A deeper understanding of love and happiness
What a fantastic way to start 2024 with a remarkable Korean BL. It’s been on my watchlist for so long and just waiting for the release day, now finally, I was able to finish the show. To be honest, I am not expecting the fantasy touch as its concept and I find it too hard to get the whole story but you just need to focus on the build-up of the characters to enjoy the drama to the fullest.It all starts with a mission to make Cha Yeon Woo happy, as we all thought, this has to be the objective of the game but in the end, we realize that it is not. The point of the game is to give him another chance for Tae Myung Ha to acknowledge himself, love himself, to find his purpose and happiness in life. I admire the clever way of writing the script -unique and excellent.
In general, the drama wins a lot and has something great to offer to its audience. Casting a beautiful set of actors to play the roles is the typical norm we see from K-BLs, but this one is not the usual one. The actors are such great actors who can deliver and be firm with their characters. I love the genuine acting with top-notch chemistry that is a must for a romance genre. I’ve been a fan of Cha Joo Wan since his debut acting in School 2021 and have been following him on Instagram since then, but I am still amazed at how soft and pure he is and feels like he is Cha Yeo Woon in real life.
Love for Love’s Sake is the perfect title for the show. It allows viewers to understand that love in general is complicated but an important factor in life that makes us alive. This drama receives a lot of love from the community and I am happy for the warm feedback as the actors and crew behind the success of this drama work so hard to produce and promote such a masterpiece. I’m going to be honest, I don’t enjoy it to the fullest unlike with a few K-BLs but I am pretty sure that this show is part of my Top 10 K-BLs of all time. It's just that, the story may be a little confusing at the beginning but worth watching since you will fall in love with the ending.
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Half good, half bad
In general, the drama itself is neutral in terms of overall rating. It offers a few captivating episodes that made me in tears but also has a few forgettable featured stories. Decided to watch this because of the edits I watched regarding the BL side of the story, as well as having Tseng Jing Hua as one of the many characters in the drama. To rate the drama, I must emphasize each episode with my mini-reviews. In particular order, from best to least, here is my ranking:Best to Good EPs:
EP05 The Perfect Dodgeball Game
I’m being biased here, as a BL fan, I honestly enjoyed this episode. The story touched on the reality of the life of an ordinary homosexual person. “To fall in love with a straight man…” These few lines contain a lot of stories from the gay community. It painfully hurts you a lot. The conclusion of them being good friends and supporting each other from a distance is good enough. I, once again fall in love with Derek Chang. I first saw him playing a villain role in Oh No! Here Comes Trouble and this man is soothing with manliness and sensational appeal. What a blissful sight to see him being cast in a short gay episode.
EP02 The Night in Question
Thank you for introducing me to Terrence Lau, another cute actor to add to my long list of celebrity crushes. The charm of this episode lies in the unusual story. A single man with hearing impaired that fell in love with a hostess. Both of them have a loveable and firm character that makes their chemistry as cute and sexy as possible. A happy ending for a deserving couple.
EP08 Head of the Family
Loving the light yet meaningful storytelling of the happiness of a married couple. I always feel enthusiastic when it comes to the story that showcase different approaches to the norms of how people view one’s life and roles. The married couples being supportive of each others’ life decisions and careers was wholesome.
EP07 The Promise of Karuizawa
I never thought that the usual mistress concept could be somewhat sweet yet remain unethical. The two characters who were betrayed by their respective partners and eventually committed the same mistake were unexpectedly interesting. They fell in love but chose to distance themselves was the perfect ending for both of them. The society will never see them as a good couple because of how their story went out. If they end up together, the fault of their spouses will immediately all directed towards them alone. I can’t imagine the hate and gossip of the people around them. What a dramatic episode.
EP09 The Ghost in Your Heart
The gays are winning… and sobbing. “But why does loving someone turn us into ghosts? I’ve been wondering, if one of us is a boy, would you and I will be fine together?” Lines that spell agony and discomfort. At least, the couple continues their love story after how many years but loses the middle man’s life that huddles their romantic story.
Kay to Meh EPs:
EP06 Something Old
The only good thing about this episode is that the ex-couple did not end up together during the finale. The woman felt pressured by the man’s good intentions which took out the wrong and painful way for the woman’s life. The man is too nosy and has the undying habit of involving the people around them on most occasions, without even consulting the woman first.
EP03 The Color of You
All about lies. I understand that the man can easily reject people who are fond of him, but the whole episode revolves around lies to fulfill their desires.
EP04 From Beyond the Stars
Love the chemistry but not the concept of aliens and time travel stuff. I believed that forcing a fantasy into a reality show was unpleasant. It ruins the setting and pace of the drama.
