This review may contain spoilers
I Love the Breeze
I am inlove with IQIYI right now. This production is heaven sent! I am so glad i found this.No need for recap, lets not waste time as you can read the summary from the main title.
What i love:
1. The very good looking leads; It seems like more and more KPOP idols are trying to venture into BLs, i hope its just not for gay business. Irregardless, Shin Jeong You did a good job. Woo Ji Han is also so lovely how could anyone resist that charm.
2. The very good pacing, i love that the story focused on the main leads and gave them the maximum exposure. THey really used the short time so well.
3. The very nice friends, not overexposed. Im also glad Seung Joo found his happy ending;
4. I love love love that they spent one whole finale episode to let us take in the sweetness of their newfound love. Some BLs show us the conflict at the penultimate episode and rush to wrap up things at the finale, im glad this show let us enjoy the main leads as a couple even for just one final episode.
What needs improvement - sorry i cant think of anything right now, im still in cloud 9 after watching this series. I dont think they even need to make it longer, its enough just as it is.
Overall its a 9.5. Speaking of insomnia, I found this drama after a sleepless night and at 7am. I thought Id try watching one episode ended up watching the whole series. Now i can rest. Reccommended for quick watching! Makes the subscription so worth it, IQIYI keep them coming!
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FEEL GOOD DRAMA AND ALSO CUTE!!!
This drama is so cute bot visuals and the storyline....This KBL has come after a long time and the wait is literally worth it.....Korean BLs are having a moment this year as they keep releasing one hit show after another. If you are done with Eighth Sense, Semantic Error and other KBL's and are looking for the next show, A Breeze of Love is here to watch!For those who don't know yet A Breeze of Love is adapted from the “Weather Forecast Love” webtoon. The show tells the story of Ban Dong-wook, who has insomnia. His condition gets worse, especially on bad weather days. On one of these bad days, he coincidentally meets Lee Do-hyun, who becomes his haven. Soon, Do-hyun develops feelings for Dong-wook.
Unfortunately, his confession goes awry, and misunderstanding festers between the two. Fast forward to five years later, the two meet on campus and try to fix their broken ties..........
[THIS PART MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS]
I Really liked the first episodes. The close-ups, the camera work, the lighting, are all peak K-romance. The boys are gorgeous and they can act - we already have a good idea of their characters and the chemistry can be felt the moment they face each other.....also props to the girl who help them meet much faster ?
this one's cute haha especially Dohyun broooo he such a cutieeee so as Dongwook......also I was expecting that this one would be like " A Shoulder to cry on" (having no kissing scenes) but your bro is shocked when I saw that there is!!!!! I immediately screamed like omg that's such a memorable scene ? the atmosphere, the feeling, the- AHHHH hahahah and also I think the title change for this one (well) it fits with the drama....no stress or whatsoever hahaha so if you are looking for a 'feelgood' drama that also has an aesthetically pleasing cinematography I'll recommend this to You! ??
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I found it confusing..
The story started out with a good premise, unfortunately it wasn't really enough to carry the story.They did a ton of flashbacks - they were very confusing because there was no indication they were flashbacks! Usually, there is a special effects, fade in or out, etc. Not in this series, and since they were almost always in school clothes, it was difficult to tell if it was present or past.
Also, they looked so much alike, sometimes I couldn't tell who was who! The few included kisses were lips pressed, then back of their heads and show them from a distance - all tricks used on BL series when the actors don't want to kiss - it's an automatic turn off - if you can't kiss properly, just leave it out altogether.
It was nice, if that is what you are looking for. The series got a lot of positive reviews, but for me - it has no rewatch value.
Not the worst, nor the best.
