1
1
2
Unraveling the Riddles of an “Imperfect Love Square”
The term “love triangle” refers to a romantic situation involving more than two people. But what if there are more than three sides? What if there is a fourth person involved?
Although much less explored than the "love triangle", the "love square" has always been a recurring theme in the world of film and television series. 'Light on Me', the South Korean BL directed by Lee Yoo Yeon, is a good example of a teen fiction that depicts a romantic relationship involving four people.
You might think that audiences are tired of love squares, but there is a reason why writers keep using them: they work. The key is to make sure that the story is not overwhelmed by the love square.
In the style of mature young people and an office environment, but more elegant and sensitive than the aforementioned 2021 series, 'Secret Relations', the South Korean drama directed by Yang Kyung Hee, describes the complicated relationship between Jung Da On and the three men around him.
This is not the first time that the South Korean director has explored a love relationship that goes beyond the traditional one between two people. In 'The Tasty Florida' (2021), 'Love Tractor' (2023) and 'Kissable Lips' (2022), the "Queen Midas" of BL from that Asian nation narrates affective and emotional bonds between three people.
In the strongest scenes of the series, Ju Seong Hyeon (Cha Sun Hyung), Sin Jae Min (Kim Ho Young) and Kim Su Hyeon (Cha Jung Woo), three young rising stars of South Korean audiovisuals, break the barrier hitherto explored by Yang Kyung Hee to portray a trio of young, nervous, recently graduated university students, slightly crazy and who do not care about keeping secrets, who rush headlong in unison to win the love of Jung Da On (Kim Jun Seo in his acting debut). It is a story not without manipulation and unknowns.
One of the great successes of 'Secret Relations' is, without a doubt, its four main characters. Absolutely credible, charismatic and with a "feeling" that goes beyond the screen. The quartet of actors eat up their co-stars, they fill the screen and you identify with them from the first moment. Kim Jun Seo, a newcomer, stands out above all, and this series establishes him as a promising actor.
Their performances are so spontaneous and explosive that you immediately identify with these reckless lovers, who embody antagonism and certain controlling and narcissistic traits that BL series rarely show. However, you will arm yourself with your best judgment to encourage two of the boys to form a couple capable of aspiring to happiness. Because do not doubt it, dear reader: The public has immediately chosen sides, the fandom has created "teams" to be on... and this only means that they are involved in the story and connected to the characters.
The adaptation of the eponymous Kakao webtoon, produced by McQueen Studio, delves deeper into the narrative with extended dialogues, monologues and additional episodes that were not fully explored in the original work.
With a solid fan base and high artistic value, the weetoon saw the light in drama formats on February 27, 2025, and web novel, on the 14th of the same month, in an unusual reverse adaptation movement.
Yang Kyung Hee opted to create a series that likes to tell its story in retrospect, in which three protagonists will remember how they met and became friends seven years ago, when Da On began her university studies.
To describe the story written by Lee Yoo Jin about the complicated relationship between Jung Da On and her three lovers, the director of 'The Time of Fever' (2024) and 'The Director Who Buys Me Dinner' also joined Jung Soo Yoon ('Boys' Flight' and 'Your Taste'), an experienced screenwriter who has accompanied her throughout the course of the series. Together they form a duo that has been able to cleverly weave together each adventure from the written and the visual.
Why does the love square work?
What would happen if one of the three lovers confessed their feelings to Jung Da On? What would happen to the two remaining jealous people in the love square?: Only the imbalance of the love square can happen: The series is rich in creating the instability of the love square, because in turn it creates great material for conflict, feeding the plot of this series. In this way, it also creates opportunities for dramatic situations and provides a basic story arc to follow, since there is a romantic choice to be made.
Knowing that love squares cannot be the only support of the story… that is, seeking the effectiveness and functioning of the love square, Yang Kyung Hee introduces something deeper, such as the personal confusion and identity crisis of the protagonist.
Like a great magician, Yang Kyung Hee will conceal important elements of the story, as well as important personality traits and desires of those involved in the love square, and will pull out the essentials little by little, like rabbits from a magic hat, only when it is necessary to reveal them to the viewer. In this way, we can discover the main characters and personalities gradually while there is still some mystery. Likewise, the series is skilled at giving a good and a bad side to Da On's suitors.
But, who are the members of this love square:
Jung Da On: A young man who has a difficult family and financial situation. He works hard to overcome his poverty-stricken past and create a brighter future for himself. This has shaped his life and occasionally causes misunderstandings with other people who see his wit as a negative. Sometimes his past experiences lead to misunderstandings with others. A very witty, positive, and tender guy, although a bit absent-minded, especially when he is around his crush.