EP01 Reality Dating Show
I hate that the pilot episode is not even close to being called a decent start to the show. It was chaotic with too much stuff happening between the many featured characters.
EP10 Based on True Events
I understand why EP01 was meh, all because of this finale that turns out to be the mother who produced the storyline of the first episode. The finale episode must need to be impactful and beyond great but this just ruins that idea. I was too bored and not emotional that the drama had ended. My baby Tseng Jing Hua deserves a better story than this one.
I was frustrated but at least I am happy with some of the episodes. Having the pandemic as the time setting is good to showcase what happened to people’s lives during this world health crisis. At the Moment is more about living your best moment in life, prioritizing your happiness more than others.
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The dosage is super effective in the first half but abruptly ineffective during the last part
Psychological dramas are one of my top favorite concepts in K-Drama and I always look forward to what their stories have to bring to the audience. Daily Dose of Sunshine is a great show but loses its charm when it focuses on the life story of the main character, Jung Da Eun. The romance is the major factor why I am not satisfied with the story progression. I don’t feel any butterflies and just want to skip most of the scenes from the main character. I guess if they ended up the two best friends became the main couple, I may have enjoyed it somehow.On the good side, I get to see heartwarming yet tragic stories about people who are facing such mental illnesses and how they move forward in the real world. Jang Dong Yoon once again proves how versatile he is as an actor. He nailed his character who suffers from panic disorder. I like how his story concluded and the other featured characters with mental illnesses.
The most valuable role in this drama has to be the head nurse. I like her strong, positive, and thoughtful characteristics. I just feel a little bit disappointed with the overall production since they already started with high impact but failed to give consistency and it ended up getting tiring. The other staff from the hospital have a better story to offer. Nevertheless, I still like the show and how it tackles mental awareness for people who are ignorant and have little knowledge regarding these disorders.
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Blowing a pleasant breeze of young love
It kind of feels average, but I salute the balance of giving us decent BLs with captivating visuals and a plot that is good enough to satisfy the viewers. It wasn’t as great as I was expecting it to be, maybe because of how the main couple took longer for their love to only bloom during the finale. I liked the tension of the enemy-to-romance troupe but this is a short drama that I badly hoped for an early access to love progress.Nevertheless, no one can’t deny the fact that the cast perfectly does their best to give life to their characters. The amount of visuals is insane, and I easily fell in love with them. Giving the second lead a proper ending is the best decision of the production. They also hinted at a possible sequel that may focus on his romance.
The finale is certainly the best episode. I didn’t expect that they would almost draw a daring scene during the scene that involves sitting in bed, the ice, and asking if one wants to see the other one’s underwear. Ending them in kisses is fine but as said before, I am demanding more since the couple have the right chemistry and it is a pity not to utilize it in the show.
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A serene of young love
I have my doubts about adding this one to my list solely because of how misleading the poster was. It was far different from what the actual vibes of the story were. The poster is somehow dramatic and I thought that it would be a devastating series with a lot of pain but thankfully, I came across with non-spoiler comments of how beautiful the setting was.Characters are fluff and sincere. I love the innocence and kindness that Ryuji-kun has and how he manages to embrace Amane’s feelings in the end. A short BL that did a remarkable way of flourishing the main character’s growth the moment he finds the one with letting go of his past lustful intimate fling with others.
The story being produced in a seaside city was indeed an appealing sight to see and gives the highlight of being covered in warmth and affection that the story is trying to tell its viewers. I wanted to try the summer season living in that beautiful rural town.
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The server and his lover
We have a weird but unique storyline out here. The main couple living in one roof wherein one serves while the other one pays the bill, is quite intriguing. Subjectively speaking, not a big fan of this genre and feel way too questionable but the drama itself is good enough to emphasize the romance and intimacy that the characters have with each other.The main cast is just okay, nothing extraordinary, or either one of them stood the best. But I found it cute how nerdy yet hotty the side character is, the husband of the girl manga author.
I don’t have much to say in this drama; all I can say is that it is average for me. Not too bad and not too impactful for a show in general. I just wished that somehow, they tried to build a different character development to the weatherman, in a genuine and soft kind of attitude towards the manga artist.
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Great cast but the production felt too rushed
It was good enough for a BL but I wished that it was not a sequel from the first season since the whole story builds within an entirely new set of characters, with the main couple from the prequel having a short screentime as guest roles. The pilot episode was too messy since we were introduced to the cast right away with too little explanation of who they were.Have you noticed that in Episode Five, a mic has been included in the frame at the top floating to record the lines of the main couple? It was the first time I’ve ever seen a production that has been aired without re-editing this part, it was hilarious haha.