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An Intimate and Personal Story That May Surprise You
After finishing this BL I've been compelled to write a small review in hopes I may convince you to give it a try,The story centers around two high school classmates who reunite at college through the basketball team. Immediately you sense a strain between the two, as the story progresses it uses a fragmented story structure to help you piece together what caused the strain on their relationship, while in the present having the couple navigate their reunion. You don't know what is causing the strain but immediately you as the audience are enraptured into their story through the actor's lovely chemistry and very strong acting performances that never waver throughout. The story intimately captures this couple through a very personal lens. There is a side cast but they are very sparse. You mainly follow the leads as they navigate their complex feelings and reflect on their intimate past. What I feel like many BL lack is the proper build-up and tension between the leads, and this series completely embodies this through its very quiet moments of intimacy and the great camera work and script that knows not to explain with exposition but instead visually whether it captures their hands grazing, or the characters looking into each other's eyes. The narrative, camera work, and acting all cohesively use each other to create a story that is dramatic, but also very breezy and personal. If you really enjoy some angsty tension, yearning, and a smaller-scale BL story, I think you will really enjoy this series as much as I did.
Pros:
-Intimate Story with an angsty-filled script that was well done and had excellent build-up
-Interesting fragmented storytelling that feels more artistic than many other BL
- Wonderfully acted! Leads give each excellent moments of tension and yearning the script requires.
-Amazing visual storytelling using the camera to tell the story rather than just telling the audience.
Cons:
-A bit too short I think 10 eps would be perfect, I'd love to see a little more revelation in the final episode.
-The music was a bit too repetitive for my taste, wish music was thrown in a bit more sparsely.
-would love a little bit more with a certain side character.
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It's aesthetically pleasing to watch, but that's it.
Unfortunately, A Breeze of Love was a let down.The theme of this drama is pretty much about misunderstandings, and I don't know about you guys but I am so tired of this cliché. As a drama lover though, I've come to accept —not welcome— but just accept misunderstandings because I know it's unavoidable and we need it to build the drama. But I'd just like for the misunderstandings to actually play out in a way that makes sense, not just for the sake of creating angst.
The drama I can draw the closest comparison to, in terms of overall plot, is probably Bon Appetit and Our Dating Sim. These three dramas depict the story of two people who start to form a relationship in highschool/university, get separated suddenly but then they meet again years later and start to rekindle their relationship. ODS was also an 8-episode series of roughly the same 15-minute runtime per episode, but it was able to deliver more than ABOL. Bon Appetit also had more depth to the story but would be unfair to use as a direct comparison since it had a larger runtime. What ODS and BA did much better compared to ABOL is that there was world building, depth to the story and communication. ABOL lacked all of these imo. What we got instead was a short series that was really pretty to watch but didn't offer anything in terms of storyline. It's truly unfortunate because of the good acting from the main leads.
On the note of 'world building' and 'communication', ABOL of course had scenes showing the lives of the main leads at university or with their friends but those scenes were short and still primarily centred around the main couple. And then interestingly enough, because we had less world building, we naturally had a lot more scenes of the main couple, which I would normally be enthusiastic about. However, in this case, those scenes were underutilized. What I mean is, we would have scenes of the main couple together, looking at each other and talking, but it just felt like not much was actually being said. I guess all the slow-mos, voiceovers, and repeated flasbacks didn’t help but even in moments where the couple were together in the present world, I just felt like, for the most part, we weren't getting much information out of them. I would have liked to see the main couple communicate more, especially when they were rekindling their relationship after they reunited, but nope, they didn't dissect what had happened in highschool and why they got separated, instead we just got another misunderstanding that got blown out of proportion yet again. It just felt like there wasn't much character development. There was one scene with a big fight between the couple where their acting skills are truly at their highest form and I really loved it. They were communicating, still not saying exactly what is is that they were angry about, but it was at least something more and I wish we got more of those kind of deep moments.
Although the acting was really good, the chemistry between the leads wasn't really good or bad. It was just there...Definitely not on the same scale as Bon Appetit or ODS. The couple were cute together and mainly because they're such a handsome duo, but that's it.
Honestly I'm sad. I was so stoked for this because the trailer looked so good in terms of production and acting [which I think it did deliver on in these two areas]. The trailer also seemed to give off a serious vibe — like we were going to witness the love story of two people and this big falling out they must have had for one of them to hate the other so much, and the eventual rekindling of their relationship years after their separation. Instead what we got was a basic misunderstanding plot.
