Reviews

No es lo que esperé

Esta serie resultó ser una gran decepción para mí. La había visto recomendada en numerosas ocasiones y escuché a muchas personas hablar positivamente de ella, pero, sinceramente, no hay muchos aspectos rescatables.

Los personajes son planos y, en gran parte de la historia, se sienten mal utilizados; incluso hubo momentos en los que parecían olvidados. La mayor parte del tiempo, su presencia parecía ser solo un relleno destinado a realzar a los protagonistas, sin aportar nada sustancial a la trama. En particular, el personaje de Dean tuvo la misma expresión facial en toda la serie, lo que lo hacía aún más monótono y poco interesante.

Sin embargo, lo más crítico es que en el 90% de los episodios no sucedía absolutamente nada. Las escenas eran innecesariamente largas y no contribuían en absoluto al desarrollo de la historia. Al final, el conflicto se resolvió de manera apresurada en el último episodio, a pesar de haber tenido 17 capítulos para desarrollarlo y presentarlo de forma gradual explayandose más en los conflictos de nuestros protagonistas.

En conclusión, esta serie es un recordatorio de que, a veces, las expectativas demasiado altas puede llevarnos a decepciones.

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VER ESTE DRAMA FUE UNA GRAN EXPERIENCIA ESTE AÑO!

Debo decir que amé absolutamente esta serie, al punto que no pude ver ninguna otra cuando estaba en emisión ( incluso tengo que confesar que ha pasado mas de un mes y hasta este momento aún no me animo a ver otro drama).

-Somin (Seok-ryu) y Hae In (Seung-hyo) como pareja en pantalla y fuera de ella, tienen una visual poderosa y una química cautivadoras, muy difícil de superar. Ademas hicieron una excelente actuacion. Me atraparon.
-La historia fue buena, aunque claro, tiene algunos defectos.
-La pareja secundaria fue magnifica.
-El reparto restante hizo un gran trabajo.

En suma, disfrute muchisimo este drama, y nunca lo voy a olvidar.

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Three in one, for the same price, and the perfect hysterical

My first impression when I learned about its future premiere was that a series with 24 episodes was not ideal for me. But after the beginning, we begin to realize how things will go: There are 8 chapters for each of the three main couples. That is, it works as if they were three independent series in one. And yes... this way perhaps it would have worked the same and even better, but this would go against GMMTV's winning formula.
The series offers us three separate stories, but at the same time connected to each other because the characters are friends and all study at the Faculty of Engineering at a Thai university. They are, in fact, members of an exclusive circle of "Perfect 10 Liners", a group made up of extraordinary students from various years, and which will include Arm (Book), Wine (Mark) and Gun (Santa), first year students, when they participate in a drawing to determine their peer mentors.
In this way, these three students, who also do not know each other until they meet on the university campus, will meet Arc (Force), Faifa (Junior) and Yotha (Perth), who will be their tutors, but also with whom, also in that order, will begin a love story.
'Perfect 10 Liners' is a youth comedy and romance series that follows the story of these six young people, who come from separate and parallel universes (we don't know anything, at least yet, about social origins, family relationships, etc., but These are also not questions that many Thai BLs delve into, in general) but their encounter leads them to try to find a new direction, with a new world and a new version of themselves. The sextet will pursue their dreams, their struggles with friendships, romantic relationships, social norms and acceptance/self-acceptance, while trying to discover who each of them is, exploring their different student interests, their emotions and their sexual identities.
However, as is typical in the productions of New Siwaj Sawatmaneekul, its director and creator of numerous BL series, such as 'Make It Right: The Series' and 'Until We Meet Again', among others, the path to true love is full of obstacles and challenges, so the protagonists will face student difficulties, difficulties between friends, heart problems and other dilemmas.
At the end of the day, this is a fiction about how you reach maturity and that is a road that never comes without bumps.
Why the decision to separate the plots and not develop them in parallel, as in 'We Are', for example? In my opinion, this is because, unlike the aforementioned series, there is no main couple here. Each couple has equal weight in the narrative as a whole, and in this way each one will have its story, which does not mean that one will stop combining with the others.
But the fundamental reason is that, unlike others that address university themes and multiple couples, the series presents us with three protagonists who do not enter university in the same academic year, but in different academic years. In this way, by the time Wine is introduced to the other members of "Perfect 10 Liners", Arm and Gun are already in the upper years of their careers and have been dating Arc and Yotha, respectively, for some time.
Therefore, the second and third stories, those that would be told from episodes 9 to 16, and from 17 to 24, would be those of the other four members of this select student club. We see the story from Arm's perspective, and it starts just at the moment when Wine asks Arm how he started his romance with Arc?
The setting is sublime with the faculties, dormitories, gardens and dining halls of the university, and in the background that incomparable mix of art, architecture and ancient culture and modernity that responds to the name of Thailand.
With a project that has points of contact with other of his productions, and through a territory explored by other directors and by himself, such as university romance, New retraces his steps and brings us another of his plots focused on different stories of several couples of young university students who go through a stage of falling in love with experiences of excitement, love, hope, happiness and certain emotions that are part of a romantic relationship, as we saw in 'We Are' and 'Fourever You', also of his authorship, but with the difference described above.
We agree that in the series business, BL or not, commonplaces abound, right?
Well, pretend that New and screenwriter Inthira Thanasarnsumrit, his usual accomplice in creating BL, like 'Star and Sky: Star in My Mind | Sky in Your Heart', 'A Boss and a Babe', 'We Are' and 'Our Skyy 2', took all the platitudes from every college story ever, but instead of "rehashing" them, they updated them.
As? With all the youthful concerns of today. From the use of social networks and group chats as a meeting point for students to the carbon footprint we are leaving, including sexual diversity, going to a university far from home, fitting in with strangers, the search for recreation and fun between exams and a thousand more conflicts.
The result is very interesting because it fuses the best of what has always worked in this industry with the best of what lovers of BL romantic comedies expect, all presented through beautiful cinematography. It's ultimately the perfect mix of rowdy antics and cuteness, all with quirky character dynamics.

