I Finally Finished This Masterpiece!
Whelp, I started watching LFTCOTT about six months ago and was totally sideswiped by the jarring time-jump that happens less than midway through. I was really put off by the time-skip and the change in the nature of the relationship between the two leads. I stopped watching, realizing that it was good enough that I would probably go back and finish it one day but feeling a bit peeved by what felt like a betrayal by the writer/director.Finally this week I started it again at episode 6. And boy am I glad I gave it another chance. Having some distance from the pure sweetness and tragedy of the earlier episodes I was able to fully appreciate the complexity and depth of the relationship in the later episodes. And episode 7 had me in tears for almost the whole watch.
In truth, I should have known better and trusted in Hwang Da-seul. She's never let me down and she didn't with Let Free The Curse of the Taekwondo. The acting, the soundtrack the cinematography were all signature Da-seul and it was unbearably lovely. I highly recommend watching this and not letting the jarring time-jump stop you from finishing it. I still think the length of time was a mistake but it is minor at the end of the day and the show as a whole is wonderful and filled with sweetness.
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Finally a Korean Adult BL
Wow, Korea has stepped up the game. Although it starts in high school it quickly becomes an adult BL. I love that it doesn't shy away from skinship, whether it be kissing , or just an open knowledge that these characters are having sex. It is real Finally, it showcases the complexity of not only being gay but how to navigate life with dealing with pretty much abuse from all angles. Not only does it show how different each character deals with abuse, it also shows how you can adjust and overcome just about anything. Lee Soon s character upbeat, fun but emotionally available & willing to accept people for who they are no matter the circumstances. Jang Yeon Woo beautiful to look at but played such a flawed character. Kim Nu Rim the centre figure of the drama , was just beautifully played in every aspect. It really showed how a child is affected by continued abuse . He was such closed off character. This will not be a forgotten Drama. Beautiful written directed with the correct actors able to convey the amazing range of emotion in the drama A must see for sureWas this review helpful to you?
Worth A Rewatch When Your Ready
Definitely in my top 10. The acting is so restrained in some scenes. The chemistry in the silence between the leads shows how authentic BL stories can be when acted and directed so superbly. I personally love when BL are filmed in the city and in the country it really shows off rural landscapes and living that we would not necessarily see internationally. Cheers to the director as well and the script writers for a phenomenal series. I hope this one wins lots of awards.Was this review helpful to you?
the one who loved more..
love is a weird thing.. its never equal and there is the one who loved more.. i think that its well needed requirement for a balanced relationship.. there must be the one who fight ,the one to give comfort to the hurt ,and give love a lot a lot of it. if anyone asked me for a drama recommendation this will be it .. it gives that beautiful feel of drowning, of anger ,and the involvement in a well earned happiness.Was this review helpful to you?
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Amazingly confusing lol
I think the story is good but the execution is far from good, the actors are so great, but i'm quite confusing with the story, so many plot holes, 8 episodes is too shortThe story begin with sweetness and joy typical of highschool romance, when you watch episode 3 and the time leap begin, it makes me headache lol, there's something missing, the story is kinda fast, so many questions. Why Dohoe act so weird, what happened to him and juyeong, and why dohoe can be together with his bully, we don't get the story what happened in the past 12 years, between all of them, the trauma that haunted dohoe, it seems so rush, but after all it's so unfortunate, the story is great also the actor, but the producing is so messed up
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good except writing flaws
The pacing of the story is a tad bit too sad and heavy with emotions to be rewatched for fun every once in a whileit’s interesting to see how Ju Yeong also has violent tendencies when angered (u can see it when he fights back + when he talks to hyeon ho). Lowkey feels like the saying the cycle always repeats come true for Do Hoe. It doesn’t happen in the story but this just goes to show an interesting part of psychology.
Other than that I literally can’t side with Ju Yeong.
Do Hoe’s dad was absuive, made living hell for the people around him yet he forgave him? and that too he had no right to. He knew him for less than a year. This is like when people say I’ll be friends with someone because they don’t do ME wrong. Continously bringing Do Hoe back to the past when it was traumatic and didnt need to be brought back was crazier. Do Hoe did it in the name of love but what did Ju Hyeon do it for. Why did he constantly being Do Hoe back when he could see the panic attacks and anxiety Do Hoe was getting from this.
Maybe he felt going back would bring closure but this felt like a gamble. This is a story so all will be well in the end of course but a lot of hidden questions were left unanswered in the series, I do think better writing could have solved this.
