This review may contain spoilers
A remake that wasn’t bad, but better than the original
I watched Why R U? A long time ago so I thought that when I watched this remake I’d forget everything or I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as the Thai one, but it was almost exactly the same and it was amazing that I think I would watch t\his over and over again. There might be spoilers so be aware.The plot were alike you had Tutor and Fighter as Sun woo and Yoo kyeom and Saifah and Zon as Lee Won and Ji Oh. A lot of the iconic scenes from Why R U? Thai version was in the Korean version, but I feel was presented better. It had the same plot of Lee Won fighting with his sister about how he doesn’t want to be in a BL manga with his enemy Ji Oh and that he swore that it won’t come true and then storm happened and that’s what made the curse come true. Slowly Lee won and Ji oh kept getting partnered up because they were in acting class and the teacher wanted them together. For their first project they had to act like they are broken up and while one acted like they were sad and depressed the other one was so mad and even slapped him in the face which caused them to lose points. They also got pared up to act like Romeo and Juliet and Lee Won was Romeo and Ji Oh was Ji Oh and while they were practicing for it they slowly became friends and into lovers at the last minute and even got caught making out with each other and had to hide because even people thought that they were becoming lovers since they are so close. They even watched a clip of Why R U? For their movie date together. The second couple was Sun woo and Yoo Kyeom and I have to say they were more cuter than Tutor and Fighter, every scene that they had seemed to come from Why R U? Like the name tag scene, the drawing and hair tied on Tutors face and hair and how Tutor was poor, but instead of tutoring he just worked in a convenience store. Their relationship was more complicated, but when it was complicated they still looked like a cute couple, but I do wished we could’ve gotten another series with Sunwoo and kyeom because they had so much chemistry that they were even better than the original couple. I also loved when they got together because Sunwoo looked so much like a tiny bear whenever he was with Kyeom. Also Sunwoo is the most adorable person in this whole show because he reminded me of a bear. Also I have to mention MaxNat, I figured that they were in this because they didn’t get justice for their screen time in the original one. Overall this series is a must watch and you cannot miss it. I definitely recommend this series.
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This review may contain spoilers
For those who did not like the Thai original!
Before anything else, there are two things I need to make clear.One, I hated the original version with every fibre of my body! It had everything I dislike: it was over the top, with overwhelming second hand embarrassment cringe and it did not know which genre it is so it went from horrible slapstick comedy, to romance, to musical to soft porn and back. I finished watching it because I was still going through my "Never Drop Anything" phase which probably ended with this series.
Two - recent koreans bls have been a string of disappointments coupled with universally bad korean web drama production values: lack of warmth (probably due to bad cameras) and bad sound (obligatory echo when filmed indoors). So I keep watching K- bls hoping for another miracle like Hwang Da Seul (director of To My Star and Blueming) but I have not seen any.
I decided to watch this when my favourite reviewer said it was better than the thai version. And it was so so so much better.
The series follows four film school students who found themselves main character of a bl webnovel (no transmigration just the writer inspiration!). Like a self fulfilling prophecy, two couples are formed. Are they real couples or have they been created because of the popularity of the book? Or is it only a coincidence? Or did the author realize before those four guys what was happening between them? Or is everything just the plot of a movie those students are filming? Theories floating around are many!
The hows and the whys are many but are ultimately not important!
The first couple were enemies to lovers: the initial antagonists became friends and then more. The second couple was unrequited love: when SunWoo's unusual appearance unwittingly piques his crush's interest, things evolve quickly. Each character had its flaws. LeeWon, the actor, looks like an immature talentless slacker but is actually a principled, fair and sincere person. JiOh is a tall, stern and cold looking director student clashing with LeeWon: pushing his buttons to get a reaction from LeeWon, he changes completely when he falls in love. Sun Woo is a hardworking poor student with a chip on his shoulder, willing to help everyone but accepting no one's help. He's had a crush on YooKyeom, his school senior, rich and generous who hides many insecurities behind a warm smile and is very lonely.