THE FIRST STORY

Force and Book star in the first story in this series that follows a classic romantic premise. The plot revolves around two university students, one in the third year of Civil Engineering and the university's heartthrob, and the other in the first year of Electrical Engineering and administrator of the faculty's virtual page, both of different personalities, whose destinies are they intertwine in a context full of anger and withholdings, often with a setting that underlines their connection, such as a shower in each other's bedrooms when they barely know each other. Despite their differences, the protagonists fall deeply in love from the first moments in which their eyes meet.
We are facing a luminous post-adolescent drama, optimistic in just the right measure and that knows how to focus on the benefits of its characters. to transcend beyond the undeniable interest of the plots focused on their most mundane problems.
For example, it's very lighthearted but quick to see the way Arc and Arm begin to create a bond that goes beyond that of senior and junior. Both are specialists in hysterics, that flirting that acts like begging or simulating indecision.
The creator seems to be infatuated with the actors and their homosexual side, and here he accentuates it with total creative freedom, for the good of the followers of BL series in general and these two stars in particular. The first scenes of episode 1 already indicate where things are going, showing the two going from strangers to enemies and from there to... well, almost lovers.
Anyway, why beat around the bush if everyone already knew that the protagonists of this plot and main romantic attractions would be them. But hey, let's hope they are characters that gain much more depth and development. Because yes, romantic, sweet and humorous moments contribute a lot.
That is to say, 'Perfect 10 Liners' captures the viewer. When Force and his Arc appear, the series gains a lot of momentum. His mere presence on screen makes my heart burst with joy and gallop at more than 120 beats per minute. He is a proven actor, with extensive command of television codes in relation to camera treatment, to work a character with so much continuity and chapters, with so many diverse locations. For example, his role in this series is a co-lead, and as a result, extremely active in his relationship with other contexts and dramatic situations.
For his part, Book is one of those actors who find it useful to focus on the authenticity of the character. Despite being somewhat theatrical for television, its approach is always to seek the truth of each situation. The way he works is to understand why the character reacts in a certain way, whether with more grandiloquence or less, and making sure that authenticity is present in each scene.
The dialogues set the tone and the light plot. The plots of the other students remain in the background. They don't attract but they don't bother either.
The director also offers us the intervention of Amy and Fluke as Yipun and Jet, respectively, the couple who will make our protagonists meet and begin their rapid push and pull and the future of the relationship between both boys.
It is also encouraging to have Fluke Gawin Caskey, Drake Sattabut Laedeke, and Marc Pahum Jiyacharoen, who return to the BL series to play Arc's three friends, while Poon Mitpakdee and JJ Chayakorn Jutamat will play Arm's friends.
The story has many characters, but they are all united in various ways, so it makes sense to me to see so many people. Navigating the day-to-day cast of characters in real life is no different than what is shown here, especially in a school or work environment. That said, this is still a comedy and many of the situations were done in a humorous way with a certain dramatic touch. But the actions and emotions of the cast were appropriate for the roles they play.
There are those who will say that it is stupid, that its protagonists repeat themselves in their roles, that the dialogues are not profound, that the performances are exaggerated, that Force keeps repeating his silly expressions while Book maintains his ridiculous expressiveness, that they are too old to walk between university hustle and bustle..., but the truth is that 'Perfect 10 Liners' fits perfectly into a genre that serves as GMMTV's flagship: the cheerful university romance, a successful formula that continues to resonate with audiences in Thailand and beyond its borders.
The 8 episodes belonging to the first story could be a unitary series. And it would have ended in a great way, in style. However, it doesn't end there. 'Perfect 10 Liners' has been able to intelligently present, while we were enjoying the first story, the characters of the two remaining stories, to incorporate them into a general story that we already know: the romantic, friendly and comradely relationship of the members of the exclusive circle of "Perfect 10 Liners", the group of extraordinary students from various academic years at the Faculty of Engineering of a Thai university.
This is a type of show with stories that are intentionally accessible to all types of audiences, and provides viewers with love stories that are tender and funny alike, and that we can all identify with.
The truth is that it fulfills its original proposal of making the viewer entertain and brighten the day, while mixing established actors with others who have a true school in the established figures and in the series, and this perfect combination between experienced and new, is a determining factor in the general quality, in addition to adding freshness and diversity.
The budget and execution are good: optical locations, cameras, lighting and grading (no one ever talks about grading, and it is an art).
'Perfect 10 Liners' stands out thanks to its main protagonists, who have already won the affection of all of us with their characters in other BLs and will continue to conquer us with all their plots in this series.
Also in its favor are the lyrics of the songs, the main one, "Perfect", performed by the six protagonists, and "Love Suspect", which identifies the first story, and which we will hear in the voices of Force and Book. It is these musical themes that become threads that unite moments, emotions and characters in an artistic fabric that seeks to tell the story of a group of young people who will discover who they are on the way to finding the best version of themselves. Likewise, through the lens of this creator, a world is revealed where the representation of a wide diversity of voices and experiences takes center stage.
The series is entertaining. And you, the viewer, decide if it is one long series, or three series in one. It's a young people's serial, yes, but the characters are good, they have more or less real problems that any young person from anywhere in the world (it's a series, it's not perfect, it's always a little stereotyped), and they approach things with relative intelligence and good humor.
I recommend the series because it is designed for two groups of people: fans of romance and the classic BL format, and eternal lovers of Force, Book, Junior, Santa, Mark and Perth.

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Súper divertida

La vi por primera vez en 2014, y hace un mes la repetí. Fue mi primer drama asiático, en ese entonces no sabía nada de lo que se producia en ese lado del mundo a no ser por bruce Lee o Jackie Chan :)

Es un drama super ligero, fácil de seguir, con algunos giros inesperados, un romance en toda regla.

Amo su OST ! Me gusto la actuación del elenco, sin embargo destacó al prota por su doble papel de personalidad: dos personajes inmaduros con la gran diferencia de que uno era más infantil e ingenuo y el otro un supuesto adulto con un niño interior herido, y la prota, que demostró que nunca perdió su esencia, a pesar de verse más calmada.

El personaje de las hermana mayor del prota llega a ser aveces exasperante, al igual que las amigas de la universidad.

Me gusta el personaje de la hermana menor entre las mujeres del prota: hermosa actríz y un rol que equilibra la trama.

Para mi un drama que roza un poco lo fantasioso por su alocado personaje masculino, muy divertido, no se sintió forzado.

No me gusto el final, ya que vuelve a ser el niño, hubiera esperado que siga siendo el adulto con un yo más sano a raíz de sus experiencias, pero bueno, que más se puede pedir por la historia en si.

Le guardo cariño a este drama y lo recomiendo para maratonear.

