A silver lining on the Korean BL horizon
Semantic Error may not reinvent the wheel, but its authentic characters, convincing performances of the lead actors and charming storytelling make this one of the most entertaining BLs I've recently watched.
The strongest aspect of Semantic Error are the characters and the palpable chemistry between the lead actors. Both Jaeyoung and Sangwoo are incredibly likeable characters, which is always a good thing in a romance drama. If I don't like one of the leads, it's just hard to get invested and root for their relationship. Our lead actors seemed to have fun playing these roles, and it felt like they genuinely wanted to tell this story. There was absolutely no awkwardness or apprehension between them, instead we got sizzling chemistry and gradual attraction that convincingly builds up the tension between our main couple. It's reminiscent of last years "To My Star" in terms of quality and chemistry between the leads.
Park Jaechan plays Chu Sangwoo an intelligent but emotionally distant computer science major. Sangwoo´s stubborn nature and obsession with rules could have made him come off as cold, but he was surprisingly sweet and funny. Through Park Jae Chans excellent portrayal, Sangwoo´s robotic tendencies come off as charming and endearing instead of unnerving.
Park Seoham plays Jang Jaeyoung a confident, popular and talented design major. Seoham is a social butterfly, seemingly getting along with everyone, he's the typical handsome cool kid. What makes him different from a lot of other leads of this stereotype is that he's actually a kind soul and rather self-reflective. Something I was very thankful for since Jaeyoung´s charming, caring and fun personality made it so easy to root for him.
The supporting cast may have not been fleshed out like our leads, but we got some memorable additions to the cast. Often when side characters show up in short dramas like this, it feels like they are taking away screen time from our main couple. That was absolutely not the case for Semantic Error, since we usually got fun banter or meaningful conversations whenever one of the side characters showed up. Apart from the characters, I really enjoyed the dialogues and humor in this show. It never felt forced and enhanced the lighthearted and fun atmosphere.
The cinematography gives you a cozy feeling with its fall setting and use of vibrant colors. I also want to point out the excellent soundtrack by Coldin. "Romantic Devil" is super catchy, while "Can you stay" is a soothing track that makes you feel all warm inside.
Personally, I was entertained from the first to the last episode, so there isn't much to criticize. You could argue it's rather uninventive with its university setting, enemies to lovers trope and the school rebel falls for nerd setting. All of these valid reasons to give this a pass since it's been done so many times before. If you aren't tired of it yet or if you're the type to be won over by good storytelling and endearing characters, I would give this one a chance nonetheless.
Semantic Error was able to not only establish incredibly likable characters, but also show the gradual affection between them. We see they're falling for each other and most importantly we understand why they are falling for each other. Frankly, that's something not all romance centered dramas accomplish. Although short, this show is very well paced, perfectly utilizing the amount of time they have without focusing on unnecessary fillers or rushing anything. It's a short and sweet youth drama which is the perfect comfort watch if you need something to warm your heart and make you smile. Definitely re-watch material.
The strongest aspect of Semantic Error are the characters and the palpable chemistry between the lead actors. Both Jaeyoung and Sangwoo are incredibly likeable characters, which is always a good thing in a romance drama. If I don't like one of the leads, it's just hard to get invested and root for their relationship. Our lead actors seemed to have fun playing these roles, and it felt like they genuinely wanted to tell this story. There was absolutely no awkwardness or apprehension between them, instead we got sizzling chemistry and gradual attraction that convincingly builds up the tension between our main couple. It's reminiscent of last years "To My Star" in terms of quality and chemistry between the leads.
Park Jaechan plays Chu Sangwoo an intelligent but emotionally distant computer science major. Sangwoo´s stubborn nature and obsession with rules could have made him come off as cold, but he was surprisingly sweet and funny. Through Park Jae Chans excellent portrayal, Sangwoo´s robotic tendencies come off as charming and endearing instead of unnerving.
Park Seoham plays Jang Jaeyoung a confident, popular and talented design major. Seoham is a social butterfly, seemingly getting along with everyone, he's the typical handsome cool kid. What makes him different from a lot of other leads of this stereotype is that he's actually a kind soul and rather self-reflective. Something I was very thankful for since Jaeyoung´s charming, caring and fun personality made it so easy to root for him.
The supporting cast may have not been fleshed out like our leads, but we got some memorable additions to the cast. Often when side characters show up in short dramas like this, it feels like they are taking away screen time from our main couple. That was absolutely not the case for Semantic Error, since we usually got fun banter or meaningful conversations whenever one of the side characters showed up. Apart from the characters, I really enjoyed the dialogues and humor in this show. It never felt forced and enhanced the lighthearted and fun atmosphere.
The cinematography gives you a cozy feeling with its fall setting and use of vibrant colors. I also want to point out the excellent soundtrack by Coldin. "Romantic Devil" is super catchy, while "Can you stay" is a soothing track that makes you feel all warm inside.
Personally, I was entertained from the first to the last episode, so there isn't much to criticize. You could argue it's rather uninventive with its university setting, enemies to lovers trope and the school rebel falls for nerd setting. All of these valid reasons to give this a pass since it's been done so many times before. If you aren't tired of it yet or if you're the type to be won over by good storytelling and endearing characters, I would give this one a chance nonetheless.
Semantic Error was able to not only establish incredibly likable characters, but also show the gradual affection between them. We see they're falling for each other and most importantly we understand why they are falling for each other. Frankly, that's something not all romance centered dramas accomplish. Although short, this show is very well paced, perfectly utilizing the amount of time they have without focusing on unnecessary fillers or rushing anything. It's a short and sweet youth drama which is the perfect comfort watch if you need something to warm your heart and make you smile. Definitely re-watch material.
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