The screenplay and the execution were excellent: funny without cringe (which could have happened with the sister-writer's fertile imagination, seeing things that were never there!), good butterflies inducing chemistry especially with the second couple (I definitely want to see more of them), zero annoying characters, a best helpful female friend. Main characters all change and develop during the drama, love correcting their minor flaws. Unlike the thai original, this drama is much shorter therefore there are fewer characters and the plot is tighter, there are no wasted moments.
The cast was perfect with one notable exception (see below!). They are handsome, have great chemistry and are not afraid of skinship which is rare in a korean bl! The casting of Lee Sang Min was interesting (zero issues with his acting!) because he reminded me so much of the actor who played Zon in the original (drama twins, I swear!).
I have two issues with this series.
One - casting of Lee Jung Min in a role of handsome, pretty actor. Unfortunately he is none of those so it was a bit hard to believe him to be a main lead character. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder: so let's not argue about this. It is very subjective and it sometimes influences my viewing pleasure. It did a little bit here. Fortunately the rest of the cast were perfect!
Two - very poor production values: non existent cinematography (everything is cold and ugly), empty sets (why does an university looks like a ghost town!),bad sound recording, sloppy and boring editing.
And in spite of these two major flaws, I loved it and I will be rewatching it sooner rather than later: it has everything I need for it to become another comfort blanket drama for when I'm feeling down!
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A promising start hindered by execution
This is a series that keeps you questioning its potential right up to the end. It's shot with a modest budget, and across its eight 30-minute episodes, it had ample time to delve into character development and storyline details. However, it ultimately falls short in these aspects.The series commences with Jung Lee Won discovering that his roommate is writing a web novel where he and his rival, Kim Ji Oh, are depicted as being in a romantic relationship. Lee Won vehemently denies the claims but soon realizes that Ji Oh's feelings are gradually shifting toward genuine affection. Attempting to maintain his distance from Ji Oh proves futile when they are assigned to collaborate on a project. Meanwhile, Woo Sun Woo secretly nurtures feelings for Ko Yoo Kyeom, who happens to be his best friend's boyfriend. Out of loyalty to his friendship, Sun Woo suppresses his budding romance with Yoo Kyeom.
The series begins on a promising note, introducing us to the main characters, Lee Won and Ji Oh, and establishing their intense rivalry. They clash at every turn. Additionally, we are acquainted with the talented yet financially disadvantaged Sun Woo and the affluent Yoo Kyeom. Unfortunately, as the series unfolds, it takes a noticeable dip in quality. Ji Oh's sudden shift from rivalry to affection for Lee Won feels rushed and unconvincing. Conversely, Sun Woo's reluctance to express his feelings for Yoo Kyeom, followed by an abrupt confession and subsequent avoidance, makes his character arc appear inconsistent. The series also suffers from erratic sound recording, with background noise abruptly disappearing during dialogue scenes and noticeable dubbing issues.
The standout elements of this series are undoubtedly the performances by Lee Ye Hwan and Lee Sang Min. They bring their characters to life with enthusiasm and conviction, providing a silver lining in an otherwise uneven production. Lee Jung Min and Park Chang Hoon, while competent, could have offered stronger performances.
In conclusion, this series may be worth considering for a quick watch, particularly for the commendable acting talents of Lee Ye Hwan and Lee Sang Min. It falls short of its potential due to pacing and technical issues but can still provide some entertainment, making it suitable for a lazy weekend binge.
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A cute and VERY loose adaptation of the Thai original
You have to watch this with a different lensThe storyline is loosely the same but the plot, characters and scenarios are quite different.
I'm enjoying it so far but it takes a few minutes to forget JimmyTommy SaintZee and just accept these characters as they are without comparing it with the Thai version.
The episodes are short and there are 2 a week so it will be done really shortly but it's nice to see KBLs doing more than one couple dramas and giving us 'more' on the intimacy scale.
Here's hoping the ending is just as satisfying.
Just finished and yes, whilst it felt rushed we got the ending we hoped for I guess. Would have liked this to be 10 or 12 episodes to give us more couple time?
Enjoy
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This review may contain spoilers
Bad Yet Good
Before I go on about this one, I myself have not seen the original version (thai.) Therefore, i can not compare this really, BUT this did seem like a somewhat good Korean remake.I have seen clips of the og, and this one, in my opinion, was pretty good. This focuses on the story of which was the side couple in the thai version. (from what I've heard)
The story was a little boring, and also a bit confusing in my opinion. The chemistry was SOMEWHAT there, but I didn't feel it a whole lot. The actors are cute, I'll give it that. Though, that couldn't fully save this.
