1A curse to lift to be able to live : a very meaningful BL
I loved this BL drama. It features one of the most wholesome and touching grumpy-sunshine trope with one of the male lead being quite closed off and the other one really cheerful. It can sound a bit classical but it showcases a beautiful romance, much more deep than I would have guessed from the poster alone. The background of the characters and the evolution of their relationship broke my heart several times, in the best way.I liked a lot the production value as well as the directing choices. There are a myriad of little signs, indicators, gestures that characters are doing and that in fact have a meaning, are relevant to the story. It is full of details and it was a joy to grasp at the clues and to understand the mindset in which the protagonists were across events and time passing. The soundtrack and opening/ending generics were totally fitting the bittersweet vibe of the romance.
I liked a lot the casting. The two main male leads Kim Nu Rim and Lee Seon had a great chemistry together and were totally believable in their respective roles. Jang Yeon Woo was a great addition and complement to the story. Maybe the three of them felt a bit too mature to play the highschoolers parts but it was not shocking, especially that the heavy context in which the characters evolved required gravitas.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for an angsty BL story. There are some sweet moments but there are also quite a bit of darkness and trauma through which the characters are evolving. The directing and production was really on point and the writing pretty solid with a lot of little interesting details.
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a complex onion of character development
It's intriguing to me how much my feelings have changed about this story in such a short time. On the one hand I feel like they did such an amazing job building out these characters right away, and on the other hand the rate at which you go from wholeheartedly loving these characters to near despising them is unbelievable. Episodes 1 & 2 I fell head over heels in love, episodes 3 & 4 I lost interest, and episodes 5 & 6 sweet feelings started to sour. Finally with episodes 7 & 8 we see all the buried feeling and secrets come to the surface for a somewhat awkward closure.The story follows the life of Do Hoe, a quiet high school student who lives under his abusive father, a the Grandmaster of a Taekwondo gym. Ju Yeong is the mischievous type, he gets kicked out of his home in Seoul and sent off to the countryside to train under the Grandmaster, and there the relationship between Do Hoe and Ju Yeong begins. Do Hoe already has a complicated relationship with his childhood friend Hyeon Ho, and as the story progresses the three of them fall into a mess of a love rivalry.
Initially these characters and their back stories were so beautifully done, what I loved most was the absolutely masterful subtlety they use to tell their story, it was all of the tiny little details that make up each scene, layers on layers deep, each scene peeled back a new layer of the characters personalities. As the story went on, it lost a bit of its chemistry and vibe, and to be honest I developed some second lead syndrome somewhere in the all the drama. It turned into ML being puppy dog followed by both of them and his wishy washy attitude hurting them all, but at least there's a happy ending?
The actors did great, each of them had a unique role to play in the atmosphere and they did a fantastic job. The production was good, each scene was intentional, and the music and editing were solid as well.
Overall, I don't regret watching, but what started out looking like a 10 barely missed getting dropped, while it wasn't terrible I felt like it really could have been something special and they just missed the mark.
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Hwang Daseul does it again
Tbh, as someone who loves Hwang Daseul's work, I was scared that I'd be disappointed but she did not let me down. The story, despite being just eight episodes, flowed so naturally, every part connected to the other seamlessly, it was a delight to watch such a show.The characters had their own realistic complexities, and the resolution to the same was quite realistic which was a breath of fresh air. It was interesting to see how the way one views themselves changes the way they react to the world around them, how each one finds a balance between morality and selfishness. I do wish there were some topics fleshed out even more like what's Juyeong's relationship with his parents like after all these years, why did Dohoe still feel safe around Hyeonho despite their past, but it didn't take away much from the crux of the story.
I have to commend Kim Nurim and Lee Seon for making us fall in love with their character's cute personalities and cute dynamics and cute chemistry. Their characters have now become one of my favourite couples in the bl world.
A special shout out to Jang Yeon Woo, his characterisation of Hyeonho was beautiful and I genuinely want to see more of Hyeonho's story in a spin off.
The use of music/OSTs was done in the best way, it made the series shine even brighter.
All in all, this is a show that will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with life; it shows you how complex self-love and self abandon can be and it's one show you shouldn't miss.
