Boyfriend on Demand

Light and fun

I liked the concept and the execution was decent too but there were a few things that disappointed me. I'll cover those before discussing what I enjoyed.

The drama relied heavily on advertising the star studded cast but when it actually came to their appearance, some of them were barely there for more than a minute. That was my biggest disappointment. Don't advertise something if you can't deliver it. I really wanted to see more of Kim Young Dae. Like a full date. They did him so dirty.

Jisoo's acting received a lot of flak and though it wasn't particularly good, it wasn't awful either. Maybe because I recently saw worse. The plot and editing does help a lot. I did find her behaviour cringe when she was paired opposite Seo Kang Jun especially in ep 3. I didn't particularly enjoy her chemistry with any of the leads. In fact I couldn't understand why Seo In Guk's character would like her based on the faces she made around him. It made him look like a creep at times for pursuing her.

On to the good - The plot of a woman being able to date multiple good looking men virtually was cool and fun. The acting of the men were quite good. At least the ones with longer roles. I really loved Seo Kang Jun's character. I also loved Yoo In Na! I kinda wished she was the FL because she looking so stunning and charming. Even Jisoo's friend's character was so fun! I liked both the authors too. I kinda liked how Seo In Guk's character changed and the behind the scenes moments from his POV were great.

There was no dull moment while watching the drama so it's great when you're bored or need to watch something light.

There are at least 3 OST songs that I really liked and need to look up.

Overall, the show is light and enjoyable. Just wish we had some more screentime for some of the boyfriends so that and the lack of any sizzling chemistry were my biggest disappointments.

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Who Hasn't Wished for The Perfect Boyfriend

A relationship angst tale with a twist. A webtoon producer is asked to try a new virtual reality world where she can find and date her dream boyfriend and then write some reviews on the platform. Jisoo plays the webtoon producer. She is good in the part, depressed and full of angst as she just broke up with her long-time love, she agrees to try this dating app because she really isn't ready to date yet.

The Boyfriend on Demand platform steals the show. She gets to date one after another perfect men, who are played by Korea's leading male actors, and go on amazing dates. In one fantasy date, the writers recreated the scene from Singles Inferno where Dex single-handedly pulls his competitors with him as he gets to the flag first. The writers had great fun with the scenes surrounding using this platform, and it was very entertaining for the audience. If you are a fan of Kdramas, and reality shows, you will appreciate the BOD scenes.

Enter the male lead, done well by Seo In Guk who gets the award for playing the most stoic character. It was at least halfway through the drama before he cracked a smile. He is attracted to the FL from afar, but you can hardly tell.

Once the two begin to attract the attention of each other, the drama begins to slow down. I still stuck with it, but the last half, after Mi Rae decides not to spend so much time on the BOD app, the storyline definitely dulls a little. Still, all in all, it is a feel good drama with a nice ending that I can recommend. For anything else, go check out the BOD platform scenes. They are hilarious and well done!

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Jisoo plays an ordinary woman whom nobody notices? That requires a massive leap of faith. When she stands in front of her mirror and complains about her dark under-eye circles… but she has the most flawless skin in the world. It’s hard to believe she’s this insignificant, clumsy character. But, to be fair, her acting has improved. (She was already quite good in Newtopia, given the series’ delightfully daft tone)

She plays an adorable, heartbroken producer who’s getting over her break-up and taking control of her love life again. We figure that out pretty early on.
All her scenes with new virtual boyfriends are strangely good. It plays on clichés deliberately, so it doesn’t treat us like idiots. I've found myself laughing stupidly far too often to say anything bad about it. I’ll admit it, I liked it. There, I’ve said it ! The humour saves the day when it gets a bit saccharine.

This series is pure binge-watching (there isn’t even an opening credits sequence), a short, simple, funny, pinky, very pinky story… Pinky but blackened (this joke : illegal in 197 countries) by this dating game, which, when you get right down to it, is quite terrifying. Losing consciousness every time you start it up ? I’m not sure I’d like that. I’ve already played Dark Souls, ok ?
And what about her working hours... can we take this up with a trade union, please ? Both in the series and in Jisoo’s real life.

