1This can be considered one of the best, if not the best, Korean BL serries ever setting a very high bar for all other KBLs to follow.
Lets be objective for a minute. The show didnt give us anything new -University themed BL, check! Enemy to lovers, big check! A questionably straight(!) guy suddenly falling for another seemingly straight guy, double check! Is there anything new, big X!
The camera work is your typical Korean - clean with an almost always early morning filter/vibe (you know, its like the main actors are always sparkling) The pacing was a little off for me and after a few episodes, it felt a little repeatitive. I even suspect that the budget is limited and everything was shot within just a few days.
However, despite the unassuming, overused plot, lies an entertaining, panty-dropping, 3 drops of pee and butterfly-in-the-stomach inducing execution that no matter how predictable the show is, you just cant help but long for the next episode. Actually, this may even be the most excited i felt for a Korean BL.
Its greatest strength, and lets also not kid oursleves, is the 2 actors. We stayed because they are absolutely gorgeous, and as cliche as it sounds, their chemistry is electric. Park Seo Ham played Jae Young perfectly and Park Jae Chan's newbie acting worked with what the show needed - his acting was so robotic I half-expected them to reveal that this is infact a scifi BL show and that Sang Woo is an android at the cusp of learning new things. Alas, he wasnt.
I would have liked to see their actual game working, i guess the budget and the time didnt allow for it.
Rewatch value, 9.5stars! It is so addicting ive seen each episode 3 times. Overall, its a 9.5!
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It has the overused tropes that most kdramas always has; college setting, hate to love, opposite attract. But it's developed really well!
The acting was good
Tbh PJC's acting was kinda robotic at some parts, but i think it was part of his character so it doesn't bother me much. Main leads chemistry was amazing.
The pacing wasn't rushed like most kbl does. The cinematography were well done
Music was good, my favorite would be Romantic Devil by Coldin.
I don't usually rewatch dramas. But this one is an exception. There's not much episode, so i could finish it in one sitting.
Overall -
If you like to watch some light hearted romance with overused tropes, i recommend you this
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ERROR: Errors could not be found. Please try again. Never.
KOREA FINALLY DELIVERED another masterpiece <3This will be a tough one. Really. I was having high expectations for this series, and I am extremely glad they were able to adapt the manhwa this well. As I said in another review, the Korean LGBTQ+ industry is growing and improving its series in terms of production and duration. I´d even say that “Semantic Error” is the most outstanding turning point in this year so far. Alongside "History 3: Trapped", this series would be my first choice to recommend to somebody if they asked me about good series including the love of two men. Why? Read below.
PRODUCTION / Music >> 9.0
Saying that nothing in this series is extra outstanding, and that “Semantic Error” is just like any other Korean LGBTQ+ series would be an incomplete statement. Let me elaborate on this thought:
While the filming itself is getting closer to the normal standard of Korean dramas, the details and highlights are much more present. This is especially noticeable in the use of colours and lights at the ending of Episode 5. The production is finally focusing on the Interplay of all components, both in music, action and especially in the visual. Additionally, the story feels less rushed than usual Korean LGBTQ+ dramas and I am sure we can expect similar dramas to be produced soon. However, - without sounding too pessimistic - as awesome as this drama is, setting "Semantic Error" as a standard could lead to unpleasant disappointments ... Yes. It is that good.
PLOT >> 8.5
The entire series and the original work are unique and exciting to watch and read. When focusing on the adaption I especially enjoyed the energetic but not rushed pacing and the humour of this series. Both characters are written as "extraordinary" people who had an unfortunate beginning in their relationship which makes this a case of ENEMIES TO LOVERS ... AHHHH…excuse me. This was the easiest way to show that I am a sucker for that trope. Honestly/ Personally, if that is not the most non-toxic/ non-forced ETL love story then I don´t know which one is.
Another detail to mention is the focus on the contrary of both personalities. While one of them is a famous and adored extrovert, the other one is an anti-social and overseen introvert who cares a lot about a systematic and calm daily routine. Jang Jae Young and Chu Sang Woo are as different as one can be. They are incomparable but still such an exciting match.
