BLISS RATING: ★★★★★
“You’ve grown up.” – Quote from Sing My Crush
Sometimes near perfection comes along and you think it will remain so, and then you get suddenly disappointed. This series is NOT that. This is by far one of the best BLs of the year. It tells a story, extensively and completely, with just enough angst in its entrails to make it entertaining but does not control the narrative to the point it overwhelms it. That is hard to do as usually the disquietude becomes center stage. What takes center stage here? Nothing but the love relationship and in a good way.
It is indeed a love story between Han Ba Ram (Jang Do Yoon) and Im Han Tae (Son Hyun Woo). What makes this love story exceptional is that it is not a cliché but honestly based on a plausible sense of reality. The reality of how they meet is not just imaginable but palpable. Ba Ram is a serious young man eager to pursue his dreams of a music career. By accident Im Han Tae thwarts part of that dream. So, the introduction into each other’s lives begins on a sour note.
Yet, there is still a sense of connection between the two and in some way belong together. Tense to be sure but one based upon a firm belief of solidarity to one another. Along the way, more happens. The connection deepens and blossoms into love, at different levels and stages for each to be sure. At first neither wanting it but powerless to stop its progress.
This series got awfully close to becoming a trope nightmare, but it righted itself. The ugliness between Han Ba Ram and his former guitar instructor whom he fell in love with and wrote a song about did not consume this series but simply moved the love story along. In essence, to reference the quote above, it helped Han Ba Ram ‘grow up”.
Two monumental and noteworthy nexuses are in this series that I have been wanting to see for a very long time in a BL series. First, it acknowledged what is the main and usually the major reason why so many of the BLs do not work – miscommunication (or lack thereof). This is tackled head on. Han Ba Ram states clearly that they both ‘misunderstood’ each other. Exactly! Finally, and unequivocally, what the issue in so many of these BLs is lack of communication and not being clear in what they are trying to convey or mean. This series tackled that issue head on and made the rest of the series all about that. With that major hurdle resolved, it seemed or allowed them to become a couple.
And secondly, it now presented, finally, a loving gay couple who felt comfortable in their own skins being a gay couple and in love. Not being ashamed to show it, display it, or act it. The two actors portrayed their characters with honesty and when they finally committed themselves to each other, they not only acted like a couple, but it also felt as if they made an affirmation to each other. Kudos! Kudos!
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? It is the solid performances of Jang Do Yoon as Han Ba Ram and Son Hyun Woo as Im Han Tae. Their chemistry together is a work of art. Natural. Organic. Almost cellular. No theatrics here. Everything about them seemed so real and genuine and most importantly, believable. On a deeper level than in most other BLs. It is not so much on an intensely romantic level, but a warm sense of contentment and a desire to be together and more importantly, wanting to be together. When they were together, they were together. Not acting but meshed as a couple. It just seemed so honest. It is rare for a BL anymore to have an organic feel about it, but this one does. They were adults and played adults (for the most part). It should also be noted that Jang Do Yoon is a very good singer. I generally detest singing in BLs as most simply cannot sing, but he can and so his songs were quite pleasant and very good.
There are some drawbacks to this series that I had a hard time wrapping my head around. I did not understand the ugliness of the change in the guitar instructor. That metamorphosis seems uncharacteristic. I am not sure what the point to that was. Also, it got so close to being a tropey mess as mentioned but did not. It kept coming close to the edge several times but pulled back from silliness and changed directions. In a few places, Han Ba Ram slips into infantilized behaviors that became immature with silly giddiness and child-like bantering that drives me over the edge. Not consistent with his serious focused approach to his music career. Totally unnecessary for the story or the character.
However, overall, this is an exceptional BL. Soft. Gentle. Sweet. Relatable. Charming. And broke the mold of your standard Korean Bls in when it focused on communication and establishing an adult-like gay relationship. More importantly, not being afraid to do so.
One of the best for 2023.
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