Gong Min-jeung, the "annoying" author, is the best. Keep it up, madam. Screw them !

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Nice Concept, flimsy writing, mediocre acting and a missed opportunity

The core concept on paper is good and matches with the current times; A VR device / service that offers AI-generated dating experiences and includes hundreds of themes. Things I liked about this concept, is that a few years ago it could have easily been regarded as pure nonsensical fantasy, but considering the current times and AI advances, it is not so unbelievable any more. The company behind the service putting rules to ensure profitability such as users during trial period having a limited amount of hours per theme, or that paying customers get extra perks and privileges also from a business standpoint felt believable. The ways with which the service tried to lure their dormant users to log back in, and to dissuade them from unsubscribing as well as most importantly the issue with addict-ability of such a service all felt well portrayed.

While at first I enjoyed the VR parts, especially when it seemed to suggest that the theme was inspired by a famous webtoon character in other terms the premise was allowed to be cheesy corny and cliched. Then we suddenly switched to another theme before we could even process the whole thing and what effect if any it had on our FL, then we were thrown into one new theme after another, so at this point as a viewer I started to feel that the virtual dating parts were no longer a plot device used to advance the story or provide a sort of character development, but rather it had turned into a filler material to provide eye candy points via cameos (I would be thinking to myself WTH am I supposed to be watching right now?), other than seeing how the FL was becoming addicted to the service and losing sleep and almost her grasp on reality, I can not say I noticed any major character or plot development thanks to it .

The story at this point could be said was somewhat going all places with no specific aim, and the development in real life was almost non-existent (other than some very minor things with the webtoon production job), then all of a sudden the ML confesses his feelings to FL out of the blue both for her and the viewer as well! And while we do later get a small glimpse with flashbacks showing the moment he started to become attracted to her, but to be honest especially considering how we were only shown almost only moments were the FL was being cold, ambivalent, or even sometimes acting with animosity towards ML, the whole love confession felt off at least imo. But that still does not compare to the moment the 901st theme's boyfriend was introduced. At that point I was thinking to myself (was there something I missed?!) Because even if she subconsciously gave his physical description while answering the survey it still felt rather forced.

The progress of their relationship into romance was not well done, the switch from rivals at work, to colleagues to crushes to lovers felt off. Not a problem of chemistry between the leads per se (honestly the FL's acting might have played some role in that but more on that later), it felt more like the writers within the airtime constraints balanced between focusing on the real life arc and giving us more virtual dating sequencing and they did the mistake of choosing the latter. If the real life characters and their relationship was given more air time and enough material to develop their romance and given us more swoon worthy moments than can leave an impression.

As I mentioned above I did not appreciate the FL's acting , I am not interested much into K-Pop so I admit I did not know who she was and was fortunate to have never watched her as an actress before, but I personally thought her acting was subpar. She could deliver the funny parts where she is frustrated embarrassed etc, but when it came to acting the emotional parts her performance was amateurish. Like some other idols-turned-actresses I could feel how she cared to look pretty on screen above anything else). It certainly didn't help that I did not personally like her pushy character (we are shown she was openly flirting with her class mate right in front of his GF)
The ML on the other hand, his performance was not bad though I have seen him do better jobs before, but the character here was 2 dimensional to begin with and the material he had to work with was lacking. Most of his scenes is either he being professional or stoic, when we later caught glimpses of him acting natural. cute or emotional it still didn't provide much depth to the character.

One final thought that I would like to add, is that as I mentioned above the concept of the virtual dating service was both fun and interesting , but I would have really appreciated if the writers had taken the opportunity to provide a deep social commentary concerning AI-Human relationships. Considering the real life cases where such warped human attachment to AI had left mental scars and even resulted in loss of life, it wouldn't have hurt if the writers could have tried to send a message of warning about the toxic effect of such technical advancements on mental health and human relationships. I realize perfectly well this is a fluffy romcom and I am not suggesting they turn the whole thing into a dark melodramatic take on AI, but just suggesting at the end that the addicted users like her BFF later came to realize the downside of it all and warned against it, rather we are shown a person who regretted having used the VR theme story in her own works tried to sell the device and stop using it but at the end still kept it and ended up sinking more and more in the delusion of virtual dating.