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The most unique and original BL story this year!
"Just like my insomnia that has no reason. Just like the shower without any warming. You just showed up like that." Ban Dong Wook's opening monologue was the pitch in selling this drama to me. In a romance story, when searching for a soulmate, we want to have a reason why 'you' to validate the feeling. This drama does not answer why; it does not give the reason why Dong Wook has his insomnia; however, this drama gives solid contextualization of the presence of love between Dong Wook and Do Hyun.In my BL series dictionaries with all long couples; Dong Wook and Do Hyun are winning in terms of unsettled interaction. Sometimes high school Do Hyun seems to be eating his words when talking to Dong Wook, who seems to be actively approaching him. But, all their interactions are well-resonated; both of them are a bit surprised by what takes them from their encounter.
"A Breeze of Love" story is unique and original; it is solid and focuses on narrating the main point. This story material can be told as short as it is now, or it can grow big to be a lengthy series, for example, a solid 10-16 episodes with 40-60 minutes running time per each. "A Breeze of Love" has two points of direction to follow that can complement each other. In character development, "A Breeze of Love" can delve into Dong Wook's background; it does not have to answer why he has his insomnia, but it tells from where and when it happens and how it impacts at any level in his life. Also, Do Hyun can be explored more by telling how and why he was conquered by Do Hyun. Besides this character development, another point is about basketball. Basketball can play a vital role where they meet and have fun together, but it also can be something that challenges their relationship when they don't have equal interest and passion for this sport.
I give this series 10/10. I acknowledge this is not a perfect series in terms of giving details; for example, Dong Wook's appearance is too perfect and not convincing as a guy who is troubled sleeping. He needs to be less glowing and have a bit of make-up under his eyes. But, I am a sucker for a unique and original unexpected love story. And "A Breeze of Love" has this and it entertains me and gives me an easy feeling that makes me less anxious for no reason. Maybe it is because it is nice to think something, somewhere, there are people out there meeting their person that makes their sickness or problem go away. It makes me feel hopeful and happy.
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A bewilderingly wonderful watch
For a not-very-anticipated drama with a confusing synopsis, this managed to pull out all the stops. This. This is what A Shoulder to Cry On WANTED to be. It had tension, kept its focus, kept the conflict simple and unfolded the details of it bit by bit, and pulled the main leads and their complicated feelings together at every turn. And, best of all, their yearning was evident and put into action.I recommend you go binge it right now!
Criticism: My only real gripe was the music. Many times, it was ill-fitting or came out of nowhere very loudly and interrupted an otherwise impactful moment. Other times, a scene could have done with silence to allow the audience and the characters to sit with their feelings.
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worth a watch
Overall: an overall decent KBL. 8 episodes around 16 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI.What I Liked
- sweet/cute moments
- that it centered on the two leads without a whole bunch of other characters
- supportive friends
- we got more than 1 kiss and they were a little better than dead fish lip presses
- production value
Room For Improvement
- I wish they had been more clear about what the issue was in the past/shown it earlier and that the issue didn't hinge on poor communication that a 5 minute conversation would clear up
- could have had stronger world building
- the last episode felt more like vignettes instead of an overarching ending episode and if they are planning a spin off/season 2 then that possible couple should have been shown at the very end or even post credits
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+ the acting is quite okay
+ i am not sure what to think about the chemistry. i guess..its there? but the main problem is the story. i'll get to this point later
+ nice ost.
+ visuals
Room for improvement:
- i didn't like the female character. she was absolutely annoying imho. i just have a problem with people like her, lmao. she's way too intrusive.
- the story lacks excitement. it was just..a bit boring. i would've wished, that his insomnia gets more room in the story. or more depth. it felt shallow. at the end there are some open questions, which i didnt got any conclusion for. nothing major, but little things i would've like to know.
