Unlocks at the end, with some regrets
I am normally picky with stories that involve transmigration in their plot, but I chose to give this one a chance since the premise seemed interesting.The initial idea is pretty simple: during a chat with a friend, the 29 years old Tae Myung Ha shows empathy toward a minor character in their friend's novel, unsatisfied with how unhappy he is in the end. We are then showed Tae Myung Ha passing out and later waking up as his 19 years old self, in a reality where his favorite minor character of the novel, Cha Yeo Woon, is a student in his same high school. From this point onward, Myung Ha starts seeing mysterious instructions and prompts, just like in a video game, all focusing on one main quest: "Make Cha Yeo Woon happy". The penalty in case he doesn't succeed in the span of 300 days is "death".
Most of the story keeps its focus on Tae Myung Ha doing his best to fulfill the missions he receives, which makes it mostly light and fun to watch. Myung Ha shows such care and empathy toward his "bias" that it was hard for me not to feel endeared at all their interactions. Cha Yeo Woon melts slowly but steadily under this kind of attention, which is oddly rewarding to see.
My interest in the plot and the many events stayed high the entire time, which is why I chose to give this drama a higher rating, but I can't say I was entirely satisfied with the execution. It was easy to dismiss my doubts and many questions at the beginning, as I kept hoping for everything to find its right resolution eventually, but in the end I had to realize that while enjoyable, the story also left me with multiple unanswered questions. Even now I feel like multiple elements of the plot were introduced specifically to cause conflict, even when there was no valid reason for them to occurr. I'm not going to explain in detail what I mean since I don't want to spoil anything, but the final episode in particular has a completely different tone compared to everything else, which really made me wish to see more.
The acting from all the characters, both main and supporting, was perfect. Props to Cha Joo Wan in particular for his performance as Cha Yeo Woon, which granted him access to my list of perfect puppy-like characters. I also really enjoyed Oh Min Su as Chun Sang Won way more than I thought I would in the beginning.
The production is very good. I wasn't expecting much since it's a short series, and I'm used to Korean BL having a smaller budget compared to other dramas, and yet the shots looked amazing from the beginning to the end.
In conclusion, I believe that this drama will be enjoyed a lot by those who are more interested in the romantic side of the plot, rather than the supernatural one. Regardless, I recommend giving it a chance!
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A show that *happens* to be a BL (an amazing one at that)
I absolutely adored this show and I think a large part of it is that it really feels like full-fledged realised show in which the characters are their own people, yet happen to like each other. There're no annoying stereotypes depicted and this show really feels like a breath of fresh air.*The story*
- transmigrator trope! What more could you ask for? The ML is angry that his favorite character gets sidelined as the second lead and somehow ends up in a game where all the characters are alive. What was even better is that the ML went seemingly back in time to his highschool body, so he doesn't have to lie about anything and can even re-connect with his grandmother.
- the slow build of trust to absolute devotion from the LI is so adorable
*the characters*
- The characters are not useless and they all have their own wants and fears. The ML is incredibly kind and cool, which is a rare combination for ML in BLs I feel. He's known for being a great fighter, but since he's now more mature he is also very done with the kids that are postering and trying to look cool. He takes care of the male lead so well too! The supporting cast is pretty great as well. I recognised the ML's friend - actor Cha Woong Ki - from a survival show and I'm so glad to see him in a show that is doing well. He did a good job for the limited screen time he had! The second supporting cast is strangely pitiful haha. He is an ass but I also kind of like him? It's very intriguing!
Overall this really felt like the best or one of the best k-BLs. The lenghts of the episodes were amazing too, without anything being too cut off - of course I still want more but then I feel like that with all of my favorite shows.
Don't hesitate and watch!
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This review may contain spoilers
Great From Start to Finish
I was a bit skeptical before starting this one but to my surprise after watching the first few episodes I absolutely fell in love with it and the ending did not disappoint either. The acting from the main leads was very enjoyable and their chemistry was one of the greatest I've seen in K-BL's. I found myself getting more and more invested in the great storyline the more episodes I watched. If anyone is hesitating on watching this just go for it, I can assure you that you'll grow fond of its charm very quickly.Was this review helpful to you?
