This review may contain spoilers
DO NOT LET THE COMEDY TAG FOOL YOU!
I watched Boys Be Brave thinking I’d get a cute, lighthearted BL story, but what I got was something far more tender, truthful, and transformative. This little 8-episode gem, barely 30 minutes per ep, managed to say what some longer series struggle to express: the beauty of choosing yourself, and then choosing love.✨ Ki Sub’s growth arc was everything.
From being someone who kept chasing external definitions of success and identity, to someone who stood still and said, “This is what I want. And I’m allowed to want it.” He became an anchor—not just to Jin Woo, but to himself. He made me believe that stillness is not stagnation. It’s strength.
🧸 Jin Woo was the quiet light of the show.
He didn’t need to be loud or perfect—just genuine. Every time he said something simple like “I want to laugh every day” or “I hope Ki Sub stays healthy,” it hit deeper than any grand declaration. Because it was real. And isn’t that the kind of love we all crave?
💔 And don’t get me started on Balgeum and In Ho—the slow-burn second leads who nearly stole the spotlight. Their pain, their awkwardness, their yearning… it all felt so honest. That one final conversation? No dramatics. Just respect, space, and a promise for the future. I was FLOORED.
🎇 The ending didn’t go for a dramatic twist.
It went for peace.
A kiss at midnight. A whispered wish. A snowfall promise. And honestly, that’s perfect. It leaves you full, yet wanting just a little more. Because life’s like that too.
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Loved it
It was light hearted and sweet. No NC scenes which was fine with me. I liked the simplicity of it. I've watched this multiple times and will watch it again. The only thing that confused me was what was his medical condition and the last 30 seconds after the New Year's party kind of confused me on what that was about. But other than that I really enjoyed it.Was this review helpful to you?
This first kiss is both wonderful and hilarious
Thank you to Director Lim Hyun Hee and to Writer Lee Shin Won for this lovely, funny show. !Fighting!A cute little kdrama BL. My reactions: (E1-2) I am so happy! Laughing like a nutcase. This looks like it is going to be good. (E3-4) Great, great first kiss. Completely bananas long-haired lover! Nam Shi An bias. Main romance gets sunny cool house scenes, heart-wrenching-already second romance gets yellow streetlight in darkened backstreets. (E5-6) (holding myself back from spoilers) A lesbian bestie, smiles, tears, a seriously heart-fluttering hug and a heartbreaking embrace. Oh that ominous fitbit. (E7-8) Ouch, very very PG. Sweet as honey.
This is standard kdrama sequence in mini-mini form (8 eps at 30 mins ea.), all the best bits condensed. Several annoying loose ends/teasers for poss. sequel. Confession as the main issue, and its relation to personal growth. Some commentators seem puzzled -- I think because the show at the very last minute loses its surreal edge and comes down to earth (a very nice earth) with a tiny thud. I still go with 10stars for quality, cinematic intelligence, art, and for Nam Si An ripping up any official documents within reach (adorably).
If immature behavior is a topic I will grab the chance to say that I think the young guy/young girl/cute kid/charley-chaplin comedy characters work in Jungian terms, igniting psychological needs or functions in us, the spectators. In this comedy the childish terrors of our doll-like protagonist Jin Woo make us laugh as he ineffectually tries to stop the no-boundaries Id-representing Gi Seop from entering his house. [As Jade hinted] in BL these men will blossom quickly into true lovers, like flowers in a desert spring. They enable us to remember/compare/hope for our own spring and gain emotional strength.
Maybe that R rating is because there is a lesbian character. Ooh so scary.
first posted on viki april 30th 2024
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Cozy and warm like chicken noodle soup
This show is like chicken noodle soup. It may look basic and uninteresting but if you sit down and take in those first moments you'll see that there's so much love poured into this that make each second of it unique. It's warm and comforting, charming in its simplicity. Yes there aren't any big stakes, big action scenes or a big story and no gimmick or concept. It doesn't need all that, the same way a chicken noodle soup doesn't need any fancy ingredients to be good. This is a show about the people in it and their lives. It's entertaining, it's filling and it leaves you satisfied.Was this review helpful to you?
I hate writing reviews
…but this show deserves all the effort I can put forth. I know we can’t please all the people all the time but this show ticked all my boxes and left me very happy. Just enough drama, just enough love and character growth, just enough to make my heart pitter patter. Thank you for not making angst for angst sake and giving me a truly believable and heartwarming show.Was this review helpful to you?
An Astonishingly Touching Series!
This is a monumentally touching series that intensely affects you in ways long after you have finished the series. When you watch it, you know you are being moved but its extent does not fully grasp your inner thoughts until you have had a chance to contemplate what the story is fully about. In essence, you keep rewinding the series over-and-over in your head until its full meaning grabs you. And then, perhaps just with me, I suddenly burst into tears over its power and significance. There is something haunting about the lives of the two men that become intertwined, partly by design and partly serendipitously. This is a great series. Although the series is short in duration, it does have some very intense momentsWas this review helpful to you?