The acting was pretty good for what seems are rookie actors, so I won't fully criticize it for that. The editing? Questionable at times, but okay.
It felt more fluffy-ish than anything. It was confusing at times, but pretty cute nonetheless.
I wish I could say more, but considering that I haven't seen the og, WHICH I'LL WATCH SOON?, I can't say much in comparison.
I wouldn't recommend if you were looking for an intense, well put-together kbl. This is more a fluffy, more amateur series. Cute though!!
(sorry if it sounds like I repeated a bunch of things?)
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A remake surpassing the original in length
The Korean remake of the Thai Bl original is surpassing in all aspects you can think of the original pruduction from Thailand. Comapred to the Thai production the Korean production is straightened, slimlined and on the point. The Thai production dragged on and on and seemed to lead into ... I don´t know where. It looks in retropective to me, that the Thai Bl needed nice boys of all kind to get a wide enough audience to get their advertising (productplacement) done.2 couples and their struggles to get to each other is by far enough.
I like the professionality of the Korean productions to be honest and prefer them. And I really hope that the Korean BLs don´t become such a mass MeToo, fangirl catching, klick baiting, low level production.
The cast: great
The acting: plausible and good
Storyline: straigthened and slimlined, á point
Directing: good
Rewatch value: top
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This review may contain spoilers
No, definitely not!
I have never actually been a fan of sequels, remixes and remakes. Whenever such a thing is announced, I feel like I will be disappointed. And this show just proved me right. While I will not say that it was terrible, but it definitely did not have the spark that the Thai version had.There is the initial 'sister writing a BL', but that was it! Yugyeom is not Fighter and Sunwoo is not Tutor. The chemistry, the sexual tension, the teasing, everything is missing and in spades. The sight of Fighter walking into a space with that body, not afraid of showing his body at the drop of a hat, and the sheer steam when Zee and Saint are in a space together... I think I am officially out of words when it comes to describing them.
On the other hand, Yiwon and Ji-Oh are definitely not Zon and Saifah. While they are a bit of the redeeming factors of the show, I am not really impressed, and I am pretty sure it's not easy for any of us to be able to digest it directly.
Also, the coming together of both the couples seems too contrived and disjointed, and too fast, packing a lot of things into one last episode.
While I really liked the transition of Kim Ji-Oh's character (maybe he always like Yiwon), the rest of it didn't make sense. While I will never say that it's not a good show, it is not a great one either. It has it's good moments, the kisses are pretty decent, and the clingy Kim Ji-Oh is an adorable cutie. And all the four actors are pretty good looking. There is no manipulative female character, although some of the other classmates are a bit obnoxious.
Yiwon's sister is a good cast, and sweet to boot. I like the sister's character in the original too, but here her role is not as much.
A lot of people may feel that this is a better show, as it doesn't drag on like the original, but i beg to differ, with the caveat 'to each his own'.
As I said, I am not a fan of any kind of reboot, because comparisons to the original are inevitable, which is why I am not looking forward to the Thai versions of Kieta Hatsuoki (Gemini-Fourth) and 30 years of virginity (Tay-New). Not that I will not watch them (c'mon.. who can resist either of those couples??), but with a pinch of salt!
If you are missing a bit of fluff in life, go ahead and watch this at least once, but a rewatch will not be recommended by me for sure!!
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Better K Style even...
When writing my review for the original Thai version - you can see I was very frustrated with some of the storyline. Using people for personal gain is not my cup of tea and that is all over the original.For the Korean version - while they had 17 episodes of material to work with - this slimmed down version almost gets it right. For some of it, you can see they were dealing with a low budget and didn't make the time to find product placement deals to help it all out. Their location shots were real - even to the point of not fixing the curtains in the classroom to give it a better feel. If that's the way the students see it everyday - leave it. Same with the other location shots - real. But, the sound person - OMG - they should have been given everything they needed. When the insects have more time on the screen than the actors - ugh. And, the voice overs were as bad as the Chinese dramas we see. The voices - from a studio somewhere in Korea - have nothing to do with the environments they are in. Outside noise? Wind? People walking by in a cafeteria? Someone putting a pen or, pencil down in a classroom? None of that is here in this world - just their voice - in a personality deprived vacuum.