ACTING / CAST >> 9.0
The main leads both did an outrageous job, and I am glad Park Seo Ham and Park Jae Chan were chosen as the main leads, because they match with the characters, thus the entire series is harmonious and gets close to the overall harmonizing couple in the manhwa. Considering that both Park Jae Chan and Park Seo Ham are originally idols makes their performance is even more outstanding. I also love that both support the show a lot on social media, giving no f*** about the haters. It´s something I highly want to point out because in some Korean LGBTQ+ shows I always had the feeling they were forced to promote it but these two (Park Seo Ham & Park Jae Chan) seem to do it willingly. No. These two seem to have a lot of fun doing it. :D
The Supporting Cast also showed a solid performance in their roles. I can't think of anything that I would have found disturbing or unfitting. Well done. Because we don´t get a lot of insight into other characters, it´s hard for me to review their performance. They all did well!
Rewatch Value 9.5 / 10 + OVERALL 9 / 10
“Semantic Error” is the most outstanding turning point of Korean LGBTQ+ dramas this year so far and I am glad that so many people support and enjoy this show. Personally, it´s one of the best adaptions/ overall shows I came across. No doubts!
“Semantic Error sucks and is just like any other Enemies to Lovers story, duh...”
!!! ERROR 404: Your opinion was not found in the data system. Submit a reasoned criticism for our servers to deal with constructively, if you can't, please STFU !!!
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Error! Error! Error!
I really like this drama cause the lead actor act well and both of them have a great chemistry. Actually Semantic error is one of my fav manhwa so my expectation is so high BUT THIS DRAMA SLAP ME HARD! ITS REALLY GREAT and y'all have to watch and support this masterpiece.Some part its different from manhwa story (as long as i remember) but thats not much i guess. The soundtrack is good and match with the plot ❤️?
I dunno why but for me, this drama have a potential if the production wanna make a season two! Cause i'll wait if the really make that!!!
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The only errors here are the limitations of the budget and unwillingness to leave a college setting.
South Korea has been bombarding the 2022 marketplace with BL's. Like the Philippines last year, it seems everyone is starting to salivate over the dollars that can be made in the genre. However with the bombardment, we are getting a large serving of subpar, stilted, or simply archaic stories. Unbalanced acting, truly thin skimpy budgets, and forgettable series are starting to fill up the South Korean landscape. Soon, and honestly already beginning, BL (and LGBTQ+) audiences will have to separate the good, the bad, and the just plain ugly like you already must for Thai (or the aforementioned Philippines) for shows worth watching.Luckily, Semantic Error, is not litter upon this landscape, and is something filled with genuine attraction, development, and pulse. It delivers bona-fied episodes of 20 minutes or more making it feel like an actual show and not simply a chopped up movie. Yet unfortunately, it still scrapes the bottom of the budget barrel. But, like many lower budget endeavors with strong players at the helm, it uses its budget effectively and for the most part you will forgive (and even forget) the cost cutting finish. The cinematography is cool with realistic tones of winter pallets. The world feels honest and tangible. The characters come off as true people and not just dolls here to tell a saccharine love story. Thus, the strengths begin to far outweigh the shortcomings.
One of these shortcomings is the stale setting and even staler story. This is an enemies to lovers tale unabashedly and it is, of course, set in college (at least it is not another High School series). While, it tries to be more modern and fresh with the main cast being digital designers and computer programmers (Not ya know, the forever Thai Engineers and Doctors) it still succumbs to the cool kids versus nerd trope which gives us our set-up. Luckily, the story moves adeptly through this repeatedly tread ground and doesn't waste time or draw plot points out needlessly.
The characters, and the casting of those characters, are what make this series shine. Park Jae Chan as our main lead Chu Sang Woo is an endearingly stubborn rule stickler with compulsive "robotic" tendencies. While the show never mentions anything psychologically or developmentally, you get the feeling that Sang Woo may be on the spectrum, though severely highly functional. Park Jae Chan is shockingly worm and funny in this role, even while the story makes him an unforgiving, friendless, developer savant. He is unquestioningly attractive with some of the pout-iest lips you have ever come across, and a face that is strangely expressive, it is all in the eyes, while remaining very stoic. You will become attached to him and root for him easily.
Park Seo Ham as our other main lead Jang Jae Young is a more stock bad-boy rebel artist designed character. The cool kid that gets all the girls, he is revered by everyone he meets and has swagger for days. Jan Jae is of course the bully of the pairing that ignites the back and forth of the enemies to lovers plot. Yet, Park Seo Ham does a great job at bringing a light-heartedness to this character and quickly, not to mention easily, makes our Jae Young cuddly, likable, and funny. Seo Ham is very much more of South Korean archetype beauty. Tall, pale, high cheek boned, strawberry shaped face, fit, and fashionable he is a literal check-marked boxes of perfect leading man design. Luckily, he never comes off arrogant (something that seems many times used as an actual attractive quality to my disdain). He is the one that starts to recognize his burgeoning feelings first and watching him move through his understanding of who and what he wants is quite a lot of fun indeed.
