Love in the Big City (2024)

A fresh perspective

Honestly my expectations were sky high but while watching ep 1, especially in the middle of the episode I kinda found some scenes cringe, so I almost dropped it. Also when it showed more friendship/roommates dynamic I kinda was uninterested because I thought it would be solely romance about two people. But thankfully I completed 2nd ep and was hooked. I was rooting for 1st cp and than the next and finally realized, this was not just a love story but story about love in life. So many people come and go and it’s very common for people to date many people over the years. I really loved the research guy cp, when he said to break up & go young punched him, his eyes looked painful, like he was hurting bad inside. I could feel his pain of unable to accept himself and how he was lost and hurting. I loved nurse guy cp too, loved how it showed many dynamic of dating and how over time, the fire is lost even though the love is still there but there are so many moments when you question it. I have never been in a relationship so it made me realize a lot about love. Go young was a relatable character, not perfect but very real, sometimes we don’t know how to appreciate the love given until it’s too late. So all in all, absolutely loved it and it made me reflect a lot in life too, also loved his friendship with 3 other guys and his ex roommate. There were so many good parts but gonna end it here. Hope there is 2nd season

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someone please share a spare heart with me

It was so wow. From the very first seconds, it captured all my attention, and now I feel like I might need a spare heart. My English doesn’t allow me to describe fully all my emotions, but my bestie and I spent a lot of time, words, and even tears just trying to move on after it.
It doesn’t mean that the series is bad; on the contrary, it provoked so many emotions that we couldn’t watch anything else for a while. At first, it was like, why can’t they end up together, why didn’t they try harder… then, oh, actually, maybe this is better for everyone. It's just that we’re not as decisive or strong as Yeong to hold on.
And Yeong still needs to learn how to live with Kyley and how to love. I hope he’ll be alright.

About Yeong Su, I'm not sure I totally understand—or maybe I just don’t want to believe it. Was it really all just a plan of his? Was Yeong initially just research for him? But then he fell in love, got scared, and pulled back?
That was painful.
And the story with Habibi isn’t clear to me. He lost his vision for two weeks, and then what? What was the cause?

About Kylie. It cause me to learn more, cause I’m convinced that this condition requires ongoing treatment. I didn’t really like how it was portrayed in the series, though.
And the issue with condoms seemed unrealistic to me in 2024, given the huge variety available.

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Tour-de-force. And it lingers in your mind after finishing it.

Love love love this. Binged it and loved it. Great acting, great storyline with great chemistry between the characters which makes it transcend beyond a typical BL. It is sweet without being cloy, it is sad without being overdramatic. After finishing the show, the afterglow of it lingered on me - sadness, hope and sentimentality. The last I had such a feeling after watching a series was after finishing the English series 'Normal People' based on Sally Rooney's novel that also had a similar-ish story line. This series is perhaps the closest and most accurate depiction of gay people living in asian countries. Best series so far on here this year, regardless of genre. Absolutely brilliant.

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Why rewatch it when you already know someones sad story ?

This k-drama was really interesting and pure addicting to watch, the protagonist were realistic with being gay and all the men he was with showed how selfish and worse he was. He was also having character development too which I liked through the whole series. What I liked about this k-drama was his group friends that was soo funnyy and something that one could wish to have when they are going through the bad days. Expecially the Female best friend who was really supportive too!

Allthough the ending was fkn sad...I wish he could be back with Gyu ho, bro why JUST WHYYYY. I'm on tears writing this.
And also I think rewatching this again would be boring, because you already know ones lifestory so why bother watching it again ?

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The best series ever

Literally EVERYTHING about this show was amazing!!! So realistic! I actually like that Yeong ended up not with Gyuho in the end because he needed to know he didn’t appreciate what he had until it was gone. I cried way too many times watching this show, which to me means it was an amazing production and acting! I loved how they showed both perspectives in the scenes in Bangkok because it shows just how blind love is! Gyuho was too in love with Yeong to see that love had been gone for a long time but he was just holding on to little parts of their old relationship that would come out. I also love how Yoonsu was able to have great chemistry with every single guy he had to act with! But my hot take on this was Yeong was a selfish guy, but only because he didn’t believe he deserved love. With his mom sending him to conversion therapy and then later dying and then an ex-boyfriend dying after he treated him badly, and then Yeoungsu dating him basically as an experiment, Yeong understandably didn’t feel worthy of love. But yet he still wanted to try again with Gyuho. I think Yeong is just one of those people who don’t know how to live with being alone, and unfortunately everyone except his three friends left him. This show had me sucked in from the beginning but I really knew it when even I missed Gyuho when he left. I cried so hard! It’s a beautiful story and I want to rewatch but I’m definitely gonna need to heal from the first watch before I do!

