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Earth

Shishigami's Forest

Earth

Shishigami's Forest
Love in the Big City korean drama review
Completed
Love in the Big City
1 people found this review helpful
by Earth
9 days ago
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Why does no one ever have the courage untill it is too late!

A heartbreaking and yet beautiful tale of flawed people. Also, a stunning gay-themed show from Korea after a rather long time.

The story meanders through Ko Yeong's life and struggles as he goes from one love interest to other, failing the first one, love-hating the second, and loosing the last one, which ultimately makes him find himself in ways....

If you are a gay man (or even a woman) growing up or living in a big city in Asia, you'd find so many characters that will seem familiar...the story, while depending on some of the usual cliches of gay-besties gang (girl gang) and that hallowed chosen family support, does deliver a rather realistic and relatable story of a sort-of-closeted gay man from a conservative family, weighed down by the pressures of being the good son, the fabulous gay man, and also living that 'I dont give a shit bitch-will have fun' big city life, while pining for love that feels like home....all at the same time.

Yeong abandons the first one that loves him dearly, Kim, the most dedicated and stable one, because he isn't cool enough...(haven't we seen that happen like every other day in the gay dating scene!!).....fast forward the next one he falls for, No Yeong is, no surprises, the emotionally unavailable one, deep into the closet, with several unresolved issues and baggage...which expectedly, can only end in a traumatic way, and it does (again, a story that we see happen all around)....fast forward.....Yeong grows some....and then comes Gyu Ho, the real deal, the one he loves and the one who loves him back, the way he is...and I thought Yeong's confession about his being HIV+ to Gyu Ho was plain beautiful....the vulnerability, emotions, and desperation is portrayed so beautifully....but off course feeling loved as your authentic self is the most difficult and scary thing there is, right? The fear of losing makes us leave them before they do....but here the story is slightly less predictable, Yeong and Gyu really understand how strong their love is, and really try to work things out...but the fear.....THE FEAR...never goes away.....and that makes Yeong almost force separate from Gyu Ho.....in other words, he runs away from that one love that made him feel like he's safe and home.

The story, delves deep into the layers and nuances of a queer life...there is the obvious references to homophobia, struggles of living with HIV, the trauma of enforced closets and dual lives, the lack of love, care, safety and often betrayal by family, the contempt from society, and how religious dogma can turn people into monsters,...and then the beauty of finding support and love from your chosen family and finding a space that you can belong to.....it takes you through many a familiar feeling that is validating in ways.....at the same time it flags the lack of courage to accept ourselves and all others around us, as their everyday, non-glamorous, non-thrilling selves that is ...it definitely touches upon the all-too-familiar pressures of having that perfect and fabulous relationship, reaching the pinnacles of unrealistic standards of 'romance-that stuns and outdoes everyone'......and how the everyday mundane comfort around each other, the snoring, the stains that stay, and the 'don't have mind-blowing sex most of the time' familiarity, end up being no match for that....that is, until you find the courage to be just yourself, warts and all, and find beauty and comfort in it....find the courage to allow yourself to love and be loved with all your flaws, failing, and shadows........but, by that time, it is usually too late...or is it??

The series has a bit of an open ending, which one can interpret the way they want ...with a passing allusion to the possibility of Gyu Ho coming back to Seoul, hope floats.....just may be, Yeong moves out of his old apartment and moves into a new one...it ends as fireworks light up the sky, with Yeong and his gay-gang, seemingly happy celebrating their own selves....

But the question lingers, why does no one ever have the courage until it is too late!
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