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Too gray, just a little gay
It was a good story but I have some issues mostly with how they decided to tell it.We have too many fillers and too little context about their relationship. We see more about the functioning of his job than the background of what happened when they were younger.
There are too many questions and no answers. Who made a move when they were younger. How was the reaction. Why did he run? Why was it so difficult to accept him. He had already said they weren't family. He's OK with being gay since he openly says he's having sex with men. I don't seen where the issue lies. They don't even have a relationship with their parents.
It's all way simpler. The character, much as the writer, decided to complicate something that could be way simpler.
The chemistry between the leads was excellent. There was an overall annoyance that was perfectly transmitted but it was too much to enjoy this drama a bit more. Maybe there's a fine line between frustration and annoyance. According to the tittle there should be a little more sadness and a little less frustration.
All in all, it was an interesting watch.
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Most confusing show I've watched
I had no clue what was going on the entire time, I have no idea why they kissed or how their romance began in the first place. The entirety of the show I thought they were step-brothers and I still don't know if they are or not.Overall it was just trying too hard to have a deep plot. Nothing of importance was ever explained, and they just kept dumping the viewers with more and more confusing details.
The acting was great though, and the production quality was pretty good as well. That's about it though...
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Seems heavy but thin as a paper
This mini drama left me quite unmoved.Soo Hyuk and Yoon Dae -- I thought the two leads had zero chemistry. The whole plot exposes the themes of abandonment and love for people that exploit us and how that generally disables you from growing in life. Okay, and? It only left those themes on the table and you soon question what are you even watching and is it gonna go anywhere.
That being said Yoon Dae was a leech and I have no other thoughts about him. Soo Hyuk is a sad boy with repressed emotions. Both leads are unlikeable and show zero development throughout drama. The ending is not significant at all.
Not a single theme in this drama was treated with care and respect. They seemed there just to justify (albeit ineffectively) actions of the characters.
Unfortunately not a recommend from me.
Thanks for reading
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Alright...
A lot of lack of communication: on this I can sum up this drama. They barely told how they feel and think of each others letting all linger between them. A great idea that didn't deliver, at least in my point of view. The dark tone was good, the ost was nice, but the story and the abrupt ending lacked the essence. So much to be said still...The ending felt rushed as well. I will take it as their new well start, or if we go with the routine, depart.
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1The two reunited by chance and rekindled a complicated brotherhood bond. It’s a push-and-pull, give-and-take relationship. It’s a never-ending cycle that was finally broken. The ending can be open to interpretation. I want to believe that they both need to work on themselves, before breaking off whatever is preventing them to lead a much happier life together.
I was quite impressed with Lee Jae Bin’s acting as Yoon Dae after seeing him in “Choco Milk Shake”. He’s still new to the industry and already has the opportunity to act in two vastly different roles. This is Jang Woo Young’s first drama, and he did fine. His character, Soo Hyuk, is so solemn that he can’t really deviate too much away and show us if he has any acting range.
This is a small budget production, and it shows. The sets are simple, the transition and editing appear jerky at times. The storytelling and the execution of the plot could be better.
“Gray Shelter” is a quick watch if you are in the mood for something darker and more mature. It’ a breath of fresh air from all the rom-coms out there.
Completed: 4/28/2024 - Review #435
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This review may contain spoilers
THE ANGST!!
The acting was great! The chemistry between the two actors as ridiculous and I wanted more! The title credits and song are probably the best I’ve seen in a KBL and perfectly capture the mood of the show. I was just a little confused. I don’t know if it was the translation or the script, but I feel like I missed a lot. Like I understood the conflict between the leads and both of their dads. I thought the one dad was in jail, but he sent the oranges (or apples) from not jail….? I also thought the abusive dad was going to show up again but he didn’t, and that was disappointing because I think there needed to be that closure, more than the phone call provided. Would watch again though!Was this review helpful to you?
