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Jojo
A man who had overflowing oceans of love but was clueless of tides and still survived !
Love in the big city is a bold exploration from South Korea of love, identity and complexities of being queer in a society that often makes you feel at odds with itself. The series takes us through the turbulent journey of Go Yeong, depicting his struggles, with family and societal pressure and yearning for love that sometimes feels both profound and frustrating.Go Yeong's journey is a mosaic of heartache, never-ending longing and resilience to push through. If you go with the expectations of neat resolutions and everything black and white from this drama, you will be disappointed. His growth is portrayed with a certain nuance and realism, unfolding slowly and frustratingly over time.
The pressure he faces doesn't magically vanish overnight and the show captures the tension beautifully. It portrays the burden of his mother's denial regarding his sexuality and the struggles that stem from it. Sadly we live in a society where acceptance is such a luxury rather than a given.
His journey left a bittersweet taste in my mouth that felt earned and true to life. Yeong was a man who was loved throughout, sometimes too deeply to make him drown and others or sometimes with superficial pleasures to make him realise that the chaotic, mundane affectionate bond he left behind now lingers like a soft ache, a reminder of what love actually once was.
The series addresses heavy themes but it also highlights that joy can exist even in the darkest of times. Yeong's camaraderie with his gay friends brought such a vibrant color to this gloomy tale. Their scenes together drinking and dancing was a good counterbalance from the serious moments.
Found family trope is one of my favourites and his friendship with Mi Ae captured it beautifully. Honestly, I want what these two had, to choose to stand with each other through thick and thin with unwavering support, providing a safe harbour to each other amidst their daily exhausting grinds. Their bond is a gentle reminder that home is where the heart is and family is where you feel understood and accepted.
Though their friendship was not the sole focus of the story , it was beautiful until it lasted and the way they portrayed how both of them outgrew that bond was heartwrenching but so realistic!
Although it does have pacing issues here and there but its realistic depiction of the struggles and messy portrayal of love makes me want to overlook the flaws.
Overall, this stands out as an impactful drama where the MC is not a perfect man. It's messy but executed in a way where you want to sometimes knock some sense into him and sometimes just wrap your hands around him and tell him, it's going to be okay. It's not just a love story or your typical BL drama.
Recommended if you are looking for a thoughtful and emotional exploration of an imperfect character in a perfectly imperfect world.
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A Muder mystery plot that couldn't even kill time!!
We already have 'a serial killer/murder mystery in a romcom' curse in Korean drama and now BLs too? *sigh*The series tries to be everything—murder mystery, bilingual love story, and fitness BL—but manages to fail at all of them. It clearly had big ambitions, though the execution couldn’t quite match the hype. An example of aiming high and missing the mark.
The bilingual aspect between Thai and Korean didn’t bother me at all. It actually felt natural, as if it made sense that people in Korea would understand Thai, and vice versa. xD
But even with this cultural fluidity, the romance itself here was where things stumbled. The pacing in the early episodes was painfully slow, making it hard to stay invested. When the MC finally started dating, it felt so anticlimactic and lacklustre, it was almost forgettable. The transition from that awkward tension to a full-blown relationship wasn’t compelling enough.
While there was clear chemistry between the leads, their connection often felt fragmented. Jay seemed uncertain for much of the series, completely oblivious to Seung Hun’s feelings and attraction. When he finally came around and acknowledged those feelings later on, it felt abrupt and hard to fully buy into. The shift in his character felt uneven, making it difficult to settle into their relationship.
Now coming to the murder mystery plot, definitely started as an interesting one, but unfortunately, the drama didn’t quite nail it. The whole serial killer subplot felt more like a gimmick than something that was well-developed or meaningful. It came off as a mere plot device, underused and not at all engaging. I didn't care most of the time in the series who died and why. And how the mystery was solved was boring.
Overall, it’s a one-time watch with uneven pacing and a forgettable romance. I’d recommend it as a light background watch or a palate cleanser if you're watching something heavier.
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