Definitely Better Than It's Overall Reviews
After the first few minutes, this series goes into a direction I wasn't expecting, but soon you realize the main idea of the story. It actually doesn't seem possible the two protagonists have any chemistry in becoming "Soul Mates", but somehow that becomes very believable as you get deeper into the drama.I think the main problem for negative reviews, this is not a BL, at least not in the physical sense. This is a bromance of two people that become unlikely best friends, and they both happen to be closeted gay. If you're tuning in to see a standard BL storyline, with your usual antagonists getting in the way of the two people in love, you definitely will be disappointed. It does take all the way to episode 5 to show the strong bond these two main characters have toward each other. The most powerful scene of the series takes place in this episode. It's several minutes you won't forget, each covered in mud and rain!!
I must say, though, the series loses points starting toward the end of episode 7 and throughout the final 40 minutes.
Without giving it away, it didn't seem to work for me. It's not that it's a sad and depressing outcome, I mean that's life sometimes. What failed for me was the way episode 8 led up to the final few minutes. The acting was great. Hayato Isomura & Taec Yeon were perfectly cast and both gave powerful performances. I just wish there was a better intro of the final few minutes.
Overall, a very good series.
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More than friends less than lovers
I used to be an avid hater of when I’m promised a queer romance but instead get nothing but subtlety and no indication of love whatsover. Countries like these often censor queer love especially with big name actors like Taecyeon.I didn’t know what to expect going into this, and I read a couple of comments on it, where people said it’s just pure queerbait— so I decided to avoid it.
But the more the show popped up on my timeline on netflix, the more curious I got.
I didn’t see much promotion on this show, hell I didn’t even see many edits either. So I really went in blind.
The beginning started, and from the getgo they made sure you know what the genre of this show will be. It IS a queer story, and it did not hide it.
It might not fall under the BL category but it most definitely is a love story. One that doesn’t need an explicit kiss to show that it’s romantic.
The main characters kept showing their love, and confessing in the most beautiful ways. Everything that they’ve done for each other, is a love confession.
This is one of the most beautiful shows I’ve watched…I cried so much; my heart still hurts, but that’s how you know it’s a well done show. Amazing performances by the actors, every episode captivated me. So much rawness and pain, yet the most beautiful love story came out of it.
Amazing show. I’ll remember it forever.
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ALMOST perfect
I'm rating this show 9.5 because it made me cry not once, twice or three times but FOUR times.I don't understand how people can hate on this show that shows me that they can't understand deep and mature topics
Everything in this series was a masterpiece, I can't even rewatch because I'll be wrecked emotionally again
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Subjective opinion.
Subjective opinion. The series is depressing. What is the message of the series? What did the creators want to tell their viewers? Is fate merciless? Even if you try your best, you can't escape fate?Why did the writers deprive Yohan of literally everything: his parents (they died), his profession (he quit boxing), his country (he had to leave Korea), his health (an incurable disease), his life (the chance to live to old age), and even the joys of physical intimacy (why doesn't the series' hero have a need for physical intimacy at age 30 or so)? Thank goodness they didn't add any physical deformities to the hero (such as facial scars and the like) (sarcasm).
Yes, of course, I understand that not all series have to have a happy ending. But surely there must be bright, happy moments in the life of a hero with such a difficult fate?
I understand, of course, that happiness can be "quiet" (not always noticeable). But why the hell? Why are misfortunes so "loud and noticeable" in this series? I understand that by burdening Yohan with all the world's troubles and misfortunes, the writers used the most common technique to reveal the depth of his character. Yohan overcomes difficulties, demonstrating fortitude, resilience, and the ability to transform. In order to what? To die? Authors, are you serious? Where (in what way) do you think the viewer should get something positive?
What was I supposed to conclude after watching this series? Life sucks? I love it when movies with unhappy endings leave a bittersweet aftertaste, like love experienced. But unfortunately for me this did not happen.
P.S. I would characterize the relationship between the main characters as friendship. If it were otherwise, physical intimacy between them would be inevitable. The characters in the series are around 30 years old (the peak of sexual activity). If not at 30 with a loved one, then with whom should one have intimacy, and at what age?