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This show may be one of the most realistic we've seen so far.

I kind of never will forgot this bl. It portrays life in such a realistic way, with several approaches that will destroy you. 😭 Literally EVERYTHING is perfect on this show, from the filmography to the actors, conveying feelings in such a beautiful way. Its quite impossible to not cry or to not feel involved/part of the mc, especially for us - lgbt community - life can be not easy for us and maybe we will have to deal with this loneliness until the end. I cried over all episodes, im not even joking, this really touched me and made me reflect on things i never had before in a deeply way. (religion issues yk, it hits so much hard when Fable song was released lol...)
TRUST ME!!!! It is worth it. gente nao sei mais o que falar serio to destruida brasil ptbr aqui é nois galera tmjjj pai que tanto de linha

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A Powerful, Beautiful, Gritty Work of Art

This is one powerful, beautifully written and wonderfully produced work of art.

I want to say it was not your typical BL but in all honesty it was not a BL at all. Had it had a happy ending it would have been ruined.

This series touched me all the way to my core. So many of the damaged, broken, painful relationships felt horribly familiar.

I have decided to consider this a modern day Asian version of Maurice (E M Forster/Merchant Ivory) except there was no 'sort of' happy ending.

As someone who has lived a life that seems to always be faintly touched by sadness I identified fully with Go Young's character. My manic depressive nature reveled in the absolutely blue tone and mood of this whole production.

For gay men living today the series left few stones unturned. It beautifully renders the reality of guilt-ridden, devoted, not-so-devoted relationships with sometimes good and sometimes unworthy mothers. It touches on the many lousy paternal relationships. With No Yeong Su's character it honestly depicts those of us who hate ourselves for being so different and so hated by many in the world that we never ever gain enough courage to live our lives openly and honestly. The scene at the end of the relationship when No Yeong Su is on the floor just accepting the beating broke my heart. It was as if he felt so absolutely unworthy that he simply accepted his fate. The series dealt with those of us that are so damaged that when we are in a good and nurturing relationship we don't realize it and inevitably damage or end them only to realize, too late, that the relationship was a good thing.

I almost forgot to include a major character—RELIGION!
How could I when religion has played such a major, horrifying, world hatred-and self-hatred inducing role in the lives of so many members of the lgbtq+ community? But I guess, I could be forgiven because while it was there it pretended to assume the role of a background character. Introduced by Go Young's mother, insidious and serpent-like it slithered its way through her life and his impacting both because clearly there had been a moment when she had him 'caught up' in her efforts to 'fix him'. She spent so much of her time on screen praying for a miracle that never came.

I could go on and on but I think it best to stop here so that viewers can unravel and experience this for themselves.

I want to thank the production team for creating such a wonderful series. I want to thank Sang Young Park, the writer of the novel for doing such a beautiful job of realistically depicting the typical, unvarnished life of many gay men. I want to thank the actors for an amazing, amazing job especially Nam Yoon Su and Na Hyun Woo for their powerful performances.

On x.com user Rafa @dongttaro wrote "BREAKING NEWS: Love In the Big City (2024) received a 55 minute standing ovation from me in my living after watching it for the 3th(sic) time" …

Were we in a theatre, I too would give this a 55-minute standing ovation.

As for watching it again… it really touched too close to home 😭 I would end up drowning in my own grief. In time, I will probably find the courage to watch the happier moments at the beginning of Go Young's relationships.

I will end with this… I cannot recommend this series enough. To anyone coming across this review, I say please watch Love In the Big City. It is truly brilliant.