The best thing about this show is how they fairly executed enough screen time for the three couples within a few episodes. And the casts themselves are pretty good at holding to the characteristics of their roles. The kisses!! It was so wonderful how the three couples fought to have the best-kissing scenes in this drama. They are so passionate and no awkwardness is seen through their roles.
If I rank the three couples, I would choose Min Woo and Ma Ru as my favorite couple. Sung Min and Joo Hyuk, the assistant teacher and art student second and last place goes to Lee Hyun and Kim An.
Despite the few loopholes in the drama, I absolutely enjoy each of their storylines. If and only if they managed to have a much bigger budget, I guess that these loopholes can be perfectly excluded. If there’s another sequel of Love Class, I just wish that they bring out the first couple from season one and start establishing what happened to their life after being together as a couple, with the new casts included on it too.
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Explicit sexual tension with a purpose
Another Japanese BL brought something new to the audience. Not your typical romantic drama with an overdramatic storyline. This show wins in terms of uplifting the concept of narrating sexual desires in the mind of a young individual. At first, I was too stunned for having such bed scenes between two students. Yet, I love how they showcase the pros and cons of the main character and how they tackled each of their problems for their respective character development.Ren is definitely a handsome man and I love his manly yet cute facial expressions. The friend-with-benefits episodes were too hot, especially when they mentioned that they almost have an intimate activity every single day. However, it is not romantically entertaining since lust overcomes love between these two grown men.
I ended up scoring the show not so high but not so low, simply because of its overall impact. It wasn’t the best but I can guarantee they are better than most airing BLs nowadays. I love how the couple ended up being on each other’s side without any of them holding back anymore.
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At least the ending is happy
I’m not sure if this is good or bad, so I will settle for average. I wasn’t hooked during its earlier episodes but suddenly felt okay after watching the last few episodes. The story isn’t as great as it could be. I feel like they can offer more but for any reason, they choose to play safe as a form of their production-satisfaction.Byun Sung Tae is the one who brought me to the show. At first glance at the promotional poster, I noticed the familiarity of this man and realized that he also participated in Produce X 101 which I supported during its airing period. Seeing him as the main character of a BL show is actually pretty good since his beautiful face fits the standard visuals of K-BLs. An additional benefit is that he can act and sing in a neutral tone, and I actually liked it.
I guess the biggest downfall of the story is the messy characterization of the Casanova ex-boyfriend (who isn’t handsome at all) and the unrequited love of the male best friend. These two characters offer mixed emotions and unnecessary drama at some point.
For some reason, the drama itself managed to survive by uplifting and focusing on the romantic progress of the main couple without having the supporting characters create walls between their relationship and solely focusing on the emotions of the two main characters.
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Design to deliver an extreme amount of cuteness
This has to be one of those K-BLs that perfectly blend neatness and uniqueness. It features that masculinity can be tough and soft at any given time. Korean BLs consistently provide us with clean transitioning and setup of their scenes that look too perfect for the eyes of the viewers. The rural town seems too peaceful to live in without too much drama and stress from the villagers. Cinematography is always winning and makes the show more appealing.The distinctive role of Ye Chan is one of the best foundations and contributions of the story. It is a rare sighting for us, the audience, to get to see that a big man can effortlessly slay having a jolly and fluffy personality. He is indeed my favorite character in this show. There are no cringe moments and he acts with ease and confidence. Hearing his voice in a local accent is alluring, and I want to listen for more. Ye Chan is a big baby; always wearing those pouty lips to make him even cuter.
Another masterpiece presented in these BL is the robust selection of OSTs. It sounds refreshing and at the same time, it can make you dance with its groovy vibes. I even felt happier when I caught on to the fact that Coldin sang the main OST of Love Tractor too. He is the man who gives birth to the iconic Romantic Evil and Can You Stay, two songs from another god-tier BL, Semantic Error.
Love Tractor showcases dreams can be simple and special, it just depends on one's self-value. Just like Seon Yul who chooses his long-term ambition of turning his passion into music as his chosen path of professions. The same case to Ye Chan who founds simple happiness in his simple life as a farmer. The storyline, cast, and overall production are entertaining to consume. I enjoy watching all eight episodes and they give justice for having delightful kissing scenes that feel too passionate and innocent at the same time.