Would I watch again, no. Would I recommend, no (unless you are particularly a fan of the main leads). would I forget all about this drama in no time, absolutely.

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Boyfriend on Demand: A Fun Escape into a Little Fantasy

I recently watched Boyfriend on Demand, and it turned out to be quite a funny and enjoyable watch.

A boyfriend on subscription? Completely unrealistic. But yeah… we girls do live in our own little fantasy world sometimes, and the idea of dating handsome men like that is just… 🥰

What makes this drama stand out is how different it feels from typical K-dramas. There’s no second lead syndrome, no heavy childhood trauma, no forced childhood connections between the leads—it keeps things simple and refreshing.

What I liked most is how lighthearted the drama feels. It’s perfect when you just want to relax without overthinking. The chemistry between the leads is sweet, and their interactions have that comforting, feel-good vibe.

At the same time, it subtly touches on something very real loneliness in today’s world. We all want someone in our lives who adds a little extra happiness, and here, the lead turns to a virtual boyfriend to fill that emotional gap. That aspect felt surprisingly relatable.

Of course, it’s a bit predictable, and some moments can feel cliché. But if you go in expecting something simple and heartwarming, it delivers exactly that.

Overall, it’s the kind of drama you watch when you just want to smile, escape reality for a bit, and unwind.

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It’s a lovely watch but definitely some lost potential

Let’s start with the main leads Seo Mi Rae and Park Kyeongnam similar yet polar opposites they are strictly committed to work and seem to be very much workaholics however Mi Rae’s personality can enjoy some fun hang with friends and what not whereas Kyeongnam is kinda boring seems like he gets up to work and only work.
I liked the VR idea but its execution was an overstep unfortunately we viewed far too much of the drama was Mi Rae and her VR boyfriends that we missed on perhaps any crucial element suggesting a spark between her and the male lead. He blurts his feelings in what we as viewers expected however not in a great way due to the lack of backstory. His feelings seem almost fake as we have no idea where it came from. Mi Rae is totally addicted to this VR idea so much that the drama is half VR and half reality which I didn’t quite like I wished for more interaction perhaps more insight into the male leads feelings his life the classic feelings of falling for each other it was almost blasted on us. Then came Gyeong il the character that looked like the male lead portrayed in VR as Mi Rae’s perfect man although it was funny I wished it was done way earlier maybe ep 4 so we could see more of the main leads interactions and the blur between reality and VR occurring. Basically the screenwriting was just not as effective as I’d hoped and the relationship was rushed it was bad enough we didn’t get a full backstory there was the issue of Kyeongnam finding the VR which took away from the couples screen time.
All in all I loved the idea the acting was on point and the moments we got between the couples was everything Kyeongnam was a gentleman very easy to fall for and appeared amazing in every way I just wish we could have viewed more of this instead of having him appear as boring and ignored in the first few episodes.
The rewatch value in terms of the last few episodes I probably will the rest of it though I will respectfully pass as it didn’t meet my standards.
I did however love this drama despite its flaws and would recommend to watch as something perhaps slightly different to our normal k drama tropes.
Jisoo and In Guk aced it their acting is amazing and they are very lovable characters. It’s a shame the screenwriters didn’t highlight their talents and give them the perfect storyline they deserved.

