Queer Representation Done Right
Nam Yoon Su’s acting was absolutely jaw-dropping; he portrayed Go Young’s character perfectly. The drama was extremely realistic from beginning to end. It shows how a group of queer youth in their early twenties live their lives. Moreover, Mi Ae and Go Young’s bittersweet friendship, which is at times funny and at times touching, made the drama even more enjoyable to watch. I literally cried for their friendship.I would like to add that if you’re starting this expecting a typical BL series, I would advise against it. Most BL dramas focus on the love between two men, but this drama is more about how real queer people live their lives, and if you’re not queer yourself, it might be hard for you to fully understand or relate to it.
Each episode carries its own emotions and lessons, offering something for everyone to connect with. It’s a perfect queer drama that shows love isn’t always rosy like in the movies.
Overall 10/10
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A beautiful, painful, realistic story of growth
This show absolutely touched me to my core. I literally had goosebumps running down my spine every episode because it was so realistic.The story, of love and pain and growth, and of the different partners of Yeong was so beautiful and written with so much intricacy.
The cinematography was breathtaking, telling a story of its own. The long, quiet shots were enough to make you lose your mind.
The acting was phenomenal. I could feel every character to my core, and every one felt like you'd just taken a real person from life, instead of an actor playing a character.
Most importantly, this did not feel like a Korean BL. This was an Oscar-worthy story of raw emotion, life, and relationships. There was zero chastity or holding back or romanticisation. This was not a drama, this was a story. And it was so worth telling, and so beautiful. Everyone deserves to watch this.
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No tears left after this one >.<
This is a very realistic, thought-through, and provocative K-drama. A TV series like that was honestly very needed these days. Did I cry all my tears? Yes. But did I come out of this journey of a series so much more enriched? Also yes. So did I regret watching it? Absolutely not. I'm so happy that this series also sort of embodied the queer community's fight against a still so homophonic Korea, and may I say, we definitely won this battle because this is a gem of a show, and I hope as many people as possible will watch it.Ps. I really admire Nam Yoon (the ML actor) for taking on this role; not only is this his first gay role (for an already affirmed actor), but it is also a hell of a gay role. I bet many, many other "BL actors" wouldn't have the guts to accept a difficult and delicate (also carrier-wise) role like this one.
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It's beautiful
It's 10/10 beautiful series that I watched so far the characters the acting the story lines and the POV just right it's 10/10 beautiful perfect ahhh I'm fluttering now the perfect of the series is so insane the elements was perfect watch it it's worth it promise I swear I'm so happy hwhahssmakcifeixiciWas this review helpful to you?
Love In The Big City is Worth An Emmy
Love In The Big City is a queer/lgbtq coming-of age kdrama that is well crafted into beautiful art that will entice all kinds of people. This lgbtq drama truly resonates with people in so many ways because of how realistic it is. It truly depicts the struggles that the lgbtq people go through and how love isn't always perfect. The maturity of Go Young Nam Yoon-Su and his amazing acting skills was truly delivered. I also loved how they portrayed the love scenes without shying away from anything. It was very realistic just like how couples do it in reality without making it look like they were acting. The plot and cinematography was on point. Love In The Big City is truly a remarkable drama that will go down in history to claim accolades and success. The best thing to ever come out of Korea this year. I loved every bit of it.Was this review helpful to you?
Tales of the City meets Queer as Folk
I felt inexplicably nostalgic watching this show. It was hilarious and it was painful and had me staring at the credits with a pit in my stomach and it was definitely imperfect. In fact, there’s bunch of things I wish were done differently, but guess what? That’s how most of us can feel about our own lives and it rubs us the wrong way when fiction doesn’t go the romantic way, the perfectly cohesive and sensible way, when it leaves us with uncertainty and unfinished business. I’d love a second season to wrap up a bunch of incomplete storylines, but in the back of my mind I’m kinda hoping this right here is all there is to it. It’s a strange feeling ‘cause I know I’d like to see more of the characters, though at the same time I feel like I’ve seen enough to say mission accomplished, they got their point across. Whatever doubts I have left, the biggest accomplishment for me here is that I saw people getting through life for 8 episodes and that it felt utterly real to me. The lines of dialogue were amazing, the cinematography was amazing, the acting was amazing, the representation was amazing. It was NOT perfect, but it WAS amazing. Probably one of the best things I’ve seen this year, not only in the BL side of cinema, but even among the western media. This, Imaginal Disk and The Substance made 2024 for me. Hoping to see more projects from this team in the future!Was this review helpful to you?