The Korean version threw away most of the mistakes from the Thai version. The sister is not as self serving and evil as the Thai version. This sister takes the time to tell her brother that the story is too far along to make such changes and she is truly sorry. You believe it. In the Thai version - she never is sincere about what she has done and the writers had to add three extra episodes to make up for it. If you couldn't do it in the first 14 - why do you think the fans will accept the new version in 15-17?
Gone are the fair weather friends who were only there to make fun of people and use them for personal favors or, gain. Gone are the side storylines that were never fully developed in the Thai version.
In this version - we get some characters actions and such changed - so, try not to bring the baggage of the Thai version with you - it will confuse you for a bit as you adjust. Because this is only an 8 episode miniature version - they leave out important parts and leave you hanging (often) from badly cut scenes and wasting your time revisiting the whole story at the beginning of each episode - lazy on the production and directing side.
What saves this (and I have already watched the series twice) is the casting and acting on our main characters parts. They do a great job and you do get invested in them. I loved the scene between Sun Woo and Ko Yoo at the bus stop. It helps put those two characters in the proper perspective - showing both personalities clearly and you understand why they don't understand each other. This moment gives them both time to reflect on how they have lived their lives and how their own prejudices against themselves have held them back. When they get together - you believe it and cheer them on.
The whole relationship/interaction between our other two main characters between Kim Ji Oh and Jung Lee Won are also believable if you take into account time passing in a school sense. LOVED the versions of the same shots as seen from different eyes. When the girls watch the interactions - they see the lovers. Those wonderful scenes add some fun to the production and must have been fun to film. We get to see both versions and judge for ourselves.
It would have been nice to see this company take all of those 17 episodes and improve/fix for the Korean version - with a nice budget but, I do understand that the K-Drama world is still treading lightly into the BL world. I have seen some dramas redone with larger budgets - at a later date. There is a Chinese one where we get to see two versions of the same story and then, a Thai one. Let's see this one with better treatment when everyone is ready. Would love to see a full budget 16 episode K-Drama of this one - even if they have to buy and use Red Ginseng and go to Subway - soon.
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Confusing, but still enjoyable
I gave this series a shit since I watched the original thai one and because I saw some tiktoks about the drama. The story is interesting but confusing at the same time. Still, you can tell the drama does not take itself too seriously so the confusion can be forgiven as a silly little BL plot. The pairing work well, I liked the side couple more than the main couple but no one was ouright bad. I surprisingly liked the kissing scenes a lot and felt like they were spread out nicely as well. This was a short and fresh drama for me, enjoyable and a little silly. One comment I do have is that I was confused by some of the voice lines looking like they werent recorded live, and it took me out of the immersion even more coupled with the silly nature of the drama. I still recommend a watch.Was this review helpful to you?
It was cute, funny… and short :/
It was really cute! The couples, the actors themselves, their characters and the story. Some scenes made me laugh, some made me smile, some gave me butterflies. Some made me go “Aaawwwww” ?I love the sulky moments the most!
It was not perfect, but it wasn’t that bad too. Ngl, it’s not on my top fave list. But I did enjoy it somehow.
And let’s admit, the actors are all handsome. I’m sure that’s an added factor on how they gave me butterflies.
I think since they have fewer episodes, they had to be direct with most of the scenes, and cut short with the back story. It lacked background or side stories to get a better build up and give a certain scene more depth and sense. Also, having more episodes could give the actors more chances to showcase their acting skills or improve overtime. The plot was actually cute and fun.
[Comments from here is now referring to general and not specifically for this drama]
I don’t know what’s still holding KBLs to do the same approach as Taiwanese/Chinese BLs or General K-drama. Like the story build up and depth we normally get from watching k-dramas. I still couldn’t get that from KBLs which is weird. They’re already doing BLs might as well treat it the same as how you would do in a k-drama.