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Our Future T-T

The plot wasn't amazing but I thought it was a interesting concept, especially in today's world of AI chat bots. If we actually had a device like in the drama, I think the downfall of humanity may come due to how many people will spend their life in it (me included lol). The time that Mi-rae (FL/Jisoo) spends in the AI world is fun for a bit, though I don't like how much time it takes away from developing the main relationship between Gyeong-nam (ML/Seo In Guk) and Mi-rae. I feel like their "chemistry" kinda pops up out of nowhere in episodes 6 & 7, especially with the reveal that Gyeong-nam had been in love with Mi-rae the entire time. I think they have decent chemistry, I just wish it had longer to develop instead of speed-running the whole "will they-won't they" idea within 2 episodes. I was very surprised that Gyeong-nam actually chose to go into the AI world, I liked it though I guess it ended up being somewhat inconsequential, only serving as a vehicle for the whole "misunderstanding right after getting together" trope. I thought the ending was fine and I appreciated how uplifting it felt, though it felt a little too much like "everybody is happy now and all conflicts are resolved", especially with the writer Yun-song seemingly being on cool terms with director Hwang. This was my first time seeing Jisoo act and I'm surprised at how much I liked her, obviously she's not great or anything but I quite enjoyed her performance (I loooove her deep voice), I'm happily awaiting her next drama. I wasn't expecting to like this drama as much as I did. Unlike the last drama I watched (Resident Playbook), I did not get bored throughout this drama as it was able to keep my attention, mostly due to its shorter length of 10 episodes which allows for tighter pacing. I think 10-12 episodes is the sweet spot for a drama, as most 16+ episode dramas tend to come to a grinding halt in the 10-14 episode range as they're just padding to reach the ending.

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Black Mirror meets cliche romance Kdrama

I was suuuper excited to start this show because of its premise. Imagine being able to date multiple characters at once and there never being consequences, it genuinely does feel like more of a game than actual dating just like Mirae’s best friend treated it LOL.

I absolutely loved the cameos of the actors EXCEPT for one and I’m sure all of you know who it is…

Points off for having Siwon in there. I guess kdramas just LOVEEEE giving problematic actors a platform, don’t they?

Overall the kdrama was pretty good. I liked the silly tropes they portrayed in the virtual reality, it reminded me of fanfics I used to read as a teen. I would’ve absolutely loved Boyfriend on Demand irl 🤣🤣🤣

I don’t really have anything to complain about tbh, this show was pretty entertaining from start to finish although it did get boring around like 3 last episodes because WHY did they need to have like the most stupidest miscommunication ever 😭 did they run out of ideas …? like 😭

I’m not gonna be too mad at the cliches since the whole premise is making fun of cliches but then it seems like they completely forgot about the irony of cliches and fully leaned into it with the main couple at the end, it kinda irritated me lol. half of their problems could’ve been easily avoided by talking…and these are two grown adults who described themselves as ‘realists’ in the beginning who don’t get swayed by cliche romance…like alright buddy whatever that means.

also as much as I love Seo Inguk and his role here… Seo Kangjoon…can’t move on from him. He should’ve been the main lead my goodness 😫

This is the first time I’ve watched Jisoo act and I’m actually not that disappointed as I thought I would be. People criticised her acting im snowdrop so I just assumed she’s a bad actress overall but if thats the case, she definitely got better. Her acting wasn’t that bad.

But yeah it was an entertaining show. But really…having Seo Kangjoon and Siwon in the same Kdrama doesn’t sit right with me. Eugh..

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Es el primer drama de jisoo que me gustó!

Muy lindo el mensaje que deja el drama: vivir el presente y dejar de ver el final.
Pero en la vida real todo termina eventualmente y trae consecuencias catastróficas; entrar en una relación es como estar sedado para luego darte cuenta de que debes nuevamente despedirte de las personas. Es estar pasándola increíble y tener siempre presente que llegará un día donde extrañarás ese momento.
Si la vida fuera un drama, podríamos tomar más riesgos como la protagonista, pero la realidad es mucho más consecuente. Si no mueves bien tus fichas, podrías pasar un par de años de tu vida intentando volver a ser tú, y con el tiempo te va consumiendo. Poder amar libremente es solamente una quimera; en cambio, debemos andar con cautela en el mundo real. Pero supongo que para eso vemos este tipo de historias, para desconectarnos de nuestra propia realidad y refugiarnos en un mundo de blancos y negros, lejos de nuestros eternos grises.

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Boyfriend on demand - Fiction or reality?