- the whole plot felt a little bit like a mess and all over the place. as if someone would start several things, but doesn't tell them till the end. i guess that's also the reason why i don't feel much chemistry. because the story doesn't feel connected. so.. yeah, well.
it's okay to watch, but it's definitely not a must-watch. and that makes me actually a bit sad, because i was really excited for this drama. ^^'
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This review may contain spoilers
where water once stood, there it shall return
Whattagwaan!! It almost feels like South Korea has a monthly BL series dump. We had Sing My Crush, Bon Appetit, Bump my Business and now this gem of a series. All episodes tossed into the universe for all of us fans to enjoy.Regarding this series, our male leads have a painful history and from their first interaction in the first episode, you can tell there’s hurt, there’s regret and one sided desire to make amends. The journey is slow, but gentle and sweet. It doesnt feel rushed albeit full of anticipation. All this because the thing about love is once it makes its presence known, it never really leave. Some might even say time heals, but does it really? Our male leads have had this struggle for five years.
The series comes to us at a perfect time in our BL lives where plenty series have ended. In this myriad of edgy plots, we can appreciated a laid back, sweet and fluffy romance between two wholesome characters. The visuals do not hurt. A strong recommendation if you’re looking for a cuddly and soft boy love story.
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This review may contain spoilers
Adorable
Had this series on my watch list and finally got around to watching it, and I'm glad I did! It's been a minute since I've watched a Korean BL, and this has just hyped up my want to dip back into them. A Breeze of Love was an incredibly short but incredibly delightful little series.Let's Dive In.
This series was only 8 episodes about 20 or fewer minutes long. It is about a guy who has chronic insomnia who happens to be able to fall asleep around another guy and they fall in love. Great creative concept, and it leaves you intrigued to see how the series will turn out. While this was short, this was the perfect length for me. It was a quick watch, took me less than half the day to finish, and I really enjoyed it.
The plot doesn't stray away at all from the leads which is why you're constantly enthralled with the story. I'm mostly so in love with the leads' connection because I'm a sucker for first love and going through all the little things about liking someone and finally executing those feelings. So I loved their flashbacks to them in high school when they first met and started liking each other. Their relationship as adults feels very authentic and I really liked watching their plot unfold.
You can't not fall head over heels for the actors, specifically Jeongyou who I was only slightly offended never took his shirt off. The only nit-picky thing I have about this was when they were playing basketball and traveling like idiots. Overall though, this was an adorable series, albeit not going to be very memorable after a while, but it's worth the watch.
Rating:
Story: 7/10 - the insomnia storyline is super fun and creative. The leads do chemistry pretty well and their kisses looked natural and organic so I'm not mad. Would love to see whatever was going on between Dohyun's best friend and the guy's-face-we-never-see (season 2 perhaps??). Still a pretty simplistic plot, but it's good!
Acting: 8.5/10 - Jihan did the best out of everyone with his very staller performance. Everyone else did well, but the acting is just okay in this, nothing jaw-dropping.
Music: 7/10 - really liked the OST! For once paid attention to it and wasn't disappointed.
Recommendation Value: 8/10 - It's too short and too cute not to try and at least give it a watch. Dongwook is also wet a good majority of the time if that helps any.
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Incredible!
Although this is supposedly based on the manhwa 'Weather Forecast of Love', the show is actually quite different from the webcomic that it borrow's its characters from. Dohyun, for one, is a lot more assertive and confident than his webtoon counterpart and Donghyuk is a lot more reserved, a bit of a loner, and a lot less aggressive in comparison to the popular and unattainable Donghyuk of the webtoon. The backstory for the whole show is also quite different from the manhwa, and to be honest, I'd much rather think of them as completely independent works because Donghyuk's insomnia and it's cure are the only common factors other than the character names.As someone who has watched pretty much all the Japanese, Taiwanese, Thai BLs in the last 5 years, I can confidently say that this is show an absolute treasure. The directing, cinematography and acting are impeccable! The story is cute, simple and not unnecessarily and unrealistically dramatic. There are a few cute kisses and both leads are incredible. From the first episode we can see the chemistry and tension between the leads. Absolutely adored this show and the gentleness of it! It is so easy-breezy and light that it is an easy rewatch with each of the 8 episode being between 15-21 minutes in length (including intro and end credits). Definitely worth the ~2 hours.
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