When the leads are with each other, playing off each other, and building the relationship on screen it is enrapturing. There is a current that runs between them and it intensifies throughout the story as their relationship grows. It is, perhaps, the strongest entry South Korea has given us since 2021's To My Star in the world of displaying a sense of true want and attraction between the leads. There is never a moment where the cast seems not to want to be here, or to hesitate and hold back from what they are portraying. Everyone really seems to have come here to give us a story of two guys falling for each other, and everyone seems both fully willing and happy to do so. This is undeniably refreshing to watch and fun to wade through. Butterflies will blossom in your belly as you watch these two spark with each other. As for the kissing, I dare say this entry maybe posses the strongest South Korean has to offer in the current BLs they are delivering. This isn't the cardboard empty uneasy to watch kisses you find in Color Rush or My Sweet Dear, nor is it a one and done affair tacked on at the very last moment like Were Your Eyes Linger or Light on Me. Again, like To My Star, the kissing happens very naturally and a multitude of times, though I will say Semantic Error brings a bit more heat and passion than the former.
This is a prime example of what can be given even if in a tired cliched setting and story. It is thoroughly enjoyably, highly re-watchable, well acted and yes even sexy making you honestly not really care that you've done this story to death, because for some reason, this time it feels fresh and new.
9 = A, 4 1/2-Stars. Strong in all aspects, Best of the Bunch and worth your time.
Now if South Korea would just take this as an example, plop it into a more original base story, get it fully funded like straight romances, and churned up to hour long 16 episode orders, then we could knock it up to perfection.
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I LOVED THIS ABSOLUTELY
ERROR! ERROR! REVIEW REQUIRED!I WILL ALWAYS SAY IT, THE POTENTIAL KOREAN BLs HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But seriously, I was really shocked at the quality of it all, it was impressive and great, and I loved every second of it.
Before we kick off, I would like to highlight If you are someone looking for like just skinship, then I don't think this is the series for you, if you want story, great acting, production etc, then this is for you. Side Note: They had great kisses though
But the story is quite interesting and cool, I like how it wasn't focused on a guy struggling with his sexuality or any of that drama, but they knew what they wanted, and they went for it straight.
Reviews are usually broken into
1. Introduction
2. General Review, Themes, Specific Issues
3. Story arc and Storylines
4. Characters and Casting
5. Acting
6. Misses
7. Production
8. Rewatch Value
INTRODUCTION
Alright, no matter how much I want a change in the themes of BL to things like Manner of Death and the upcoming KinnPorsche the series, I won’t say I don’t appreciate my good old fluffy bls and Semantic Error was something in that manner. On a general I loved the series, it’s a great one.
GENERAL REVIEW and STORYARC
On an overall, we kinda went with the popular trope of bad boy and rebel who falls in love with the upright, top of the class, quiet kid. And I am not opposed to it because they executed it and I think part of it is tied down to the acting and the actors who really had great chemistry together. Loved the pacing of the series because it didn’t feel too rushed, though I wish we had more romance time between them, but they always had cuteness, so I don’t mind. The storyline was nothing too complex, just two boys who fate brings together in the weirdest way, they start off on a misunderstanding then eventually end up needing each other while being a balance to each other. From a boy who viewed the world through a binary view, thinking love was manipulation to becoming a boy who couldn’t understand what was happening to him when someone he considered to be a “virus” was removed. Loved the idea behind it
CHARACTERS, CASTING AND ACTING
First on the characters, I absolutely love the main characters and two support characters. They were funny, I mean watching Sangwoo go sassy on Choi when she tells them they weren’t the only ones in the office and watching Jang enjoy every moment of his boyfriend (to be) was so cool. The casting was perfect, the height difference between the actor that plays Jang and Sangwoo makes the casting all the much better, like the difference in their height made them more likeable.
For the acting, I think chemistry between the two actors helped so much in this because I love their acting, watching Sangwoo go from uptight to when he starts experiencing his error and then finally when he falls for Jang. Their acting was great.
