Love in the Big City (2024)

just .. wow

This was such an emotional rollercoaster, but damn what a ride. I knew going into this, it had to be something special, because Nam Yoon Su was so adamant he wanted to play this role, you won’t go all out on a whim. And dang he was right.
The story grabbed me by the throat and never let go. There were moments I laughed so hard, others that made me cry. But the writing was so good, I’ll be out looking for the book now.
And Yoon Su.. thank you. For being willing to translate the words and ideas of this character into this beautiful drama. I hope you win many awards for this one cause you deserve it.

Now all I need to know is… do we get a season two? 🥹🥹🥹

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Simply remarkable

Finally an intelligent series/drama! With a real story. With real dialogues. With an exceptional acting, Nam Yoon Su in particular. When he smiles, all of Seoul lights up. Love is the permanent quest but the extraordinary faithful friendship is there. And on the top of all these emotions, there is the humor. We laugh often. but never at the expense of certain characters like in Thai or Filipino series. There are no caricatures, just the real life of a young queer man in Seoul, Just the real life of a son facing his dying mother but still reluctant to accept the life of his only son. And the emotion that underlies the whole episode 7, the escapade with a passing lover, totally highjacked by the imperishable and joyful memory, in love with his story with his great love, Gyu Ho and their stay in this same city.
Addictive and deep, brilliant, radiant and funny.
I will now read Sang Toung Park's novel and wait for the film to come out on American screens... It's hard to leave this character of Ko Yeong.

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A series with heart and hope

I don't like series with an attitude of "in-your-face" regarding sex. It's a question of personal taste. Due to a series of circumstances, I had gathered that "Love in the Big City" would be sex-driven. A prejudiced view or not, I opted for not watching it.
Following the attempted censorship by conservative groups, I decided to be a part of the resistance: to support the series and watch it.
As such, a thank you is provided towards the conservative groups that attempted censorship: my world was made more open thanks to you.

"Love in the Big City", the series, is a series with heart and hope at its core. It's a kind of bildungsroman, a series where we watch the protagonist grow up. Yes, Ko Yeong may be deemed a narcissist, a very difficult person. That may be true, and yet Yeong is also very human, capable of kindness and warmth. He's not a role model, and the trauma he carries takes its toll on how he engages with the world.
But, from episode 1 to episode 8, there is growth. Even if this growth may not reach the standards of before. In the world we live in growth is difficult. The series addresses that.

I was preoccupied that this would be an "Americanized" series. For those of us who are from the Western part of the world, part of the charm and interest in Asian media may be its difference in tone and, overall, ways of addressing social relations. While, yes, there is a pertinent argument to be made on this series' focus on sex, this belongs mainly to the initial episodes - even then, sex is generally understood within the contexts of relationships. Those who navigate social media have been bombarded with the salacious aspect of the series, so one could be excused for mistakenly thinking this is all about sex - or only about that.
So, yes, there is this liberating aspect of being able to transgress the strict boundaries regarding depictions of sex between two men. This must be acknowledged.
Even more so, that the series is not limited to this. In this, the provocative aspects of the trailer and interviews and other promotional material is only that: provocative, to engage with this feeling of breaking boundaries.
The series is more complex than that.

I think it's a must-watch experience, even for those who feel squeamish, even for those who are particularly sensitive to certain depictions of sex/sexuality.
It's a humanizing experience.

Kudos must be given to the cast. In particular, Nam Yoon Su, who seems to have been made to play Ko Yeong. It will be a travesty of epic proportions if this man isn't showered with all of the prizes and then some. He incarnates Yeong to an extent that is unbelievable.
Equally Jin Ho Eun, who is perfect in his role.
There are several instances throughout the series where I found myself wondering at the details: the gasps; certain touches, certain movements; small decisions that seem to me to have been informed by the actors themselves. These characters are embodied by these actors. These actors have understood something in these characters, they have connected to some very important, basic truths regarding who these characters are.
Yoon Su and Ho Eun lead a stellar cast in providing us a lesson on acting.

The cinematography is beautiful, and sometimes I felt I was watching a movie. This is the power of the image, to capture a certain state, a certain emotion, with the impetus not to lie but rather to communicate a very powerful truth. A poignancy.

Again, I return to the overall feeling that Yeong is this flawed character. He sometimes acts peevishly, immaturely. But we are not being led to glorify his behaviors, of whatever sort they may be. Relationships start and then they crumble, in many different ways. In the horizon there is hope for reconnecting with a desired lover who was thought to be lost; or perhaps not, maybe that won't happen. Many of us wouldn't be able to support Yeong in our lives; or perhaps, only in very small dosages.

"Love in the Big City" stands tall for its portrayal of characters who love but may not understand love; who suffer yet hide their suffering. Who try to cope sometimes in not the best, or perhaps even healthiest, of ways.
But this is not programmatic; the series isn't trying to show us what is right or wrong.

It gives us a glimpse into this particular world. And in this, I felt I have learned something precious and important.

