Love in the Big City

BEST K-BL 2024

Nam Yoon Su undoubtedly delivered his most brilliant performance as an actor. From the beginning, I grasped the depth of the experience that awaited me. A show anchored in a raw, harsh, painful, but authentic reality. The work portrays with sublimated darkness the daily life of a young gay man in Seoul, exposing the inquisitive gaze of society and his family's opposition to his sexuality. He appears as a dynamic, playful figure, at the forefront of fashion, surrounded by a multitude of friends but carrying in him a sensitivity on the surface of the skin, chaining conquests without ever finding the chosen one of his heart. The true journey of our protagonist lies in his self-acceptance and his hopeless quest for love, a quest full of pitfalls. What particularly touched me was his kindness towards his mother despite her lack of support. I was receptive to solidarity between him and his roommate, who, on the contrary, gave in to family expectations. Despite divergent aspirations, their mutual support was unwavering, and I greatly appreciated their friendship, stronger than blood ties.

Each of his relationships had its charm, and each partner, in a somewhat strange way, revealed new facets of our heroes, creating a captivating dynamic where exchanges enriched them, sometimes without words, simply through a visually striking and disturbing carnal relationship for those used to seeing Nam Yoon Su in more reserved roles. I was fascinated by the wisdom of life transmitted through the dialogues of the characters, their erudition, their questions about identity and the quest for oneself. However, I would have a reservation about HIV prevention, sometimes addressed lightly: an approach like "okay for this time without protection" as if it were an option. On the cinematographic level, many scenes are distinguished by their remarkable staging. Although the entire BL is tinged with dark, often nocturnal or confined to the apartment, the shots always remain sublime. Nam Yoon Su has been able to create a synergy with each of his partners, carrying me as a time in his loneliness and pain. His interpretation deeply moved me, and I found this BL work of striking depth and realism. I can only warmly recommend it! 20/20.

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The best korean bl

After watching this series, it has become one of my favorites.
It is that kind of series that when you finish watching it leaves a void in your heart, it has been a roller coaster of emotions, it excites you, it saddens you, it makes you happy and many other feelings that I can't explain.
The direction, performances and story are perfect and you can tell that they have put a lot of effort and hard work into the series, even though it has been criticized by a certain group of people, it has been totally worth the wait for the series.
It does not have a fairy tale ending, as it is a very realistic series that touches quite serious issues that anyone, whether or not in the lgbtiq + community, can identify with.
I recommend it 100%, everyone should definitely watch it. And if you liked it as much as me , you can also read the book.

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Beautiful, moving, poignant

It’s really no surprise the original won the Booker Prize—this adaptation is just so damn good. Such a beautiful, brutally honest meditation on what it means to be happily, darkly, stupidly human. The characters feel completely real—flawed, complex, lovable—and the themes hit hard without being heavy-handed. There’s a rhythm to it that just works; it gives you space to feel without dragging. The acting is incredible, totally immersive, and the directing ties everything together in this quietly powerful way. It’s the kind of thing that stays with you after it ends.

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He was given the opportunity for love twice and did not hold onto it

Okay, first off, this is not BL. As you can see from one of the tags, it's a gay romance. Do I wish that it was a happy gay romance? Of course I do! But, just like real life, we get a few frogs along the way until we can actually get to our happily ever after—and this is what this series is doing.

There were times I wanted to slap the character Ko Yeong. From watching this series, I believe that he was in two out of the four relationships where his significant others actually loved him. He unfortunately was too immature for the first one, and I guess he wanted Sim Gyu Ho to live his life for himself and achieve all that he could because he was contemplating giving up an opportunity to remain with Ko Yeong. But I honestly believe that he felt something deep for him, as it seems he's the only one he ever told about Kylie, as he never told his best girlfriend and his three male friends.

With his second relationship with No Yeong Su, how did he actually think it was going to end after seeing his thesis on homosexuality? That guy, if he DID have feelings for him, was WAY deep in the closet and was not going to come out for him. With his life already being crappy at that time, it's understandable that he did what he did after their breakup, as he must have felt that he keeps being dealt a crappy hand in life. I honestly did not understand him and his fourth relationship, as I was more focused on the fact that he started this relationship a year after his breakup with Sim Gyu Ho and Habibi even took him to Thailand, where he and Sim Gyu Ho went on their first and only trip together. So, it kind of seemed doomed from the start to me, as he seemed to be thinking about his experience with his recent ex-boyfriend. And the ending is an open ending, knowing that Sim Gyu Ho is back in South Korea for a short time, which is painful for us viewers as Ko Yoeng has still not found his HEA.

I must say that his interactions with Choi Mi Ae and his three friends were one of the highlights of this series, as I liked to see their interactions with Ko Yeong.

So, all in all, it was a good telling of a story of growing up and (hoping) to find love along the way. It's just his fault that he was too blind to see that the opportunity for love was given to him not once, but twice, and he let both chances slip away from him.