The casts acting was top notch. The cinematography was magical and I found myself taking notes for the next time I shoot.
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Phenomenal
I searched the tags for a love triangle BL and came across this. This was not really what I was looking for, but it was better than what I hoped. There's very little campiness in this drama so don't expect so many lighthearted moments like the usual. It gets pretty heavy, in a realistic way, not even makjang "things are so out of control I can disassociate" way.By the time I was clicking for episode 5 I felt annoyed it was ending so soon because I was fully sucked in. This drama has great rewatch value too, because there are many flashbacks as the show progresses and you realize things about the story that weren't revealed when first shown.
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Hwang Da Seul does it again...
Oh the intricacies of life that are brought so achingly to the screen in such a brilliant way. This was masterfully executed, as expected from Hwang Da Seul. She continues to provide us with compelling and beautifully acted stories and she definitely didn't fail us here.Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo is a series of growing up and fighting with the expectations that are set forth and how we can break from those cursed chains that try to destroy us down to the bones. Or, what one is pushed to do just to survive, even if it means leaving everything and everyone you know behind. Not only does this story pull us in and keep us invested, but it gives us flawed characters and challenges us to understand (and still love) them.
All in all, this series was a solid work of art that deserves the high praise and a rewatch or two.
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For once, an original K-BL plot with great acting... and yet...
The actors were really good and seeing them play the same characters across timeskips of multiple years didn't feel awkward as you might expect. The overarching plot was good as well and for once original - no more childhood friends turned co-workers or the like.Unfortunately, the script writing lacked severely in places efter episode three. Some of the cuts felt out odd and make me do a double take to ensure that I didn't just miss an episode in-between. Some of the "drama" also felt unnecessary and often, the motivation of the characters was difficult to understand.
If the quality of the first 3 episodes had been maintained, I would have rated the show at least 8,5 and the only reason that I have not deducted more than 1 point is that the actors really did a great job.
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highly unlikeable main lead
dohoe is one of the worst male leads ive seen in a while in a bl...he's actually so infuriating that i wished juyeong just left his ass..this show drives off of trauma bonds with defenders of this show saying "dohoe's a complex character" no he's a beligerent dumbass who kept that loser as a friend, watched as his father beat up the one person who cared for him, and didn't contact him for 12 years. idk how juyeong could just jump into the relationship portrayed cs it is not realistic in the slightest...a normal person wouldn't have given him the time of day. this drama is like a angst fest to the point where it becomes corny and boring, its like dohoe is portrayed as the only one who's having a bad life...and the plot holes??Was this review helpful to you?
Refreshing plot twist and some suprisingly good acting
The story is believable for the most part. The character development for the mains was solid; and for 8 episodes, I was also happy with development of the side antagonist. I find his story quite appealing and refreshing. Also the twist was quite unexpected. This drama has a lot going for it. And in 2024, I cannot say it is just enjoyable, it actually has something to add in the oversaturated field of bl dramas.I did learn to appreciate when a relationship has a consistent character whose actions make sense on a larger scale.
We have Ju Yeong who is consistent and stable in his beliefs and truly, as Do Hoe points out, he indeed remains same after all the timetime. Then we have Do Hoe who is volatile and influenced by his upbringing.
I have to say it was an enjoyable watch. The actors were confident when the scenes demanded it and awkward when it was necessary, but their acting itself was never awkward or rookie-like. I think that made for the overall enjoyment and my forgetting of the plot holes.
The issues of the drama in regards to violence in family, the hardship as prerequisite for the success, betraying the ones you love in order to escape it -- these all are important topics and interesting questions to be raised to a viewer. And while I cannot say the drama went too deep to explore or justify them, it also did not do it injustice in sense they made it feel irrelevant. I think what saved them was clear focus on the relationship between Ju Yeong and Do Hoe. I was relieved by the confirmation that what they choose is each other at all times.
Twisty with a happy ending.
You should def watch it.
Thank you for reading,
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Absolutely one of the best BL dramas I have ever watched
As soon as I finished it I immediately watched it again. It was so moving and real, and the acting so fine. The chemistry between the two actors was gripping.. The real life themes of authenticity and artifice and redemption coming through the love given by another person and his refusal to give up were masterfully portrayed. This series is a masterpiece. Both actors were great. Lee Seon lit up the screen. He was mesmerizing with his smile and buoyant presence.Was this review helpful to you?