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Hearing and love

Long before any young person comes out of the closet, there is a process of self-acceptance. This process can be long, difficult and terrifying as the person carries a mixture of fear and shame, and explores their feelings and emotions, while trying to keep them hidden from public view. Straight kids never go through this, and many straight adults don't understand how difficult it can be to find yourself and your sexuality in a world that assumes you are "normal".
For its part, hearing loss causes communication problems that can have significant effects on daily life and generate a feeling of loneliness, isolation and frustration.
In deaf people there are both chronic complications and physical consequences of deafness, and above all social complications. Among the latter, the most common are: shame, guilt and anger, grief, concentration problems, worry and frustration, anxiety and mistrust, insecurity and self-criticism and low self-esteem/self-confidence.
How does a deaf person deal with their shame and fears, if on top of this they have to deal with other difficulties, if they are experiencing a process of self-acceptance of their homosexuality?
The possible answers to this question lead me to ask another question: How do you express your love to someone you love? I hope to find the solution to these unknowns in 'See You Love', the series by Taiwanese director Chiang Ping Chen. I started watching it without any expectations, but surprisingly it turns into a fascinating series.
The trick of the series that allows it to transcend the usual boy love stories filled with an attractive cast is, without a doubt, the use of the non-verbal medium of sign language.
The truth is that with 'See You Love', its director once again explores the LGBT+ theme, after triumphing with 'Plus & Minus', 'Be Loved in House', 'Craving You' and 'Be Loved in House Special', and it does so by betting on insurance, having as allies the screenwriters and producers Lin Pei Yu and Anita Sung, members of the team that has produced successful BL, such as 'Kiseki: Dear To Me', 'My Tooth Your Love', See You After Quarantine ?', 'HIStory3: Trapped', 'HIStory2: Crossing the Line', 'HIStory2: Right or Wrong' and 'HIStory: Obsessed', among other series.
This time, Brains Entertainment Production, in association with an inclusive theater production, Shinehouse Theatre, produces 'See Your Love', a joint investment project between Taiwan's BIGART and Japanese streaming platforms Video Market and Rakuten TV. According to the director in interviews and on his social networks, to create the series he was inspired by his childhood experiences with his deaf uncle, to convey the belief that love remains firm despite the gradual loss of hearing or the absence of it from the cradle. On the other hand, he stated that the selection process involved actors who used sign language to convey emotions, with the aim of showing various expressions of love.
Will 'See You Love' achieve its goal of presenting love in various forms and languages ​​while contributing to awareness of deaf culture? This question will be answered at the end of this romantic and emotional journey that is just beginning.
Everything indicates that it finally feels as if people in the deaf community are being recognized in the film and television industry, as 'See You Love' joins a group of dramatized shows, including several with LGBT+ themes, in which the characters the main characters use sign language or lip reading and body gestures for most of the story, making the audience rely heavily on subtitles to help us, such as the Thai series 'Moonlight Chicken' by Aof Noppharnach. Chaiyahwimhon, and the Japanese film 'Hidamari ga Kikoeru', by Yaegashi Fuga, Makino Masaru, Harashima Takanobu, or the also Japanese film 'Hidamari ga Kikoeru', by Daisuke Kamijo, but it introduces a novel factor: voice to text and text translators to speech that can be installed on our mobile phone.
And both sign language and the aforementioned novelty work, while helping to generate interest in the public by seeing the former as a symbol of identity and cultural heritage of deaf people because it allows them to communicate without restrictions, in addition to promoting their development. linguistic and cognitive, and the other as a demonstration of how technology offers us tools to build bridges and make our lives easier.
I don't know the Taiwanese version of sign language, but the cast members seem to know it. As a result, there are numerous thoughtful, moving and emotional scenes between the characters, especially between the two leads, which are very well done.
'See You Love' confronts this disability without seeking the viewer's sensitivity or compassion or easy tears. On the contrary, it is presented completely naturally, which is appreciated and exalts it.