Joo Sung Hyun: Da On's coworker. They have a tense relationship at first, but Sung Hyun soon develops feelings for Da On and is always shown to be open and honest about his feelings, while Da On is too preoccupied with his one-sided love for Sin Jae Min. He is the kind, caring, and empathetic man who continues to protect Da On from the office; he also adopts modest and respectful attitudes towards others.
The relationship the two establish is from enemies to friends... Will it become from friends to lovers?
Kim Soo Hyun: A man who grows while experiencing hurt and pain. He lacks the courage to confess his love to Da On. Having been in love with him since his college years, he then realized that Dao On secretly loved Jae Min, so he decides to play along with his rival, and they both pretend to have a romance. Objective?: To ensure that they can both stay close to Da On forever. He is an explosive, enigmatic and very interesting character.
Shin Jae Min is Da On's cynical, hypocritical and manipulative tutor in high school. He has helped Da On through difficult times, and Da On trusts and depends on him. Da On harbors lingering feelings for Jae Min. He proposed to Kim Soo Hyun that they should pretend to be in a loving relationship in exchange for neither of them confessing their love to Da On. Jae Min is aware that it will not be easy for him to express his feelings for Da On since Soo Hyun will interfere because he is equally in love with Da On.
Four-way speaking, Da On struggles with his feelings for his co-worker and his former tutor, while being unaware of being pursued by Soo Hyun. He is grateful to Jae Min for his previous support and still has feelings for him. However, he is unaware that Jae Min does not want anyone to show loving feelings for him, so he has decided to manipulate both Soo Hyun and Da On himself. At the same time, Da On is attracted to Sung Hyun's genuine and caring personality.
Both Jae Min and Soo Hyun respected their mutual agreement, until suddenly Soo Hyun returns to South Korea from the United States, ready to admit that his relationship with Jae Min is fake and confess his love to Da On. He even intervenes from a position of power: he has been elected CEO of the company where Da On works. This will force Jae Min to act quickly.
Jae Min and Soo Hyun's problem is that neither of them can stand the other receiving more affection and love from Da On. And this is the basis of deception and manipulation, making Da On believe that there is a romance between them. What these two characters couldn't foresee is that the arrival of a noble knight in shining armor will turn the complicated love triangle into a thorny square.
What each of these men symbolizes for Da On and how the three of them try to win him over is what makes the love square of 'Secret Relations' so attractive.
The series shows audiences which of these three men would be the best choice for Da On, and his final decision ultimately comes down to much more than love: it's about which version of himself he truly wants to be.
But we can't forget that just as the story must have something more, the main character must have something more. Da On, our protagonist trapped in a love square, cannot be defined by his romantic choice. It's time for the obvious question: Who will Da On choose?
With great visuals and cinematography, the series is rich in incorporating personal desires and needs of the protagonist, as well as those of his suitors to motivate him, as well as something really at stake in the romantic choice to be made (not just one boy, or the other boy, or the third boy).
The series carefully ensures that the love square works. Why? From script to staging, everyone involved kept in mind that although the square is, in reality, a perfectly stable shape, in storytelling, a love square is inherently unstable.
With the love square, they successfully create conflict and tension that can feed into the plot and the narrative makes sure there is something deeper and more meaningful at the heart of the story for the audience to really care: each suitor must represent something of the main character's desires and needs, from which he must choose.
However, the series masterfully violates the principle that each suitor must be of equal dignity. If all three of Da On's love interests were noble and empathetic, it would be much harder for him to choose. Right?
Seen another way: If out of the three lovers of the protagonist there are one or two villains, wouldn't it be easier for his heart to decide? But... Would we as audiences be attracted to a story with such a "simple" solution? Of course not. So, how do you get the audience to stick to their seats and wait week after week for the next episode? And this is one of the great mysteries to be solved in the course of the episodes.
Because there is a great reality: if one or two of the suitors is not a good option and the choice between the three is painfully obvious, the love triangle does not work and the audience will notice it immediately. With the cards on the table, with the viewer taking into account the characteristics and actions of the three men, how will the script and the staging be convincing and be aware of expectations in order to take advantage of them or subvert them, if that is the case?
The brief but original introduction and farewell, and the musical themes "True Love" by BTOB's Lee Chang-sub and "Careless I Love You" by Paul Blanco, invite you to follow in the footsteps of these four young people as they explore love as a four-way band.