My no.1 KBL of all time
This is definitely the best webtoon remake KBL! The actors acting are excellent! Usually KBL actors can't even show real tears or can't depicted the heartbroken emotion well but this KBL has it all! My top 5 KBLs of all time are Blueming, Semantic Error, The Tasty Florida, Our Dating Sim and A Breeze of love! But the moment i finished watching this, it has become my no.1! Once you start watching, you can't stop until you watched till the end! Definitely worth watching! That's how good it is! ??????Was this review helpful to you?
Really worth watching
Love for love’s sake I think is really worth watching because is just so cute! Is also really entertaining and not boring also I think Tae Myung ha from the real world is quite relatable character to me personally. Also I think both leading males have such a great chemistry I did really saw any awkwardness between them. This drama short so you can really finish it like in a couple hours and you will be left wanting more episodes to watch! The ending is so cute that it made me cry! Another thing is that the whole cast are really good looking and cute! ! ! ! Anyways you guys should watch it! (☆_☆) *･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.: *･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:* ･゜ﾟ･* ★彡 （＾ω＾） ↖(^ω^)↗ ◉‿◉Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This series may change your outlook on BLs going forward
I am not even sure how to start this review.I started watching this show purely on a whim. I just needed something to watch as I was doing some assignments, which resulted in me missing some major key points to this drama in the first episode. Although this happened, the way this show blew me away was no joke.
For me, I have never watched a drama where I could truly resonate with the characters on such a deep, emotional level as I did with Tae Myungha. The way Lee Taevin portrayed Myungha really blew me away. He relayed such raw and pure emotions, I felt said emotions while watching (here I refer to any sort of emotion: happiness, anger, anxiety etc.). If you are someone who has ever felt strong feelings of despair and hopelessness, you will be able to resonate with Tae Myungha.
The show starts out with Tae Myungha talking with his senior about a novel he's written, which is in talks of being adapted into a game. Tae Myungha expressed how it's Vile the character Cha Yeowoon has to live such a pityful life and how everyone deserves happiness. Sunbae asks him if he'd liek to change it for him, and as he asks, Tae Myungha seems to slowly pass out.
Once he comes to his senses again, he finds himself inside said game adaptation. He quickly discovers that he is being presented with a mission: [Find Cha Yeowoon]. Upon discovering this, he asks a newfound classmate if he knows of Cha Yeowoon, to which he says that he's a famous trackstar in the school. Myungha is shocked to find out that his favorite character from the novel seems to be a real person. He then turns around and starts running, to which the classmate asks "Where are you going?" and Myungha promptly answers "To find my favorite person, I mean, to find Cha Yeowoon".
The game tells him where Yeowoon is and he quickly starts running to him. When he finally sees him, he is standing by the railing at the his rooftop apartment, preparing to jump. Myungha rushes to his side to prevent him from jumping by pulling him towards himself, resulting in the both of them falling to the ground. As this happens, a notification shows up saying [A change in the world] and the mission changes to: [Make Cha Yeowoon happy].
Myungha quickly comes to terms with the fact that he is now "trapped" in this gameworld and has to complete different mission with the main one being: [Make Cha Yeowoon happy].
Throughout the series, we get to see how Myungha does everything in his power to help Cha Yeowoon, such as earning money, making friend etc., and we get to see the beautiful course of friendships blooming and relationships forming. While being a really interesting story, it is also performed really well by the actors. The chemistry between the 4 main actors is no joke and you come to feel so attached to all of them throughout the series that by the time it finishes, you can't help but just want more.
The conclusion to the story is both heartbreaking and beautiful., leaving you with tears running down your cheeks but also a sense of warmth and satisfaction.
Speaking as someone who has watched quite a lot of BL over the years, be it Korean, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, you name it, I can honestly say, that Love For Love's Sake is probably the most well-made BL, both story and production wise. It has an interesting plot with well-written characters and perfect cast, and then the production of the series itself is also done so well with great use of visual effects and beautifully shot scenes. As an avid skipper, meaning I often use the skip button while watching things as I get a little too impatient and just want to move on with the plot, not once did I skip while watching Love For Love's Sake. It had me glued to the screen at every second and had me giggling to myself while kicking my feet in the air from being too damn cute and fluffy. It also had some truly iconic moments. It deals with real-life issues (homophobia, suicide, death) and does it in such a tasteful manner, you feel so content while watching. It does an amazing job of always keeping you hooked, be it big, explosive scenes, where you find yourself sitting at the edge of your seat, or cute, fluffy scenes where you can't help but smile (and maybe blush a little).