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Could be better
I’d been waiting for the series Soulmate ever since it was announced, especially because of Taecyeon’s involvement. I was really curious how they would approach the relationship between two men in this case — considering it’s a Japan + Korea and streaming on mainstream Netflix. And honestly, I’m not surprised by the way this story was presented.The fact that there are no romantic scenes in the series isn’t the issue for me. Feelings can be expressed in a hundred different ways. But I’m not sure I’m convinced by the idea that they wanted to portray a “pure” kind of love between the two characters. I know BL relationships are often overly sexualized and that romantic scenes sometimes add nothing to the plot, but here, honestly, one lingering look and one brief touch of hands would’ve been enough.
I don’t really buy the argument that they simply wanted to show the purity of this relationship. In my opinion, in mainstream Asian cinema the real reason is still fear of how this kind of relationship will be received, so it gets reduced to bromance instead. I’d genuinely like to read opinions from people who see it differently and why, because maybe I’m missing another perspective.
Personally, I think we should find some kind of middle ground between excessive sexualization and completely avoiding the subject of intimacy. Are we really supposed to believe that two young people wouldn’t want any deeper physical closeness over the course of years? That’s hard for me to believe.
The story also has a few plot holes, but I’m not that bothered by them since I understand this is just a fragment of several years of the characters’ lives. The ending, in my opinion, could’ve been better.
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RESEÑA <3
Soul Mate es un pequeño drama que destaca por la sensibilidad con la que aborda la amistad, los sueños personales y la búsqueda de la propia identidad. A través de una historia sencilla pero emotiva, nos recuerda la importancia de vivir la vida que realmente deseamos, en lugar de seguir el camino que otros esperan o imponen.Uno de los mayores aciertos de la obra es la relación entre sus protagonistas. Su amistad está construida con una gran naturalidad y ternura, transmitiendo apoyo, comprensión y una conexión profunda que se siente auténtica en cada escena. Son personajes que crecen juntos, se acompañan en los momentos difíciles y encuentran consuelo el uno en el otro, creando algunos de los instantes más entrañables de la historia.
El drama también combina momentos de felicidad con otros más tristes y melancólicos. Hay escenas que conmueven por su carga emocional, pero que al mismo tiempo dejan una sensación cálida y esperanzadora. Esa mezcla de tristeza y ternura consigue que la historia resulte cercana y humana.
Otro aspecto especialmente bonito es la unión de las culturas coreana y japonesa. La presencia de ambos idiomas aporta un encanto único a la narración, reforzando la idea de que los sentimientos y los vínculos auténticos pueden superar barreras culturales y lingüísticas. Escuchar cómo se entrelazan el coreano y el japonés añade una atmósfera delicada y especial que enriquece aún más la experiencia.
En conjunto, Soul Mate es una historia emotiva y sincera sobre la amistad, la libertad de elegir nuestro propio camino y la belleza de las conexiones humanas. Un drama pequeño en duración, pero grande en sentimientos. ❤️
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best series I have ever watched
I think this is the best series I have ever watched. It tells such a beautiful and deeply moving story, while also balancing humor and stunning cinematography. The use of flashbacks is absolutely brilliant. The director truly deserves an award for this work.The chemistry between the two main characters feels completely natural and incredibly convincing, as if they were genuinely in love with each other. They must have had so much fun during filming, and you can see that in the behind-the-scenes videos on YouTube. For example, the filming of the bar scene on the evening after Johan arrives in Tokyo is absolutely hilarious.
I have never rewatched a series as many times as this one. Seriously, I have watched it eight times in the past three weeks alone, and some scenes even more often. I have also never cried so much because of a series. The story affects me very deeply. The filming locations are beautiful as well. The bridge in Berlin, the Friedrichsbrücke, serves as a symbol of their connection—a bridge between two cultures, crossing a bridge toward a major life change, or standing at a crossroads, which Johan literally does. The series is filled with symbolism that becomes even more meaningful and impressive with every rewatch. There are so many small details that you simply do not notice the first time. It is absolutely worth watching again. Though I must admit, I tend to skip the second half of Episode 7—it is just too heartbreaking.
