The Circumstances of Pungdeok Villa Room 304 (2022)

Una piacevole sorpresa!

Mi sono approcciata a questa serie con zero aspettative. Perché? Perchè molto breve (8 episodi da una mezz'oretta scarsa l'uno), per via della valutazione degli altri utenti (positiva, ma non eccezionale) e perchè - boh - la "locandina" mi portava a immaginare un drama incentrato su banali fraintendimenti.
Invece ho trovato una serie davvero piacevole, in tutte le accezioni del termine. Con questo voglio dire che se da una parte ne consiglio la visione, dall'altra è apprezzabile in modo semplice, non certo un capolavoro. Ma a volte una serie "carina pur senza pretese" può essere l'obiettivo di qualche ora spesa in modo soddisfacente.
La trama ricalca vari clichè, ma sen ben fatto, perchè non apprezzare. Nulla di nuovo, quindi, piuttosto il "già visto ma fatto bene", che personalmente non disdegno mai.
Uno spunto interessante è sicuramente la doppia connotazione del rapporto tra i due protagonisti, dove in ambiente lavorativo uno è il capo e l'altro l'impiegato, ma - e qui vuoi il clichè della "coincidenza delle coincidenze" - nella coabitazione la situazione si capovolge, l'impiegato diventa il proprietario e il capo l'inquilino.
Ammetto che nella prima metà della serie mi sovveniva spontanea una critica, ovvero come poteva l'erede perditempo e viziato, costretto per punizione a dirigere un reparto dell'azienda di famiglia, a dimostrarsi fin da subito preparato e brillante. Devo però dire gli sceneggiatori sono stati bravi, e in due passaggi successivi hanno dato linearità a ciò che sembrava senza senso. Bravi anche gli attori, buono l'affiatamento tra i due. Esteticamente parlando, la frangia a forma di cuore di Seo Jae Yoon è un vero e proprio pugno nell'occhio, così come le borse sotto gli occhi che l'altro protagonista sfoggia senza motivo - non a sottolineare una notte in bianco, per dire - in varie occasioni.

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Quem não ama um clichêzinho coreano?

As série coreanas possuem um defeito: o pouco tempo de tela, que somado ao número de eps (normalmente são 8, raramente ultrapassa isso), deixa muito pouco tempo para desenvolvimento, ou seja, ou o roteiro é muito bom ou não funciona, fica sendo apenas mais do mesmo, correndo o risco de ser uma série mediana ou até ruim, que tem a sorte de rostos bonitos para chamar atenção.

Essa série se encaixa nos roteiros medianos, por causa da quantidade de clichês, não tem nada de inovador. Foi muito aguardada devido ao sucesso e química absurdos que o casal Seo Bin e Kim Ji Woong apresentaram na série "Kissable lips", que devido ao seu final triste deixou o fandon do casal ávido por outra produção com final feliz.
Na minha opinião, o diretor da série fez um bom trabalho com o roteiro mediano que tinha em mãos. Inicialmente imaginei que seria uma série mais cômica, mas o lado cômico foi apenas para raros alívios, a tensão dramática permaneceu até o fim. Os clichês se apresentaram de todas as formas, patrão e empregado, rico e pobre, inimigos que começam a se amar, gay que tem preconceito com a própria classe e acha que o outro só será feliz casando com uma mulher, romance de escritório, e por aí vai...

Como sempre algumas coisas ficam soltas no ar por falta de tempo para serem exploradas, sempre o foco principal é o romance e nada mais, os detalhes, a gente que lute para descobrir. Fiquei curiosa pra saber quem foram os outros funcionários que mudaram de empresa, o que aconteceu com o amigo safado que mentia para arrancar dinheiro, qual a reação do presidente diante da homossexualidade do filho etc.

A ost dessa série é belíssima, a filmografia é ótima, a atuação é de milhões e pretendo rever várias vezes. Com certeza indico essa série.

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Will have you grinning!

For a short drama already, I felt like this drama was almost a slow burn? It really built well to them getting together later in the series and I enjoyed that a lot. This drama made me cackle and smile so hard, it was 85% romance and humor and cuteness with a dash of angst--which is a good balance for a short drama. There was one part where I felt like it was resolved a bit TOO easy but I'm ultimately fine with it.