The story, which is about how love can transcend language and all external barriers, tells the initiation journey of discovery and acceptance of Jiang Xiao Peng, played by Jin Yun, a simple and honest young man, and Yang Ji Xiang or Sean, a role assumed by Lin Yu, a romantic and wealthy second-generation heir of Taiwanese origin living abroad, who tries to escape taking over the family business.
On the other hand, Yang Ji Xiang lives an unwanted courtship with Zheng Yu Nong/Jessica (Amy 'Plus & Minus' and 'Be Loved in House') imposed by her father, a businessman who believes that in a relationship they should not feelings take precedence, but rather family interests. Forced for economic reasons, the young woman will become a barrier in the incipient romantic relationship of the protagonist couple, while the rich heir will try to keep Jiang Xiao Peng away to protect him when danger looms over him.
With this character, Jin Yun begins his struggle in the world of entertainment, while Lin Yu demonstrates a meteoric rise, after playing a supporting role in the successful BL series 'Unknown', from this same year. Both provide good performances that are close to the realities of many young people in Taiwan and the entire world, since their characters address stories in which those who have recently left adolescence and who, despite disabilities and economic limitations or, on the contrary, having been born in a cradle of gold, they seek family independence in a risky act on which they bet everything, without knowing if it will work out or not.
The lives of these two young people intersect when the first, after graduating, and while looking for a job that no one offers him due to his deafness, runs into the spirited Yang Ji Xiang, who has just arrived in Taiwan from abroad to negotiate the merger of the family business with another from the Asian island, and this one, because of his kindness and good character, ends up offering him a job as his caretaker. And this will be the trigger for two hearts to beat for each other. The moment they meet, and thanks to unexpected help, misunderstandings and funny situations, a beautiful bond is established between them, and their evolution and development will be what the series tells us.
Most of the time, the scenes are filled with silent dialogues and silence or reading on the phone screen or lips and body gestures. I am amazed every time I see this unique couple speaking to each other with their sign language, how their hand movements and facial expressions interact more effectively than our everyday language. And this is just the beginning, but from the progress everything seems to indicate that Yang Ji Xiang will learn the most effective way to communicate with her lover.
'See You Love' is definitely not a superficial love drama: it is an empowering and inspiring story about dreams and aspirations. There are some melancholic and moving scenes, particularly those in which the deaf boy feels that he is marginalized by society because of his disability, but they have the power to remind us that dreams, hope, the desire to help others, and the search for of economic independence, must always be there to illuminate our lives.
All the time the director plays with sound and its absence, causing an interesting sensation in the viewer who, after the initial confusion, learns to empathize with the condition of his protagonist.
The rest of the story is quite simple, without ignoring the action, crime and mystery plot, and follows a formula, although it remains extremely interesting thanks to the cheerful story, with a good dose of humor, and its extremely actors. attractive, who have obviously greatly polished their skills to communicate non-verbally in an effective effort to achieve organicity and credibility on screen.
Although some may shudder at the most dramatic moments, my old sentimental self somehow sees it as something capable of bringing something extra to the table, with the fight against mafia organizations, often led by someone close to us who tries to take away our dreams and inheritances, and the relationship between two very close brothers, one deaf and the other the assistant of the company to merge with the company that Yang Ji Xiang would inherit, which makes you appreciate the nature of that innate feeling of brotherhood.
The role of Song Shu He, the "sister", is assumed by Lee Yu, an actress known for playing supporting roles in the series 'My Best Friend's Breakfast' (2022) and 'Adventures of The Ring' (2021).