At times, the drama hits you like a bulldozer, yet the performances of the two leads remain remarkably subtle. They can express more with a single facial expression than most actors can with pages of dialogue. It is astonishing. Perhaps because there are so few explicit scenes, the series relies heavily on their acting talent—and they showcase that talent magnificently. And honestly, would we ever have had these two outstanding actors in the series if they had been required to perform explicit scenes?
One of the things I find most beautiful and appealing about the series is precisely the absence of explicit scenes. It leaves plenty of room for the viewer’s imagination. At the same time, many things are hinted at in very subtle ways. You know their relationship goes much deeper and that there is more happening beneath the surface. I find that subtlety—and sometimes ambiguity—absolutely masterful. Sadly, many gay people in this world still have to communicate in subtle ways and express themselves indirectly because they cannot always be completely open about who they are, at least not in the way people often can in countries such as the Netherlands.
It is the little details that make the series so special: the Korean language book for beginners, the drawing Johan made of Ryu, the way they talk to each other on the phone, and the way Ryu smiles and says, “You must be very muscular by now,” when Johan has just completed his military service. The way Ryu looks at Johan while he is sleeping during his first visit. Or the way Johan jokingly asks Ryu whether two years of military service feels long or short. It is similar to Johan teasing Ryu by saying he is only staying in Japan for two nights during his first visit and asking whether Ryu is sad about it. In the bathhouse, Johan says he is grateful—grateful for everything that happened that day—and Ryu, sounding slightly nervous, asks, “What are you talking about?” Moments like these are wonderfully subtle. Of course they are gay. Johan is a regular visitor to a gay café, and Ryu certainly does not simply enter a relationship and move in with him for no reason. Ryu expresses it perfectly in the church, the Trinitatiskirche, when he says, “I am afraid when someone likes me.” Running away after Arata’s confession was his problem, and throughout the series he learns to overcome it. At the station, Berlin-Lichtenberg station, Johan tells Ryu, “I am just like you.” It is a beautiful line because it carries multiple meanings, touching on both the soul and the theme of running away.
And of course, the most beautiful moment of all comes at the end, when they say to each other, “Saranghae” and “Aishiteru” — “I love you.”
An absolutely wonderful series. I highly recommend watching it more than once
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A better title for it would be: "Implausible Fantasy"
It started out quite interesting, but at some point, they completely ruined it, leaving behind a trail of inconsistencies, nonsense, and sheer frivolity in how it handles tragedy. It is a superficial series that tried to cover too much ground and fell completely short. It attempts to sustain the concept of "soulmates" solely through phone calls, completely omitting any realism or human desire between the characters, while dismissing issues as grave as a pregnant woman's grief or an attempted suicide as mere cheap ploys to advance the plot. A pretentious, poorly structured, and perfectly forgettable proposal.Was this review helpful to you?
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MEU MAIS NOVO "E SE"
eu cresci lendo e vendo obras japonesas queer então eu sou extremamente familiarizada a obras que abordam o sentimento de ser queer numa sociedade heteronormativa sem se aprofundar muito na parte do romance (mas não só japonesas já vi de outras nacionalidades também claro)ao no flag é assim
shimaname tasogare é assim
inclusive um filme chamado soulmate também é assim (que eu sinceramente acho que foi da onde tiraram a ideia dessa série)
e muitas outras são
por isso eu não vou chamar isso aqui de bromance igual muitas outras pessoas tão fazendo
pq essa série apesar de tudo fez os personagens serem de fato gays
não foi um bait de fato
MAS eu entendo da onde vem o sentimento de frustração
pq eu acho que o roteiro e a direção foram muito mais covardes aqui do que conceituais
eles botaram um idol muito famoso pra interpretar um papel lgbt e eu acho que isso fez eles nerfarem muita coisa
pelo menos eu acho que o motivo foi esse
e se foi mesmo eu espero que o taecyeon pegue outro papel lgbt com mais liberdade pra explorar mais o universo pq eu genuinamente achei ele um bom ator e gostaria de ver ele em mais projetos assim