The cliché tropes felt fun thanks to the chemistry of the two leads and it was just an overall good time. Definitely a fun one to watch if you're into the romcom genre!

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A cute and simple office romance story

Recently we have a lot of BL series focused on office romance and it’s a good switch from the usual high school or university romance. That being said, do we get to see anything different in this series that has not been done before? Sadly, No!

The series is about Ji Ho Jun, a philanderer son of a successful businessman who gets an ultimatum from his father to straighten up and work in a low paying job at his company and turn a marketing team profitable in 2 years. To this end, he loses all privileges like expensive cars and a villa. During his search for a residence, he meets Seo Jae Yoon, a landlord and also an employee in his company. They start on a wrong foot, always bickering to working closely on a project, silently acknowledging each other’s talent and falling in love.

What we have here are 2 tropes intertwined for comedic effect. We have the enemy to lovers and boss and employee relationship. I enjoyed the switch in roles between the 2 characters while at work and while at home. They tend to boss each other around but are passionate about their work and achieving the goal as a team. You also see the slow development of feelings between the 2 characters. Although I didn’t much enjoy the plot of Ho Jun trying to hide his identity and that being the point of contention. Their break up seemed unwarranted and could not have come up if Jae Yoon would have acted more maturely and spoken to Ho Jun. But this plot had to happen in order to show some drama because 2 people can’t just be happy in a relationship without there being a cause for a rift.

This is the second BL in a row I watched where the confessions are a result of a night out drinking only to be forgotten the next day. Are the writers bored or out of ideas for a long passionate confession. Hell, I would give them points if they blurt out their true feelings in the midst of a verbal fight. Don’t give me a confession made while drunk only to then have the character slump and lose consciousness. There are no possibilities of showing emotion between the 2 characters anymore as we have one unconscious person and the other just holding him and putting him to bed and next day, pfft! No recollection of the night before and now they start with the whole process once again.

The couple in this series starred previously in Kissable Lips and they had no chemistry there and could hardly act. I was glad to see that change in this series. The acting was at par and we could see a hint of chemistry between the 2 characters. Hence this wasn’t a complete disaster.

In conclusion, the story could have been better without the unnecessary breakup or could have found a different reason like Jae Yoon thinking that he was used by Ho Jun to get everything back from his father and everything was a lie including this relationship just so that he had a comfortable life while proving his worth.

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Super cute and fun!

Here's what you get:
Office boyfriends who do real work, have great chemistry, hilarious power dynamics, a confession scene with rooftop energy, and fantastic, swoony kisses! Also, a great supporting cast!
Plus, great music!! Dreaming of you every day makes me feel like I'm in love, that's so precious 😫💖💜

I loved this show, and I'll definitely watch it and any other works of these stars! The cuteness after they got together had me squealing like a pig!! I mean, "is he a player"??? It was too much!

Yes, this show has the unnecessary breakup, but it leads to a pretty great getting- back- together scene, so it's worth it!

Also, love how they have full, long conversations!

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Enjoyable, but don't know why

In a weird way, I enjoyed watching this series. It never gets deep. The plot is tropey and you feel like you are watching a Thai BL rather than Korean. Yet it is fun to watch. The subject matter was creative but they did not explore it enough. The actors seemed to have a better sense of who their characters were when they fought; but when they were not, the lines felt like they were merely reading them. Did not see a whole lot of chemistry between them. That might be due to a pretty standard script. If there is a Season 2, I hope they get deeper into who these two characters are on a deeper level.

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Kind of mid but they have good chemistry

It’s a pretty standard office romance BL. Nothing outstanding or breaking the mold.

The good: the lead’s chemistry is pretty solid. When they speak to one another, there is a natural flow. In terms of physical chemistry they also share a pretty solid kiss.
I liked the progression of their relationship. It felt pretty natural and well-paced. I lowkey thought I might quit it because the ML was really getting on my nerves with the chaebol persona but he has pretty good character development over the course of the show.
At first it also seems unrealistic that the ML is so competent in this new role, and admittedly it still kind of is considering this is his first job. However, they do somewhat explain that he wasn’t always a total waste lol.

The bad: formulaic and not really that interesting to be totally honest. Most of the drama is based on miscommunication, my least favorite form of drama. It always feels a bit contrived.
The ending also felt a bit rushed. Like all of a sudden y’all are starting a business together? Without any previous mention of it before this episode?