The 8th sense, semantic error, our dating sim, blueming and where your eyes linger are some of the best kbls for me far - honestly they are still not perfect but so far are really the best ones… though I still haven’t got the full k-drama feels I’d get normally get from straight dramas.
But it does make sense to feel this way, since this is orginally from Thai BL, i don’t think that’s a good path to go to when it comes to execution. The kissing scenes were indeed cute and promising but honestly that’s just because they are all so handsome.
I couldn’t get myself watch any Thai BLs lately. Ever since Korea, Taiwan and China did BLs. Japanese BLs are good too.
Anyway, this was a light one. I love the OSTs. The actors got big potential, and ideally for romcom dramas. All I could really say is that it was Cute lol
Please don’t get affected with my comment, we have different tastes and takes, this might be your cup of tea! Still a good one to watch!
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Uma surpresa maravilhosa!!!
Tenho que começar falando que ainda não assisti a versão Thai! Logo meu embasamento será única e exclusivamente a história da versão coreana.Esse bl foi uma surpresa muito boa dentre tudo que eu venho assistindo ultimamente! Comecei despretensiosamente e terminei muito satisfeita. Acho que eu nunca me diverti tanto assistindo a um drama. Ri muito, fiquei preocupada pelos personagens, torci pelos casais, fui envolta pelo ambiente da história.
É um dorama leve, MUITO DIVERTIDO, com uma proposta simples, mas bem executado. Os personagens são muito cativantes e carismáticos, fazem com que a trama seja leve e muito fácil de assistir. No episódio 5 eu já estava triste, porque poderia assistir muitos outros episódios com esse elenco. Falando em elenco, achei os personagens muito bem escalados, todos combinam muito bem com a história de seus personagens e achei a atuação muito satisfatória.
Tenho que comentar: as cenas de beijo ??muito supimpas. Geralemente, quando assisto a BLS coreanos, não espero uma grandiosidade vinda das cenas mais “íntimas” dos casais, foco mais na química do casal no decorrer da história. Mas esse BL entregou muita química nos dois casais (principal e secundário) tanto na história quanto nas cenas de beijo.
Conclusão: vale muito a pena assistir!
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I'm very happy with the outcome!
I like the idea of the main character accidentally (?) turning his life into a BL fanfiction. It's silly in a good way and also feels new compared to other stories. I would have liked it more if the plot showed more ambiguity about this matter, but seeing Iwon worrying so much about it and being so weirded out by Jioh was still lots of fun to watch. Seeing both of them bicker and seeing their feelings for each other grow was quite nice! At some point I couldn't decide whether I wanted Jioh to have some peace of mind, or I wanted Iwon to panick even more. It was just a very entertaining dynamic overall.The second couple had a less animated plot, and while it was good to see their peaceful moments, it was also a little harder to follow, all because of the untold information that was only revealed to us viewers little by little. Sunwoo and Yugyeom were adorable together despite this and managed to deliver a very sentimental and romantic performance.
Overall I wish the plot was developed a little more - maybe with more episodes, or with longer episodes. I feel like it didn't have the proper space to "breathe" fully and lead to a very satisfying ending, but I can't say I disliked what I got at all.
The only thing I really disliked about this drama was the sound mixing. I watched this on Viki, so I'm not sure if this is just a problem of that platform alone, but the sound was VERY quiet, with some parts significantly more quiet than the others in the same episode. I had to work with my volume settings a lot while watching. On top of this, the audio quality wasn't very good, both in terms of lines and in terms of ambient sounds.
I guess it would be hard not to mention the original Why R U in this review, but to be honest I'd rather not compare them. The production styles are very different from each other, the plot here went through major (unavoidable) changes, and I also still remember how there were problems during the filming of the Thai version because of the start of the pandemic.
All I can say is that I have a soft spot for the original, and that I believe that this rendition was very good at giving justice to the plot. I was also very happy to see the little tributes to the original series here and there (first and foremost, Max and Nat having a cameo in the first episode).
In conclusion, I recommend this drama to whoever is looking for something cute and fun to watch, that also isn't too demanding both in terms of engagement (the story is very easy to follow) and in terms of time (each episode is about 20 minutes long if we don't count the theme songs and the recaps, so it's very easy to binge-watch).
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