I’m sorry I can’t quote anyone with my tablet/all the long posts….
Regarding the success of Semantic Error, I think it was hugely successful for 2022 but the BL fanbase just wasn’t as big and there wasn’t as much hype around it as, for example, The Prosecutor’s Proposal. I still think there’s a lot of prejudice against BLs in Korea, because every time a Korean actor isn’t afraid to act proud of his BL work, people are especially happy. Other Korean actors who got their start in BLs don’t always acknowledge that contribution to their later success. But many still do launch their careers through BLs, and I’m fine with that.
I didn’t know Park Seoham had a currently airing show, so I’m happy to hear that. Now I want to watch it, of course. I don’t watch that many straight kdramas, but there are a few actors I love so much, I’ll watch whatever they do.
Regarding recommendations for early kdramas, I second Mr. P’s list. I liked all of those. Where Your Eyes Linger and the Eighth Sense made strong impressions on me, but I’ve also rewatched almost all the shows on that list. My biggest complaint about KBLs is they’re generally pretty short. But it does make them easy rewatches. For KBL recommendations, I would add Jun & Jun from 2023, and Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo, Love for Love’s Sake, The Time of Fever, and Jazz for Two from 2024.
Side note: Junhee, who stars in Tinted with You, is a member of the group A.C.E. but also has several solo albums, which are excellent.
Love Method—Junhee
The First Day and Night—Junhee
I discovered A.C.E. because they sing the theme song for Light on Me (2021), another good early KBL. I have recommendations for A.C.E. Songs as well, if anyone’s interested. Both A.C.E. and Junhee are in my top five favorite K-pop artists, and I’ve listened to them repeatedly a lot.