Bittersweet Bad Guy
4 episodes doesn't feel like enough but at least with this series we weren't left hanging. Blue Boys ended up being in 2 parts and whilst there isn't a need for a 2nd part to this I could see them resolving the aftermath of Tae Ha's decision.You feel like you spend a lot of the 4 episodes not liking one of the leads and again, if you watch Blue Boys you may feel that even more.
Overall the acting was great and the story, whilst uncomfortable, well told
Enjoy!
Chelsea
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Bad Guy & Angry/Sad Guy
Overall: this was difficult to rate. I really disliked the plot and the characters but everything was executed extremely well. 4 episodes about 10 minutes each. Aired on SUKFILM's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYfaogVGCvwRtjaJ9-6V6InWnPJxR5z5U&si=sa6ViMn1SRginwgl Channel members get additional kissing scenes.Content Warnings: non con kiss
What I Liked
- clear premise
- visuals
- acting
- production value*
Room For Improvement
- *they needed to turn down or remove the music when characters were speaking because it was distracting
- I actively did not want characters together, I had zero faith they would stay together happily ever after
- a character said the other queer character was pretending to be normal which implied that being queer is abnormal which I do not believe to be true
- it was understandable that a character was upset but saying they wouldn't let another character go was cliche and annoying
- the end was kind of open, wondering if they will do a part 2
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impeccable!
My special thanks to the social media channel I saw snippets of this series from. I wouldn't call it a series though, I feel like it's a movie. Four episodes of ten minutes estimate each, forty minutes of a movie.I applaud everyone involved in the production of this movie. Those who picked the cast did a very good job. The cast, especially Park Luke (who realistically played the role of Jiwoon), aced their roles.
Heads up to the guy who played the role of the Tae Ha, our Bad Guy. You really made me hate and like you at the same time. Superb. But was Taeha really bad though, or just had an albatross around his neck he needed to put down? I loved his swift redemption arc, although I knew from the start what he was trying to tell Jiwoon.
And to the fiancee (please MDL, add her profile), your REAL acting in the fourth episode really hit my guts and reminded me that yes, this is really a kdrama. Lol!
Bad Guy is what I would call a tale of true love that fumbles along the way but recoils back to its true form, seen in the perspective of Jiwoon who felt what every human would feel towards their lover who does anything the way Taeha did. Alas, he wasn't really the bad guy Jiwoon thought he was, was he? Indecisive is the way to term it, maybe.
I really felt every scene. How they managed to capture a story that would've spanned 13 episodes of 30mins each into four short episodes of intensity is an art. Well done.
So, if you ask me if I'm going to rewatch this, I would look you up and down and be like, “Hell yes!” Needless to say I'll be coming back to check if new episodes or a new season is on ground, because some part of me just wishes for a background to the story (scenes of how it began) and what might happen next.
But! As I said earlier, how the production team managed to capture a story that would've spanned 13 episodes of 30mins each into four short episodes of intensity, with only three characters, is an art.
ps_ Sukfilm, on behalf of everyone who watched this film and loved it, we need more. Thanks.
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Red flags but chemistry?
I'm incredibly confused by this because by all means this was one of the most morally ambiguous things I've watched in a while, but sometimes you just want to watch dramas like that.Look at this objectively and the basis is just so bad. The leads meet each other (for the first time I'm assuming) after their breakup and start seeing each other again despite the fact that one of them is engaged. Obviously this leads to a ton of cheating, morally questionable behavior from both of them and just a lot of frustration all around.
So why did I enjoy this? The two of them should by no means be in a romantic relationship, the amount of self destruction and co - dependence actually made me scoff, red flags flying all around but sometimes you just want to watch something that makes you a little uncomfortable, but also entertains you. The chemistry was great, the production value was good, so was the acting and even though the plot was, I'm saying this again and again, so morally ambiguous, they way they wrote it to be angsty with that open ending just felt right.
It's a very short series and if you're just looking for something that will invoke a lot of feelings in that short span of time, give this a try!
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Who is Really at Fault?
Does this drama's production company have a penchant for portraying women as the worst characters? In their previous work, "BlueBoys," the women who appeared were depicted as truly unpleasant individuals. And now, it’s happening again.The real culprit is the man who deceives a woman, pretending to be in love and even getting engaged, while hiding his true feelings. However, the drama doesn’t portray this aspect, so the woman appears merely as a villain.
The chemistry between the two leads isn’t particularly strong, and all the characters seem selfish. But I think the drama does a good job of depicting the struggles of being gay and the realities in Korea. Despite being a short script with just four episodes of 10 minutes each, the story is well-structured and cohesive.
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Exes with a future?
Do you want to be yourself or do you want to fit into little boxes as decided by the society? That is the conundrum Tae Ha faces. On the cusp of getting married, he contacts his ex boyfriend to let him know about it. But that is just an excuse: he is obviously forcing himself to be someone else and that is taking a toll on him. Meeting Jiwoon makes that crystal clear and he cannot stay away from him any more. He breaks off the engagement but that is not without consequences: his fiancée knew everything about his past and was testing him by meeting his ex.No matter how many BLs and lgbt themed films and dramas asian countries produce, they are definitely not the best indicator of how tolerant and accepting the society really is. I'd guess that there are many in real life like Tae Ha, who is the prime example of such a man: lost between his real yearnings and the instilled notions of what is really acceptable. This is actually a tragic tale: even though they do end up together, the ex fiancées threats promise to wreak havoc in their lives. You know what they say: "Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned!". The ending can be considered open: either they get to live happily ever after or the ex make their lives a living hell (which is easy in the society they live in!) and they end up giving up. We do not know!