enfim o que quero dizer é que não precisava nem de beijo
poderiam ter colocado eles de mãos dadas
poderiam fazer cena onde eles se encaram profundamente
poderiam fazer eles verbalizarem em voz alta a sexualidade deles (ou só mais coisas sobre a relação deles)
poderiam colocar eles vivendo experiências queer que não fossem sofridas nem tem relação com romance, tipo uma cena do johan se divertindo no bar gay que ele costumava frequentar com outras pessoas lgbts (sinceramente acho que só de fazer esse ponto aqui seria perfeito, uma coisa meio love in the big city)
poderiam ter pelo menos dado a entender que eles dormiam na mesma cama saca
dá vc ser sutil mas enviar sinais fortes e inquestionáveis
mas eles nerfaram muita coisa que ajudaria a enriquecer o relacionamento deles
e isso é frustrante pq venderam a série como focada no romance né
faz sentido as pessoas ficarem com raiva
passa mesmo a impressão de queerbaiting
fora que essa falta de intimidade no relacionamento deles (na vdd não só deles pq até o casal hetero que literalmente teve um filho junto não teve cenas onde vc via eles sendo próximos assim) faz os acontecimentos trágicos serem menos impactantes e mais forçados
eu acho que eles deveriam ter vendido a série como found family
que é no que a série foca mais sabe
aquilo de construir uma família não convencional, com pessoas que se reuniram por acaso e que tão se virando pra fazer dar certo
eu acho que as pessoas apreciariam mais se fosse assim
e eu acho uma pena pq eu gostei bastante, tanto que assisti a série e uma vez assim e dormi em seguida pq fiquei triste pensando no final e tal
a cinematografia é ótima inclusive
fora que eu gosto de histórias found family
e os protas são genuinamente fofos um com o outro (😭)
mas poderia ter gostado MUITO mais se eles tivessem entregado mais
pq tinha (bastante) espaço pra mais aqui e isso é realmente frustrante
enfim eu acho que é mais um "e se" pra mim ficar pensando...
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Bem triste
estava esperando essa obra desde o ano passado e eu estava esperando um romance com um pouquinho mais BEM pouquinho de melodrama e entregaram uma depressão! cada ep uma lição, uma sofrência diferente! assisti e quando comecei, já vi que ia ser bem triste e continuei. cada história foi bem contada e explicada, e toda hora eu me prendia na história e focava nela! eu achei esse mais um bromance doq um bl na minha opn! n queria q o Johan tivesse aquela doença 😭 eles dizendo "eu te amo" na língua deles foi tudo! as osts são perfeitas! ele é bem triste mas eu acho q vale apena vc assistir! atuaram dms!!! eu esperava mais porém é um 8.5!Was this review helpful to you?
10/10 Beautifully Realistic, Deeply Emotional, and Quietly Devastating
This series is one of the most visually beautiful and emotionally realistic queer dramas I have watched in a long time. The cinematography is outstanding - every frame feels intentional, natural, and almost cinematic in a way that makes the story feel like real life rather than scripted fiction.The pacing is slow but purposeful, allowing the emotions between characters to develop in a very grounded and human way.
The performances are subtle yet powerful. Instead of exaggerated drama, the actors rely on silence, expressions, and small gestures, which makes the emotional tension feel even stronger. The writing also deserves praise for treating every character with depth and equal importance, not just focusing on the main romance but also showing the complexity of surrounding relationships.
However, my only complaint is that there is not a single explicit kiss scene between the main leads, which makes some of the emotional buildup feel slightly restrained compared to the intensity of their connection.
Overall, this is a mature, artistic, and emotionally heavy series that stands out from typical BL dramas for its realism and cinematic quality. A must-watch for viewers who prefer depth over clichés.
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un vent de fraîcheur
Que dire de Soulmate… c’est une histoire vraiment touchante. Tout n’est pas parfait : j’ai notamment trouvé que le passage avec Arata manquait de clarté, et il reste encore plusieurs zones d’ombre.On reste sur un drame assez classique, du déjà-vu, mais malgré ça, l’émotion fonctionne. On ressent profondément l’amour entre Ryu et Jo Han, même sans réelle proximité physique entre eux, et ça, c’est assez fort.
Quant au final… je n’ai pas les mots. J’ai pleuré à plusieurs reprises devant cette série, et la conclusion j’en reste sans voix.
BL ou pas ? À chacun de se faire son propre avis selon ses critères.
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