Maggi64

Wow, thank you so much for explaining all this! I had wondered if Han Gi Chan and Jang Eui Soo did not get along because I read it somewhere online. So I had always thought this was the reason there was no sequel. But your explanation that their agency kept them apart makes much more sense. Their agents likely did not want them associating because they feared it would make fans ship them, and the agents hated such a gay association.

Christ, it reminds me of how the Chinese authorities would not let the 2 leads of "Addiction" be together in public for fear of gay associations by their merely standing together on stage. I read that they appeared at one promo event and Chinese police actually rushed to the stage to remove them. Ugh.

Homophobia is not as rampant in Korea as it is in China, but it's still pretty bad -- despite the popularity of K-BL's. I read that most of the money and ratings for K-BL's come from the more tolerant Asian countries like Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. Plus, a lot comes from Western audiences, such as the Europeans and Americans (I am American).

In other words, the Koreans are expanding their BL's but that does not necessarily mean that their society has become more tolerant. It just means that the Korean entertainment industry has figured out that BL's are profitable. On the bright side, I'm sure enough ordinary Koreans are watching all these new K-BL's that it will slowly change perceptions. You know, the way Hollywood movies with positive gay portrayals in the 90's helped change American perceptions of gay people.

At any rate, thank you for this info! I was always curious about why "WYEL" did not have a sequel and now I know.

Thank you for finally solving the mystery of why there was never a sequel to WYEL! Even if it's not your fav BL, you gotta agree that it was odd for there to be no sequel when it was such a massive, surprise hit. I mean, it was Korea's 1st BL, so it set the trend for Korea to begin making BL's thereon.

It's interesting that their agencies were against a sequel (and probably against an open mouthed kiss too), because now that K-BL's are so massively successful, both actors from WYEL have appeared in a subsequent BL and did open mouth kissing scenes. Their agencies must have finally figured out that BL's are the way to go if you want your actor to get international fame.

The problem is that both their subsequent BL's were not very good. The one guy did "My Sweet Dear" and the other one did "Ocean Likes Me." Oddly enough, both played chefs.

At any rate, I had wondered if there was not a sequel to WYEL because the actors did not get along. So thank you for telling me that it was actually about their agencies.

I think that Da Un fell for Si Won the night he saw Si Won drunk and being so foolish, but also, oh-so-very vulnerable. He was attracted to Si Won's vulnerability. Remember the next day when he saw Si Won on campus looking ashamed and running away, and how that made Da Un break out in a smile? He thought it was cute of Si Won to run away like that. From thereon, he was a goner for Si Won. At least that's how I saw it.

I think the bigger problem with the show was that we knew so little about Da Un's childhood and inner feelings, whereas we knew everything about Si Won's. There were signs of Da Un's parents being distant and never home, but I wanted to know more. In the director's defense, I think this was the product of insufficient time. It was very short, like so many of these K-BL's. That's why I am so glad that the final scene hinted at a sequel. Remember the DBW on the musician's guitar? I took that to mean we're gonna get a sequel where they show DBW's and the guitar player's romance, which was in the manga. I also assume that if there's a sequel it will give us more about Da Un's life and character motivations.

As for "Where Your Eyes Linger," it was a very basic, simple plot, but the leads had such terrific chemistry and unspoken sexual tension that it compensated for it. If you read peoples' comments about that show, most refer to the sexual tension as the thing that appealed to them. That's why it sucked that the show copped out at the very end with that overly tame closed mouth kiss. Alas, it was Korea's first BL, so I suppose the director was fearful to show a passionate, open mouthed boy-on-boy kiss. I assume that it was only after WYEL became such a surprise hit that K-BL's began to be more brave about showing passionate kisses. I mean, look at how far we've come with "Blueming," and that amazing love scene at the hotel! The emotion, the cinematography, the sexual passion -- it was all so on point. I am sure we can agree about that :)

Actually, no, "coincidences galore" do not happen in every show's screenplay, nor every novel. At least not if it's a good screenplay or novel. I work in publishing and can tell you that we commonly reject manuscripts because the action is propelled by a multitude of coincidences.

The mark of a fine plot is that it unfolds organically, from things that could plausibly happen and from things that are generated by the characters' behavior and/or circumstances. When writers cannot do this, and instead pile on coincidences, it is regarded as a cheap and easy way out of figuring out one's plot.

