Boys Be Brave!

Fell short of potential

I liked this drama at first, but by the second episode I found myself skipping the main couple’s scenes, which meant i was skipping through the entire show, essentially. they had a nice first kiss scene, but other than that, they were so boring to me and I found Giseop super strange. the plot about him dressing like a girl and getting a tattoo just to be Jin Woo’s type was just random and very weird and he just gave me weird vibes, i did not like him at all and he actually made me sort of uncomfortable. i felt like their chemistry was forced and Jin Woo’s characterisation wasn’t consistent. i also didn’t like the token female character common in BL dramas, i could’ve done without that.

i enjoyed the second couple way, way more, and thought there story was more interesting and their chemistry felt more natural, but unfortunately they had criminally few scenes and very little development when they were shown, and didn’t even end up together, the way i understood it. but i also felt like their story was a bit cliché and the soured relationship could’ve been redeemed if it was handled better, especially when the actors had chemistry and potential.

the main couple ate up 98% of the screen time, which wouldn’t be a problem if the series was all about them, but if a second couple is gonna be included and have a storyline, they need to have equal or at least sufficient screen time. the second couple got so little scenes they may as well have not even been there, which is a shame, but korean BL dramas are so short compared to typical k-dramas, they really don’t have room for a second couple most times. 20-30 minutes per episode doesn’t leave a lot of room for complex development.

Also, on Viki this is rated R for some reason? i struggle to see why, as there’s really nothing explicit or mature in it.

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Really meh in my opinion

*April 28th. It aired 3 days ago ! Never started a series so early. Almost right after its release lol*

The series is super cute and funny. Many parts were so amusing. It’s suoer interesting. I loved most characters and the OST were just…INCREDIBLE and matched perfectly !
Now to be honest irl some things would have been a huge NO for me. Even in the series, it’s still borderline.
Let’s start with Gi seop because he’s the one I’m actually targetting with this one.
He was being a huge red flag the moment Jin woo said he was a two-timer and then explained how he litteraly would be cheating on his girlfriends and blatantly. Like who tf would give their number to someone clearly interested in them and in front of your partner ???
Then I was triggered when he started being really intrusive like at the beginning maybe it was funny but not when you are rummaging into people lives and things !
When he said he would leave a week to jin woo for him to ask him out or else he would leave.
First you shouldn’t pressure someone into asking you out especially when you know you say ´yes’ to litteraly everyone.
Second, you shouldn’t follow them around and then refusing being rejected when they keep saying ´no’.
Like what kind of people are you to litteraly wants someone to aks you out because you are used to it and can’t stand them saying no.
Also when he said no, you pulled out a contract stating you would get out as soon as he would say you failed eventhough he just told you that a few seconds ago and you said you won’t leave ?…
I think it’s also super messed up to want someone to ask you out just for you to say ´yes ´ because ´you have to’ and not because you would actually like them. It’s super twisted because the person could end up destroyed at that…Especially if you are two-timing or worse ten-timing them as Gi seop did numerous times…

Other than that he is a cute and funny character..?Also why is the boy everywhere else but the school/part-time job lol ? Btw he is so whipped for jin woo that he got a mole tattooed ?. Hope they couple will last long !

Then another red flag of this series is that public confession lol. I would be seriously throwing a tantrum if someone was asking me out PUBLICLY, in front of tons of people especially if they are pressuring me into accepting. I mean they should not pressure someone into dating another person because it could have serious consequences !

Jin Woo is super funny and was being so real from ep 1. Single-since-birth team lol ! But that one line in which he litteraly described himself as the type of girl he would like to date, I was kinda triggered tbh. But other than that, he’s being pretty realistic!

I LOVE Baelgeum’s character so much ! He is so cute and realistic ! I’m so excited to see more about the side couple because they seem to have some background.

Those crosses in jin woo’s note (next to gi seop) are prolly to mark how many times he got Gi seop’s attention (?) That would explain their small amount. But this is just my attention.

kudos to the actor for not pulling off the floating kiss !!!

I love how Gi seop might be the most dense person but he knows how to read the room sometimes and avoids us so many miscommunication clichés.

I felt bad for baelgeum because when he was down Gi seop was halfy there for him bug ig at least he tried !

2nd couple is so good like they have a strong background. I love both of them and their relationship is so wholesome (and realistic !)

