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Beautiful, in an understated way
The cliché "deceptively simple" comes to mind as I thought about this series after watching several episodes. On the surface, the story is simple: Si Won, an attractive guy who is too eager to be popular because of his insecurities, meets Da Woon, who seems to be effortlessly perfect and popular (but who, quite clearly faces issues too). Si Won feels threatened by Da Woon in a way, but the tensions between them is not exaggerated in the way one would expect in some enemies-to-lovers plot. In fact, there is a hint of mutual attraction the first time the two guys meet each other, and Da Woon clearly harbors no hostility towards Si Won.
It is not the first time that we see a BL couple who are film students, but it is one of the times when this fact is used well. Scenes from the film that Si Won makes, with just a few snippets as a film-within-a-film, effectively and economically reveals something about his relationship with his mother--the viewer may not have expected the revelation, but when it is revealed, the viewer may just go, "Oh yeah, why didn't I see it?" The mother, and not just the bullies Si Won encounters as a child, may have contributed to Si Won's insecurities by emphasizing to him as a child that people judge others by their looks and indirectly but frequently reminding him that people may look at their family differently because it's a single-parent family (the father having left the family when Si Won is a kid).
What is also hinted at is the relationship Si Won's sister has with both her parents as her mother accusingly talks (off screen) about how she isn't sufficiently against her father. Yet, even if the family is somewhat dysfunctional, it isn't a stereotypically dysfunctional family. Like every family, it may have its problems. However, the members of the family also do care about one another and do things for one another. The portrayal of the characters' relationships is, thus, sensitive and nuanced. This is quite rare for BL series, which often focus on the relationship of the BL couple at the expense of making other relationships simplistic. I guess this also enhances the so-called rewatch value of the series because there is a lot we can get with an additional viewing.
There is also much to like about the story of the BL couple. Many will appreciate how the main problem in their relationship isn't the fact that they are both men, a third party or some silly misunderstanding. There is growth in the characters, forgiveness and a happy ending that isn't plain fluff.
It is not the first time that we see a BL couple who are film students, but it is one of the times when this fact is used well. Scenes from the film that Si Won makes, with just a few snippets as a film-within-a-film, effectively and economically reveals something about his relationship with his mother--the viewer may not have expected the revelation, but when it is revealed, the viewer may just go, "Oh yeah, why didn't I see it?" The mother, and not just the bullies Si Won encounters as a child, may have contributed to Si Won's insecurities by emphasizing to him as a child that people judge others by their looks and indirectly but frequently reminding him that people may look at their family differently because it's a single-parent family (the father having left the family when Si Won is a kid).
What is also hinted at is the relationship Si Won's sister has with both her parents as her mother accusingly talks (off screen) about how she isn't sufficiently against her father. Yet, even if the family is somewhat dysfunctional, it isn't a stereotypically dysfunctional family. Like every family, it may have its problems. However, the members of the family also do care about one another and do things for one another. The portrayal of the characters' relationships is, thus, sensitive and nuanced. This is quite rare for BL series, which often focus on the relationship of the BL couple at the expense of making other relationships simplistic. I guess this also enhances the so-called rewatch value of the series because there is a lot we can get with an additional viewing.
There is also much to like about the story of the BL couple. Many will appreciate how the main problem in their relationship isn't the fact that they are both men, a third party or some silly misunderstanding. There is growth in the characters, forgiveness and a happy ending that isn't plain fluff.
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