Love in the Big City

Cazzo che bello

L'ho guardata in un giorno e non ho saltato neanche un pezzo. La storia ti prende da morire sono saltata dalla sedia tantissime volte per non parlare dei pianti che ho versato. Un episodio è cosi pieno di emozioni che pensi che l'episodio sia durato molto di piu' . Tratta argomenti seri in maniera veritiera. Cazzo se oddio quanto sto povero attore debba subire insulti omofobici, è una serie fatta benissimo, vincerebbe anche molti premi se la società coreana non fosse così omofobica. Spero che questo attore raggiunga successi enormi perchè selo merita proprio. Bravissimi anche gli altri protagonisti che hanno esposto personaggi molto differenti tra loro; ho avuto emozioni diverse per ognuno di loro.

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In the darkest times, there is still room for joy and hope

'Love in the Big City' is one of those series that surprises you from the first images. Its greatest success lies in its power to enrich the panorama of South Korean television dramas with LGBT+ themes, widely represented in 2024 with other works of great value, while at the same time denouncing heteronormative and patriarchal society.
Equally beautiful and moving, as bitter, harsh and disturbing, the LGBT+ drama, not of the BL genre, with the largest budget from South Korea touches on extremely important themes and moves something within each person from the first moment, while offering an anthropological approach to queer lives in Seoul in the 21st century.
Based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Park Sang Young, nominated for the Medicis Prize, the Booker Prize and the International Dublin Literary Prize, the romance series is adapted by BigStone Studio in collaboration with Merry Christmas Studio, along with the financial sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture of South Korea, and follows Go Yeong (played by Nam Yoon Su), a cheerful and sincere college student, who navigates life as a closeted gay man who goes through a journey of personal growth while encountering problems family members and different romantic partners, in Seoul's complex dating scene.
I am sure that many will not agree with me when I say that 'Love in the Big City' represents the possibility of entering, fully, on a promising path for South Korean BL series (and from other latitudes), by transcending this genre and going several steps further to tell us an LGBT+ story, since the series avoids falling into the typical and light stories of adolescent fantasy and excessive romantic love, by showing us sufficiently explicit sex scenes and not being created and oriented to an audience - especially - female, since its main budget is to reach the public of said community.
On the other hand, every time a television series project on these topics is outlined, the dilemma between repetition and innovation appears from the very beginning. 'Love in the Big City' has almost achieved the miraculous balance of alternating the constants and the invariables, in a set that cannot be denied, at least, the virtue of novelty.
I wish there were many dramas like this one that paid similar attention to the solid psychological outline of their characters, giving prominence to filial and everyday human conflicts for queer people in societies in which there is still no legal protection of gender identity and sexual orientation against discrimination, and to always delve into what is essential, in personal identity, in the realization of the dreams, desires, freedoms and aspirations of everyone equally, without forgetting a certain expressive distinction.
It seems to me to be a series conceived for a sensitive audience that loves subtleties, not for those who intend to build an impregnable fence of prejudices regarding LGBT+ people, because as the directors and scriptwriter affirm, the love between the members of this community is the same as that of Any other couple, while proposing a certain narrative cadence, takes its time to explain, and sticks to a certain elegance in the dialogues, sometimes colloquial, sometimes metaphorical, or epigrammatic.
As in other LGBT+ series, here appear the parents who do not accept their homosexual children, the young people who must hide their homosexuality from society, the secrets hidden for decades, and of course, the loves and heartbreaks. But what is not abundant in the LGBT+ production that we have seen are characters as nuanced, complex and contradictory as Go Yeong, Sim Gyu Ho, Kim Nam Gyu, No Yeong Su and Habibi, all of them Go Yeong's boyfriends, or Yeom Eun Suk and Choi Mi Ae, as the main protagonist's mother and best friend, respectively.
While Go Young's mother disapproves of her son's homosexuality, while being ashamed of having uterine cancer, as one of the many characters in the series who suffer from self-deception in trying to deny their various physical and mental conditions, Mi Ae is proof of how important chosen family is, especially in LGBT+ narratives.
In a country like South Korea, where traditional family values are so ingrained in the culture, acceptance does not always come from the biological family. Mi Ae and Go Yeong's relationship is that silent reminder that the people who truly have your back are not always the ones you share DNA with: they are the ones who choose to walk alongside you regardless of obstacles and prejudices. The friendship of these two characters is a challenge to the typical idea of family and manages to be shown on screen with total freshness.
