Jazz for Two (2024)

Short Review:
I normally enjoy a BL with a music theme, and Tae Yi is such nice eyecandy (Ji Ho Geun, call me anytime), but rating this one was difficult for me.
I loved that the music theme was jazz here, as that's different from the normal rock, pop or indie.
The last kiss was beautifully done and gave me all the butterflies.
Se Heon and Tae Yi had a cute dynamic in their good moments.
However at the same time both Joo Han, and Tae Yi were major red flags and I don't think the reasons that were given were justifiable, or made either character redeemable in my eyes.

Read More

A bit discordant

The production looks nice, the cast is okay. The blue hair character Do Yoon is the funniest, I had to rewatch when he pushed Tae Yi off to the side to hug Se Heon, the comic timing was great. The edit pace overall is really slow. Since this is from the same screenwriter/director from a previous drama that totally failed in the romance department, the main couple's romance here is an improvement, but there is still room for more. The characters kissing people without consent is not good, but at least they apologized I guess. I've seen complaints, but the light kissing during the high school times are both age appropriate for these characters and kudos to the actors didn't look jpeg. They also showed their grown up kissing three years later after high school, it's fine ya'll lol.

There is a concerning amount of bullying consisting both of beatings and of a sexual assault nature that are forgiven way too easily. Especially concerning when Tae Yi falls into this category. He deserved to be kicked between the legs for what he did to Se Heon. I get what they were going for in the second couple, but that reconciliation, even just as friendship was way rushed. Joo Ha needed to do way more to make amends for being the violent terror that he was toward everyone. Do Yoon deserves so much better. The reveal about Se Heon and Tae Yi's brother was sad and the conclusion to that felt a bit abrupt as well. The storylines weren't spaced out very well. They should have given a bunch of the time dedicated to bullying to develop the interpersonal storylines instead.

Read More

Slow and smooth

March 31, 2024

Jazz for Two is a decent Korean BL drama. It has some homophobic and violent content so, if you are looking for fluffy and cute plots, then I suggest that this might not be the show for you.

I feel like the manhwa will give you a better understanding of the characters given how short the series is. So there are instances where the plot feels jagged in terms of the storyline of our leads. I do love their dynamic and the chemistry is definitely there. It isn't as strong as what I expected from them, but I guess this is my bias in comparison to the manhwa.

Nevertheless, it was still a fun ride watching Jazz for Two and I hope you guys can give this KBL a shot !

Read More

Made me feel whole bunch of emotions

I went blind into this K-BL drama. Didn't watch trailer either when I decided to see it.

First of all, the actors were eye candy (as usual). The chemistry between the first couple was very very sweet.

The second couple chemistry was a bit abrupt imo. We needed to see more build up. Also, Juhee should have gotten her own partner as well.

The OST was good, but not mind blowingly memorable. However, the Jazz tunes they played were AMAZING.

Idk if Jee HoGeun played the trumpet himself or it was someone else, but it was AMAZING !!!

I also wanted to see what's with the father. Why did he change his attitude so much overnight?

Is it too much to ask for a s2 cause I wanted to see more of the second couple ???

Waiting to see more of Jee HoGeun in future, cause he stole the show for me.

Overall a good watch. Go for it.

Read More

Delivered complex characters and a lovely romance

Typically I don't expect too much out of Korean BLs. Since they're so short, they often can't go into enough depth. However, Jazz for Two managed to balance their short time and the right amount of character depth perfectly, leaving you with complex characters without overwhelming you with backstory.

Yoon Seheon just transferred to a performing arts high school after being homeschooled for years. His classically trained pianist father has only ever allowed him to focus on classical music on the piano, and Seheon is constantly compared to his perfect older brother. However, Seheon really just wants to play jazz, and is hoping this new school will let him break free of his father. However, when practicing in an abandoned piano room at the school, Han Taeyi hears the song and is angered by it - not because it's bad, but because it reminds him too much of his late older brother's playing. Han Taeyi struggles to deal with the grief of losing his older brother, and takes it out on Seheon, only for Seheon to keep pushing Taeyi to become closer with him.

This show delivered on both the slowburn romance front and the entertaining characters. While the side characters didn't get much screentime, the two main characters each had distinct backstories and personalities, which complemented each other well. They start as polar opposites and appear to be enemies, but naturally over the course of the show we get to watch Taeyi deal with his grief and Seheon open up to Taeyi.

My biggest complaints about this show would all be resolved if the show was longer. First, the show tried to touch on homophobia, including internalized homophobia, but simply didn't see it through. It was brought up as a problem but then just disappeared? I also think that we missed out on seeing the early stages of Seheon and Taeyi together, because it seemed like they were fighting and then all of a sudden they were together? We never got to see the conversations or dates between them, and I think it would have helped to flesh out their relationship more. Frankly, we didn't get much time with them in a relationship because it takes so long for them to get together. I love a slowburn too, but I would have liked more happy moments with them as a couple. Also, some of the issues in their backstories (Seheon's dad, Taeyi's brother, etc.) could have used more screen time to really explore more. For the time it had, this show was wonderful. I'd say it's one of the more engaging and deep Korean BLs I've seen. However, the time constraints always seem to be my worst enemy for Korean BLs.