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At night, the emotions will kick in
They did pretty great as expected. With the powerful lineup of casts and gloomy vibes of the story, this has been one of my most anticipated dramas of the year. It was just relaxing to see how they nailed every storytelling of each character from the beginning until the end. No one has been left behind.EarthMix leading the show gives you a touch of calmness from their genuine acting and beholding their firm characteristics into something memorable. They give the right amount of feelings that will attack your soft spot to feel their warmness.
Gemini and Fourth once again own the show! I swear to god that these two young actors are such gems. They always deliver impactful emotions to their viewers whether it may be by means of romance or drama. They never failed to amaze me. I am always in the excitement about every single Heart and Li Ming scene. Their chemistry is super strong.
This has been also one of the best acting performances of both Khaotung and First. Their dramatic plots win me solely because of how fluent they are in releasing all of those needed emotions just by looking into their eyes.
We are all gays in this show and I am loving it! The remarkable script, powerful cast, and letting you feel all kinds of emotions lead them to their successful victory as a drama. However, despite the positive feedback I have for this show, it is not still enough for me to give it a higher rating as I honestly feel bland for most of the scenes during its earlier episodes. Still, Moonlight Chicken is the kind of BL that will not only provide you the sweetness from the BL actors but also tells wonderful stories of individuals who face daily struggles in life.
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Kept frozen for too long but takes too quick to defrost
Japanese BLs always deliver more mature and depth storytelling to the audience, which is always been a hit. However, I felt like this show is just an average one; not too bad but not too good. At first, I thought that Ritsu was faking his amnesia since the only sequence of events he can’t remember are those he shares with Fumiya.The ending was too rushed. Everything happened in just one episode; the reconciliation, gaining back his memories, and the conclusion. Yet, I somehow feel great that they finally decided to be back together.
For me, the best element of the show is how they showcase such alluring and hot intimate scenes. The birthday surprises prior to their breaking up scenes are just wholesome. That licking of whipped cream from Ritsu’s mouth is captivating in the sexiest way. Their voices speaking in a low tone while doing their bed scenes are perfect. I love to hear it every day. EP05 is the best among the six episodes that this show has. A BL that is short yet good enough for a quick watch.
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Unbelievably exceeds my expectations; such a fine execution of romance and chemistry
This has to be one of the greatest Korean BL that aired this 2023. We were blessed to have a K-BL with more than 30 mins of time duration per episode. With loveable characters that were portrayed by an amazing cast of actors. I was hooked by the visuals and their way of turning cliche storylines into something new.The cast. All four of them did a very great job of handling the emotions needed from their character. I never felt too annoyed with any of their scenes, I was consumed by their genuine acting performances. Ji Won Young (Gongchan) is the cutest K–BL main character I’ve ever seen. His voice, his looks, his actions, and his overall existence are radiating with cuteness. I am indulged by his soft and honest personality. I, myself, also wanted to meet someone like him in real life. I love the size difference between them with Yoon Tae Joon (Cha Seo Won). They both look so manly, mature, and dependable. Tae Joon is such a perfect boyfriend material one may luckily have.
Then we have the fluffy cafe owner, Dong Hee (Han Dong Woo). I am okay with seeing a whole episode dedicated to his screen time flushing his beautiful smiles and his enjoyable sight of being irritated. He is such a ray of sunshine that I wanted to badly pinch his cheeks for being that attractive. Playing as a side couple adds extra sweetness to the story. I am already a fan of Won Tae Min, playing Go Ho Tae in this drama, from his first BL role as the main character of You Make Me Dance, which is another great BL too. Seeing his energetic and gang-like character on this show was too enjoyable. I love the chemistry that both of them build and if a second season is possible, I am hoping to set their blooming relationship as the focus of the drama.
I have no negative feedback on the way they processed the flow of the story since it already managed to make me fall in love with the overall element of the show. They also had a lot of scenes that are freshly introduced to the BL series. I am getting too much sweetness seeing those romantic and exciting lovey-dovey scenes the characters have. I think the part where they can practice more is the execution of those kisses, it was already sugary but I am wanting it to be more intimate like they are eating each other while exchanging smooches.
Unintentional Love Story showcases to us that second chances in a relationship are only given to those who truly deserve them. The confrontation, argument, and reconciliation of the couples in this drama are well-written and executed which makes me too attached to my screen while watching them. I wholeheartedly enjoyed the overall impact of this BL on me as an audience. The show already established its firm foundation of the story and I demand another sequel with the same casting as I believe they can tell us more stories from them.
“Because falling for you is not part of the plan.” -WY to TJ. As I also felt the same way because I honestly not expecting myself to fall in love with this drama and the whole cast. Thank you for an amazing journey of love.
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A love story of two people who find their other half which they can call home.
