It gets better with each episode!
To find enjoyment in this series since the very start, it's quite necessary to not get into it with the same mindset as with other BLs.
The first 3 episodes aren't really introducing the romance, but rather all the characters and friend groups. This may seem like a waste of time in the beginning, but turns out to be a key point of enjoying the story since it's really not all about the romantic relationships even if they're still the main focus.
Another important aspect is that this drama needs to be treated as a pure comedy. Most dramas are majorly focused on serious storytelling with the use of comedy as a way of lifting the mood and making it more light-hearted, but SCOY deviates from this pattern. It does get serious later when there's a need to address something, but the first episodes are made all for laughs and not too much realism.
This is also the reason why Toh's issue with collecting things shouldn't be treated with too much negativity. Not only is it the kind of overexaggerated trait which should be taken as comedy, but it's also not as creepy as some people make it out to be. Toh doesn't actually steal any of Nuea's belongings, he only takes trash as memorabilia. This whole thing doesn't get brushed off and is properly addressed and explained in the second half which makes it even more justifiable.
What makes this drama special is all the LGBTQ+ diversity and the way all of their identities are treated with upmost seriousness. At first I was really worried about Toh, Jao and Daisy being used as comedic relief with all stereotypes related to their identities, but this turned out to be so far from truth. Toh and Jao are actually stereotyped less than a lot of gay characters in other BLs.
Also this was the first time I didn't mind a BL using the term "wife" when referring to a partner in a same-sex relationship because it was made very clear that the intention was not to imply same-sex relationships follow the roles of traditional heterosexual couples. In this it really felt like it was the character's conscious choice to be called a "wife" as he felt comfortable with the label instead of the writers forcing that role upon him. Which I think is one of the examples of how well this drama managed to portray the LGBTQ+ themes.
And the most important part is all the healthy communication and consent between the couples! Issues and misunderstandings are talked through and immediately solved, there's a lot of support and understanding coming from both partners and an absolute lack of non-consensual drunken kiss scenes with no repercussions. The relationships develop organically without the use of certain tropes commonly used to speed up the process or needless sadness and arguments.
What I didn't like was the editing which sometimes made it difficult to figure out whether some scenes were imagined situations or not. I also thought some of the plot arcs dragged on for a bit too long, but that might've only been an issue with my personal preference.
As the biggest disadvantage I'd pinpoint the feature of too many couples with an unequal amount of screen time. This can work well of the viewers who come to prefer the main couple, but from what I've seen a lot of people were dissatisfied with how little some of the couples were featured.
Overall though, this BL is one of the best I've seen this year so far and I hope more people can give this a chance and watch more episodes before deciding their judgement of it.
The first 3 episodes aren't really introducing the romance, but rather all the characters and friend groups. This may seem like a waste of time in the beginning, but turns out to be a key point of enjoying the story since it's really not all about the romantic relationships even if they're still the main focus.
Another important aspect is that this drama needs to be treated as a pure comedy. Most dramas are majorly focused on serious storytelling with the use of comedy as a way of lifting the mood and making it more light-hearted, but SCOY deviates from this pattern. It does get serious later when there's a need to address something, but the first episodes are made all for laughs and not too much realism.
This is also the reason why Toh's issue with collecting things shouldn't be treated with too much negativity. Not only is it the kind of overexaggerated trait which should be taken as comedy, but it's also not as creepy as some people make it out to be. Toh doesn't actually steal any of Nuea's belongings, he only takes trash as memorabilia. This whole thing doesn't get brushed off and is properly addressed and explained in the second half which makes it even more justifiable.
What makes this drama special is all the LGBTQ+ diversity and the way all of their identities are treated with upmost seriousness. At first I was really worried about Toh, Jao and Daisy being used as comedic relief with all stereotypes related to their identities, but this turned out to be so far from truth. Toh and Jao are actually stereotyped less than a lot of gay characters in other BLs.
Also this was the first time I didn't mind a BL using the term "wife" when referring to a partner in a same-sex relationship because it was made very clear that the intention was not to imply same-sex relationships follow the roles of traditional heterosexual couples. In this it really felt like it was the character's conscious choice to be called a "wife" as he felt comfortable with the label instead of the writers forcing that role upon him. Which I think is one of the examples of how well this drama managed to portray the LGBTQ+ themes.
And the most important part is all the healthy communication and consent between the couples! Issues and misunderstandings are talked through and immediately solved, there's a lot of support and understanding coming from both partners and an absolute lack of non-consensual drunken kiss scenes with no repercussions. The relationships develop organically without the use of certain tropes commonly used to speed up the process or needless sadness and arguments.
What I didn't like was the editing which sometimes made it difficult to figure out whether some scenes were imagined situations or not. I also thought some of the plot arcs dragged on for a bit too long, but that might've only been an issue with my personal preference.
As the biggest disadvantage I'd pinpoint the feature of too many couples with an unequal amount of screen time. This can work well of the viewers who come to prefer the main couple, but from what I've seen a lot of people were dissatisfied with how little some of the couples were featured.
Overall though, this BL is one of the best I've seen this year so far and I hope more people can give this a chance and watch more episodes before deciding their judgement of it.
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