In particular, I want to recommend episodes 5 and 8. These are my most favorite, true works of art.

So, thank you to those who sought to censor this. In a sarcastic move, may I be made aware of what's to be on the censorship list next? I want to support that too.

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🎉A comunidade LGBT+ na Coreia do Sul está ganhando mais visibilidade, mesmo que enfrente resistência, o fato de os conservadores estarem falando sobre eles e sua reação, mostra que estão reconhecendo sua existência, isso é um sinal de progresso, mostra que a comunidade LGBT+ está fazendo barulho e está sendo ouvido.
No ano de 2023 já houve uma "polêmica" sobre a série "A Time Called You" onde os personagens dos atores Ahn Hyoseop e Rowoon demonstraram interesse romântico mútuo ❤ lembro bem que foi uma enxurrada de críticas aos atores, muitas delas preconceituosas e agressivas, os atores deram depoimentos de apoio a comunidade LGBT+ e depois continuaram com as suas carreiras, acredito que essa participação deles foi um passo a frente para dar visibilidade aos romances homoafetivos de maneira inclusiva, 🥰no caso de "Love in the big city" por ser totalmente voltada para um personagem Gay e HIV+ as atenções e reações positivas e negativas ficaram concentradas, no ator Nam Yoon su o qual já admirava e passei ser fã, a história do Go Yeong mostra toda perversidade e sofrimento que são submetidas as pessoas LGBT+, o preconceito que começa na família, os absurdos pelo o que o protagonista passou foram descritos de uma maneira a fazer qual quer um chorar, a forma que contraiu o HIV e entre outras situações absurdas e a pior situação foi a do relacionamento onde o personagem serviu de "cobaia" para um estudo experimental do "namorado" sobre homossexualidade, destroçou meu coração, o ponto positivo mostrado a todo momento foi o amor dos amigos para todos os momentos loucos, muito loucos e sombrios a amizade dos quatro foram um oásis na vida desse cara, como uma "desajustada" e um gay não poderiam dar certo? e o final onde ele encontra alguém onde Go Yeong pode ser ele mesmo, mostrando todo seu amargor, egoísmo, sensibilidade e fragilidade, é pura emoção é a vida dentro de um relacionamento real que foi muito bem descrita.
O que me incomodou muito foi o final medíocre, foi "mais do mesmo de sempre" igual ao da maioria das histórias Gay's onde o personagem está fadado a ser triste, melancólico e solitário, o roteirista perdeu uma imensa oportunidade de fazer uma história positiva e redentora ele não se esforçou para ser inovador preferiu ser clichê, o que é uma pena e o que seria uma obra de arte terminou no marasmo e monotonia uma profunda mesmice.
São os pontos de vista de alguém que reconhece que não sabe de nada mas que sabe do que gosta e do que não gosta.

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Um vazio absoluto de arrependimento

Acho que todos concordam que algo que define essa obra perfeitamente é o fato dela ser realista de todos os angulos! Um personagem que embora complexo, é facil de entender por tudo que passou, seu passado, suas frustrações, decisões recorrentes que só lhe causavam mais arrependimento, creio que ele não absorveu da melhor forma tudo que a vida jogou em sua vida...e como julgar né? Viver é dificil, mais ainda quando a solidão é o que domina nosso ser, desde o inicio esse foi o sentimento que mais crescia comigo, a solidão do personagem era incessante e nada que ele fazia parecia suprir suas necessidades. Ele machucou um coração genuino, ele deu valor ao amor no momento e com a pessoa errada, ele não valorizou aquele que estava disposto a enfrentar as dificuldades, mesmo a vida lhe dando um amor perfeito em seu maior fervor, um personagem que nos mostra nu e cru de como as decisões podem nos causar dores indescritiveis, de como a vida pode ser uma piada de mau gosto, de como podemos tentar e tentar e não chegar a lugar nenhum, que nossa história se baseia em frustrações com breves momentos felizes, escolhas quase sempre não tem volta, e a decisão de como ele quis lidar com o amor do Gyu Ho foi uma delas, podemos imaginar um final perfeito vindo de um conto de fadas, ele mesmo disse isso ´´eu queria realmente pensar que era o Gyu Ho no app depois de todo esse tempo´´, embora no fundo ele ja sabia que aquele fim foi um fim! Um final onde o personagem se encontra aceito das decisões da sua vida, agora não em busca de alguem para suprir sua solidão, mas apenas no amor, por ele mesmo e por ventura se alguem trilhar seu caminho creio que finalmente ele estará pronto para lidar. To angustiado ja faz uma semana por essa obra, incrivelmente eu consigo entender tudo que ela quis passar, a solidão foi um dos diversos traços que alguem pode se identificar assistindo, uma solidão indireta e emblematica que me fez ficar amargo a cada episodio, irei levar essa no peito!
Parabens a todos do elenco e direção, principalmente a Nam Yoon Su que deu vida e carisma a essa obra e ao seu personagem, gigante nosso menino!