Read More

Amzing, would recommend

This show was so good, I rewatched it too many times to count. One of the best shows and BL's I've ever watched.

The story was such an amazing rollercoaster of emotions, and the plot was amazing. The acting was absolutely mind blowing for 2 new actors, i had no trouble putting my emotions inside. The music was so good, ive put this OST on multiple of my playlists that i listen to daily, its such a mood riser as soon as i hear it, i always get so emotional when the first few notes play. I cannot stress this enough, i have rewatched this show far too many times to he healthy, this is by far one of the best korean BL series or any BL series I've watched and i can only think of one k-BL show that tops it (but i dont think any show i will ever watch can top it(semantic error if anyone is interested))
Overall, i have to give this show a 10/10 it blows my mind every single time i watch it, absolutely mind blowing for 2 new young actors.

Read More

So Toxic, So Good: tl;dr don’t watch without a healthy understanding of abuse

Ahhh, where do I start? Well, I really won't mince words here; the relationships in Jazz For Two are abusive.

They're written with the sort of hope that keeps people in abusive relationships; the hope that deep down we understand each other and can make it out on the other side. There's something astonishing , and honestly, magical to me about the way this is so perfectly captured while maintaining this strong aura of soulmates.

Seheon gets hurt physically and emotionally regularly by Tae-I, who only apologizes once. Doyoon is also later found out to be enduring regular abuse from Juha. The act of enduring pain and abuse is treated like a type of pure or higher love. Both Seheon and Doyoon let these things happen to them because they have some sort of understanding that this person they love must also be battling something deep inside them. Their true selves, they naively believe, are hidden somewhere inside of this person who repeatedly does them harm and one day they will see their earnestness and open up to them.

This kind of hope for change in someone’s actions and willingness to “wait out” abusive behavior keeps people in abusive relationships. Guys, this shit is really serious. If someone reveals this kind of behavior to you, understand and believe that this IS their true self. The extreme highs you might feel with them will always be accompanied with extreme lows. If someone hurts you, that’s your sign to go. If you’re not sure, talk to someone you trust about it. Most importantly to remember: if someone really loved you like you deserve, they wouldn’t ever think it was okay to hurt you.

Anyway, it’s still a really good show.

Keeping these toxic themes in mind and understanding that relationships in this show shouldn’t be mimicked in real life, I can honestly say this show is a really enjoyable watch. Leaning into some of our worst impulses and rewarding them with the love story we wish could be; it’s like junk food. It’s good to have something fucked up like this to enjoy every once in a while. Don’t get into the ingredients too much tho.

The story is kinda meh. The whole thing with Tae-I and his brother is kind of done like a second thought and leaves you kind of wanting more. Obviously though, it becomes apparent as you watch this show that the story isn’t actually the important part so I’m not too hung up over it.

The direction is fucking beautiful, every scene is stunning. The acting is really good too, and you get all the subtleties of their emotions in all of the important parts and then all of the humor in all of the funny parts. The show is incredibly re-watchable. I actually am doing this review now because I’ve just re-watched it lol :)

I think my biggest complaint (besides the blatant toxicity of the relationships) is the fact they didn’t have enough jazz! The songs were jazz, sure, but it wasn’t really jazzy. The show is literally called Jazz for Two, can’t we get some of that punchy, spunky vibe from jazz? There wasn’t a lot of that fun energy we like to associate with jazz, incredibly disappointing. And then there were some crucial scenes that didn’t even utilize jazz in the background at all that really set me off.

Or at the very least juxtaposing jazz with classical music. With how much this show was putting jazz on a pedestal and putting down classical music I really thought we’d actually get to explore these mediums. Instead, we did get to see a small glimpse into what it’s like to be a musician, but it did leave much to be desired. Again… not the point of the show though, ultimately I understand.

Jazz be damned, the music was still very good.

Summary: The relationships were toxic as shit. Be mindful and watch with caution. The jazz wasn’t jazzy enough for my taste. Everything else was really beautiful though, and it was very enjoyable.

Read More

so average

Two school bullies fall for their victims in Art School - well, it seems it happens there too. All males, since it's a BL. Of course, they have a hurtful story behind, that we get to know more or less. The four of them finally become friends and form a band. End of.
The young actors are good, their acting is nuanced and they are certainly nice to look at. The conflicts are not overdramatic and the pace is as good as needed for a short drama series. A realistic touch is brought by the struggle of accepting their sexual orientation (at least 3 gay couples in this drama).
One watch is recommended, not sure abt the rest.

Read More

I loved this series, despite the many imperfections. There are some violent and homophobic moments, but this is what school is like for some people. We always claim we want realism, and the bullying was pretty real. I owe it to the children subjected to this on a daily basis to watch to gain an understanding as to how they live.

The series should have been longer so they could resolve some of the plot holes, and explained why Jazz of all genres was the forbidden fruit. It also would have been nice if they had paid homage to some African American jazz legends such as Coltrane, Bird, Armstrong, Davis, Nat King Cole, etc. Jazz, Blues, Ragtime are all genres started by African-Americans in the early 20th century so why would Korean kids in the 21st century feel so connected? There must be a reason, but they didn't explore it. I'm not even that into music, and I think this should have been a 12 episode series to be more expository. Too many loose ends and we didn't even get to see the conversation between big bro Yoon and Taeyi.

Read More