As of writing this, I have rewatched it 4 times and I just keep on wanting to rewatch it. It feels extreme to say this, but it truly has affected me on such a deep, emotional level in a way no other media has ever done. I could probably continue praising it, but I will finish this review off by saying:
In my eyes, Love For Love's Sake truly is a masterpiece.
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The chemistry between two lead actors is amazing
I have a love-hate relationship with bl dramas cause sometimes the plot or the acting is extremly akward and not enjoyable. Maybe it´s because of lee taevin acting experiences but he delivered an amazing performance and played myung ha perfectly.I really like the chemistry between the two lead actors! The cutesness is overflowing. What gets you hooked are the cute and funny scenes/ moments between myung ha and yeo hoon. The little moments that makes you smile and your heart flutter. Yeah absolutely adorable.
The ending is a little dramatic and rushed but I think it is because they tried to squeeze everthing in 8 episodes ( could have more ep in my opinion lol).
Overall a must watch for all bl fans ^^
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I loved this series so much! The plot felt very unique, which was certainly refreshing. I loved the ease of the interactions between the characters, it felt so natural. And when drama happened it felt well-explained and even relatable. This series had me giggling, even blushing in the good moments and bawling my eyes out in the bad moments, which for me is a great measure of a good series. I wholeheartedly recommend this series, and hope you can find the love that I found in it.
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A series with loads of fun moments, a unique premise, with a deep theme hidden in it.
So, I went into this series without any clue...I haven't read webtoon...I directly started watching the series and my god I was invested like crazy since the first ep...The game setting is very interesting and most importantly, it is well executed...given it's budget, series surprisingly executed almost every aspect flawlessly...for me, the series is 9.5/10 overall but...I added 0.5 because they deserve the praise for making such a beautiful series within limited budget...
Pros:
-there is no toxicity: every character is lovable and understanding...the love triangle situation is handled in a very mature way...
-acting: Lee taevin gives a standout performance here, he needs more work ASAP...
Other actors also did so well...it's very believable...
-story: the storyline is a rollercoaster ride... continuously oscillating between darker and deeper and themes lovey dovey elements...last two ep will make you cry...and all the cute moments will make you blush hard...also, the final takeaway of self love is unexpected but worth it...
-music: the music choices are well thought and elevate the overall feel...
-production and cinematography: the series looks high budget...the frames capture it's youthful nature perfectly...
Cons:
-screenplay: it could've been better.. if this had atleast 10 ep, the game and system error elements could've been explained in a better way...I wouldn't say it is bad...but it does confuse you frequently because the cuts are abrupt without any explanation...but maybe it can make sense if you consider it's game premise, thinking it might be because of glitches...
Overall, it's a must watch, not just as a bl but even as a general kdramas...This is a classic that will be remembered in years to come...
Definitely in my top three kBLs...(along with the eighth sense and to my star 2)
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Something to tug on your heartstrings
Well this made me way more emotional than I expected. The story has a message that is relatable whether you're a teenager or an adult. Very heartwarming and heart-wrenching at times, this series is a kind reminder to look for happiness even at the worst of times, because more often than not it's hidden deep in our everyday lives, too ordinary to notice but too outstanding to completely miss. The quote from the last episode is articulated much better, but if anyone wants to see how exactly it was worded, then check out the series. Eight episodes are way too short to miss out on!Was this review helpful to you?
IS THERE A REASON NOT TO WATCH IT???
This is definetly the year of korean bl's.I started this BL with not much expectations and ended watching it with it becoming my top 2 !
What was good about it? Well, everything. The original plot was amazing and well made. Not to mention the episodes were longer than usual (30-40). This series don't need a lot of nc/kissing scenes etc to be perfect. It's perfect because of it's story, cast and music. I really can't mention a reason of why not to watch it.
Go watch this masterpiece, you wouldn't regret.
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