K-Drama 
Only I'm allowed to hate you.
As a criminal drama - good. As an office romance - jesus take the wheel. Just because two people of the same gender are interacting intimately on screen doesn't automatically mean it's good TV.
The acting is not... good. The most consistent is the meekness of Lee Chae Ha, while Ju (Kang) Tae Seon is all over the place (really can't do desperation and sadness). O Ja Hyeon was cringe, there's a way to do crazy, psychotic and unhinged that doesn't require constant laughing. Darling, you are not Joker.
This series feel like a potentially good criminal drama with a badly written in relationship. The story idea is good, but the script is fucking awful. Plotholes upon plotholes, string editing leaves you feeling like there are chunks of context missing, and, as in many BLs, the scenes are desolate as if the main characters are the only people in the world, more so, the only gay people in the world. It gives low budged feel, which it probably is, and I guess not many actors want to be associated with this industry. This would've gone so well if they paid more attention to fleshing out the mystery of who's-done-it, rather than splicing in that relationship as the main attraction. Those two aspects felt completely separate and not because they didn't make a big deal of the main couple being gay, which is the way these stories should be told, but because it wasn't a good or coherent enough story telling.
Every character on screen felt like a solo player, their relationships didn't matter, only their past did. I wouldn't call what the main couple had chemistry, as we like to call it. It was angry, sad and flat at the same time. The only part I liked was when they finally revealed who the son of the casino director and the police chief was. Predictable from his first very questionable remark and the writers did try to bury the lead with a red herring, but in the end that break from the nice persona to a broken, exploited child was quite good. He turned just like both of his parents, they must be so proud.
That first time kissing - so, that's assault. Jail,straight to jail. No rhyme or reason why anyone would take shit like that from someone they work for. Granted, Korea is notorious for bad work culture, bullying and toxic behaviour across the board, but this is as if all three were rolled into one big, fat, toxic, red flag. Going to your employee's home at night? Acting like an entitled asshole, choking and sexually assaulting them? Yeah, sure, that's totally normal. And the other guy acts as if it might as well have been a slap to the face or a push on a shoulder. How often does this actually happen for it to be portrayed as a behaviour one immediately doesn't consider chargeable? And, of course, the meek male lead instantly falls for the abusive boss, because the only way to survive in this harsh world in Stocholm Syndrome.
The acting is not... good. The most consistent is the meekness of Lee Chae Ha, while Ju (Kang) Tae Seon is all over the place (really can't do desperation and sadness). O Ja Hyeon was cringe, there's a way to do crazy, psychotic and unhinged that doesn't require constant laughing. Darling, you are not Joker.
This series feel like a potentially good criminal drama with a badly written in relationship. The story idea is good, but the script is fucking awful. Plotholes upon plotholes, string editing leaves you feeling like there are chunks of context missing, and, as in many BLs, the scenes are desolate as if the main characters are the only people in the world, more so, the only gay people in the world. It gives low budged feel, which it probably is, and I guess not many actors want to be associated with this industry. This would've gone so well if they paid more attention to fleshing out the mystery of who's-done-it, rather than splicing in that relationship as the main attraction. Those two aspects felt completely separate and not because they didn't make a big deal of the main couple being gay, which is the way these stories should be told, but because it wasn't a good or coherent enough story telling.
Every character on screen felt like a solo player, their relationships didn't matter, only their past did. I wouldn't call what the main couple had chemistry, as we like to call it. It was angry, sad and flat at the same time. The only part I liked was when they finally revealed who the son of the casino director and the police chief was. Predictable from his first very questionable remark and the writers did try to bury the lead with a red herring, but in the end that break from the nice persona to a broken, exploited child was quite good. He turned just like both of his parents, they must be so proud.
That first time kissing - so, that's assault. Jail,straight to jail. No rhyme or reason why anyone would take shit like that from someone they work for. Granted, Korea is notorious for bad work culture, bullying and toxic behaviour across the board, but this is as if all three were rolled into one big, fat, toxic, red flag. Going to your employee's home at night? Acting like an entitled asshole, choking and sexually assaulting them? Yeah, sure, that's totally normal. And the other guy acts as if it might as well have been a slap to the face or a push on a shoulder. How often does this actually happen for it to be portrayed as a behaviour one immediately doesn't consider chargeable? And, of course, the meek male lead instantly falls for the abusive boss, because the only way to survive in this harsh world in Stocholm Syndrome.
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