Again, I let this go to enjoy the show. But I certainly do not regard "To My Star" as the director's finest work. Rather, I think that "Blueming" is her masterpiece. Consider that there is not one single coincidence in "Blueming." Instead, the action is propelled by the behaviors of Si Woon and Da Un. That is good writing. The same could be said of "Where Your Eyes Linger." All the action is propelled by things that are a result of Kang Gook and Tadjeu's behaviors and personalities. No coincidences. That this director's 2nd best written BL.

I am sure I differ in opinion with many on this, but "To My Star" is my least liked of this director's 3 BL's. I simply could not help but to notice how poorly written it was due to the over reliance on multiple coincidences, among other things. To be clear, I still enjoyed it. It's just that I do not think it's her best work.

That helps. Thank you so much!

I doubt that it's a plot point, and simply an unrealistic thing by people in the entertainment industry who know little about the restaurant industry.

While I liked season one, remember, it was full of unrealistic things. Take, for instance, the absurd amount of coincidences. It's not just that Seo Joon just happened to go to the same restaurant to use a bathroom where the chef worked who just happens to become his new roommate. There is also the reporter, who just happens to live down the street from the chef and also just happens to patronize his restaurant, and also just happens to be chasing the actor who just happens to be working at the restaurant and living at the house near hers. Christ, the coincidences were piling up so fast that I had to laugh.

Sorry, but realism is not this show's strong suit. I decided to let it all go and enjoy the show anyway. But if you are arguing for realism as a condition for enjoying the show, well, let's just say that such an argument is already lost.

Holy shit, that means the actor playing Ji Woo was only 21 when they filmed that! He looked so much older.

Is that how old the actors are right now? If so, they'd have been 29 and 27 in season one?

How old are these 2 guys?

Cuz when I re-watched season one, Seo Joon asks Ji Woo if he's ever been in a relationship. Yet it looks like they are in their mid to late 20's, so of course they'd have been in relationships in the past. Are they just younger than they look?

Lol, you are right. It's Hungarian. But they also called it "hangover soup" so it might be something that's a specialty for Koreans and he made it just for Seo Joon and the village chief because they specifically requested "hangover soup" and not something on the actual, regular Italian menu.

That line of dialogue, "If it's hard for you, you don't have to come to me. I'll come to you," was my absolute favorite line in the whole series. When I re-watched Season 1 yesterday, I replayed that scene 3 times! lol. Seo Joon doesn't mind being pushed away, cuz he knows, deep down, Ji Won wants to be pulled right back in by him.

Now, as you said, the push-pull can become exhausting long term, and it's definitely a tad dysfunctional. Then again, as you had also said to me the other day when I asked in my original post, "How can this actor love this asshole chef?" there would be no drama if the relationship were entirely smooth. That was a good answer, thx!

Indeed, I gotta say, this whole discussion thread has helped me to appreciate "To My Star" season 1 and season 2's first episodes much better. So thank you all for such, thoughtful replies. I am now seeing how Seo Joon liked that Ji Woo has his walls up, because that means that Seo Joon, as a lover, gets to be the one & only to break them down and get all that yummy, soft stuff inside. That's definitely sexy. So yea, I'm totally getting the dynamic of this attraction now.

Moreover, it's more than Ji Woo being considerate in little ways (which I did notice more on my second viewing), cuz all prospective lovers are considerate to each other in the beginning. It's something deeper about Seo Joon's attraction to the push-pull and breaking down those walls. As for Ji Woo, I think he's attracted to more than Seo Joon's friendliness and persistence, but also to Seo Joon's kindness. Remember the scene where Seo Joon confessed his love and Ji Woo accused him of having pity cuz he's broke, etc? Seo Joon's reaction was not to be defensive but, rather, the opposite of defensiveness because he apologized. He just pulled in Ji Woo for a big hug, and apologized for not considering Ji Woo's feelings more. It was the reaction of a kind hearted human being. I think this attracts Ji Woo most.

It also happens to be my 2nd fav scene in the series.

Incidentally, the Italian menu at Ji Woo's restaurant is also why he has no customers, lol. The village chief says they can't read his menu. Of course, in real life that restaurant would not still be open after one year if it were as empty as the show makes it out to be. Restaurants notoriously close after 3 months if they cannot get sufficient customers. The overhead is just too much --rent, electric, gas, staff, etc. Yet Ji Woo's empty restaurant is not only open after 1 year, but he can afford his own house too. This part of the show is utterly unrealistic, but I decided to just let it go. After all, it's BL love story, and we're not meant to focus on economic realities, right?