MISSES
The only miss, which I would not necessarily call a miss for me was the stalker start that the show had because those things can easily go haywire and weird
PRODUCTION AND REWATCH VALUE
Loved the production on this show, it was great, the entire team tried with the direction of the show, and I would a hundred percent watch this show again in the future
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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.
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opposites attract, enemies to lovers, battle of the geeks, sunshine/tsundere, teasing & pranks
Okay look, I said when I reviewed Light on Me, that Korea was giving us an honest to goodness high school set BL with some classic old school yaoi tropes almost as if they were doing a bit of a, “now that we’ve hit our stride, let’s perfect the vanilla sheet cake BL style.” It was great, of course, but very refined and elegant which some found off putting.I feel like they did it again with Semantic Error. Only maybe even a little better? Okay maybe not better but DIFFERENT.
Everything that Korea always does right, they did right with this show.
* Spot on and pretty pretty casting of mature actors who can handle the content.
* High quality production values with beautiful filming and flawless sound quality.
* Great wardrobe, lighting, staging, editing, and everything else pre and post production being well chosen and executed.
* Great friendship group and support characters.
* Strategic use (but not overuse) of BL and romance tropes.
This was an absolutely pitch perfect university set BL, just very very Korean about it. It had all the hallmarks of old school traditional yaoi, linear filming and framing techniques combined with classic archetypes including a strong seme/uke dynamic. But it was so pleasingly pristine and tailored about its approach.
If Light On Me was a fluffy delicious vanilla sheet cake, Semantic Error is the perfectly baked moist and decadent red velvet cupcake.
A little richer, a little more depth, that creamy cheesy frosting. Maybe not the most innovative, maybe not as complex as we might like, but so well executed it was like classical french cooking... you can’t argue with perfection you can only gobble it down and then be sad you ate so fast.
Yes WATCHA, you have ALL the techniques. Yes, you have all the skills. And you know what, sometimes that’s all we really need in a BL.
We are so grateful.
What elevates Semantic Error is that Korea did things right with this one that they usually mess up.
They got the pacing spot on for the shorter length. It never felt rushed.
They managed a tight *complete* story with nothing confusing about intent, purpose, or character motivation.
And we got actual amazingly good chemistry and kisses.
They left us with a smile and a chuckle and a pair of the cutest boys ever to grace the screen.
This is probubly going to be my favorite BL of 2022. And yes, for all the reasons stated above but also THE CHARACTERS.
Jaeyoung + Sangwoo FOREVER
Emotional seme versus logical uke is a favorite of mine, plus it goes way back to some Gilgamesh shit of ego versus id. I also love “the only one who can bully him is me” trope. Also I adore it when an agro seme (bratty fucker) develops a big o’ crush, commences pining, and goes all over whipped for his boy. Jaeyoung pined like a master. Like Park Seo Ham took lessons from Sam Lin (We Best Love).
And it wasn’t just him, For those of us who waited patiently for Sangwoo to soften, boy did he ever. What a marshmallow moment! Poor baby went into deep crush and had NO IDEA what to do about it.
Moot pining, yes!
There were even moments that made me hoot with laughter (the lettuce incident).
This is it.
Semantic Error has put the sugar rose on top of Korea’s intent to dominate BL. After the flop ending of Kissable Lips and the lingering trauma of Peach of Time, we all thought we were back on shaky ground with KBL, but nope Korea’s taking the gold.
So yeah, maybe this is a little tame and calm of a review from me. But their ducks were all in a row on this one, and I kinda expected them to stick the landing. (Ooo, mixed metaphors. Now I’m imagining s duck doing gymnastics.) How do I really feel?
Shaken & stirred, thank you very much.
I love this show so hard. And it is going into hard rotation. Completely rewatchable from start to finish. We have been blessed. Thank you Korea.
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One of the best Korean BLs for sure.
I'll start with negatives to end positively.First of all, it's time for Korea to break the love scene barrier. To me, a BL doesn't always need one, and in some cases it would ruin it. It really depends on the characters, and for these, I don't think nothing happening is credible. Sang Woo's attraction to Jae Young had a strong sexual component, and Jae Young clearly isn't the type to hold back on getting physical. There didn't need to be a scene with candles and blaring ballad - something like the way Sang Woo throws Jae Young down on the couch in the final scene but going slightly further would have sufficed.