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Just Really Really Good
Everything is handled almost perfectly. Every shot is stunning, the music chosen is on point. The actors truly understand their characters. Often times when I'm analyzing a story, I look for details in choices made by pretty much everyone else except for the actors. These two carried this story so purposefully and so well done, you could look into their faces at any given scene to find any hidden context or further meaning.Often times I find that bl's with some sort of overarching message tend to be a bit heavy-handed in delivering it to the audience. They usually tend to feel like afterthoughts instead of parts of the story. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo is not just a bl with a message, but also one that is deeply and intrinsically a part of the romance and characters. Every element that is there serves a purpose.
I'm also really happy about the ending. For me, it's so rare that bl will have a good and satisfying ending. A terrible ending can ruin a whole series for me, especially since it's the last impression. Even if the ending is sad, there's a proper way to handle it so that the story reaches a proper conclusion. Whether or not it has a happy or sad ending I won't reveal here, but I will say that this show's ending makes sense and closes out the story of it's characters in a satisfying way.
My only complaint would be that they kind of overcomplicated a lot of things in the end. I don't think it needed to be as convoluted as it was. I think this also lost me a little bit, making the second half of the story feel a little dry and unsatisfying to watch. I couldn't tell if it was an issue with translation, some cultural things I just wasn't picking up on, or if I'm just really dense T_T but the second half being hard to follow kind of killed a lot of the joy I got from this show for me.
//the only spoiler-y thing I will say, is that I do really love how one of the messages from this story is that imperfect people deserve to be loved too. as an imperfect person (rarely represented in bl), i really appreciate that :)) //
It's a really beautiful work and everyone who was a part of it was at the top of their game. If you're thinking about giving this series a try, please don't hesitate because it's very worth it.
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The knife from the past
JY does everything right except understanding Dohoe's relationship with his dad. JY seems to want to fix that. That's the reason why he does not wish Dohoe to sell Taekwondo place. The day Dohoe had the knife to his dad, their relationship was beyond unfixable. People are right; JY is an angel and a really good guy. He might be too good for Dohoe. But I cry for Dohoe. When you have a knife between you and your dad; I don't think anything can fix him. Your life is entirely dark. JY is only the light and happiness in Dohoe's life, but if JY keeps bringing the shadow from the past, Dohoe might cut those two things altogether and choose his empty life.And people go so hard on Hyunho, calling him a bully. Hyunho never really lies a finger to Dohoe. He never hit Dohoe. If this is in a different universe, people will call Dohoe and Hyunho's stories an enemy to a lover. Dohoe and Hyunho have something in common, as both are dying to come out from their hell. At some point, they understand each other. Even though Hyunho does not stand a chance as Dohoe's heart has already sailed for JY. However, I think Hyunho is a good example of a character present in the third person in JY and Dohoe's relationship.
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This review may contain spoilers
NOT A REVIEW!
This is not a review.I would like to call this a revisit - or rather a deep dive into the characters and their equations.
Lee Do Hoe –
I am going to hold Do Hoe very close to my heart for a long time.
One of my favourite Korean dramas is ‘To My Star’. Do Hoe reminded me a lot of Han Ji Woo. Both of these characters have gone through some of the most traumatic experiences at such tender age. Even though I haven’t faced - and can’t imagine - the intensity of their experiences, I still identify with them.
The way they push people away even when they need them the most. The fear of being seen - not at their best, but in their mess. The urge to fix everything and still not be able to fight your own demons. The fear of hurting the ones that they love.
I could really go on and on about how similar these two characters were. How their silences had the same kind of pain and misery. Despite their best efforts, they could not explain how broken they truly were and so leaving seemed like the only option.
At one point, I was really confused and didn’t understand Do Hoe’s actions, but soon realized his actions were not to be judged or analyzed. Some people have gone through such terrible things, that rather than feeling sympathy for them, you feel angry that the world could be so cruel.
His little discomforts, his emotional turmoil, and deep-rooted issues, his obsession with perfection, all of it makes sense and makes you feel even more devastated.
But he persists, despite everything. Despite what he has lived through.
He tries to reach out - to seek the light and love of his life in his own quiet way.
Taking a job near where Ju Yeong lives is his way of reaching out - more than anyone in his position could manage. Even when his brain tells him not to, his heart seeks the love, care and affection he once fell for.
That, to me, is how he eventually grows:
He lets go of the past that has tormented him for the better half of his life, but holds onto the part that made him feel alive. He shows the courage to start afresh, to begin again from the moment he stopped living.