I watched this as a compilation on the producer's youtube channel without the18+scenes and frankly they are not necessary. The actors start kissing and then cut to the next morning with them sleeping in the same bed. The rest is left to imagination and most of the time, it is for the best. The make out scenes bring absolutely nothing to the plot since we know they slept together. The only jarring thing I noticed is that they slept fully dressed the morning after: I mean, one guy slept with jeans and a belt on. It must have been really uncomfortable and it made for a less convincing "we spent the night together" kind of vibe!
The actors were good and have decent chemistry. I just could not stop looking at Luke Park, the actor playing JiWoon, who beside excellent acting skills has the straightest and the finest nose I've ever noticed. Production values are the usual korean web drama style: empty sets and hollow sounds but the acting and the writing were good so it kind of balances out.
Who is the bad guy here? Is it TaeHa selfishly looking for his ex boyfriend and subsequently breaking off the engagement? Or is it Ji Woon who cannot or does not want to say NO to his ex? Or maybe both? Probably both on a different level. But still, both...
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Mhm..Okay...
Honestly this wasn't much, I don't even know where to start with this because a lot is lacking and it could've been way better. I know this was short with 4 episodes each being 10 min or so, but when you know you have this limited time then you work with it and make it fit enough for it to not be/feel rushed, and if you have the ability to make the show longer so things are well paced then do so. Theres so much going on in such little time, everything moved way too fast and I disliked that a lot, also too much drama from the start, a lot of these shows same with Blue Boys start with a lot of drama and it ruins the entire plot, but even so the plot isn't even strong and the characters are not realistic. Ji Un is constantly giving in, like as soon as Tae Ha says to do something he does it, sometimes with no hesitation, he puts no fight and has no self control, while Tae Ha is a wreck himself, doesn't even know where he's going or what he wants so he just does what he wants as they repeated in the show over and over and over. Like yes, we get it, Tae Ha always does what he wants, but man ur literally letting him do so too. Like Ji Un can't complain when he's letting Tae Ha do as he pleases. Poor Ji Un tho he looked like he wanted to cry in every scene, I couldn't tell when he was happy or sad anymore. But idk just these things didn't fit well in the plot and the characters and it's also the fact I saw the Uncut version too, so I can't imagine what the cut version must look like. A lot of room for improvement, but we lowkey got nothing . Regardless production was great, just a lot with the whole plot and characters need a lot of improvement, also I know probably budget is tight with these but they always start at the same cafe and they're lowkey always in very similar/same places. It would improve to see changes in scenery, doesn't even have to be something to waste hundreds of dollars in, creativity is key in these things. Not hating just trying to give my thoughts. Other than that I rate this a 6.5/10, waiting to see improvement in future projects.Was this review helpful to you?
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selfish guy vs weak guy?
It's hard to rate this series, because:The "bad" guy left the "good" gay to have a "normal" life, but when the "bad" guy is getting married three years later, he comes back to the "good" guy...
Is that realistic? If I were the "good" guy I would have moved on long ago.
In this story the "good" guy did not move on and is still yearning for the "bad" guy and as it happens they end up together. But not with some drama in the end where the ex-fiancé is threatening the "good" guy as in outing them and legal action and telling him seeing two man together makes her puke.
So this is not a happy story and the homophob ex and the selfish "bad"guy are a big minus for the story. The execution and acting was very good and a big plus. And after you have watched it, you will have a bitter taste left. So I guess, this short series was well above average, even when I don't like such stories.
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Moth to an ex-flame
This production company really loves to name their messy gays Tae Ha. Poor Ji Eun is completely powerless against his incredibly selfish ex-boyfriend Tae Ha who becomes a trauma to both Ji Eun and Soo Hee. While I felt bad for Ji Eun being the one getting threatened by the scorned woman, he also isn't completely free from the blame, but she definitely should have been aiming all that vitriol at Tae Ha. If only Ji Eun had any self control, he would not choose to be with Tae Ha, but alas he has no such thing. This is such a toxic soap storyline, but executed in a compelling way.Was this review helpful to you?
Maybe we are all a bad guy
Tae Ha made a big decision regarding the event he started with the girl, which was part of his journey to Ji Un. However, Ji Un suffered the most due to his love for the uncertain Tae Ha. He received all the blame and would live with the guilt of his affection. Ji Un's sad eyes show the depth of his painful experiences, making his story relatable to many. This series is very well done, with a clear focus and an authentic production style (e.g., I like the color tones and makeup style).Was this review helpful to you?
OST
I really liked that short series.I think it's worth watching.
It's available on SUKFILM channel, on Youtube.
Unfortunately, when you're already paying to use the platform, it's not very convenient to also have to pay a subscription, to be able to watch some particular scenes.🙎🏽♀️
Anyway, personally, I really love the soundtracks.
I think the songs were sung by the actors playing Tae Ha and Ji Un.
My favorite one is "Out of reach".
I hope someday they will be available on Spotify! 🤞🏽😉
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La actuación es el pilar de cada producción de SukFilm
Bad Guy es otra historia corta de SukFilm, apenas algo más de 30 minutos de duración, en la que la productora hace gala de una capacidad soberbia para encontrar talentos poco conocidos que son capaces de cargar a sus espaldas historias que, de por sí, no son especialmente innovadoras.Tanto Jeon Riu como Liuk Park son dos fuerzas de la actuación que te hacen creer realmente que se están enfrentando a un sistema hetero centrado que, de alguna forma, les obliga a separarse y reencontrarse hasta que toman una decisión final, enfrentando todas las consecuencias que esta pueda llegar a tener.
Creo que supera con creces la serie anterior de la productora, lo que augura un futuro interesante.
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