The love between two friends of different genders who consider themselves brothers (although she was in love with him in the past) and the love between the family, also made up of two loving and supportive parents with their children, parents who play key roles here, emphasizes the sensitivity of how parents can care for their offspring, regardless of the disability they may have. Not to mention also that they almost always steal the show due to their quirkiness and comedic timing whenever they appear on screen, plus some slapstick humor that director Chiang Ping Chen introduces from time to time. The simplicity of the characters makes everything believable.
Here we don't see parents locking up their disabled children rather than face the shame associated with it. However, they will not avoid blaming themselves for their child's disability.
Also attractive and fun is the relationship between Yang Ji Xiang and Cheng Feng Jie, which is not sexual, but is overly friendly. The role of Jonathan, as the assistant and friend of the handsome businessman co-protagonist is also known, is played with rigor by Lin Chia Yo, who had previously worked under the direction of the director of the series, when he took part in a supporting role in 'Be Loved in House'.
Since Yang Ji Xiang is not interested in inheriting the family business, he will ask Jonathan to take his place as negotiator with the Taiwanese side in the merger of the companies. Jonathan then being confused with the young heir, Wang A romance arises between the two.
I am waiting for the appearance of the character Wang Xin Jia, played by Lin Yung Chieh, since everything seems to indicate there will be more than one romantic relationship.
'See You Love' reminds us that no matter what medium are used to express love: as long as it comes straight from the heart, honestly and sincerely, that emotion will be heard loud and clear.
I am struck by the way in which the main characters build the intimacy and chemistry they have, especially when the communication between them is not "normal", which shows that there is no single way to conceive them on screen. The actors create a relationship based on attraction, complicity, flirtation, romance, friendship, even a certain brotherly connection. The viewers witness the spark, the humor, the tenderness and the chemistry that makes it clear from their first meet cute that we don't know how or when, but those two will end up together.
It is evident the work that goes on behind the camera so that we perceive that they are in love. And the two characters have such a good time that they create this kind of reality in which the rest of the world seems not to exist when they are together in a room or any other meeting place.
The costumes and locations provide a material dimension to the veracity of the dialogues that rock, caress, make you laugh and scratch at times, like reality itself, while the music reinforces the meaning of the ideas that, by themselves, the images are not capable of expressing, and establishes a continuous narrative link in the cinematographic discourse, contributing to giving credibility to the action.
Speaking of tenderness, I have to say that Jiang Xiao Peng, without being perfect, is without a doubt one of the sweetest and most tender male characters, best constructed that I have come across in recent times, with that sense of kindness towards others and the search for independence, to stand up for oneself.
Unlike other characters who suffer from deafness, the one played by Jin Yun is rich in nuances. We do not know how he went through the stages of denial to acceptance that every deaf person goes through, he is aware of his weaknesses, and turns them into strengths. In everyday life, being hard of hearing is a kind of balancing act in which you have to walk a tightrope between what is perceived and what is not perceived.
Becoming aware of her hearing disability, Jiang Xiao Peng realizes that he must drag and lift her along with him to find his place in the world. And the series also tells the story of the search for that place. There we see him not being content with his sister throwing him a lifeline in the form of a job in her company. He wants to be independent for his efforts, on his own merits, although he thanks her for her concern and solidarity. There we have him helping other disabled people like him to overcome architectural barriers that prevent his passage, or with his phone or his eyes trying to capture all the sounds and signals so that none escapes him and he can dominate the reality that surrounds him. He understands that the world is beautiful to listen to, even if it often plunges him into chaos. He is not one to easily withdraw into himself and avoid the company of humans.
The series reminds us that love and dreams are miraculous. It is not necessary to hear them or transform them into words.
You can call me romantic if you want, but I love this series despite its simple story. It is a beautiful story of love, improvement and sacrifice that I have surely overrated by rating it more with my heart than with my head.