Very Cool!
The actings, musics and story are very good. I fell in love with musics. The story and actings is very natural. 8 episodes are too few. I wish there were more episodes so we could watch them.. Korean actors are really successful and their emotions pass through to you while watching. Definitely watch it!Was this review helpful to you?
What this deserves
I’m watching this for the fourth time and I thought I had to write this.As someone who’s always trying to see the best in every series, ratings below ★5.0 are mean; while ★5.0 to ★9.5 are thoughtful. And then it comes the ★10, an irrational number given because of the joy you’ve felt while watching it until the end. That’s why, so many good, amazing, extraordinary and wonderful series, are just given a ★9.5: because of the last smile, the last minute, the last scene, the last word spoken or the last silence shared. This series, definitely, deserves a ★10.
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This review may contain spoilers
what a surprise
honestamente eu estou bem surpreso com a experiência que foi assistir boys be brave. eu não estava esperando me sentir tão conectado com a história. eu estou meio obcecado nos 4 personagens principais e como cada um possui sua própria individualidade.tem algo de interessante no modo como a história do casal principal é construída. ambos os personagens tem inseguranças e percepções de vida distintas e a série faz um trabalho muito bom de deixar claro que nos dois lados é necessário uma paciência para entender os dois personagens e o modo como eles se relacionam com as pessoas e entre si. eu acho que o relacionamento dos dois aconteceu em um bom ritmo e foi algo gostoso de se acompanhar.
sobre o casal secundário foi a minha maior surpresa, o fato de o maior problema entre eles ser um fator financeiro me pegou em um lugar muito específico. foi doloroso assistir o amor que eles compartilhavam ser impedido por um elemento que as vezes não é tão pautado assim. eu sinto que o balgeum é o personagem com mais camadas ali e eu acho que a série mostrou alguns desses aspectos de forma clara (eu adoraria um spin off para ser sincero). sendo honesto eu acho que eles tiveram um bom final, como tinha muitas camadas ali tentar resolver de forma rápida não faria sentido, assim como terminar com os dois como estranhos também não teria o menor sentido (novamente eu rezando para um spin off). de um modo geral foi uma montanha russa acompanhar os dois.
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A show that will make you smile the whole time!
I seriously love Boys Be Brave! I feel it’s a very light and easy going drama that’s really enjoyable. It focuses one mainly Jinu and Ki Sub even though theirs a second couple which is Inho and Balgeum. Jinu and Ki Sub’s story was both happy and sad. Jinu life is literally the definition of a schedule with it mainly being studying so that’s why he doesn’t really have friends because he spends his time studying, I think it was influenced by his dad who really didn’t spend his childhood with him because he was working at his lab and his mom is dead. Ki Subs story is actually pretty sad for the reason is that he can’t say no because he feels that if he says no then he would hurt others so he says yes to pretty much everything which is why he has so many girlfriends, but he also deals with a illness which is involving his heart which is also why he says yes to everything. Once they both met each other it was pretty funny how Ki Sub already knew Jinu liked him from the very beginning because he had that look in his eyes and they they both kissed under Jinu’s bed because he was trying to run away from Ki Sub which was the cutest thing on earth. I feel that Ki Sub is the literal definition of I will change myself for you too like me because he LITERALLY did the whole entire checklist that Jinu made so that he will confess to him. I actually was really sad when they had their problem with Hye Jin that Ki Sub said that if Korea has snow then Jinu and him will date, but when it did snow Jinu was gonna try to reject Hye Jin for Ki Sub, but he saw them and then ran away. But once they overcame that problem they are seriously the cutest couple in the whole world because their so giggly and smiley with each other which I love that I kinda want what they have. The second couple is Inho and Balgeum, but their isn’t too much to say because I feel their story isn’t completed. They both knew each other in Highschool and had that normal Highschool love story with them hiding in classrooms and taking each other’s socks? It ended because Balgeum and Inho I think broke up, but Inho also moved abroad to play piano. They reunited with each other, but it was a whole lot of Balgeum being angry at Inho and telling him to run away, but Inho told him that he will after three dates, but the second date when wrong with Balgeum being angry that he can’t pay for Inho because he’s poor and in debt which is why he has so many part time jobs, but Inho didn’t really care about that. They didn’t actually show the third date, which is when Inho will confess and Balgeum which change, so I hope for a season 2 so we can actually see their side of the story. Anyways I’m so sorry that I wrote so much, but I really love this drama so much and recommend it so much.Was this review helpful to you?
From The Director of Our Dating Sim so I was Expecting and Miscarriage
I can't say how much I just didn't like this. It was awful wrapped in pitiful wrapped in pathetic and topped with poo poo.Now Our Dating Sim was so wonderful to me and when I heard the same director was set lead this one I was beyond excited. But for me this failed on almost every level.
I did like the actors. ALL OF THEM so I guess for me the story failed to grab my interest. I kept watching and hoping and hoping and watching but it was just not for me.
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