Odessa Jones
American living in South Korea
For a mini-drama that was less than 90 minutes, this one offered plenty of heart-wringing moments. The story managed to combine romance and gangsters in a way that went beyond yaoi manga cliches. The actors are inexperienced, but they are so sincere that they touch your heart. The script is well-written and the characters are fleshed out. There are huge plot holes, but they didn't bother me much. Unlike many BL narratives, this story gives us heroes who know they like men. They have a believable and touching love-at-first-sight (with a bizarre twist) story.
There's also some good social commentary squeezed into this short drama. It's significant that the biggest conflict between Ji Soo and his gang-boss "father" is more about his homosexuality than his loyalty. The two heroes have very different experiences of being gay--Ji Soo has been bullied and humiliated for it, while Gitae has a loving sister who understood and accepted his sexuality when he was still in high school. Ji Soo's experience is far more common than Gitae's in Korea today. But that just made Gitae and his sister even more likable. Homophobia is so rife here in Korea that we really need some hopeful stories like this.
The usual web-drama caveats apply: the editing is hard to follow, the first episode is confusing, and of course, I wish it was longer. But I don't care. It's so amazing to find a Korean boys' love drama that's this good--plus it doesn't end in tragedy! And it's worth noting that the emotional aspects of the story are never confusing. While the extrinsic plot about the gangsters is sometimes unclear, the director and actors make sure we always know how the characters are feeling about their relationship. And that's what matters most.
I still have a billion questions: how the hell did Gitae get into this business in the first place? Why doesn't his sister know? How did Black Leopard and Black Rose find out the guys betrayed them and why didn't anyone think ahead about any of this? Why did-- Oh, never mind. Just be warned, it's that kind of story. But it's got a lot to offer: a plot that avoids many of the common BL cliches, a script where characters talk their problems out, some well-choreographed fight scenes, likable characters, cute actors and the sweetest, yet most hilarious, original sex scene I may have ever seen on screen. All that makes this a 9/10 despite the plot holes.
P.S. I liked it so much I paid money to download it from Vimeo. Show your support to filmmakers if you can afford to! I hope this studio can make further projects.
There's also some good social commentary squeezed into this short drama. It's significant that the biggest conflict between Ji Soo and his gang-boss "father" is more about his homosexuality than his loyalty. The two heroes have very different experiences of being gay--Ji Soo has been bullied and humiliated for it, while Gitae has a loving sister who understood and accepted his sexuality when he was still in high school. Ji Soo's experience is far more common than Gitae's in Korea today. But that just made Gitae and his sister even more likable. Homophobia is so rife here in Korea that we really need some hopeful stories like this.
The usual web-drama caveats apply: the editing is hard to follow, the first episode is confusing, and of course, I wish it was longer. But I don't care. It's so amazing to find a Korean boys' love drama that's this good--plus it doesn't end in tragedy! And it's worth noting that the emotional aspects of the story are never confusing. While the extrinsic plot about the gangsters is sometimes unclear, the director and actors make sure we always know how the characters are feeling about their relationship. And that's what matters most.
I still have a billion questions: how the hell did Gitae get into this business in the first place? Why doesn't his sister know? How did Black Leopard and Black Rose find out the guys betrayed them and why didn't anyone think ahead about any of this? Why did-- Oh, never mind. Just be warned, it's that kind of story. But it's got a lot to offer: a plot that avoids many of the common BL cliches, a script where characters talk their problems out, some well-choreographed fight scenes, likable characters, cute actors and the sweetest, yet most hilarious, original sex scene I may have ever seen on screen. All that makes this a 9/10 despite the plot holes.
P.S. I liked it so much I paid money to download it from Vimeo. Show your support to filmmakers if you can afford to! I hope this studio can make further projects.
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