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Una joya.

Una serie conmovedora, adorable, maravillosa. Te estremece, te remueve, te duele y te acaricia y, por sobre todo, te hace sentir abrazada por el amor inmenso y puro, en todas sus versiones. Qué personajes más maravillosos, qué historia tan bien contada -el guión es increíble-, tan bien actuada, tan bien musicalizada. Una joya. El nivel de las actuaciones de todos los actores es sorprendente, haciendo que los personajes sean creíbles, adorables y odiables -según corresponda- y que sientas junto a ellos el sin fin de emociones que representan. Quisiera resaltar la actuación de Zhang Steven. El personaje de Zi Qiu es el que tiene más matices y por dios que Zhang Steven lo representa de manera magistral. Llega a un nivel de profundidad y detalle en su representación que hasta sus gestos más pequeños son coherentes y creíbles. Imposible no amarlo por completo y sentir junto a él todo el mar de emociones, fragilidad, pasión, inseguridades, felicidades. Gran actor. En síntesis, es muy difícil no sentirse tocado por esta historia y hacer de esta serie una de tus favoritas. Amor eterno a Go ahead,

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In the darkest times, there is still room for joy and hope

'Love in the Big City' is one of those series that surprises you from the first images. Its greatest success lies in its power to enrich the panorama of South Korean television dramas with LGBT+ themes, widely represented in 2024 with other works of great value, while at the same time denouncing heteronormative and patriarchal society.
Equally beautiful and moving, as bitter, harsh and disturbing, the LGBT+ drama, not of the BL genre, with the largest budget from South Korea touches on extremely important themes and moves something within each person from the first moment, while offering an anthropological approach to queer lives in Seoul in the 21st century.
Based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Park Sang Young, nominated for the Medicis Prize, the Booker Prize and the International Dublin Literary Prize, the romance series is adapted by BigStone Studio in collaboration with Merry Christmas Studio, along with the financial sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture of South Korea, and follows Go Yeong (played by Nam Yoon Su), a cheerful and sincere college student, who navigates life as a closeted gay man who goes through a journey of personal growth while encountering problems family members and different romantic partners, in Seoul's complex dating scene.
I am sure that many will not agree with me when I say that 'Love in the Big City' represents the possibility of entering, fully, on a promising path for South Korean BL series (and from other latitudes), by transcending this genre and going several steps further to tell us an LGBT+ story, since the series avoids falling into the typical and light stories of adolescent fantasy and excessive romantic love, by showing us sufficiently explicit sex scenes and not being created and oriented to an audience - especially - female, since its main budget is to reach the public of said community.
On the other hand, every time a television series project on these topics is outlined, the dilemma between repetition and innovation appears from the very beginning. 'Love in the Big City' has almost achieved the miraculous balance of alternating the constants and the invariables, in a set that cannot be denied, at least, the virtue of novelty.
I wish there were many dramas like this one that paid similar attention to the solid psychological outline of their characters, giving prominence to filial and everyday human conflicts for queer people in societies in which there is still no legal protection of gender identity and sexual orientation against discrimination, and to always delve into what is essential, in personal identity, in the realization of the dreams, desires, freedoms and aspirations of everyone equally, without forgetting a certain expressive distinction.
It seems to me to be a series conceived for a sensitive audience that loves subtleties, not for those who intend to build an impregnable fence of prejudices regarding LGBT+ people, because as the directors and scriptwriter affirm, the love between the members of this community is the same as that of Any other couple, while proposing a certain narrative cadence, takes its time to explain, and sticks to a certain elegance in the dialogues, sometimes colloquial, sometimes metaphorical, or epigrammatic.
As in other LGBT+ series, here appear the parents who do not accept their homosexual children, the young people who must hide their homosexuality from society, the secrets hidden for decades, and of course, the loves and heartbreaks. But what is not abundant in the LGBT+ production that we have seen are characters as nuanced, complex and contradictory as Go Yeong, Sim Gyu Ho, Kim Nam Gyu, No Yeong Su and Habibi, all of them Go Yeong's boyfriends, or Yeom Eun Suk and Choi Mi Ae, as the main protagonist's mother and best friend, respectively.
While Go Young's mother disapproves of her son's homosexuality, while being ashamed of having uterine cancer, as one of the many characters in the series who suffer from self-deception in trying to deny their various physical and mental conditions, Mi Ae is proof of how important chosen family is, especially in LGBT+ narratives.
In a country like South Korea, where traditional family values are so ingrained in the culture, acceptance does not always come from the biological family. Mi Ae and Go Yeong's relationship is that silent reminder that the people who truly have your back are not always the ones you share DNA with: they are the ones who choose to walk alongside you regardless of obstacles and prejudices. The friendship of these two characters is a challenge to the typical idea of family and manages to be shown on screen with total freshness.