'Love in the Big City' does not shy away from explicit language or images, which is rare in the Korean entertainment scene and brings an advantage to the BL scene. On the contrary, he takes care of every last detail and leaves nothing to chance.
He also exudes beauty, capturing picturesque moments with a well-thought-out, bulletproof script, in which at times, his autobiographical narrative becomes very obvious, but apart from that, it provides a new perspective on the life of a writer.
And we arrive at the space where the stars live: To translate the convoluted climate of loves and heartbreaks, secrets and hopes, desires and obsessions, longings and frustrations, an extraordinary cast was required. Despite accusations from a section of South Korean homophobic society that the series aims to "glorify and promote homosexuality", despite threats to Nam Yoon Su from conservative viewers, anti-LGBT+ groups and some of his followers, who claim to be disgusted with the actor for his decision to appear in a gay role, even though this could damage his future career and that of some others involved in the series, 'Love in the Big City' reached a histrionic level awesome.
Some exceeded expectations, surpassing the high levels of professionalism to which we are accustomed: Nam Yoon Su once again reveals himself to be exceptional playing a closeted young gay writer who is HIV positive and is drowning under his family's expectations, dealing with the constant judgment of society and also struggling with the kind of love that consumes you but may never be enough. He is convincing in playing a person who masks the sadness of existence with his innate vivacity. He is undeniably charming and conveys many emotions as the main protagonist.
This actor, recognized for his participation in the 2020 Netflix series 'Extracurricular', which earned him recognition both inside and outside South Korean borders and was nominated for Best New Television Actor at the 57th edition of the Baeksang Arts Awards, He plays Go Young with emotional restraint, reflecting, in addition to his happy and outgoing character, the nostalgia and conflict that his character carries and that he must hide from everyone. Her performance brings depth and authenticity to a character who challenges gender norms, in search of self-acceptance and in the midst of fighting for her place in the world as the central axis of her story.
For his part, Jin Ho Eun embraced unbridled histrionics already seen before, and took risks in an acting style where moderation and restraint prevail, to offer us Go Yeong's true first love.
Both this actor and Nam Yoon Su have obvious and compelling chemistry and are fascinating characters.
With the intensity of allegro vivace they pulsed with their characters Jung Chan Young, Byun Jun Seo and Lee Hyun So, as Jeon Eun Soo, Park Ji Tae and Han Ho Min, respectively, Go Yeong's three friends; while Kwon Hyuk, Na Hyun Woo and Kim Won Joong knew how to personify the first as an immature man in love who cannot distinguish between obsession and love, the second as a person who has difficulty accepting himself and makes even those who love him They love sit alone, and the last is the love that comes when pure love is gone, and must have the ability, or not, to serve as a balm to heal the wounds.
This series is one of two totally different productions of the novel (the other is a film version), also released in October 2024.
The eight-episode series is directed by four filmmakers, each directing two episodes respectively.
The four stories in the original novel: "Jaehee" (told in episodes 1 and 2, directed by Son Tae Gyum), "A Bite of Rockfish, Taste the Universe" (episodes 3 and 4, Hur Jin Ho), "Love in the Big City" (episodes 5 and 6, Hong Ji Young) and "Late Rainy Season Vacation" (episodes 7 and 8, Kim Se In), illustrate how the queer community, since the beginning of the century, has lived under a dual system of being "privately out and publicly in the closet," as South Korean society has not fully recognized LGBT+ rights.
As the social backdrop of 'Love in the Big City', this setting reflects the characters' constant tension between pride and shame. Taken together, the four stories offer a raw and detailed portrait of Seoul and the gay meeting places in the South Korean capital, where the tall buildings and wide, illuminated streets and alleys contrast with the turbulent inner lives of the characters. The scenes are meticulously crafted, with a balance between the poetic and the emotionally complex, adding layers of meaning to the plot.
As the narrative addresses these questions, it does so with an air of inquiry rather than sermon. This series is full of questions and leaves each of us to come to our own conclusions.
The series shows us that there is still a long way to go when it comes to fighting prejudice, stopping hate and fighting discrimination for being "different".
Go Yeong's growth is slow; sometimes frustrating. The pressure to fit into the "normality" imposed by society and family is always present, and the series keeps the tension alive. In his journey of self-improvement, the character expresses what many people are feeling right now and in many settings in the world: The struggle of trying to discover where you fit when the world rejects you for being who you are, and when who you are is in question. direct conflict with who everyone expects you to be. But the beauty of it all is at stake.
'Love in the Big City' manages to be introspective and deep without falling into melodrama, and leaves us with small moments of humor like flashes of light that remind you that even in the darkest times, there is still room for joy and hope.