When he says to Ju Yeong – ‘ I am just a loser, with a lot of pride. Even so, don’t abandon me.’
-that, to me, is the most beautiful declaration of love. Someone like Do Hoe who has endured so much on his own, lets himself rely on another person and opens his heart to love - and be loved - abundantly.
Shin Ju Yeong –
Again, I must point out a striking similarity between ‘To My Star’ and this show in this aspect. While Ju Yeong’s character isn’t exactly like Kang Seo Joon from ‘To My Star’ – one thing that they both share one rare trait - Their ability to love ferociously. They are both more expressive in love than their respective partners. And they both struggle to heal a wound that they did not give.
What I absolutely love about Ju Yeong is that he never judges Do Hoe — not for his silence, not for his trauma, not for his past. From the moment he realizes the truth about Do Hoe’s abusive father, he becomes deeply protective of Do Hoe.
From making fake snow just to see a smile on Do Hoe’s face to hiding the fact that he is also being hit by Do Hoe’s father - all his efforts go into making life a little better, a little happier for Do Hoe.
Even after Do Hoe disappears, he keeps in touch with Do Hoe’s abusive father, hoping to have some link that connects him to Do Hoe.
When they meet again after 12 years, he doesn’t ask for an explanation, nor does he question his strange new friendship with his school bully, Ha Hyeon Ho.
Ju Yeong only observes, quietly, trying to understand what Do Hoe’s life must have been like and where their relationship stands now after all these years.
He returns to Do Hoe, no matter how many times Do Hoe tries to push him away, distance him. He doesn’t force himself into his life. He waits patiently on the other side of the door, determined that Do Hoe would open the door to his heart someday and let him in, allow him to show his scars like he once did 12 years ago.
It is not easy to find love that lasts a lifetime but it is even more difficult to nurture that love, allow it to grow in its own rhythm and stand by it for eternity.
Characters like Ju Yeong teach us something powerful — that loving someone broken doesn’t mean fixing them. It means holding them steady until they’re ready to rebuild. And only someone like Ju Yeong could have done that.
Someone who can make it snow in a place where snowfall rarely happens. Someone who can make life worth living again.
Ha Hyeon Ho –
I know we often focus on the main leads when it comes to shows like these but I could not possibly let Hyeon Ho and his story slide.
We are introduced to his character as a bully in school who bullies and beats up Do Hoe because of his father.
But in the meantime, we also get a hunch that he is not quite what he shows everyone to be.
We see him momentarily falter and growing jealous of Ju Yeong. We see how, he too yearns for that connection with Do Hoe.
However, things change over the years and he becomes a closer friend and the only person Do Hoe relies on during his disappearance.
Realizing his double standards, he makes an attempt to get closer to Do Hoe. But Do Hoe never truly opens up to him. There is always an invisible wall that Hyeon Ha tries to go beyond but never really succeeds.
He realizes that even after all these years, and despite the fact that he is the only person who knows all of Do Hoe’s deepest darkest secrets, Do Hoe never really lets him into his world the way he lets Ju Yeong in.
Despite that, he stays.
Maybe with the hope that someday Do Hoe would let him in or maybe because it’s his way of redemption for all those years of bullying. Who knows!
In the scene, where he breaks down and puts his heart out there for Do Hoe to see for the first time, knowing that his feelings are not reciprocated. Yet, he bares himself for just that moment, knowing well that he is not the one for Do Hoe.
He feels hurt and full of regret, wondering if things could have been different had he opened his heart to Do Hoe and loved him the way Ju Yeong did.
But he was also aware of the difference between his love and that of Ju Yeong’s.
His love was for himself and Ju Yeong’s was always for Do Hoe. He fought with himself to love Do Hoe, while Ju Yeong fought the whole world to protect Do Hoe.
Despite all these, I felt for him. He grew from his mistakes, learning to be a better friend, a companion. His devastation was so real. All of us makes mistakes, all of us have regrets that we carry through life, hoping someday we’ll be free from that emotional baggage. I hope people like Hyeon Ho have the courage in life to move on, grow, forgive themselves and become a better person.
Love is not always enough. But it is something worth holding on to as we navigate this race called life. Love doesn't magically solve all our problems or conquer all our obstacles but it sure gives us the strength to try again.
In the end, what intrigues me the most about any drama is the way it shapes the characters.
It feels surreal, like watching an artist slowly move his brush across the canvas to reveal a portrait.