About the girl that appeared (forgot her name) she’s so cute and funny. She has the bestie material he needs ngl. also if they were going to end up together i would root for them but its a bl so they obviously wont but she so cute. They are
cute together.
Hope writers won't make her look toxic or smth.

I love the music though ! Shazam isn’t shazaming rn tho 😭

*11/05/24
EDIT : I’m dropping this because I’ve lost interest in this. I still love the second couple but it isn’t strong enough to keep me on in this show.*

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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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ABSOLUTE PEAK

It’s soft it’s fluffy it’s cute and I need a season 2. TWO KISS SCENES (they aren’t crazy but they’re not a peck kiss either 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️). And the ending scene of them is so cute I could cry.

The main couples relationship dynamic is so cute. And I love when they actually get together in the last episode they aren’t afraid to be affectionate in public.

SPOILERS FOR SECOND COUPLE: The 2nd male lead really self sabotages himself which lowkey just pissed me off at first. The fact that his love interest does everything to get him back and wasn’t even that mad when he left him in the first place broke my heart. But I’m glad that he actually explained himself instead of it being a whole arc where the love interest figures it out himself by asking his friend or some nonsense. AND I’m glad that they don’t jump to get back together. He actually wants to work on himself and then get with him. Perfect perfect.


Overall: 10/10 wish we got to see more of the second couple and the girl. 💔 but the main couple was sooooooo adorable

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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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Brave enough to be silly!

I love me a show that is populated and driven entirely by delightful weirdos and this one did not disappoint.
The characters are obviously a highlight (my favourites being Hyejin, my queen, and Giseob, whom my notes only refer to as "the human paper shredder of great and roiling emotions") and the sheer bisexual chaos depicted on screen is so glorious the show is worth watching for that alone.
But beyond the superb humour there are threads of something deeper, subtle explorations of complex themes like love hindered by shame, and the lengths we go to to gain even a tiny shred of love, often changing ourselves so much we become unrecognisable. The show clearly has a very solid grasp of what it means to be human and what it means specifically for its characters, and this only serves to heighten the impact of both comedic and emotional scenes.
My only real complaint is that I wish that Balgeum and Inho's story had been more fleshed out, but even as is I can't say I was truly dissatisfied in any way.
In short I highly recommend this show to anyone looking for a slightly unusual yet spectacularly effective romcom with just the right amount of depth to make it meaningful.

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break the cycle!

WOWWW !

TLDR:
I don't hear people talk about this BL very much but i'm so glad I decided to watch it. I love when a BL feels realistic but is also able to have fun.
Not just for Jinu, but for Jinu's dad, Giseop, and Balgeum, they were able to show what happens if you place yourself in a box. Sometimes setting expectations for yourself can hinder you more than it can help you. The things we find comfort in can hold us back from loving, learning, or becoming our own person. I liked the scene where Hyejin says that her and Jinu's lists were created to deny themselves rather than to find their "type".
I teared up when Jinu finally had an honest moment with his dad for the first time. It was an eye opener for his dad too because the idea he had of who his son was had changed in that moment. Children learn from their parents, but I think there are many special moments where parent's learn from their children. Jinu's dad realized he didn't have to be one way, and despite not being a good father, hearing his reasoning for losing himself in his work moved me. I think in his mind, to stop his work and be a good father to Jinu meant that he was enjoying life without his wife or that if he stopped, the grief would have overcome him.
Giseop aka people pleaser to the max. I can relate, and finally having that moment where you can be honest with yourself and stand up for what you want is so scary but exhilarating because it feels like finally living for the first time. He was just going about life, and if you always let others opinions sway you or the fear of disappointing people, you'll never become your own person. oof maybe i'm reading too much into a BL, but this is what it was for me, very layered.
Ahhhh and I can't forget about Balgeum!! His storyline was so sad and I really wanted more for him. I hate that it was open ended because I wanted to see him happy. Debts paid off, having a career he actually enjoys, and loving the person he has been denying himself all these years. I admire his resolve though, to not want to be in a relationship until he is proud of himself.
For the trio, it feels like we got to see how they all lost their innocence in their youth. Jinu with his illness and learning early on not to be a burden, Jinu similarly learning not to be a burden by working hard and that finding success is a lonely path, and Balgeum taking on his families debts and losing himself in his varying jobs.

Jinu and Giseop finding their inner child in playing & chasing each other around the living room was honestly perfect T^T
I have many thoughts, but hehe this is enough for now!

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