Although much less explored than the "love triangle", the "love square" has always been a recurring theme in the world of film and television series. 'Light on Me', the South Korean BL directed by Lee Yoo Yeon, is a good example of a teen fiction that depicts a romantic relationship involving four people.
You might think that audiences are tired of love squares, but there is a reason why writers keep using them: they work. The key is to make sure that the story is not overwhelmed by the love square.
In the style of mature young people and an office environment, but more elegant and sensitive than the aforementioned 2021 series, 'Secret Relations', the South Korean drama directed by Yang Kyung Hee, describes the complicated relationship between Jung Da On and the three men around him.
This is not the first time that the South Korean director has explored a love relationship that goes beyond the traditional one between two people. In 'The Tasty Florida' (2021), 'Love Tractor' (2023) and 'Kissable Lips' (2022), the "Queen Midas" of BL from that Asian nation narrates affective and emotional bonds between three people.
In the strongest scenes of the series, Ju Seong Hyeon (Cha Sun Hyung), Sin Jae Min (Kim Ho Young) and Kim Su Hyeon (Cha Jung Woo), three young rising stars of South Korean audiovisuals, break the barrier hitherto explored by Yang Kyung Hee to portray a trio of young, nervous, recently graduated university students, slightly crazy and who do not care about keeping secrets, who rush headlong in unison to win the love of Jung Da On (Kim Jun Seo in his acting debut). It is a story not without manipulation and unknowns.
One of the great successes of 'Secret Relations' is, without a doubt, its four main characters. Absolutely credible, charismatic and with a "feeling" that goes beyond the screen. The quartet of actors eat up their co-stars, they fill the screen and you identify with them from the first moment. Kim Jun Seo, a newcomer, stands out above all, and this series establishes him as a promising actor.
Their performances are so spontaneous and explosive that you immediately identify with these reckless lovers, who embody antagonism and certain controlling and narcissistic traits that BL series rarely show. However, you will arm yourself with your best judgment to encourage two of the boys to form a couple capable of aspiring to happiness. Because do not doubt it, dear reader: The public has immediately chosen sides, the fandom has created "teams" to be on... and this only means that they are involved in the story and connected to the characters.
The adaptation of the eponymous Kakao webtoon, produced by McQueen Studio, delves deeper into the narrative with extended dialogues, monologues and additional episodes that were not fully explored in the original work.
With a solid fan base and high artistic value, the weetoon saw the light in drama formats on February 27, 2025, and web novel, on the 14th of the same month, in an unusual reverse adaptation movement.
Yang Kyung Hee opted to create a series that likes to tell its story in retrospect, in which three protagonists will remember how they met and became friends seven years ago, when Da On began her university studies.
To describe the story written by Lee Yoo Jin about the complicated relationship between Jung Da On and her three lovers, the director of 'The Time of Fever' (2024) and 'The Director Who Buys Me Dinner' also joined Jung Soo Yoon ('Boys' Flight' and 'Your Taste'), an experienced screenwriter who has accompanied her throughout the course of the series. Together they form a duo that has been able to cleverly weave together each adventure from the written and the visual.
Why does the love square work?
What would happen if one of the three lovers confessed their feelings to Jung Da On? What would happen to the two remaining jealous people in the love square?: Only the imbalance of the love square can happen: The series is rich in creating the instability of the love square, because in turn it creates great material for conflict, feeding the plot of this series. In this way, it also creates opportunities for dramatic situations and provides a basic story arc to follow, since there is a romantic choice to be made.
Knowing that love squares cannot be the only support of the story… that is, seeking the effectiveness and functioning of the love square, Yang Kyung Hee introduces something deeper, such as the personal confusion and identity crisis of the protagonist.
Like a great magician, Yang Kyung Hee will conceal important elements of the story, as well as important personality traits and desires of those involved in the love square, and will pull out the essentials little by little, like rabbits from a magic hat, only when it is necessary to reveal them to the viewer. In this way, we can discover the main characters and personalities gradually while there is still some mystery. Likewise, the series is skilled at giving a good and a bad side to Da On's suitors.
But, who are the members of this love square:
Jung Da On: A young man who has a difficult family and financial situation. He works hard to overcome his poverty-stricken past and create a brighter future for himself. This has shaped his life and occasionally causes misunderstandings with other people who see his wit as a negative. Sometimes his past experiences lead to misunderstandings with others. A very witty, positive, and tender guy, although a bit absent-minded, especially when he is around his crush.