It feels satisfying to peel each of the layers, discovering the true meaning words of spoken and unspoken, secret glances and silences.
This show was an emotional roller coaster but it was worth every tear that I shed.
P.S - for the people who loved this show as much as I did, I would recommend watching 'To My Star' (if you haven't already).
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A beautiful gem
Hwang da seul has done it again .I became a fan of this director since Blueming .She is a master at this craft and she continues to impress me with her talent.How to create a realistic drama which addresses social issues that needs to be discussed thru a romantic story ? This is the main goal of this director .
U can feel how different her shows are from the other BLs which is evident from the first scene itself. Whether it be the cinematography ,music or character building ,she is a master at this art.She continues to engage the audience with her realistic touching stories .
Although it has not dethroned my fav BL of all time - Blueming .This show holds a special place in my heart.
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This review may contain spoilers
To My Star 2 Formula won't work all the time
Have always been a huge fan of Hwang De Seoul works till date and we all owe her dedication for introducing BL genre to South Korea. Her direction and storytelling has never been far from excellent with beautiful works such as 'Blueming' and 'To My Star 2'. Was increasingly looking forward to watch this title but was extremely disappointed.First of all, the plotlines is extremely is extremely choppy and underdeveloped. Initial few episodes gave a few good impressions, but later on characters have very little justifications as to why they behaved in a certain manner and neither was their backstory fully conveyed to the audience to allow them to be fully immersed with them.
The kind of angsty attitude with Dae Hoo like the one similar to Ji Woo in To My Star 2 felt like an overkill and I could not confide to his behaviour or actions and could not understand as to why such a talented student chose not clear his exams and jeopardize his entire life for some fight his lover had with his father for so many years and later chose to fake his degree. Plus the time gap is enormous, there is no character development in either male leads and they are just the same characters as they were in high school. 12 years is a huge time and no one waits for the their long lost love in high school in their 30's.
And neither in a realistic setting would something like that ever happen. The way it ended with him owning up to his crimes of fabrication and restarting his life in his hometown with his high school lover is far from reality, especially in a gay relationship. I'm sorry, just that Love in the Big City has raised way too bars this year that I can't help but compare it to this drama. Maybe happily ever after is not always the answer? In a realistic scenario it would be him alone chugging and sobbing with his cup of ramen noodles in his house.
Lastly the love triangle or the third wheeler and his history was never clear to the audience and his role is just the mystery as is to you as is to me! Lastly, there were certain good elements conveyed in the show like bullying and parental violence, but the main characters have very little story to tell, at least was very confusing to me as an audience and was difficult to get emotionally invested!
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how to love someone when you hate the world/the world hates you
(pre-finale review)dohoe and juyeong still feel as intensely about each other after a dozen years without communication as they did when they were kids re the way dohoe immediately kissed juyeong on remembering the note he left him and juyeong going back for more right after they break apart.. squeee.. it's just that they are extremities on a spectrum with how they view and react to abuse. juyeong takes it as what it is maybe it's because he was raised religiously but he wants to reconcile with people; he steps in immediately and fights like it's his second nature but forgives and forgets just as easily. dohoe on the other hand thinks people's behaviours are fundamentally wrong and gets increasingly upset at not being able to fix it and this frustration leaks into every part of his life. he focuses on himself when other people are too much to bear but feels incredibly guilty at his selfishness (he's just like me). if they can't agree to disagree, the differences in their personalities will keep coming between their love. juyeong cares too much and is simultaneously carefree. dohoe thinks and feels A Lot. their personalities can actually balance each other's out perfectly if juyeong stops and thinks for a moment and dohoe stops thinking for one goddamn minute.
story/directing wise i do think the pacing constraints makes it seem haywire especially at first with the random timeskip and the third wheel/side love interest plot seems halfbaked and unnecessary, almost as if they gave up on it half way through.
side note: not to fujoshi out but that reunion sex scene while they were arguing paralleling with their first time is *chef's kiss* like the scene switching is perfect i want MORE such a nosebleed moment
(finale review)
tune in next week ^-^ (i literally have finals next week lolol)
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A roller coaster ride of emotions with excellent acting
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25Without knowing much about this KBL, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I like this small production. KBLs have been hitting all the right notes for me in the last couple years with their more melodramatic/serious dramas. I think they have found their niche and I really like that.
“Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo” is not a happy drama. Moments of joy and cuteness are hard to find, and only in the first couple episodes. Despite praising KBLs earlier, I wish the use of bullying can be reduced in Korean dramas in general. There’s a lot of physical violence and emotional abuse in this drama. So, if you are sensitive to these topics, it’s best to stay away.
One of the positive surprises is the acting of the two male leads, Kim Nu rim and Lee Seon. They barely have any dramas under their belt and I was impressed. Kim Nu Rim, I think, has a slightly more difficult assignment. His character, Lee Do Hoe, was abused by his father and you can see the fear and hate in his eyes. But then you see him falling in love and is so happy for those short moments. When we see him again, he’s changed again into a perfect stranger. Kim might be the more experienced male lead but most of his roles were guest roles. On the other hand, this is Lee Seon’s first drama and what a great first performance. He not only acted well as being happy and outgoing, but the mental toughness to push through an invisible wall and in some emotional scenes.
The dynamics between Lee Do Hoe and Sin Ju Yeong in the present-day timeline reminded me a little of “To My Star 2”. If you don't like the leads story in "To My Star 2", you might not like this drama. I was frustrated and ready to give up on one of the leads. But the other leads are a better person than me. They push through the invisible wall, they are dedicated and believe in their love, and eventually succeed in reaching their other halves. I think I like both dramas so much (esp. “To My Star 2”) is that these two dramas take me on a roller coaster ride of emotions.
However, there are certain areas that could be improved, mainly in editing and storytelling. There are a lot of flashbacks, and the editing of these switches are abrupt and confusing. There are some misunderstandings between the leads and I had to pay close attention to the flashbacks and also what was being said in order to understand what really happened in the past. But, I do like the past/present scenes of when the leads were intimate. What happened in the past and what happened in the present are so different in the mood, feelings and circumstances.
Another complaint I have is in the last episode. Maybe the drama wants to reward its audience after sitting through 7 episodes of despair and give us an episode of the leads being happy. I wish this last episode could be better used in giving us more than just fillers.
Overall, I had a ‘great’ time watching this and experiencing the roller coaster ride of emotions. I think I enjoy the acting of the leads so much that I am rounding this up to an 8.5. It’s not that easy to find good acting in a sea of low-budget BLs out there.
Completed: 11/17/2024 - Review #517
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hwang daseul fez novamente!
Vi no twitter alguém comentando como essa série era muito mais sobre trauma geracional do que qualquer outra coisa, e parando pra pensar, é meio assustador como esses relacionamentos afetaram os personagens ao ponto da gente acompanhar uma passagem de 12 anos mas o trauma ser recorrente da mesma maneira que era no passado. Acho que no que eu mais me apeguei aqui é na sutileza transformadora que atravessa os episódios; detalhes que parecem simples mas tem um significado enorme por trás (sou constantemente assombrado com a cena do crucifixo dos primeiros episódios) e como tão denso tudo é mas é abraçado com uma camada de simplicidade. Os dois personagens enfrentaram coisas diferentes, e o modo como cada um reagiu aos tramas também teve aspectos que divergiam mas por algum motivo os monstros que eles enfretaram pareciam o mesmo, acho que é o resultado de você amar tanto uma pessoa que tudo aquilo que é um desafio dela acaba se tornando seu.Acho que foi uma surpresa geral que ninguém estava esperando ficar tão emocionalmente envolvido na série, com base nos trabalhos da hwang daseul era de se esperar uma boa obra mas ela ainda achou uma maneira de surpreender. Definitivamente um dos melhores do ano
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Pain! Pain! Pain!
This is a story of pain. Sometime unimaginable and incalculable pain. Pain that for both these protagonists centered and defined their lives. Additionally, it presents, whether we like it or not, the ugly side of culture. The side of culture we accept as parenting, even though it is abusive, reprehensible, and evil. No one starts out to be such but acceptance of the nonsensical notion of making your children fit to some type of conformity is so strong that reasoning and common sense and standards of decency are thrown out the window. All to make your kid stronger; only in the end to make them weaker internally and vulnerable to doubt as to who they are. This is a story of lost souls. Astonishingly sad and told in muted tones filmed in dark hues as if to signify the total depression of the two of them. There are magical scenes in this series that will make you weep. Not from sadness but from remembrance. Remembrances of the happier times they had together.Was this review helpful to you?