'Love in the Big City' does not shy away from explicit language or images, which is rare in the Korean entertainment scene and brings an advantage to the BL scene. On the contrary, he takes care of every last detail and leaves nothing to chance.
He also exudes beauty, capturing picturesque moments with a well-thought-out, bulletproof script, in which at times, his autobiographical narrative becomes very obvious, but apart from that, it provides a new perspective on the life of a writer.
And we arrive at the space where the stars live: To translate the convoluted climate of loves and heartbreaks, secrets and hopes, desires and obsessions, longings and frustrations, an extraordinary cast was required. Despite accusations from a section of South Korean homophobic society that the series aims to "glorify and promote homosexuality", despite threats to Nam Yoon Su from conservative viewers, anti-LGBT+ groups and some of his followers, who claim to be disgusted with the actor for his decision to appear in a gay role, even though this could damage his future career and that of some others involved in the series, 'Love in the Big City' reached a histrionic level awesome.
Some exceeded expectations, surpassing the high levels of professionalism to which we are accustomed: Nam Yoon Su once again reveals himself to be exceptional playing a closeted young gay writer who is HIV positive and is drowning under his family's expectations, dealing with the constant judgment of society and also struggling with the kind of love that consumes you but may never be enough. He is convincing in playing a person who masks the sadness of existence with his innate vivacity. He is undeniably charming and conveys many emotions as the main protagonist.
This actor, recognized for his participation in the 2020 Netflix series 'Extracurricular', which earned him recognition both inside and outside South Korean borders and was nominated for Best New Television Actor at the 57th edition of the Baeksang Arts Awards, He plays Go Young with emotional restraint, reflecting, in addition to his happy and outgoing character, the nostalgia and conflict that his character carries and that he must hide from everyone. Her performance brings depth and authenticity to a character who challenges gender norms, in search of self-acceptance and in the midst of fighting for her place in the world as the central axis of her story.
For his part, Jin Ho Eun embraced unbridled histrionics already seen before, and took risks in an acting style where moderation and restraint prevail, to offer us Go Yeong's true first love.
Both this actor and Nam Yoon Su have obvious and compelling chemistry and are fascinating characters.
With the intensity of allegro vivace they pulsed with their characters Jung Chan Young, Byun Jun Seo and Lee Hyun So, as Jeon Eun Soo, Park Ji Tae and Han Ho Min, respectively, Go Yeong's three friends; while Kwon Hyuk, Na Hyun Woo and Kim Won Joong knew how to personify the first as an immature man in love who cannot distinguish between obsession and love, the second as a person who has difficulty accepting himself and makes even those who love him They love sit alone, and the last is the love that comes when pure love is gone, and must have the ability, or not, to serve as a balm to heal the wounds.
This series is one of two totally different productions of the novel (the other is a film version), also released in October 2024.
The eight-episode series is directed by four filmmakers, each directing two episodes respectively.
The four stories in the original novel: "Jaehee" (told in episodes 1 and 2, directed by Son Tae Gyum), "A Bite of Rockfish, Taste the Universe" (episodes 3 and 4, Hur Jin Ho), "Love in the Big City" (episodes 5 and 6, Hong Ji Young) and "Late Rainy Season Vacation" (episodes 7 and 8, Kim Se In), illustrate how the queer community, since the beginning of the century, has lived under a dual system of being "privately out and publicly in the closet," as South Korean society has not fully recognized LGBT+ rights.
As the social backdrop of 'Love in the Big City', this setting reflects the characters' constant tension between pride and shame. Taken together, the four stories offer a raw and detailed portrait of Seoul and the gay meeting places in the South Korean capital, where the tall buildings and wide, illuminated streets and alleys contrast with the turbulent inner lives of the characters. The scenes are meticulously crafted, with a balance between the poetic and the emotionally complex, adding layers of meaning to the plot.
As the narrative addresses these questions, it does so with an air of inquiry rather than sermon. This series is full of questions and leaves each of us to come to our own conclusions.
The series shows us that there is still a long way to go when it comes to fighting prejudice, stopping hate and fighting discrimination for being "different".
Go Yeong's growth is slow; sometimes frustrating. The pressure to fit into the "normality" imposed by society and family is always present, and the series keeps the tension alive. In his journey of self-improvement, the character expresses what many people are feeling right now and in many settings in the world: The struggle of trying to discover where you fit when the world rejects you for being who you are, and when who you are is in question. direct conflict with who everyone expects you to be. But the beauty of it all is at stake.
'Love in the Big City' manages to be introspective and deep without falling into melodrama, and leaves us with small moments of humor like flashes of light that remind you that even in the darkest times, there is still room for joy and hope.

