The Circumstances of Pungdeok Villa Room 304 (2022)

The lure of a sexy roommate.

Roommates of Poongduck 304 (Or what I will just be calling P304 from here on out) is not perfection, but that is okay. It is okay because it is still solid and delightful, in its own right. This is to say nothing here is breaking any boundaries, or offering up something more than has been given a million times over, but the recipe delivered is like a home-cooked meal from ma, and just as comforting.

Korea, in terms of BL production, is fighting for the #1 spot with Japan, seeming to be its only competitor in creating noteworthy series, for 2022. I say this, because it is November and we are reaching the close of the year. Very soon Top BL lists will abound and I will say P304 will likely not make it on many lists or possibly any at all. Yet, that doesn't mean it was a failure. With Taiwan a desert this year, a country that normally throws out some shining top-tier stories, the Philippines, which the past two years has invested heavily in the BL market, all but fallen off a cliff, and China (which has been operating as Bromance productions and not full BL's for years) making even these type stories illegal with new laws, there has been less international competition for any noteworthy releases except in the sheer volume churned out by Thailand. And well Thailand, which still produces the largest quantity as it always has for the genre, seems unable to move outside the wheel-house, paint-by-numbers, generic retelling of the same high school/college repetitiveness with overly dramatic nonsensical stories that are already littered heavily in BL fandom. That is, "KinnPorsche" (A true let-down, mess of a series that is probably my #1 Disappointment of the Year) and "Not Me" (the ONLY Thai BL series that I will recommend or that will make it on my top list) were the largest successful offerings from Thailand that tried to bring something new to the fold. Instead we just got a multitude of series that can't truly be distinguished from what was generated years previous or even each other in any meaningful way.

But, if Thailand has been disappointing because of lack of creativity, why does P304 get a pass for being comforting?

That my friends, is simply talent. The two main leads of P304 (Rich conglomerate son Ji Ho Joon played by Kim Ji Woong and happy hard-working Seo Jae Yoon played by Yoon Seo Bin) are actors and not just young, cheap-to-pay, pretty faces found in oh so many BL's (especially Thai productions). Both of these leads gave us a former BL together with "Kissable Lips" a truly horrendous endeavor (With one of my lowest scores) early in 2022 and that BL, which again is a dumpster fire, had only the positives of the two leads showing promise and chemistry. I will say I am delighted that we got a second outing with them in a demonstrably better written, produced, and enjoyable product. (Showing just how much story-simple or not- matters).

Kim Ji Woong is stellar and dashing in his many suits, longing confused looks, and playful smiles. He also brings the gusto in his kissing and passion to his frustrations. While he still has to deal with some less than great dialogue, he walks smoothly through the show with few missteps or stumbles.

Yoon Seo Bin is wonderfully naive with soft sweet smiles in his role. His character is by far more one note than his counterpart, but he manages to make the viewer like him. He also brings some great LGBTQ+ realness to the story as he faces down his own shame for wanting men, and his feelings of helplessness when enamored with a straight man that uses his shame and attraction against him for his own needs. Something that is all too common in gay/straight male relationships.

Also of note, this is not a tale of college/high-schoolers but actual adults with the settings being apartment houses and office spaces-not classrooms, courtyards, and hallways. We can still count on two hands the number of BL's that forge their way into the "real-world" and even the bulk of those are sequel series to their college/youth first seasons, so it is-sadly-always refreshing to see a setting that moves beyond uniformed age boundaries. Something that, again if comparing why I give P304 props versus my Thai BL criticism above, not done by Edit: THE BULK: of Thai BL this year. (Even half of "KinnPorsche" cast were college students and also the strong "Not Me" was still college based as well.)

The production of P304 is, at best, mid-tier with costs cut as much as possible. It manages to still create a decent world for these characters and a believable environment of work/life. The supporting characters are also, for the most part, strong in their deliveries with none of them hogging too much screen time. The casting of the series helps alleviate the short comings of the budget and story.

As for the story it is simply an enemies to lovers trope fest. It is a BL fan favorite, and truly really just a romantic story favorite world wide. This makes the show easily appealing. While the set-up is cute, a boss living as his employee's tenant, it isn't even the first time we have seen it. "Be Loved In House" from Taiwan did this same story set-up last year. This casts a long stale shadow over the whole affair, and creates mostly expected scenes, issues, and outcomes. As mentioned, some of the dialogue gets clunky at times, though this might just be the English translation that causes this affect, for the most part the simple premise works and is, as is my overall rating of the series, solid.

However, it is the small risks, like the above example of the straight guy using the gay guys feelings for gain, that add some needed oomph to the story. Also our "straight" male lead Kim Ji Woong, may be a selfish playboy by stock archetype, but the series makes him quite an open minded softy, with a kind playfulness from the start. He isn't as harsh, mean spirited, emotionless or as ruthless as many times these characters are portrayed from the get-go. Because of this, the sudden, "until they have their change of heart" that happens mostly unbelievably, and many times at a pace that causes whiplash, in a lot of tales with this set-up doesn't happen here. Kim Ji Woong's change is slow and steady with a large portion of credibility with how his character is given and the story unfolds.

With that, there is still a large character USA backstory exposition dump in the final episode that was lazy writing, and a missed opportunity to create some taunt emotional drama through abandonment issues if shown earlier instead, and given yet another layer to the character while we watched. The relationship between the leads also jumps into overdrive and causes a loss of believably once truths are told, and the show pulls them apart suddenly to make the audience question if they can get back together, in what is some poor plotting and pacing.

Still in the end, P304 was one of my more enjoyed series of 2022 and a highlight during the time it aired. I keep finding myself turning off more and more shows, the early shine of BL's going dull as the same stories keep showing up on screen. I have a multitude that I have "put on hold" which a lot of times means they never get finished, and P304 was not one of them. I enjoyed it, even while seeing it for all its short comings.

7.0 = B-, 3 1/2-Stars. Flawed and imperfect, but still worthy of a watch.

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