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raw queerness is not only queer joy or tragedy

This drama is just a pure queer gem, I needed that. It talked about raw queer experience and it changes so much from your average BL. The queer friendships, gay nightlife, the complicated relationship with homophobic social circles, stigma behind hiv, internalized homophobia, closeted partners,etc. It was raw queerness without some of the pink filters because thats what raw queerness is, not queer tragedy, not queer joy, but a mix of both perhaps? It had humor, sexiness, drama, sadness, anger, I only wish it had a lesbian equivalent. Please we need more of those kinds of dramas!

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My top 3 of 2024!

I have to admit, this is easily one of the best Korean BLs I’ve ever watched. And that’s saying a lot, because most KBLs lean into the same cheesy, lovey-dovey tropes. This series? Totally different. It didn’t feel like a fantasy or a sugar-coated romance, it felt raw, real, and honestly a little painful at times. I even had to double-check that it was really Korean because I’ve never seen this kind of vibe from the genre before.

What stood out most was how unapologetically honest it was about identity, family, and love. Ko Yeong’s struggles hit me hard, the push-and-pull between wanting acceptance and dealing with rejection, the complicated love he had for his mom, and the heartbreak of chasing connections that weren’t always right for him. His love stories weren’t just about who gets the happy ending, but about timing, growth, and the scars we carry. Nam Gyu was the “what if,” Youngso was the betrayal that cuts deep, and Gyu Ho… he was the one that felt like home. Watching those relationships unfold felt messy but so beautifully human.

I also loved how Mi Ae (his roommate) became such an important part of the story. She shows what chosen family really means, sometimes the people who stand by you aren’t blood relatives, but the ones who choose to be there when you need them most.

And seriously, the acting? Next level. Every emotion came through so raw that I forgot I was watching fiction. The cinematography and narration gave it this moody, introspective vibe that made me feel like I was living the story with him.

This isn’t your typical BL, it’s not about fluff, it’s about feeling everything. Messy, heartbreaking, hopeful. Easily one of the most powerful shows I’ve seen in the genre.

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”Im tired of being tired“ - Go Young

A very beautiful, realistic series. It shows how much queer people suffer in society and how much they hide because they are afraid. I had to cry a lot because it really moved me a lot im bisexuel and a part of the Community, I also have homophobic brothers, and I can relate to Go Young sometimes. I really recommend this series to everyone, even people who are not queer or people who have something against queer people. Maybe this series will change your view of queer people because they are also only human. Overall, I think everything about this series is perfect there's nothing to complain about.

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A LOT OF PLOT TWIST

I got a lot of realization after watching this, at first i thought It was gonna be a happy ending, sadly it all went downhill, I was literally crying about the death of his first lover I thought they are gonna be endgame and I was hoping because they look good together, honestly the second lover is so off for me idk why then there goes the last lover I thought It was really them in the ending their chemistry, their dedication, love and everything. Sadly It wasn't and this series gives out moral and lesson stories a lot actually because the series can happen in real life. Best kbl for me I will never forget this series.

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Top Notch Acting, but too much hype

The Story, I appreciated the effort to stay faithful to the book, with an almost 1:1 adaptation. However, I found myself wishing for more creative freedom in certain areas by producers, directors and actors, to make it more cohesive on-screen adaptation. This is very paradoxical for me, because I love faithful adaptations, but there was something uncanny for the series.

This became especially apparent in two episodes that seemed to lack direction entirely. The storyline and acting in those episodes felt heavily improvised, which disrupted the flow and made those episodes stand out, but in the worst possible way, from the rest of the series.

The acting and music were definitely the highlights of the show. The performances were strong, passionate and full of life. The soundtrack complemented the series beautifully, adding a emotional tone that made all the sequences powerful. Kudos for choosing T-Ara.

However two points, the series lacks significant rewatch value, I would never rewatch it. And lastly, the hype, I was skeptical over the series, and ultimately the show fell short of my expectations.

Overall, Love in the Big City had its moments but struggled to deliver a consistent experience, leaving me a bit underwhelmed. It’s worth a watch for fans of the book or those curious about the buzz, but it didn’t quite live up to its full potential.

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So far so good

It's a shame that a few people had to complain about this and protested to get it cancelled in south Korea when there's nothing wrong with it. There are movies full of sex violence torture abuse etc, but just because it's guys kissing they came pointing the finger at, while thinking to have the right to do so they're actually the ones behaving in a bad way, causing harm to others who are not harming anyone around them, also it's still a work of fiction, see it as you want but let other people be as well. While watching at the beginning I was already feeling like there was nothing about it that needed cancellation, if anything it quickly faced some aspects of reality that we should be more open, safe and comfortable to talk about. Acting is top notch, music just fits like a glove, picture, pacing, all fantastic. Let's focus on what really matters and support this work and the people that have it all for it, also isn't the protagonist the guy that donated his kidney to his father?! Hats down, they've done outstandingly well in the king's affection before, the whole cast seem to have been accurately assembled. Looking forward to the next episodes

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