Heartbreaking but amazing
This series broke me, If you want a happy ending with a loving couple - don't watch it. It's so touching and heartbreaking, yet so relatable and beautiful. It shows you so many ups and downs, it shows you the beauty of friendship and the dark sides of being a part of LGBT community, the beauty and pain of love, the comfort you can find in loneliness and the sadness of it. The realisation that love is not always enough and that sometimes you have to let the person go so at least one of you can move on and live a better life. I haven't stopped thinking about this story since I finished watching it, it's a masterpiece.I think sadly a lot of people can find comfort in this series, it's breaking but it's real - it happens, and people have to live their lives this way sometimes, no matter their sexuality
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Heart wrenching yet so endearing
I cannot fault the heartfelt love, longing, loss and loneliness depicted in this drama. I literally journeyed with our ML, GoYeong, such a beautiful man yet flawed in many ways. From each encounter he meets, a layer is peeled off him exposing the joys, the hurt, regrets, all the highs and the lows that defined his existence, in the end, he makes the decision to remain true to himself. We live in a fickle and harsh world where we can't always get what we wished for, this is the reality, not fantasyland, seldom a happy ever after. I was emotionally torn for our Go Yeong wanting him to have lasting happiness with Gyu Ho, his true love. I see this ending as an open one.... one day they'll be together again, never to part. Kudos to the all the cast, production crew, director and the screenplay adapted for the show by Park Sang Young, the author. Great cinematography, vibrant colors depict the city nightlife, the soundtrack, everything perfection. Thank you.Was this review helpful to you?
Masterpiece
Love in The Big City is a true work of art, a series that is both stunningly beautiful and profoundly moving. The creators masterfully portray the complexities of life, painting a vivid picture of love, loss, joy, and sorrow.The show's exploration of romance is both idealistic and grounded in reality. The characters' love story is a captivating tale of passion and devotion, but it is also infused with a sense of melancholy and longing. The ability of the writers and directors to capture the bittersweet nature of human relationships is truly remarkable.
Moreover, LITBC is a significant television series due to its historical context. It is a movement of revolution, inspiring viewers to question societal norms and strive for a better future.
In conclusion, it is a masterpiece. It is a series that celebrates the beauty and complexity of life, while also serving as a catalyst for change.
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Promising and dynamic
(This was after episode 2). So far this has been a candid portrayal of modern youth both heterosexual and gay. The uncertainties, the joys, the friendships, the sadness of irrevocable mistakes...all these occurred in just the first two episodes. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this series. Without being overly graphic we're given a glimpse of how it feels to be gay in a society that is very traditional. Even those that were critical of this series would say "well done".(Continuation of review after completion.)
I binge watched this series. It is indeed a masterpiece!
This was a unique series...a bl with "slice of life" moments. I loved the friend group that remained supportive throughout the series. There were so many variations of an eventually failed relationship. I think the flashbacks in Bangkok of Go Young's romantic relationship was enlightening. The lantern scene seems to indicate his deep love for his boyfriend which would imply he released him from their relationship when he moved to China to pursue career opportunities. However, from a different perspective whether a relationship is heterosexual or gay a long-term relationship is going encounter struggles and varying degrees of excitement. Any healthy relationship requires nurturing, compromise and communicating. It seemed sad that in a passive way none of the gay romantic relationships portrayed a healthy loving long term one. It seems that all of the relationships were transitory and brief except the four friends. This movie definitely made you reflect and, also, included the element of risk in unprotected sex. After recovering from the sadness of the ending, I think rewatching this would bring discoveries of new aspects in the story. This brought the "bl" of this movie to a different level. I guess what I'm trying to say it was superbly produced and ended up being a drama more than a typical "bl" series.
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Worth it!
I am not even surprised by the ending. I don't know if I like it. However, it feels very realistic, and I think many people can relate to it. Besides the ending, let's talk about the production and acting. Holy Cow, every single cast member on the show did an incredible job, and I would like to mention that none of them were cringy! This is how a BL is done. I also want to give the stylist some credit. Their outfits were fantastic. They all looked great at all times. I wish Korea would make more BLs like that because they know how to work chemistry between the leads. It's an incredible show, whether you like the ending or not.Was this review helpful to you?
