K-Drama 
Expanding the Scope of Season 1
Season 1 of Gel Boys was a very small story in comparison to season two. Oh, the angst of season 1! But what was unique about season 1 was how the narrative kept the story firmly rooted in the cultural milieu these characters inhabited: a technofetishist world where young adults must navigate timeless rites of passage in a suffocating landscape: first crushes, becoming comfortable in your own identity, constructing and deconstructing who you want to be. But the cultural milieu is unique from previous generations owing to the technology available to this generation and as such, the technology creates new obstacles previous generations did not have to navigate, while offering a 2.0 version of "classic" rules of these rites (i.e. mix tape versus creating a playlist together). Season 1 navigated the timeless and the timely beautifully.
Season 2 widens those thematic examinations and invites the next generation of Gel Boys into the fray. The narrative framing (jumping between present day with the children of Gen 1 Gel Boys and the past) was unique insofar as we did not know which parents Gelz and Baby belonged to: which couple broke up and whose family was on the proverbial rocks. I thought the pacing for this "mystery' was just taut enough- it didn't unnecessarily belabor it, nor did it offer red herrings just to exacerbate the conflict. It was written to perfection.
Season 1 really drove home the point that parasocial relationships aren't just between fans and celebrities. Social media often means that parasocial relationships are created between "every day people"- classmates, coworkers, colleagues, etc. This examination was transplanted into the wider social media landscape by turning Foud and Bua into celebrities, but stayed true to season 1's examination by continuing to demonstrate how parasocial relationships effect your day-to-day experience with reality. While Foud and Bua had the celebrity parasocial relationship to navigate, they still had to navigate the parasocial nature of the romantic relationships they created. Realizing parasitic relationships are unsteady ground on which to build true connection was examined more deeply and broadly in season 2, while never disrespecting what is psychologically positive about parasocial relationships. The examination was thoughtful, heartbreaking, and never crossed the line into preachy.
The acting from our four main leads continued to be the series strength, along with the entire team's ability to build a world so unique and alien yet so familiar. The set-design, costume design (et. al) and how the director made the cultural milieu another character attests to the talent, dexterity, and vision of the entire team. The familiarity of the world rests in the human experience that was written, acted, and supported (through cinematography, editing, camera angle, etc) throughout the entire narrative. Joy, heartache, heartbreak, grief all present. The maturity of the characters (in juxtaposition to season 1) was evident and these characters weren't simply plopped into a "two years later" timeline without evidence of growth and maturity. From episode 1 it was clear that the characters had matured and morphed from the events of season 1 and were ready to test themselves and their relationships with newfound, burgeoning maturity (and get it wrong, sometimes).
The Gel Boys series is a unique entry into the BL canon not only because it represents a cultural milieu at a specific time and place, but because the story had a human immediacy that was able to cross generational cultural barriers. From writing to directing to acting, there was not a single missed beat or misfire.
One area of weakness that fans noted was the reason why the adult couple broke up. I don't want to spoil anything so I will leave it at this. Relationships have "classic" breakup reasons that are distinctive because of the time in your life when that break up happens. Reasons why relationships fail at 15, 20, 30 and 45 are often dependent upon what your life and its responsibilities define for you at that age. The reason why our relationships fail at 20 are sometimes very different as to why our relationships fail at 45. I understood the reason all to well (being on the other side of 45). I felt it in my core. It felt valid and real.
Highly, highly recommend both seasons.
Season 2 widens those thematic examinations and invites the next generation of Gel Boys into the fray. The narrative framing (jumping between present day with the children of Gen 1 Gel Boys and the past) was unique insofar as we did not know which parents Gelz and Baby belonged to: which couple broke up and whose family was on the proverbial rocks. I thought the pacing for this "mystery' was just taut enough- it didn't unnecessarily belabor it, nor did it offer red herrings just to exacerbate the conflict. It was written to perfection.
Season 1 really drove home the point that parasocial relationships aren't just between fans and celebrities. Social media often means that parasocial relationships are created between "every day people"- classmates, coworkers, colleagues, etc. This examination was transplanted into the wider social media landscape by turning Foud and Bua into celebrities, but stayed true to season 1's examination by continuing to demonstrate how parasocial relationships effect your day-to-day experience with reality. While Foud and Bua had the celebrity parasocial relationship to navigate, they still had to navigate the parasocial nature of the romantic relationships they created. Realizing parasitic relationships are unsteady ground on which to build true connection was examined more deeply and broadly in season 2, while never disrespecting what is psychologically positive about parasocial relationships. The examination was thoughtful, heartbreaking, and never crossed the line into preachy.
The acting from our four main leads continued to be the series strength, along with the entire team's ability to build a world so unique and alien yet so familiar. The set-design, costume design (et. al) and how the director made the cultural milieu another character attests to the talent, dexterity, and vision of the entire team. The familiarity of the world rests in the human experience that was written, acted, and supported (through cinematography, editing, camera angle, etc) throughout the entire narrative. Joy, heartache, heartbreak, grief all present. The maturity of the characters (in juxtaposition to season 1) was evident and these characters weren't simply plopped into a "two years later" timeline without evidence of growth and maturity. From episode 1 it was clear that the characters had matured and morphed from the events of season 1 and were ready to test themselves and their relationships with newfound, burgeoning maturity (and get it wrong, sometimes).
The Gel Boys series is a unique entry into the BL canon not only because it represents a cultural milieu at a specific time and place, but because the story had a human immediacy that was able to cross generational cultural barriers. From writing to directing to acting, there was not a single missed beat or misfire.
One area of weakness that fans noted was the reason why the adult couple broke up. I don't want to spoil anything so I will leave it at this. Relationships have "classic" breakup reasons that are distinctive because of the time in your life when that break up happens. Reasons why relationships fail at 15, 20, 30 and 45 are often dependent upon what your life and its responsibilities define for you at that age. The reason why our relationships fail at 20 are sometimes very different as to why our relationships fail at 45. I understood the reason all to well (being on the other side of 45). I felt it in my core. It felt valid and real.
Highly, highly recommend both seasons.
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