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labcat
This review may contain spoilers
Some good things, but likely to disappoint BL fans
There isn't a really great story here, but I find it okay, and there are some things the series does quite well.
Firstly, the main love story is not perfectly done. The way Ji Woo gradually falls in love with Ro A could have been done a little better. And while Ro A is clearly in love with Ji Woo from the start, we can only guess that he has met Ji Woo before the first lesson of the titular class but we do not see it until quite late in the series (and even then, there's a missed opportunity to show more of what makes Ji Woo attractive to him).
I feel a little conflicted about the portrayal of (Korean) society's homophobia. On the one hand, the series shows quite deftly the pressure that Ji Woo and Ro A will face as a gay couple and this becomes a plausible explanation for Ro A's rejection of Ji Woo when Ji Woo eventually confesses to him: he simply loves Ji Woo too much to subject him to the pressure, and he assumes that since Ji Woo has been in love with a woman before, he can easily lead a "normal" life with a woman as his partner. It is not just Ro A's love that is touching here but also the sympathetic portrayal of the predicament of gay people. However, I also can't help but feel that the portrayal of homophobia is a tad too exaggerated. Someone claims that Ji Woo and Ro A are a gay couple even before they are really one, based on a photo of Ji Woo feeding an injured Ro A, and suddenly their classmates behave as though gay people were monsters and they are shocked to see an actual gay person for the first time in their lives.
The other flaw in the story is the creation of a love triangle--Ro A's friend-cum-roommate has a crush on him. I can see how this helps to create tension in the story, but ultimately, the series would be better off with this roommate being portrayed as a protective and supportive close friend instead. It feels as though the falling out and reconciliation of Ro A and his roommate are forcibly used as a plot device.
As a BL series, Love Class doesn't quite have enough fluff to make one squeal. And while it does take some things seriously and has an at least okayish story, the good parts of the story are not really related to the developments in Ji Woo and Ro A's relationship. This will definitely result in disappointment for BL fans.
Firstly, the main love story is not perfectly done. The way Ji Woo gradually falls in love with Ro A could have been done a little better. And while Ro A is clearly in love with Ji Woo from the start, we can only guess that he has met Ji Woo before the first lesson of the titular class but we do not see it until quite late in the series (and even then, there's a missed opportunity to show more of what makes Ji Woo attractive to him).
I feel a little conflicted about the portrayal of (Korean) society's homophobia. On the one hand, the series shows quite deftly the pressure that Ji Woo and Ro A will face as a gay couple and this becomes a plausible explanation for Ro A's rejection of Ji Woo when Ji Woo eventually confesses to him: he simply loves Ji Woo too much to subject him to the pressure, and he assumes that since Ji Woo has been in love with a woman before, he can easily lead a "normal" life with a woman as his partner. It is not just Ro A's love that is touching here but also the sympathetic portrayal of the predicament of gay people. However, I also can't help but feel that the portrayal of homophobia is a tad too exaggerated. Someone claims that Ji Woo and Ro A are a gay couple even before they are really one, based on a photo of Ji Woo feeding an injured Ro A, and suddenly their classmates behave as though gay people were monsters and they are shocked to see an actual gay person for the first time in their lives.
The other flaw in the story is the creation of a love triangle--Ro A's friend-cum-roommate has a crush on him. I can see how this helps to create tension in the story, but ultimately, the series would be better off with this roommate being portrayed as a protective and supportive close friend instead. It feels as though the falling out and reconciliation of Ro A and his roommate are forcibly used as a plot device.
As a BL series, Love Class doesn't quite have enough fluff to make one squeal. And while it does take some things seriously and has an at least okayish story, the good parts of the story are not really related to the developments in Ji Woo and Ro A's relationship. This will definitely result in disappointment for BL fans.
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