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Real

At first i thought oh this will be a typical kdrama where the love interests don't feel natural but unrealistic. But that was the point. The main character goyoung is discovering love and dating. The first boyfriend didnt fit quite well because goyoung wasnt ready for the commitment. My favourite parts were the parts with his bestie, too bad that ended early, and the second love... For obvious reasons 😏.
I do think the directing choices for the last 2 episodes were quite weird. I kinda wanted to turn it off actually cause it was messy and kinda uninteresting. The constant flashbacks could've been better with better timing and transitions.

This series made me laugh, cry and horny.
The boyfriends really made me feel all kinds of emotions. The cast did amazing. I 100% stand behind the casting choices.

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WAOUH

Love in the Big City is nothing short of revolutionary! This series is a breathtaking representation of the queer community, and it dares to delve into themes that so many others shy away from. With its exploration of complex issues like homosexuality, depression,"Kylie" 😉...., it stands as a powerful testament to the real struggles and triumphs of love and identity.

After waiting over a year for its release, I can confidently say it has exceeded all my expectations. The performances are absolutely phenomenal—each actor brings a depth and authenticity that pulls you into their world. This show doesn't just tell a story; it challenges the narrative of what LGBTQIAA+ series can be, offering a raw and honest portrayal of relationships that is rarely seen.

Love in the Big City is poised to change the landscape of how we depict queer stories on screen. I truly believe it will set a new standard for future series tackling similar themes. I'm crossing my fingers for a season 2, but even if we are left with a bittersweet ending, the impact of this show will resonate for years to come. This is a landmark series that deserves to be celebrated!

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I knew this was the gay year!!!

Finally! Finally a 2024 kdrama worth 10 stars! And it's such an atypical, unconventional drama! I had been waiting for a drama with a gay lead that wasn't just a low-budget. web drama for ages. We've had some really good short, low-budget dramas like Sematic Error and The Eighth Sense but they were still very basic BL shows. Now, we finally get a quality drama with queer characters that is on par with the best-produced kdramas out there. I love it. While the show is still shorter than the usual 16-episode kdramas, this is unlike any "BL" content we have seen from Korea, so far.

First of, as always, I don't like calling this show BL because...I don't know, I associate that tag with a very specific kind of storytelling: no significant female characters, laser point focus on one conventional (sometimes toxic, sometimes overly heteronormative) romance, no plot or character development beyond fluff or whump. This is not that!
We have a very touching story here, following a young gay man in modern South Korea, who appears to be cynical about the probabilities of finding love in the modern age but who is secretly a hopeless romantic, desperately hoping that he can find love. Only to fail over and over. And then when he finds it? He can't recognize it for what it was: rare, imperfect, precious love.
Our main character here is imperfect, messy, and so real. There is no euphoric character development but you can see his personality and world-view change as the story progresses and his experiences shape who he is. Just like real life. I love the whole cast of characters as they are all well-thought-out and developed, in such ways that make the world of the story richer.

Acting: The acting in this is so good. Still, none of the cast members stands out as much as Nam Yoon Su himself who truly knocked it out of the park here. He went out and beyond bringing the character of Ko Young to life. He was so perfect, it didn't even feel like he was acting. He was just so natural that you would think he is Ko Young and has been for all his life. That said, everyone else was so good. I can't pinpoint any cast member who didn't do their part. Everyone was great. Just A+ performances. Jin Ho Eun makes you fall in love with his sincere and open-hearted Gyu Ho, too. So devastating!

Production: Finally! Finally, we get a queer drama with good lighting and camerawork! I could shed tears! Oh, how I have waited for this! The production level in this show is great and I truly appreciate it. It really adds to the watching quality.
The music choices were very specifically designed to match the storytelling and so while I didn't always like every song, I thought everything fit perfectly in the scenes they were used in and that's a bigger compliment than "I liked the song" in my book.

Overall: If you like good shows, watch it! It's a sort of slice-of-life drama with imperfect characters and heartbreaking plots that are beautifully brought to life thanks to the high-quality production, good writing, and stellar performances.
(And honestly? 16-episode dramas are overrated! They all sucked this year, anyway!)

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Queer Representation Done Right

Nam Yoon Su’s acting was absolutely jaw-dropping; he portrayed Go Young’s character perfectly. The drama was extremely realistic from beginning to end. It shows how a group of queer youth in their early twenties live their lives. Moreover, Mi Ae and Go Young’s bittersweet friendship, which is at times funny and at times touching, made the drama even more enjoyable to watch. I literally cried for their friendship.

I would like to add that if you’re starting this expecting a typical BL series, I would advise against it. Most BL dramas focus on the love between two men, but this drama is more about how real queer people live their lives, and if you’re not queer yourself, it might be hard for you to fully understand or relate to it.

Each episode carries its own emotions and lessons, offering something for everyone to connect with. It’s a perfect queer drama that shows love isn’t always rosy like in the movies.

Overall 10/10

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