DrKay
Oh! That was fun!
Oh! Boarding House is what happens when a bunch of adorable characters decide to stay together at the same boarding house. The first episode is a riot. This series has one of the best opening episodes I've seen-- not to mention, the hilarious reason behind it. But that is where the entertainment quotient ends and the love story begins. Is it cliché? Yes, but it feels new. Is it predictable? Yes, but it makes us watch till the end. It has every kind of common flavour that is seen in bls and regular dramas alike, complete with a love triangle, a straight side couple and visibly distinguishable seme-uke vibes. But the characters and actors are cute and it is just two hours long so OBH is an easy breezy watch.
However, the pacing is off. It noticeably slows down in the second half and though there are no filler moments or dialogues, it still lags. The story itself is not without its faults. Seol Won is broke and jobless and apart from managing the lodgings (which I admit looks like a full time job in itself), doesn't make any efforts to look for work even though he has some outstanding amount to be paid. The main love track is a slow burn and spends a lot of time in the "not friends-not housemates- not just a tenant- not yet lovers" zone. The actors emote well and effectively convey their emotions but are lacking in terms of a good chemistry. These two points make their overall arc a bit boring towards the end. Furthermore, this series functions as an advertisement of sorts to Nobleman Ryu's Wedding and Behind Cut.
To give credit where it's due, the romance is natural and suitably age appropriate. So while we have two twenty five plus men getting shy over an intimate scene on TV, they don't shy away from affection in real life. It shows a certain level of maturity that other shows don't have. There is also decent character development, except Seol Won's, which is ironic. My heart went out to the sweet, jealous and still level-headed Bong Deok. There is proper communication between Hee Su and Ye Min (even though Hee Su takes the initiative and does most of it) and both know when to give in and when to hold on. More instances of mellowed story telling (which warrant the 8 in the story rating). Music barely stands out; cinematography is okay. OBH has a long way to go to be perfect, but is rewatchable whenever someone wants something simple and light.
However, the pacing is off. It noticeably slows down in the second half and though there are no filler moments or dialogues, it still lags. The story itself is not without its faults. Seol Won is broke and jobless and apart from managing the lodgings (which I admit looks like a full time job in itself), doesn't make any efforts to look for work even though he has some outstanding amount to be paid. The main love track is a slow burn and spends a lot of time in the "not friends-not housemates- not just a tenant- not yet lovers" zone. The actors emote well and effectively convey their emotions but are lacking in terms of a good chemistry. These two points make their overall arc a bit boring towards the end. Furthermore, this series functions as an advertisement of sorts to Nobleman Ryu's Wedding and Behind Cut.
To give credit where it's due, the romance is natural and suitably age appropriate. So while we have two twenty five plus men getting shy over an intimate scene on TV, they don't shy away from affection in real life. It shows a certain level of maturity that other shows don't have. There is also decent character development, except Seol Won's, which is ironic. My heart went out to the sweet, jealous and still level-headed Bong Deok. There is proper communication between Hee Su and Ye Min (even though Hee Su takes the initiative and does most of it) and both know when to give in and when to hold on. More instances of mellowed story telling (which warrant the 8 in the story rating). Music barely stands out; cinematography is okay. OBH has a long way to go to be perfect, but is rewatchable whenever someone wants something simple and light.
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