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Em busca do amor

Ai que bl lindo. Os temas importantes e diferentes que eu nunca tinha visto abordado q a série trouxe. Ver a trajetória do protagonista em relações amorosas e até mesmo na trajetória da vida foi comovente. Me fez sentir raiva, tristeza e carinho em cada um dos relacionamentos, principalmente o último que me fez apaixonar por eles, a confiança e o carinho, eu mesma senti a dor que eles sentiram. Eu senti tanto q agora não sei nem o q dizer.
Não queria q o final fosse esse, mas entendo o final e não acho que tenha sido um final ruim, acho q foi um encerramento q retrata a vida.

Não podia deixar de dar elogios a atuação IMPECÁVEL de todos os personagens, mas em especial o Nam Yoon Su que interpretou o papel perfeitamente, e ainda deu um arraso nas promoções do dorama defendendo a série.
A cinematografia e a trilha sonora de tocar o coração, me encantaram também.
Por fim adorei esse dorama, foi um bl que bateu de frente com todos os preconceitos da Coréia e teve coragem de fazer o que nenhum bl coreano teve, foi perfeito, aprecio de coração todo esse trabalho.

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🎉A comunidade LGBT+ na Coreia do Sul está ganhando mais visibilidade, mesmo que enfrente resistência, o fato de os conservadores estarem falando sobre eles e sua reação, mostra que estão reconhecendo sua existência, isso é um sinal de progresso, mostra que a comunidade LGBT+ está fazendo barulho e está sendo ouvido.
No ano de 2023 já houve uma "polêmica" sobre a série "A Time Called You" onde os personagens dos atores Ahn Hyoseop e Rowoon demonstraram interesse romântico mútuo ❤ lembro bem que foi uma enxurrada de críticas aos atores, muitas delas preconceituosas e agressivas, os atores deram depoimentos de apoio a comunidade LGBT+ e depois continuaram com as suas carreiras, acredito que essa participação deles foi um passo a frente para dar visibilidade aos romances homoafetivos de maneira inclusiva, 🥰no caso de "Love in the big city" por ser totalmente voltada para um personagem Gay e HIV+ as atenções e reações positivas e negativas ficaram concentradas, no ator Nam Yoon su o qual já admirava e passei ser fã, a história do Go Yeong mostra toda perversidade e sofrimento que são submetidas as pessoas LGBT+, o preconceito que começa na família, os absurdos pelo o que o protagonista passou foram descritos de uma maneira a fazer qual quer um chorar, a forma que contraiu o HIV e entre outras situações absurdas e a pior situação foi a do relacionamento onde o personagem serviu de "cobaia" para um estudo experimental do "namorado" sobre homossexualidade, destroçou meu coração, o ponto positivo mostrado a todo momento foi o amor dos amigos para todos os momentos loucos, muito loucos e sombrios a amizade dos quatro foram um oásis na vida desse cara, como uma "desajustada" e um gay não poderiam dar certo? e o final onde ele encontra alguém onde Go Yeong pode ser ele mesmo, mostrando todo seu amargor, egoísmo, sensibilidade e fragilidade, é pura emoção é a vida dentro de um relacionamento real que foi muito bem descrita.
O que me incomodou muito foi o final medíocre, foi "mais do mesmo de sempre" igual ao da maioria das histórias Gay's onde o personagem está fadado a ser triste, melancólico e solitário, o roteirista perdeu uma imensa oportunidade de fazer uma história positiva e redentora ele não se esforçou para ser inovador preferiu ser clichê, o que é uma pena e o que seria uma obra de arte terminou no marasmo e monotonia uma profunda mesmice.
São os pontos de vista de alguém que reconhece que não sabe de nada mas que sabe do que gosta e do que não gosta.

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Um vazio absoluto de arrependimento

Acho que todos concordam que algo que define essa obra perfeitamente é o fato dela ser realista de todos os angulos! Um personagem que embora complexo, é facil de entender por tudo que passou, seu passado, suas frustrações, decisões recorrentes que só lhe causavam mais arrependimento, creio que ele não absorveu da melhor forma tudo que a vida jogou em sua vida...e como julgar né? Viver é dificil, mais ainda quando a solidão é o que domina nosso ser, desde o inicio esse foi o sentimento que mais crescia comigo, a solidão do personagem era incessante e nada que ele fazia parecia suprir suas necessidades. Ele machucou um coração genuino, ele deu valor ao amor no momento e com a pessoa errada, ele não valorizou aquele que estava disposto a enfrentar as dificuldades, mesmo a vida lhe dando um amor perfeito em seu maior fervor, um personagem que nos mostra nu e cru de como as decisões podem nos causar dores indescritiveis, de como a vida pode ser uma piada de mau gosto, de como podemos tentar e tentar e não chegar a lugar nenhum, que nossa história se baseia em frustrações com breves momentos felizes, escolhas quase sempre não tem volta, e a decisão de como ele quis lidar com o amor do Gyu Ho foi uma delas, podemos imaginar um final perfeito vindo de um conto de fadas, ele mesmo disse isso ´´eu queria realmente pensar que era o Gyu Ho no app depois de todo esse tempo´´, embora no fundo ele ja sabia que aquele fim foi um fim! Um final onde o personagem se encontra aceito das decisões da sua vida, agora não em busca de alguem para suprir sua solidão, mas apenas no amor, por ele mesmo e por ventura se alguem trilhar seu caminho creio que finalmente ele estará pronto para lidar. To angustiado ja faz uma semana por essa obra, incrivelmente eu consigo entender tudo que ela quis passar, a solidão foi um dos diversos traços que alguem pode se identificar assistindo, uma solidão indireta e emblematica que me fez ficar amargo a cada episodio, irei levar essa no peito!
Parabens a todos do elenco e direção, principalmente a Nam Yoon Su que deu vida e carisma a essa obra e ao seu personagem, gigante nosso menino!

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