A rare case of enemies to lovers done right.
As a fan of the manhwa, this series does not disappoint. The events and storyline from the manhwa and this series are different in some aspects, but all in all I feel the changes were necessary and I didn't mind it too much. It fully lived up to what I sought out from a drama.Production: 10/10.
Amazing. For a korean bl, this production is top tier. Actually, erase the korean bl part, for a series this production is amazing. The digital parts and the animation that has a part to this series is visually aesthetic, along with the quality of the shots in the series.
I can tell from the production the crew and cast actually care about this series and want to make it the best they could, unlike other bls that are an obvious cash grab. Obviously I know all series want money, but series can do this whilst actually caring about the storyline. Which is something I find hard in bls- finding something that is well produced, a nice storyline, good acting, etc that i’m interested in. And semantic error is one of them I actually enjoy.
Story: 9.5/10.
Now in this part I will be very obviously biased since I am a fan of the manhwa so keep that in mind. In my opinion, this drama really came to life from the manhwa, and as a fan of it, I am pleasantly happy with how the storyline went and the pacing of it all.
In the manhwa it is more of a slow burn and there were more situations that happened, but all in all I understood they weren’t able to cram all of the chapters of the manhwa into 8 episodes with 20-30 minutes each. I give this a 9.5 because of the stalker part (I mean that could easily go wrong) and - SPOILERS AHEAD-> sangwoo kissed jaeyoung without his consent in episode 6. Which, I understand, isn't a big deal but I did not find that cute or endearing, both in the series and in the manhwa. The manhwa itself also has some issues with consent, but this is not about that.
What I liked about the live action: Jaeyoung and yuna being bi. That was a nice touch. Also jihye, the one pursuing sangwoo didn't end up being an obsessive, toxic, second female lead. The kisses and affection, wow. I'd say this live action had more affectionate scenes than the manhwa, along with making the storyline more wholesome, which is a win for me.
Acting: 9.5/10.
Is this Oscar worthy nominated acting? No. The acting isn’t bad, but it’s not spectacular either. But considering semantic error is an enemies to lovers college romance without much depth to the story, it’s to be expected that the actors park seo ham and jaechan didn’t fully explore their acting abilities. Although I think park seo ham and jaechan are perfect for the role, visually at least. Overall, their acting was ok and didn’t make me cringe so that’s good. After watching the final episode though, I'd say their acting was pretty good. I can tell they're comfortable with their role, especially with the kisses/ affectionate scenes. They were so wholesome.
Visuals: 10/10.
Amazing. The props used, the locations where they shot this, the wardrobe- chefs kiss <3 I said it before but I'll say it again. They really brought this manhwa to life in the best way possible.
Ost: 10/10.
Romantic devil is addicting. Genuinely, i could not stop repeating that song in my playlist after the first time i listened to it, which is the scene of jaeyoung vibing in the staircase (if I remember correctly in ep 2).
Rewatch value: 10/10.
I don’t usually rewatch series, ever, but i’d rewatch ‘semantic error’ anytime.
Side note: Please do not ship the actors together. It’s alright to think they’d look good together, but keep in mind that they’re coworkers and good friends at most. Let’s not go overboard with the shipping and stay grounded in reality. Let’s also not assume/speculate about their sexuality, and if it turns out they end up being in a relationship with someone in the future, let’s continue to support them and not harass their partner. They are most likely good friends and they have a good bond with each other, that’s nice. Let's be supportive and rational fans, not a delulu fanbase.
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