BLISS RATING: ★★★
“Only those who care about you hear you when you are quiet.” – Unknown
Sometimes stories that are told on a quiet level are soulful and impactful. This story, while told softly and quietly, is not. It is told so quietly that you barely hear it above a whisper. What I mean by that is, the love that connects the two main characters is only visible for fleeting moments and mostly hidden away. There are no high-highs or low-lows in this series. Just light fluff splattered with cuteness. We honestly never get to know what makes these two truly adorably enchanting guys tick.
While the background is complex, the story is simple. Seo Hae Bom (Jin Uk Ok) is adopted by a family after the tragic loss of his own parents. They have a son, Jo Tae Sung (Kang Hee), about the same age as Seo Hae Bom. Since the parents are separated, the mother is essentially raising the two boys on her own. The two ‘brothers’ grow up isolated emotionally and are almost polar opposites of one another. Seo Hae Bom never developed a relationship with Jo Tae Sung and therefore is a loner, solidary, withdrawn, trying to fend for himself, and bullied, sometimes unmercifully. His main goal is to finish school, no matter what the cost, so he can be out on his own. In the meantime, Jo Tae Sung is one of the most popular students in the school, with many friends, seems good at everything, and is sought after by so many females.
When Jo Tae Sung’s mother casually informs him that Seo Hae Bom is working towards leaving the family when he graduates (since he does not feel a part of the family), Jo Tae Sung realizes he will lose him. That thought is unbearable because secretly he has been in love with him since he first met him.
Suddenly, Jo Tae Sung takes an interest in Seo Hae Bom and will not leave him alone. Eventually he confesses his love for him. Seo Hae Bom is surprised, scared, and feels that perhaps this is a game being played on him. Seo Hae Bom has also had feelings for Jo Tae Sung but would never have admitted to them. In addition, he knows that the mother would not have approved of such a relationship. But the attraction becomes too strong, and they indeed become boyfriends.
This is a cute story up to this point and the fostering and developing of this relationship has its moments. But its approach is so laid back with such a low energy level and flat affect in both these characters that it was really tough to see that they were indeed in love. Even when they were alone, there was a reservation about being together that I never really bought that they were a couple, let alone in love with one other. It seemed to me more of a relationship based on loneliness with a common background and the desire to be with each other based upon the fact that neither son ever really felt love from anyone else on a sustained level.
This is a sad commentary as there is a lot of intrigue to their relationship. Although the mother had noble qualities, she never showed demonstrative love towards her own son and thus he remained distant from her. Ironically, she was closer to Seo Hae Bom, and he deeply respected her and would follow all her commands without question. Interestingly at the end, he does confront her and tells her unequivocally he is in love with Jo Tae Sung and intends to remain with him. He has grown-up and cultivates a sense of ownership with his own behavior.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? This series is about internal feelings and no better character showed that than Ha Eun Sun (Jo Tae Sung’s mother), played beautifully by Lee Hyun Kyung. Everything in this series is so laid back that cues to the performances could easily be missed. While a great mother, she doubts her abilities and at one-point states that she hopes she does not regret having her son, with him overhearing this. While warm and providing good guidance, she does not feel as if Seo Hae Bom is her son and does not demonstrate a love for him other than politeness. She drinks a lot and this is how she copes, although it is somewhat subtle. When she finds out about the two of them after seeing them kiss, she is conflicted and torn, mainly by concentrating and focusing on the negativity of having a gay relationship. Lee Hyun Kyung displays all these emotions and more internal conflicts with just enough force to make her role stand out with complete conviction. At the end, she does acquiesce and becomes ‘mother’ to the both of them, realizing that they are both deeply in love with one another.
I get that this series is laid-back and has a reservedness about it. But it showed no signs of strong emotions throughout this series, giving it more of a feel of acting out parts rather than feeling the parts. With no strong feelings or emotions, it is hard to tell when they are even present in the characters. The mother was a little more animated which made her easier to ‘read’. I know this is a touchy subject because I am reflecting upon different cultural norms, but if you want an audience to believe in its characters, give us something to show that they are real. Not just a stoic performance with occasional bursts of emotions. Even when they have been together for a long time, I still felt as if they were not a real couple. I questioned if they even consummated a relationship, that is how laid back that whole connection seemed to be.
One thing I look for in watching BLs is a certain connection factor that brings believability to the roles. This almost completely lacked that. Cute, adorable, with some good points – yes. Plausibility as a couple and a couple in love, no. There are no strong connections and worse yet, no signs either inward or outward that they are until the end. A bit too late for me.
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