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Un show hecho con tanto amor

Es muy evidente cuando las personas que trabajan en un show lo hacen con pasión y amor, este es uno de ellos. En cada episodio puedes sentir cuanto cariño y esfuerzo hay, no sólo por la historia y las actuaciones, sino desde las diferentes tomas, las luces, la música, etc.

Había estado tiempo sin poder una serie que me enganchara, love in the big city hizo qué no pueda despegar el ojo de la pantalla, una historia tan realista, con el toque dulce y amargo que nos da la vida, con personajes con los que puedes relacionarte en diferentes aspecto y dando perspectivas de situaciones que tal vez no entendemos. Una historia llena de emociones donde ni un personaje es el villano o el héroe, sólo personas normales aprendiendo a vivir a través de sus experiencias. Nuevamente, es un trabajo hecho con tanto amor que realmente puedes verlo através de la pantalla.

No está de más reconocer el trabajo de los actores por tener una presentación tan maravillosa de cada personaje, no puedo imaginarme a ningún personaje siendo interpretado por otras personas y creo que eso ya dice demasiado sobre lo increíble que han sido al hacer suyo cada papel.

Para mi, es el mejor show lgbt que he visto y sin duda, se ha vuelto de mis favoritos, vale totalmente la pena y tengo por seguro que se convertirá en uno de los clásicos dentro de la comunidad.

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