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it's a commentary on everything really

This drama is a heavyyyyyy on commentary. I'm gonna list what stuck with me the most:

1) on social circles and friendship
2) on the status quo and consciously avoiding it
3) on trauma bonds and their lifetimes
4) on DL men.
5) on living with an illness that defines your life, controls your life and sometimes makes decisions about your life for you
6) on manipulation and toxic relationships
7) on guilt, regret and mental health
8) on what it means to have a home
9) on what queer community looks like and how important it is for survival
10) on the plight of the troubled writer

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A GREAT SERIES!! MUST WATCH

The series dives deep into the nature and realism of love, tackling it in four distinct themes from the book:

1. Friendship (Platonic)
2. Family (Filial)
3. Romantic Love
4. Self

Unlike most BL stories I’ve come across, this one feels refreshingly authentic. There’s no idealized fantasy here; instead, it captures a raw take on love—especially for someone who’s still figuring out their identity.

It’s a great series (and a read) that explores a variety of issues, especially around romantic love and Go Young’s attachment struggles. Each of his three relationships reveals a new self-discovery, reflecting how much love mirrors our own self-understanding. In reality, romantic love often feels fleeting, needing patience, understanding, and a clear sense of self to know if it’ll truly last.

Go Young’s imperfection makes him relatable. His character is flawed, which somehow makes him even more compelling. Though each of his love interests is unique, he always ends up doing the same thing—falling headlong for someone he just met and letting his imagination run wild. In his first relationship, especially with Mr. Photographer, he over-invested despite not feeling much in return, causing Mr. Photographer to falsely hope and change himself for Go Young, which led to his own downfall.

"If obsession isn’t love, then I have never loved." This quote sums up Go Young perfectly. His intense infatuation with love itself drives him to act rashly, often in ways that harm both himself and others. His obsession with Mr. Fish went so far that he nearly ended his own life, showing how his view of love spiraled into something damaging.

As they say, "If you fall in love, fall for the person—not just the idea of being loved."

Then comes Gyu Ho. Compared to Mr. Fish, Gyu Ho’s relationship with Go Young feels plain and routine. Their lives revolve around daily work and chores; there’s none of the thrill or risk that marked Go Young’s time with Mr. Fish. They rarely go out or even make time for romantic moments. At first, Go Young feels they’re growing apart because of this lack of excitement, but after their breakup, he realizes Gyu Ho was his first true love—they actually matched in a way the others hadn’t. With Mr. Photographer, only Mr. Photographer was invested. With Mr. Fish, his commitment issues tore them apart.

In contrast, Go Young and Gyu Ho took the time to build something real. They embraced each other’s imperfections and learned to adjust together. They found that love itself isn’t flawless, and neither of them were either. But, despite their efforts, they kept breaking up repeatedly, and after a while, it’s hard to keep fixing something that’s been shattered too many times. One of the book’s most striking metaphors is a scene with a lantern: the lantern shines and rises but ultimately falls short and burns out—much like their love.

In the end, Go Young realizes that love is a journey, and we shouldn’t let romantic love define who we are. By the series’ end, all of his relationships have faded, but his friends, T-ARA and Mi Ae, remain. He sees that friendships can be forever, while romance sometimes can’t.

Ultimately, he learns that love is complex, that self-acceptance is vital, and that even if he doesn’t find a ‘forever’ partner, he has his friends—his true constants in life.

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One of the best kbl this year ngl !

I really like the drama especially the actors , they're doing really great job and brave enough to take part in this project , especially to Nam Yoonsu and Jin Hoeun , i really appreciated your great work for making this drama very interesting and worth it to watch ! But the thing is about the ending is very unexpected because i thought its gonna be a good and happy ending because all of bl drama i've watched is different from this one but still , interesting to watch and i really hope there will be a season 2 since all the fans including me wants it too !! Please please please make a season 2 for us because we still curious and want to know what will happen between Gyuho and Goyoung relationship because i know they still inlove each other yet !! #WEWANTSEASON2 #LITBCS2 #GYUHOGOYOUNGSUPREMACY #NAMYOONSUJINHOEUN

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LOVED LOVED LOVED

This drama broke and healed me at the same time.
Honestly loved it sm it was extremely realistic and humane and raw and beautiful and intense and just my heart was so full but so empty after finishing idk how to explain just please watch it.

it’s so touching and you can tell the writers, directors, casts truly poured so much love and dedication into creating this masterpiece which makes me just appreciate it even more. Like from the writing, actors, production, cinematography everything was so well done.

anywys final comment: gyu ho is literally my pookie bear. my cutie patootie. my everything. i love him sm. the princess friend group gave me life. go young deserves the world. plz everyone go watch it !!

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