my favourite quotes from the series: "In the face of a tough life and a long time love is powerless".
This line harkens back to one of the central ideas of the drama; is everlasting love real? Throughout the course of Love in the Big City we see Go Young enter various romantic relationships. They bring him moments of happiness and suffering, subsequently ending in hurt. Which makes him question if love has an expiration date.
Another theme that stuck out to me was loneliness. We see the different ways it develops in Go Young's life and his futile attempts to quell it. Even when he’s dating, even when he’s living with someone, the loneliness inevitably sets back in. All of his solutions are temporary.
Although Go Young’s loneliness is ever-present, it isn't permanent. A beacon of light that consistently makes him feel seen is his friends. When he spends time with them he can be loud, unabashed, and confident. He can stick his head out the window as they drive around in a bright pink car. Go Young’s friends are also the only characters that stay with him from the beginning to the very end of the series, affirming their loyalty. Absent of everything else, Go Young still has his friends.
In the final episode of Love in the Big City, we see Go Young write down a wish on a floating lantern. He wishes for love. After the lantern is released into the air, it burns down and falls into the sea. His hopes quite literally go up in flames. Despite this, the series ends on a rather optimistic note; Go Young smiling as he watches fireworks with his friends. I think in this moment Go Young realizes that he is loved and has been loved this whole time. Love exists in many forms, it doesn't have to be romantic or familial. Love's versatility is an aspect of its beauty.
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