45
176
8
1
1
1
6
1
6
6
2
6
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
5
7
Watch and Judge this as a Japanese Slice-of-Life drama
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75
There was a lot of hoopla when OK Taec Yeon was casted in this drama. An established Korean actor and former pop idol in a BL? Really? Then came the queer baiting accusations and the step back announcement that this is not really a BL. If you are expecting a typical BL romance, you will truly be disappointed.
Watch “Soul Mate” as a Japanese slice-of-life drama instead. Forget about all the noise surrounding it, and watch it as a regular drama. You might end up liking it. I re-calibrated my expectations and went into this without any expectations at all. I just want a well-written, well-acted, and well-executed drama. That’s all.
The first episode started with a bang. I was locked in and captivated by. A lot happened in that first episode, starting with the story of Ryu. Then the pacing of the drama falls back into typical slower slice-of-life fashion. Through a chance meeting, our leads met in Berlin, and their lives changed, and I think for the better. We started with Ryu’s story, and ended with Jo Han. Their journey feels like two great friends caring, helping and supporting each other. I enjoy seeing the slow progression but I can’t help but also want hints of romance dropped here and there. I definitely see a tiny bit more coming from Jo Han, and less from Ryu. I can deal with no kiss or NC scene to feel romance (seriously, even for me, it’s OK sometimes). But I just needed a little more to make the ending more impactful.
The slice-of-life plot itself isn’t too unique. I could see that ‘surprise’ speeding from a mile away. The forming of the new found family was lovely and sweet, though also very predictable. Oh, there are emotional moments, too and I definitely shed a tear or two in the latter episodes. I also feel that the closure of Ryu and Arata’s story is a little lacking and anti-climatic. I also thought there would be more to Ryu’s co-worker at the nursing facility.
The acting is good and the actors did their best with what’s given to them. Tac Yeon’s Japanese sounded pretty good to me (but I don’t speak Japanese). However, I feel that the writing could have been better.
In the end, this is an OK slice-of-life and a below-average romance drama. I enjoy watching it to a certain extent, but I couldn’t help but think we wasted two talented actors, especially for a Japan/Korea collaboration that could really WOW us.
Drama Completed: 7/5/2026 Review #701
There was a lot of hoopla when OK Taec Yeon was casted in this drama. An established Korean actor and former pop idol in a BL? Really? Then came the queer baiting accusations and the step back announcement that this is not really a BL. If you are expecting a typical BL romance, you will truly be disappointed.
Watch “Soul Mate” as a Japanese slice-of-life drama instead. Forget about all the noise surrounding it, and watch it as a regular drama. You might end up liking it. I re-calibrated my expectations and went into this without any expectations at all. I just want a well-written, well-acted, and well-executed drama. That’s all.
The first episode started with a bang. I was locked in and captivated by. A lot happened in that first episode, starting with the story of Ryu. Then the pacing of the drama falls back into typical slower slice-of-life fashion. Through a chance meeting, our leads met in Berlin, and their lives changed, and I think for the better. We started with Ryu’s story, and ended with Jo Han. Their journey feels like two great friends caring, helping and supporting each other. I enjoy seeing the slow progression but I can’t help but also want hints of romance dropped here and there. I definitely see a tiny bit more coming from Jo Han, and less from Ryu. I can deal with no kiss or NC scene to feel romance (seriously, even for me, it’s OK sometimes). But I just needed a little more to make the ending more impactful.
The slice-of-life plot itself isn’t too unique. I could see that ‘surprise’ speeding from a mile away. The forming of the new found family was lovely and sweet, though also very predictable. Oh, there are emotional moments, too and I definitely shed a tear or two in the latter episodes. I also feel that the closure of Ryu and Arata’s story is a little lacking and anti-climatic. I also thought there would be more to Ryu’s co-worker at the nursing facility.
The acting is good and the actors did their best with what’s given to them. Tac Yeon’s Japanese sounded pretty good to me (but I don’t speak Japanese). However, I feel that the writing could have been better.
In the end, this is an OK slice-of-life and a below-average romance drama. I enjoy watching it to a certain extent, but I couldn’t help but think we wasted two talented actors, especially for a Japan/Korea collaboration that could really WOW us.
Drama Completed: 7/5/2026 Review #701
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