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Beautiful Art House Mini-Series
I love the angst and ambiguity of this mini-series. The directing and editing choices are so fascinating. It’s very indie arthouse, aimed at a niche audience rather than typical BL fans. At first the messy jump transitions that skipped randomly through time and space felt like a mistake, but as it proceeded I realized that this is an emotion/character-driven series, and not at all focused on a plot line. The broken movement and unsettling feeling of being jerked throughout the story are definitely intentional.This little art piece is about two broken men who have come from painfully unstable situations. Soon Hyuk tries to fight the chaos by assuming the role of caretaker for everyone around him, grinding himself into the ground with the burden of responsibility. Yoon Dae succumbs to the chaos by shutting down and becoming dysfunctional so that everyone has to care for him.
The men are drawn to each other by a strong sexual attraction and even stronger need for a stable family. But neither of them have a template for a stable relationship.
SPOILER⚠️
In the end, Soon Hyuk realizes that Yoon Dae has to be independent of his ambiguous (gray) “shelter” before they can even begin to develop a healthy relationship.
I think the cryptic ending will piss off some people, but I LOVE it. It’s perfect. Not only is it realistic and mature, but it leaves the series open for extension (or imagination). I adore that. A tight ending wouldn’t have fit the mood of the series at all.
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Story and OST are perfect for each other!
The story is really beautiful, it's dark but with a fine undertone of hope. The actors did really great and my heart ached for them. The way they interacted with each other was so careful, in a scared way, and the kiss showed their attraction to each other and their fears at the same time.The colors were muted, it really felt gray, like a heavy blanket for your emotions. Beautiful!
The OST is perfect! I often skip the intro and outro, but not this time. It reminds me of my fav anime "NANA", it has the same underlying feeling of hurt and lonelyness, but with a powerful beat.
If you like more mature, dark and serious stories, you should watch it!
I read in the comments that a second part is possible, so maybe we get to learn more about their story. I would really like to see more of those two broken people, how they maybe get a "happily ever after" or even a "both starting to heal". That would be enough for me.
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beautiful, reflective series
I love this series. It's so beautiful and well-acted. I really appreciate its exploration of how trauma impacts us and the devastation that is present when realize we have to change and grow. Just tears-in-my-eyes love and appreciation for the team who brought this series to life. I saw so much of my own journey and growth in both Soohyuk and Yoondae.Was this review helpful to you?
Passion by pinkpantheress
gray shelter is like that warm embrace that you receive from someone that you love and meet after a long time far from you, it's like the song passion of pinkpantheress, its like a loona mv solo, it's like seeing the sun down drinking a good tea with bread, it's like those moments that you live and instantly know that will turn into a good memory, the whole story was well constructed and everything is so good that you feel comfortable in every minute while watching. I really want to say that I was so happy to watch something so good like that in years, the """sad"""" part is that there’s only 5 eps, but I can guarantee if you are reading this and haven’t watched yet that you will watch something so good that can relieve your heart. The story, the actors, the delivering, the soundtrack, everything is perfect! the whole scenes of the past side by side with the present and all the narative... is really good, I wish to see more and more dramas like this from Korea.Was this review helpful to you?
An Exceptional & Phenomenal Series!
It is contradictory, oxymoronic, yet completely genuine in its absurdity. If you seek answers to questions from and about this series, you will not find them. Is this a Theater of the Absurd performance? Perhaps so. All I know is that it is brilliant, a mastery of cinematic artistry, and one of the finest acted series I have seen this year. In order to appreciate this series, you must suspend your idealized notions about BLs and all comforts about conformity or logic, and simply go with what is presented to you. This is a remarkably fervent series to watch. The acting goes deep emotionally without ever explaining why, however. Everything about this series is pure artistry. This is an exceptional BL series with no answers and no real point. It is what it is. You will get it, or you will not. One of the best series in 2024. Completely under the radar but should not be.Was this review helpful to you?
bom mas faltou algo
eu acho meio complicado falar de grey shelter no momento. eu não acho que classificar como um potencial desperdiçado seja certo mas é meio óbvio que algumas peças faltaram se encaixar. eu vejo que na história existe um drama muito grande que cerca os personagens principais, mas esse enredo parace ser diminuído na obra. eu entendo que ficar explicando background de história as vezes se torna algo maçante, mas quando não se tem nada deixa a história vazia. os personagens tinha uma boa química, uma boa história na mão e todo um cenário/produção muito bom a disposição, uma pena que não foi aproveitado como poderia.Was this review helpful to you?