Also, we really need to retire the triple-take shot for whenever anything important happens - it's mildly ridiculous and drains all the emotion out of the scene. We also need to retire the extremely wide-eyed reaction by whomever is being kissed. In a manga it works because it's capturing surprise. In live action, it's weird and creepy, and sometimes makes the kiss feel non-consensual (although not in this case).
So for me, this is marred a bit by too much BL convention and avoidance of physical love.
But the chemistry between these two was amazing. They certainly did hugs right - full body contact instead of maintaining a foot between them, and the sheer joy they expressed when they did this. Both actors are very capable - I think the Sang Woo role is more difficult, but Jae Young could have come off as a stalkery with a lesser actor. It doesn't hurt that he looks like that, of course. And Park Seo Ham's boyfriendy affectionate kisses were lovely, and the enormous size differential between the two was adorable - the way Sang Woo had to stand on his tippy toes to kiss Jae Woo.
The odd-couple plot worked very well - and one thing that I think is superior about Korean BLs in general is that there is never a useless uke - Sang Woo is every bit as tough and capable (and moreso) than Jae Young.
The humor is really funny, like when Sang Woo is researching deviant desires and hormone imbalances because he doesn't understand why he's so hot for Jae Young.
While I think the series held back too much to put this in the highest category, it's still one of the best Korean BLs, and excellent by any standard. It's largely forgettable, but very pleasant and something you can go back to in the future when you need a pick-me-up.
Story: 9 - While not ground-breaking or original, it was coherent and directed, avoiding the silly manufactured drama and miscommunication that mars so many BLs.
Acting: 9 - Both leads were excellent, generated a lot of chemistry, and didn't shy away from physical affection. Both inhabited their characters and made them relatable and believable.
Music: 7 - Nothing special, but never distracting, which is a good thing in my book.
Rewatch Value: 8 - I would definitely rewatch this - in fact I'm fairly sure I will if it's put out in movie version.
Overall: 9 - While it didn't offer much new, it was superlative at being what it was - a fluffy romance with interesting and likeable characters.
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This review may contain spoilers
Does a good job adapting the manhwa with the few episodes there are, but overrated
A surprising amount of 9.5 and 10 star reviews on this site oh lord. There's still much room for improvementSo I've read the korean comic, in fact I'm still reading it while waiting for English translations. I still prefer the comic version, but for what it's worth the drama does alright with fitting the important parts into 8 episodes. If I watched all the episodes at once I would probably think the pacing is too fast, but since I only got to watch 2 episodes as they came out per week I thought it was ok. However I do think because it's only 8 episodes the progression from enemy to lovers still feels rushed. Sure Jae Young thinks Sang Woo is cute I guess, but was taking off his cap all it took for Jae Young to fall in love? And how did Sang Woo start to like Jae Young back, it went from "he's an annoying classmate" to "i like him" pretty fast. There isn't much depth to their emotions.
First of all, I think the casting for Sang Woo is pretty spot on in terms of appearance. Jae Young I would have liked if they got the red longer hairstyle right, but it's no big deal. I never like lip piercings though so I don't know why they have him wear that in the first episode. But in the manga I do get a more westernized vibe from Jae Young which I would have liked to see more in the live action. The acting is okay, but after watching other korean BL series like To My Star and You Make Me Dance this definitely pales in comparison. You can tell that the actors are idols instead of people who studied acting. Sure they're eye candy (especially Jae young) but sometimes their facial expressions are awkward and I hate the zooming in and 10 second long stares that happen in so much romance kdrama. The acting is bearable though, as for rookies they're a lot better than some other BL I've watched. They have some funny banter but sometimes it just feels forced and not natural? Everyone is saying "omg their chemistry is so good" which people say for almost every korean BL drama lol. The last two episodes where they kissed I didn't get the same satisfaction I did as with the previous two series I mentioned.
I wish at the end they didn't go with the usual "I'm not going to leave for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because I love you" trope. Like why can't Jae Young just go to Dex and they do a time skip where he comes back from France and gets back together with Sangwoo? Maybe I'm just a realist but I hate it when people give up their potential dream/job for their new lover. Like what if they break up in the future lol.
Overall this series is okay, but overrated in my opinion. I hear it has a high budget, which I couldn't tell tbh besides the nice clothes and lighting/aesthetic I guess. I still get excited when a new chapter of the manga comes out, but while watching the drama I got bored honestly. I dropped the series on episode 3 but decided to pick it back up because of how many other BL fans were singing praises about it. Even after the end I'm not super impressed. I guess I'm biased since I liked the manhua much better. The drama is fluffy and lighthearted which appeals to the masses I suppose, but don't expect too much substance either.