The protagonist is offered a device that allows you to virtually experience different dates as if they were real. She falls in love with a boyfriend but discovers she's not the only one going out with him, and she says and does the same things to all the others. So she upgrades, where, at his direction, she describes her ideal boyfriend and discovers she's been describing her colleague with whom she didn't get along. A moment of confusion as she tries to figure out where fiction ends and reality begins, and she opts for reality.
I initially liked the idea of ​​this plot itself because it was novel, but then it was poorly (trivially) exploited.
Virtual life is great, but if it were actually commercialized, it would lead to a disconnect from reality and chronic/dangerous indebtedness.

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A pleasant escape

Things I loved

1 The premise. So refreshing and I loved the colors, the dreamlike atmosphere and the whole concept. It was quite original and interesting even though I believe it could have been much much better.

2 The FL. I loved how beautiful and at the same time normal the FL was. This is the first time I watch a drama with her and although I can imagine many other actresses play the part and be probably better at it, she also embraced the role. I find her beautiful, no doubt about it, but I also think this role was made for her in a way. Do I think she nailed each part? No, definitely no. But she gave me quite few feelings and that's enough.

3 The ML. First drama with him as well, and I'm stunned about how younger he looks. He was also good, but I can imagine other actors play the part as well. That's my issue with this drama. The actors did a good job, and the roles fitted them but I also felt like something was missing and other actors could have given better performances. I also loved the ML with red hair. Gorgeous.

4 I liked quite a few of the boyfriends. They were interesting characters and the way it evolved about each of them it wasn't half bad. Again I imagined a few different scenarios and outcomes but they did a decent job.

5 Some of the FL outfits. Not all of them but some were gorgeous.

Things I disliked

1 The character development could have been better. I never saw the full potential of the couple. It's a shame because there were infinite ways for the premise to evolve.

2 The female writer. She got on my nerves more than once and at the end of the day I wanted her to to disappear from my screen. I started hate her.

3 The little time the ML appeared in the first episodes. That was quite disappointing.

4 The lack of chemistry. I have to say that this was my biggest peeve. I didn't feel the chemistry between the leads. Each one gave a decent performance but together there was no spark. They didn't move me. There were no true romantic moments.

5 The FL previous relationship. Something was lacking there. I didn't feel much and that is a problem when you want the viewer to connect with the protagonist. Was it a FL acting problem or a direction one? I can't say, but probably a bit of both.

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True slop

watched till ep 7
True slop from the slop factory for lonely people who are way too deep in idol culture . The way it presents the vr device as a cute little escape from reality was really distasteful , although I can understand why people would like this drama if they turn off their brain even then I feel like I'm just not the target audience for a drama like this as a cis hetero man.
Very star studded cast .
Ml is a bland underdeveloped character.
Fl is a lonely person who doesn't want to live in the real world but that escape is presented as a cutesy little thing with only glimpses of its true impact , Imagine a lonely middle aged man or woman who sleeps with a body pillow and treats them like a real partner and presenting it as if its a good thing . Its only perceived as ok by the audience here because of the prevalence of idol culture and its extremities in South Korean media and culture . I am saying this as a person who consumes media extensively to escape their own reality that something like this shouldn't be presented as healthy for a functioning human member of society .
Even when you ignore all of this the romance between the fl and ml is not fleshed out at all their connection seems extremely superficial. Its genuinely just the most pure slop drama I have ever seen .
Even if they show the ramifications of the device in the last two episodes its meaningless and impact less.
The cast is nice acting is nice but that's about it .
A simple fix for this drama would have been to flesh out the romance between the ml and fl and to show the ramifications of an unhealthy coping mechanism or even to just show what you miss out on if you choose the world you create inside your head , to present it as though there's nothing wrong with it just shows the lack of depth of thought here it just misses nearly all things that constitute a good piece of media .

i completed it
rating and gripes don't change much but they do address somethings i guess .

Tl dr ; watch only if you want multiple eye candy relationships and can turn your brain off,nothing else is offered in this drama .

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