Sydney
Nara, Japan
This review may contain spoilers
I have so few words for how I feel about Where Your Eyes Linger. It's perfect. It made my gay heart sing.
One of the best parts about this drama was that it proved that "skin ship" isn't the only way to show love. The way Tae Joo and Gook looked at each other was so heavy; the amount of affection and yearning mixed into their eyes was heartbreaking. As the audience we know that they love one another. We know that Tae Joo loves Gook but isn't ready to admit it, and that Gook loves Tae Joo but doesn't trust him with his heart. I wanted to shove their faces together the entire time but the way they came together was perfect. I don't think any other way would've fit their characters.
I know a lot of people think that this was too short because in total this runs for about the same time as a film, but I think it was exceptional. A part of me feels that if these episodes had been too long then they would've lost their punch. The actors, directors, editors, and every member of the team clearly worked to deliver maximum impact in as short a time as possible. When there's only 10-15 minutes per episode to work with, cutting out all of the BS and only leaving what is most important to the story is essential. I think that's why this drama hits so hard in every episode.
A lot of shows with 30-40 minute episodes have too much extra going on that distracts from the main story or derail your emotions. For awhile you might forget about the main couple or what's going on. Where Your Eyes Linger was so simple -- only Tae Joo & Gook's story is important/necessary. Only their scenes and shared moments. If it's not related to them in some way -- does it matter? I think that made each episode feel, no matter how short, like it was both long and too short at the same time.
I'd also like to say that I feel strangely uncomfortable calling this a "BL" drama. To me, this was a true LGBTQ short. It had the emotional impact of a Strongberry project with as much care and attention to the accuracy of its portrayal. There was no uncomfortable top/bottom distinction forced on the two boys, no "fujoshi" madness, and no "I don't like boys I just like you" BS. This was a queer story of two friends that fell in love and even after 3 years were each other's most safest space. I think that's why this drama hits so hard for me.
As a member of the LGBTQ community, I find myself constantly frustrated with the "omg I'm a straight woman watching two guys kiss uwu" comments. Queer stories are so hard to find and are often tragic and plagued with struggle. While BL (and I suppose the slightly rising GL? Not sure) is enjoyable, at its core these should be echoes for queer people. Our struggles of internalized homophobia, the pain of falling for a friend and them rejecting you...
What I guess I'm trying to say is that when I watched Where You Eyes Linger, I didn't feel like I was watching a "Boy's Love" drama. I felt like I was watching a story made for queer people, not straight women that want to get their rocks off watching two cute boys make out. I can only hope that w/w stories can become popular with time and be given the same care and attention that Where Your Eyes Linger was given. The entire team did such a beautiful job.
While I hope for a season 2, I also think that it finished beautifully. I'll definitely be supporting the two main actors in their future projects (LGBTQ or not), and I hope this director makes more dramas/films.
One of the best parts about this drama was that it proved that "skin ship" isn't the only way to show love. The way Tae Joo and Gook looked at each other was so heavy; the amount of affection and yearning mixed into their eyes was heartbreaking. As the audience we know that they love one another. We know that Tae Joo loves Gook but isn't ready to admit it, and that Gook loves Tae Joo but doesn't trust him with his heart. I wanted to shove their faces together the entire time but the way they came together was perfect. I don't think any other way would've fit their characters.
I know a lot of people think that this was too short because in total this runs for about the same time as a film, but I think it was exceptional. A part of me feels that if these episodes had been too long then they would've lost their punch. The actors, directors, editors, and every member of the team clearly worked to deliver maximum impact in as short a time as possible. When there's only 10-15 minutes per episode to work with, cutting out all of the BS and only leaving what is most important to the story is essential. I think that's why this drama hits so hard in every episode.
A lot of shows with 30-40 minute episodes have too much extra going on that distracts from the main story or derail your emotions. For awhile you might forget about the main couple or what's going on. Where Your Eyes Linger was so simple -- only Tae Joo & Gook's story is important/necessary. Only their scenes and shared moments. If it's not related to them in some way -- does it matter? I think that made each episode feel, no matter how short, like it was both long and too short at the same time.
I'd also like to say that I feel strangely uncomfortable calling this a "BL" drama. To me, this was a true LGBTQ short. It had the emotional impact of a Strongberry project with as much care and attention to the accuracy of its portrayal. There was no uncomfortable top/bottom distinction forced on the two boys, no "fujoshi" madness, and no "I don't like boys I just like you" BS. This was a queer story of two friends that fell in love and even after 3 years were each other's most safest space. I think that's why this drama hits so hard for me.
As a member of the LGBTQ community, I find myself constantly frustrated with the "omg I'm a straight woman watching two guys kiss uwu" comments. Queer stories are so hard to find and are often tragic and plagued with struggle. While BL (and I suppose the slightly rising GL? Not sure) is enjoyable, at its core these should be echoes for queer people. Our struggles of internalized homophobia, the pain of falling for a friend and them rejecting you...
What I guess I'm trying to say is that when I watched Where You Eyes Linger, I didn't feel like I was watching a "Boy's Love" drama. I felt like I was watching a story made for queer people, not straight women that want to get their rocks off watching two cute boys make out. I can only hope that w/w stories can become popular with time and be given the same care and attention that Where Your Eyes Linger was given. The entire team did such a beautiful job.
While I hope for a season 2, I also think that it finished beautifully. I'll definitely be supporting the two main actors in their future projects (LGBTQ or not), and I hope this director makes more dramas/films.
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