THE ITALIAN CONNECTION

Ji Woo now owns an Italian restaurant named, "Ti Aspetto" which translates to "I am waiting for you." I doubt that this is a coincidence and, rather, think the Italian element is quite significant.

To begin, Seo Joon has an Italian connection in so far as his parents abandoned him in Italy. Remember how his manager said he always cries when he eats Italian dishes like Saffron Risotto cuz it reminds him of his parents? Then Seo Joon asks Ji Woo to teach him how to make Saffron Risotto? Ji Woo brings home all the ingredients for Saffron Risotto in the scene where Seo Joon first confesses his love to Ji Woo, and gets cruelly rejected. But they do make it later on after they are a couple. So there is an Italian theme running through Season 1 -- even if it is slight -- and this would account for Ji Woo making his restaurant Italian.

Isn't that the same striped shirt that Seo Joon made Ji Woo wear in Season 1 in that scene where Ji Woon reached for Seo Joon's supposed eyelash? I thought it was Ji Woo's shirt that Seo Joon had gotten from Ji Woo's closet. But I guess it always belonged to Seo Joon. Is this right?

I doubt we'll see Seo Joon make him beg, but like you I'd love to see it, lol. I do think, however, the director/writers will give Ji Woo at least a decent reason for his awful behavior for leaving with a shitty note like that -- and on Seo Joon's bday, no less. At least I hope they do. The first 2 episodes of Season 2 have certainly done a good job of building suspense to know what the hell the reason was, so I give the director/screenwriters that. Making viewers want to tune in again is director/screenwriters' job, so Season 2 is a success on that basis alone. I just hope the reason makes Ji Woo more sympathetic, cuz like you, I find his behavior in Season 2 reprehensible so far.

BTW, you guys have all given very good, thoughtful answers to my original question in this post. It helped me to rewatch Season 1 with a different frame and enjoy it more. Likewise, it will help me enjoy Season2 more, so thank you!

Holy shit, you are right! Kang Gook said viciously cruel things to Tadjiu in "Where Your Eyes Linger" when Tadjiu confessed his love. He was also insecure and uncertain, and disguised it with an alpha male display of cruelty. This kind of pushing away, while secretly desiring the other, is clearly a thematic interest of the director. As I said in another comment somewhere here, I think Seo Joon's character is written to actually be turned on by the push-pull, cuz whenever he's pushed away, he comes back more strongly. For example, the final episode in Season 1 where Ji Woo tells him to leave for good, but Seo Joon comes right back into the house and gives that great line, "If it's hard for you to come to me, then I'll come to you." In short, I think the push-pull dynamic is a turn on for Seo Joon.

You're right, Ji Woo said terribly cruel things to push away Seo Joon, even though he clearly wanted him. I mean, at the end of Season 1, he tells Seo Joon to get lost for good, and then immediately breaks down crying cuz he actually does NOT want him to get lost. Seo Joon knows this and comes back in (I loved the way he said, "If it's hard for you to come to me, I'll come to you.") Perhaps, in some romantically dysfunctional way, Seo Joon is actually more attracted when Ji Woo says these cruel things to push him away because knowing there is, in fact, love boiling deeper down in Ji Woo makes it kind of, well, sexy for Seo Joon. The push-pull is what turns on Seo Joon. It's the first time this occurred to me and actually makes their relationship more believable to me. So, yea, thanks for your reply!

Yep, I also noticed that family pix being faced down and Seo Joon picking it up. In fact, it annoyed me that this plot point was introduced, and then not developed in Season 1. It seemed like a tease -- unless, that is, they were planning on a sequel all along during which they'd explain this plot point. And based on all the things you astutely noted, it seems like they were. Consider how Seo Joon's parents abandoned him in Italy and he now craves Italian food as a result (eg, in Season 1 he made Ji Woo teach him how to make Risotto). And now, in Season 2, Ji Woo just happens to have an Italian restaurant. It all means something. So I am looking forward to seeing how all this unfolds in Season 2.

Yep, that's how I saw it. The attraction made so little sense to me on my first viewing that I had to watch season one again last night. I think the best reason the show has given us for SJ loving JW is that, as SJ said, he's attracted to people "who have their walls up." That made sense. It's a sort of opposites attract scenario. Nevertheless, the director has really stacked the deck in giving JW negative qualities, and almost overdid it. I hope season two rectifies this and shows more amiable qualities from him. Some of SJ's memories of their good times show JW actually smiling and that, thank god, made him seem warmer. Otherwise, JW has been shown stone faced for nearly all of season one (he never smiled at SJ until the final episode), and the first two episodes of season two.