The Time of Fever (2024)

I Love This Series, But We Needed More

I don't normally write reviews, but felt I needed to for this one. Hotae and Donghee were my favorite couple from Unintentional Love Story and I loved that series in general. When I heard there would be a spinoff, with Hotae and Donghee nonetheless, I was excited.

I loved this mini series and was glad we received some more back story on the two of them. Overall I think it was filmed well and the acting was fantastic, but I have a few issues with it. They never explained the significante of the watch that was brought up in ULS. It seemed like something important then, but not so much in TTOF. Also, while we can gather why they have issues in the future, it wasn't really explained why they are so indifferent and angry with one another in the future to the point they don't want anything to do with each other.

The relationship between Donghee and his father was surprising, but felt kind of random. I definitely felt as if they could have explained it more. I thought perhaps his father realized he was gay, which was the reason he said he was "sick," but they missed executing the storyline there. Perhaps that could explain Donghee's reluctance so much with his relationship with Hotae.

I wish this series would have been longer and would have gone into more detail. It was sweet, but short, and I think we could have gotten so much more back story. I don't feel as if they fully got the justice they deserved with their storyline. It's very wishful thinking, but I hope we get something more in the future.

Side note, I loved the little cameo Chansik made. It's bittersweet to know the three previously met years before they all became friends.

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Well-executed and acted roller coaster ride of emotions.

*re-posting from the movie/compilation version, since this has a lower rating and I actually watched the 6-ep version*

Subjective Gut Rating: 9.25 (going to be generous and rounding this up to 9.5)

Wow.. I had zero expectation going into this as I haven’t watched “Unintentional Love Story”. I was just hearing good things about “The Time of Fever”. Am I glad I watched it! It’s been a very long time since a Korean BL made me feel all the different emotions. The last one was “To My Star” Season 2.

The plot is really simple. But what this drama excels in is its execution, acting and the range of emotions that it brought out of me. I was smiling, giggling and crying throughout these couple hours. It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

The acting of the two main leads and their chemistry is electrifying. I can feel their innocence, confusion, shyness, happiness, sadness, desperation and hurt. The two kiss scenes were beautifully shot and full of tension. Go Ho Tae and Kim Dong Hee are like yin and yang, and complement each other so well. Ho Tae is outgoing and wears his feelings on his sleeves. He’s not afraid to push through the thick barriers that Dong Hee put up. Dong Hee is gentle and mature, but there are moments when his teenage self couldn’t resist the temptation of touch or a teeny bit of jealousy.

The ending leaves it up for viewers’ interpretation. I would have loved to believe that they finally expressed their honest feelings for each other in the future. I am not sure if “Unintentional Love” will provide me with more happiness from this pair, but this drama makes me want to check out the other story to see more of Ho Tae and Dong Hee.

I am rating this a high 9.25, from a subjective and objective point of view. If a drama makes me feel this way, it deserves at least an 8.5. Coupled with excellent execution, it deserves high ratings and rave reviews.



Completed: 9/22/2024 - Review #489

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