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Wow! One of the Best BL Dramas for 2022!
What can I say? I loved this dram soooooo much. The two leads had a chemistry that surpasses anything that I have ever seen besides MewGulf , MaxTul and EarthMix. I love the characters. It's so cute and fluffy and makes you smile. I definitely recommend this drama for anyone just looking for something light, cute and adorable. I have now become a fan of Park Seoham. OMG he is so incredibly handsome and talented. I will be looking forward to his future projects upon his return from Military duty. I pray he stays safe and in good health. WATCH THIS DRAMA. You will not be disappointed!Was this review helpful to you?
The campus love story of psycho and weirdo.
One of the sweetest things I have seen in quite some time. Keeping it simple was the blessing we all deserved. Extremely likable characters, where even their stubbornness could be viewed as cute and adorable.The plot did an amazing job at setting up the dynamics between Jae Young and Sang Woo, but also introducing them as separate characters with unique personalities. The introduction of the leads was done in such an effective way in episode one, I did not question their reactions and motivations in later episodes - I accepted that’s who they are and their actions made sense.
The plot that links Jae Young and Sang Woo is also believable, bringing up many funny interactions and ways of testing the leads' communication and patience. Enough screen time was used for it, so it never felt like a plot device that could be easily replaced, but rather an integral part of the story telling.
The gradual change in Jae Young and Sang Woo relationship was simply delightful to watch. We could see what moments were the turning points, what led to them, how they influenced the main characters. It was a well written and presented progression, and while the characters were falling in love with each other, I was falling in love with the show itself.
The thing that I appreciated a lot was how Semantic Error showed changing for people you are about is a normal thing, and sometimes you have to get out of your safe zone, but at the same time, they did highlight the importance of respecting and trying to understand the differences in personalities people might have. Mutual respect and mutual effort are the key to any relationship - be it romantic, platonic or professional.
The pacing was perfect, if we take into consideration the length of the show. They truly did their best not to waste the precious screen time on useless side plots that bring nothing to the table. Sure, Ryu Ji Hye’s character was not exactly needed, at least not in the way she was incorporated into the story, but it’s more of my personal view. I’m sure many viewers loved her the way she was and the role she played in the story.
Jang Jae Young is probably one of my favorite male leads in any BL. Yes, he might be a bit of an asshole at first glance, but even his childish behavior was more entertaining and adorable, and less frustrating and annoying. It’s truly impossible not to fall for his charm. The guy shines the brightest when he tries to be patient and understand others. Him being so good looking is truly just a bonus, a cherry on top of his awesomeness.
Think of a completely opposite character of the social butterfly who goes with the flow - that’s Chu Sang Woo. His asocial personality was somehow endearing - he had his ways of dealing with problems, and was always straightforward about his expectations and rules. More often than not, I actually thought he was right in his approach - with freeloaders during university work, or setting boundaries with lecturers.
That said, I do think they went a little bit too far with his “robotic” characteristics. We get it, the boy has issues with dealing with his emotions. He needs time to understand them, he is flustered and sometimes scared. While all of this gave us many funny moments, sometimes I just went “okay, chill with the googling body malfunction”. Still love this child.
The supporting characters had enough screen time for me to believe they are more than just one dimensional fillers. Choi Yu Na was extremely cool, but also a caring friend, and Go Hyeong Taek was a ray of sunshine and cuteness that brought some fresh atmosphere on the screen.
I would not say this was an Oscar worthy performance from the cast, but it was on par with a lot of mainstream romance shows, not just BLs. Park Seo Ham truly aced the role of Jang Jae Young - a lot of it was in his eyes. I replayed some of his reactions and scenes simply because I appreciated his performance in them.
Production wise, for sure the best we have seen so far from k-BLs. From the opening shot, the intro, the use of angles, light and shadows, to the set design - nothing I could possibly complain about.
I admit to adding the OST to my playlist. The songs are that good. Even if I have not seen the show and was not emotionally influenced and biased because of that, I would like them a lot.
Overall, this is a perfect sweet de-stresser. What adds to it are all the interviews and behind the scene videos that show the good atmosphere on set and great chemistry between the cast. You can see they enjoyed the filming and liked the story they were presenting on screen. Nothing better than people involved in the production actually believing in what they are creating.
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