Joo Sung Hyun: Da On's coworker. They have a tense relationship at first, but Sung Hyun soon develops feelings for Da On and is always shown to be open and honest about his feelings, while Da On is too preoccupied with his one-sided love for Sin Jae Min. He is the kind, caring, and empathetic man who continues to protect Da On from the office; he also adopts modest and respectful attitudes towards others.
The relationship the two establish is from enemies to friends... Will it become from friends to lovers?
Kim Soo Hyun: A man who grows while experiencing hurt and pain. He lacks the courage to confess his love to Da On. Having been in love with him since his college years, he then realized that Dao On secretly loved Jae Min, so he decides to play along with his rival, and they both pretend to have a romance. Objective?: To ensure that they can both stay close to Da On forever. He is an explosive, enigmatic and very interesting character.
Shin Jae Min is Da On's cynical, hypocritical and manipulative tutor in high school. He has helped Da On through difficult times, and Da On trusts and depends on him. Da On harbors lingering feelings for Jae Min. He proposed to Kim Soo Hyun that they should pretend to be in a loving relationship in exchange for neither of them confessing their love to Da On. Jae Min is aware that it will not be easy for him to express his feelings for Da On since Soo Hyun will interfere because he is equally in love with Da On.
Four-way speaking, Da On struggles with his feelings for his co-worker and his former tutor, while being unaware of being pursued by Soo Hyun. He is grateful to Jae Min for his previous support and still has feelings for him. However, he is unaware that Jae Min does not want anyone to show loving feelings for him, so he has decided to manipulate both Soo Hyun and Da On himself. At the same time, Da On is attracted to Sung Hyun's genuine and caring personality.
Both Jae Min and Soo Hyun respected their mutual agreement, until suddenly Soo Hyun returns to South Korea from the United States, ready to admit that his relationship with Jae Min is fake and confess his love to Da On. He even intervenes from a position of power: he has been elected CEO of the company where Da On works. This will force Jae Min to act quickly.
Jae Min and Soo Hyun's problem is that neither of them can stand the other receiving more affection and love from Da On. And this is the basis of deception and manipulation, making Da On believe that there is a romance between them. What these two characters couldn't foresee is that the arrival of a noble knight in shining armor will turn the complicated love triangle into a thorny square.
What each of these men symbolizes for Da On and how the three of them try to win him over is what makes the love square of 'Secret Relations' so attractive.
The series shows audiences which of these three men would be the best choice for Da On, and his final decision ultimately comes down to much more than love: it's about which version of himself he truly wants to be.
But we can't forget that just as the story must have something more, the main character must have something more. Da On, our protagonist trapped in a love square, cannot be defined by his romantic choice. It's time for the obvious question: Who will Da On choose?
With great visuals and cinematography, the series is rich in incorporating personal desires and needs of the protagonist, as well as those of his suitors to motivate him, as well as something really at stake in the romantic choice to be made (not just one boy, or the other boy, or the third boy).
The series carefully ensures that the love square works. Why? From script to staging, everyone involved kept in mind that although the square is, in reality, a perfectly stable shape, in storytelling, a love square is inherently unstable.
With the love square, they successfully create conflict and tension that can feed into the plot and the narrative makes sure there is something deeper and more meaningful at the heart of the story for the audience to really care: each suitor must represent something of the main character's desires and needs, from which he must choose.
However, the series masterfully violates the principle that each suitor must be of equal dignity. If all three of Da On's love interests were noble and empathetic, it would be much harder for him to choose. Right?
Seen another way: If out of the three lovers of the protagonist there are one or two villains, wouldn't it be easier for his heart to decide? But... Would we as audiences be attracted to a story with such a "simple" solution? Of course not. So, how do you get the audience to stick to their seats and wait week after week for the next episode? And this is one of the great mysteries to be solved in the course of the episodes.
Because there is a great reality: if one or two of the suitors is not a good option and the choice between the three is painfully obvious, the love triangle does not work and the audience will notice it immediately. With the cards on the table, with the viewer taking into account the characteristics and actions of the three men, how will the script and the staging be convincing and be aware of expectations in order to take advantage of them or subvert them, if that is the case?
The brief but original introduction and farewell, and the musical themes "True Love" by BTOB's Lee Chang-sub and "Careless I Love You" by Paul Blanco, invite you to follow in the footsteps of these four young people as they explore love as a four-way band.
Was this review helpful to you?