After months of waiting, I was finally able to complete this show. Been waiting since its announcement day as the fact that both actors playing the main characters are members of an established Korean boy group, plus the poster is indeed captivating. All I can say is that the wait is all worth it. High-quality production with beautiful transitioning and story setups.The pilot episode isn’t as impactful due to the mixed emotions that I felt. The beginning of their love story is somehow annoying, as the way the class president and his mini-gang bully the poor archer athlete. I am a fan of the enemy-turn-to-lovers trope but not as much of letting the other party at a disadvantage to the point that he was being misunderstood by the teachers. Anyways, the good looks of the cast tend to lighten up my emotion. The great thing is that I enjoyed watching the remaining episodes after this one.
EP2 is when the butterflies in my stomach started to grow. I love that they are getting involved with each other. The execution of every romantic scene was gorgeous. One of my favorite parts of the drama is when Lee Da Yeol was fascinated by the good smell of Jo Tae Hyun’s body scent; that was alluring.
Jo Tae Hyun’s post-traumatic experience during his childhood is something understandable in the way the past keeps eating him alive. The title “A Shoulder to Cry On” is Lee Da Yeol’s POV of Tae Hyun. As we can see during the EP4 bus scene; after comfortably opening his past to Da Yeol, Tae Hyun peacefully sleep on Da Yeol’s shoulder. I am loving that moment when Da Yeol told Tae Hyun that it wasn’t his fault and that all the things that happened in the past are just an accident. Words that Tae Hyun wanted to hear for almost a decade. This also helps him to release his emotions and speaks up against her aunt, who solely blames him for everything.
A youthful love story that has several memorable scenes that are relatable and charming to the viewers who also had their high school crush during their teenage years. Some of these are: changing seats to be seatmates and spending time with one another, becoming too comfortable with each other that it is okay to share the same drinking cup, etc.
Lee Da Yeol’s bravery in confessing his feelings to Tae Hyun is deserving of applause. He was scared and even hate himself for having such emotions toward his first friend, yet, he was able to deliver his feeling to the person despite knowing the consequences it may have. I was hurt by Jo Tae Hyun’s killing words of rejection of Da Yeol’s confession. But I understand that the boy has his past and he was afraid that he might lose Da Yeol too. Their breakup scene teared me up and made me cry. Thankful that the show inserted a flashback memory during this episode in which Tae Hyun pinch Da Yeol out of jealousy.
Two years of time skip is painful for both but I am happy that they still reconcile with already being mature and considerate so that they will not hurt each other again in the future. That couple's lock screen wallpaper shocked me, they’re so in love with each other. They manage to retrieve all of the butterflies and the romantic excitement inside me is kicking too much after they confirmed that they’re already dating. Jo Tae Hyun’s preparation for their sea getaway was so cute. His making up all of the wasted time from the past and knowing that his first relationship is Da Yeol, I can assure you that his love never really faded away.
They didn’t give us an on-screen kissing scene but that exchange of used lollipops surprised me. It is not as gross as I think it was haha I love that scene! And Tae Hyun’s like Yu-Gi-Oh too, likewise!
I love that the OSTs have both Korean and English versions which are all sung by the couple’s boy group, OMEGA X. All songs sounded cool and emotional which fits the whole vibes of the show.
A Shoulder to Cry On is a drama that tells that someone can be our version of HOME. A person where we can be at peace, calm, and have some fun. I love that they took the story in a childish yet mature sense of storytelling since the characters are still in their adolescent period of life. Ending the review by quoting what Jo Tae Hyun says to Lee Da Yeol, ”It is not hard if you like it.” This is a statement that brings too much motivation in my life to keep on pursuing the things I liked, and so do you too.
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More visual, less impact. Nevertheless, it’s good enough.
I thought that this is just another office-based love story and never expected it to be a fantasy-romance drama. At first, I feel too bored by the weird stuff that goes on with them not until they explained it during the last few episodes. However, the explanation was too shallow and I wanted more side stories coming from the archer, where we all know that it was Dennis on his past life. As well as the clearer background behind the curse given to Seol Dong Baek.The visual of the main couple is, I guess, more entertaining than the whole plot of the show. Min Yu Dam is the definition of a handsome man. His eyes are too manly, his smiles are too cute, and his whole appearance is so lovely. The same with Seol Dong Baek in the overall physical attributes. But one thing that I needed to point out is that they needed to work more with their on-screen kissing scenes since I felt a little awkwardness between them.
The ending was a great one. The reverse scenario of Seol Dong Baek asking his director for a dinner out together is an acceptable conclusion for a not-so-sad ending.
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