Anyway, it honestly was a pretty harmless BL. Fast watch and nothing too complex if you are looking for an easy watch.

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Short and to the point

To be completely honest, I started this drama for Jiwoong, but after a few episodes, I found myself really enjoying it.
This BL is no different from the others with the same theme and it's very formulaic, but at the same time,it's executed gracefully and it keeps you entertained.
There are lots of funny and unrealistic moments where you know not even the drama is taking itself too seriously. There are times where it misses being funny and it goes straight to cringe, but it's not that often so it didn't bother me that much.
The chemistry between the two leads is good, not perfect, but it shows it's not their first work together as a couple.
As for the story, I'm a bit disappointed it didn't go deeper into the side characters, but it's understandable since it's a short series.
If you're looking for a soft and simple kdrama, this is for you.

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So refreshing to see a BL with a healthy relationship all throughout

Honestly the main premise is as cliche as an office romance gets - two strangers meet as enemies, and then they suddenly meet again as a boss and an employee. Add in a cohabitation trope and a "power inversion" twist into the mix where the employee is the boss in the household. But this simplicity coupled with having mature (and capable!) male leads is what makes this a refreshing watch.

For me this actually lowkey goes to the slice of life territory where lots of times we see the characters in their workplace doing work stuff. I imagine this can be a bit boring to other watchers who expect lots of twists and turns in the story but as someone who is in the same age range as the characters, this is so relatable and accurate. The slow and "repetitive" setup makes things natural. The leads are just going on with their life and relationships develop during mundane interactions with people, and here we see it happen with Hojoon and Jaeyoon as it blossomed into their romance.

The biggest plus-es of the drama for me are definitely 1. The characters, and 2. The simple story.

There are no annoying leads. Both are mature adults who have their own goals in life and work hard towards it. For one, I was pleasantly surprised that Hojoon is not your typical chaebol son who is just looks and no brains. The dude was actually really good at his job! Jaeyoon on the other hand, while indeed gullible with non-work affairs, is not a damsel-in-distress that needs saving nor someone who needs to be pursued at all times. Since they are (thankfully) normal and decent characters, they have a healthy relationship as a boss and employee, landlord and tenant, and eventually boyfriends.

The simple story is a plus too because there are no illogical side plots to create drama just for the sake of it. As mentioned above, we just see the leads go on with their life and fall in love in the process.

Highly recommending this drama to those who are tired of the BS in BLs and just wants a chill feel-good watch without the need to turn off braincells.

I also dare say this show reminds me of another favorite Old Fashion Cupcake so if you liked that, you might also want to give this a try.

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It's cute

I liked it. It's not winning any awards but it is a feel good romp that does come with any drama, love triangles and (much) angst.

The chemistry between the MLs was good as it should be considering this isn't their first rodeo together. The acting was okay for what this series was.

Regarding the music there really wasn't any (that I recall) asides from the outro, which had my head bobbing after awhile, but that's not unusual after hearing a tune a couple of times.

Will I rewatch this? Maybe! It's less than two hours of my life and it didn't offend me in the slightest.

As I said at the start it's a cute little feel good series that doesn't task your brain.

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Roommates of Poongduck 304: A Rollercoaster Ride of Love and Drama

Alright, let's dish out the deets on Roommates of Poongduck 304, the latest addition to the K-Boys Love lineup. First things first, major props to this couple for bouncing back from their previous series (side note: if you haven't watched Kissable Lips yet, proceed with caution, it's a feels trip you might not recover from).

Now, let's talk chemistry. These two? Absolutely undeniable. I mean, you could practically feel the sparks flying off the screen. But here's the thing: the love story development? Bit of a slow burn, if you ask me. Like, I get it, we love a good slow build-up, but when you've only got 8 episodes to work with, maybe pick up the pace a tad, you know?

But hey, despite the pacing hiccup, I still found myself completely sucked into this series. And can we talk about that kissing scene? Honey, let me tell you, I couldn't even tell if it was acting or if these two were just taking method acting to a whole new level. Either way, I was all in.

So, bottom line: Roommates of Poongduck 304 is definitely worth a watch, my darlings. If you're a sucker for a good love story with a side of drama (and let's be real, who isn't?), then consider this your official invitation to hit that play button. Trust me, you won't regret it. 💋

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