The Eighth Sense (2023)

A Poignant Reminder of the Complexities of Healing

The series explores the complexities of love and trauma. The story follows Ji Hyun, an introverted country mouse who finds it difficult to adjust to city life as a new student in Seoul. However, he finds solace in Jae Won, a fellow surfer and as their shared love for surfing brings them closer together, they begin to develop romantic feelings for each other. Their relationship is complicated by Jae Won's reluctance to acknowledge their relationship which leaves Ji Hyun confused about their connection and must navigate the emotional complexities of Jae Won's traumatic past.

The series' sensitive portrayal of trauma and mental health is commendable. The show takes a thoughtful approach to explore mental health by giving viewers an insight into Jae Won's therapy sessions and emotional journey throughout the series. Through the character's experiences, the drama highlights the complexities of healing. The show's unique perspective on mental health is further highlighted through Jae Won's decision to take one step forward and try harder for his own sake and his loved ones despite the years of struggle he was carrying and the difficulty in looking towards the light. This message is a poignant reminder that healing is a gradual process that requires effort, patience, and self-love which is not explored well in most dramas.

The show's cinematography and soundtrack are also notable, capturing both the beauty of the ocean and the emotional turmoil of the characters in a visually stunning way. The performances of the two leads, as well as the supporting cast, are also noteworthy, bringing depth and authenticity to their roles. However, certain scenes in the series were confusing and it might have been a stylistic choice in order to visually represent the characters' emotional states but the execution felt lacking. Jae Won's character could have also been portrayed with more nuance, as his expressions sometimes felt frozen.

Overall, "The Eighth Sense" is a well-crafted and emotional drama that tackles important issues in Korean lgbtq+ dramas. While there are some execution issues with certain scenes and character portrayals, the show's overall message of self-love and healing is both timely and impactful.

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Beautiful, Artistic Drama

Slice-of-life indie film and BL Drama collide in this series. The story itself is fairly simple, but the mastery of the production team has made it something artful and unique. The series dives unashamedly into a realistic portrayal of Jae Won’s depression and prolonged grief disorder. The development of the relationship between Ji Hyun and Jae Won is organic and subtle. Beautifully acted by Ji sub and Jun Taek.

There is nothing campy about this drama. There are no repetitive flashbacks or corny uses of maudlin soundtracks typical to the BL drama genre. The Eighth Sense treats the audience with intelligence. Every indication of attraction, every piece of character development relies on nuanced acting and cinematic elements rather than over-the-top cartoon sound effects or repeating short shots. There are artsy mood colors and blurred images, shallow focus, high and low key lighting, but for the most part the series is shot at eye level and over-the-shoulder with simulated movement to make it seem that we are immersed in the story. It’s as if the audience is there, sneaking a video on our smart phones. We are spying on this cautious couple.

There are so many standout scenes, but one that I especially love includes Hyun’s clunky but lovable childhood friend. His reaction to Ji Hyun being gay is adorable. And as much as I loath the jealousy and pettiness of Jae Won’s best friend Tae Hyung and ex girlfriend Eun Ji, the actors play their roles perfectly.

One of my favorite characters is Yoon Won. She is delightful and warm, a talented singer and perfect friend. Her genuine, open reactions to everything is charming. Every actor in the series is brilliantly cast and exemplary. I hope to see more from this production team and these actors in the future.

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READ THISS PLEASEEEE!!! THIS DRAMA REALLY NEEDS A BIGGER RECOGNITION!!!

Personally, I believe that this is the best Korean BL so far. The plot is unique, the cinematography is so good, and even the music is really planned if what scene it'll be put out. It's not cheesy and corny. It gave more mature relationship rather than a common type of romance. Plus, it delivers messages not only on a same-sex relationship yet on depression and confusions in life as well. On the other hand, talking about the actor's chemistry, IT WAS LITERALLY SO SO 1000/10. I thought chemistry can only be applied in science, but I didn't expect to happen this between these two (just joking). Anyway, they really gave justice. For almost 9 months (After I finished Light on me), I've been looking for another type of BL who will really push my heart out (A type of BL which gives simplicity yet refreshing). And through this one, it do satisfy my BL carving. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED YOU GUYS!!! THIS ONE DESERVES A BIGGER RECOGNITION <3333

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Cute! Totally recommend (mini rant at the end)

This story was super cute! I've never watched a korean BL before and I was pretty impressed at how far they went (especially in the steamy scenes).

Story: It was good! I liked that it was real and serious, but wasn't overly heavy and was still pretty light-hearted. I like how a lot of the topics are discussed and am glad that homophobia wasn't a part of the story. I really am down for 30 minute dramas versus 1+ long ones and appreciated how well it was paced. I will say the final episode was probably the worst just cause of how uneventful and slow it felt. It wasn't bad by any means, just was a story wrap up.

Acting/Cast: I LOVED the cast. I think everyone played their role super well and was here for everyone.

Big Thoughts: I totally recommend this show overall! If you want a digestable BL with some steamy scenes and want to feel all giddy without it being silly, this is the show for you!

Now for the messy drama gossipy stuff. First of all, I was here for Ji Hyun GAGGING Eun Ji. I was eating the scenes up with them after he started standing up to her. Also I will say that I liked Jae Won's character a bit more cause his felt super relatable and real. I loved Ji Hyun and thought he was cute, but he was kinda selfish and ditzy at times. It's cute until you meet someone like that in real life and then it's just like ehh. Also poor girlfriends of the boys! I feel like we were always focused on them and I really wanted to see a more reciprocal friendship with Ae Ri and Yoon Wo rather than just being a shoulder to cry on.

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The Eight Sense really is such a masterpiece, especially in the genre of slice of life / Drama genre.
I love how beautifully they actually portrayed a character with depression and trauma. As someone who has both of them, I love how they showed his struggles in his day-to-day interactions, rather than just showcasing him as a pill-popping sad character but they showed this depth to his character.

Even Ji Hyun I love the fact that he actually tries to understand the struggles Jaewon has and decides to let Jaewon take tiny steps towards him. I also love how Jae Won wasn't shown as an asshole for ignoring Ji Hyun after the incident like in other dramas instead he focuses on himself, works over his trauma, and doesn't use the stupid tricks shown in other dramas of going the extra mile to get the other lead to leave him alone.
I also love every side character yeah! Taehyung and Eun Ji do get on my nerves but EP 10... god! EP 10 just helped with their character development...and Aeri, YoonWoo, and JoonPyo ..some of the best side characters who actually help the main leads rather than create doubts.

Over and all it's such a beautiful watch...another plotline that proves for a good bl drama you don't need NC scenes but emotional intimacy even in this series, yes, the scenes were hot but what you can feel is the emotions of the characters rather than just hot makeout session ...

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Dramatic Getting Together Story

**Brief Synopsis**
B (Student): Ji Hyun
T (Student): Jae Won

- Beginning: B and T meet at the beach when they join the same surfing club. They hit it off pretty quickly and soon an attraction develops between them. They end up kissing. When they return to school however, B sees T again but T pretends that nothing happened, making B confused and a little upset.

- Middle: As we see more of B’s and T’s daily life, we also see them spending more time together despite everything. Although it’s obvious T is interested in B and vice versa, something was holding T back. It is revealed that T has mental issues related to a trauma he had suffered some time ago. His mental issues make it difficult for him to form relationships or letting himself go. He sees a psychologist for his problems, but it is obvious he looks happier after spending some time with B. After B nearly ties in an accident that involves T, T decides to avoid B in the name of protecting him. In this moment of denial, he gets back with his ex girlfriend.

- End: But denying his feelings didn’t last long. Finally T realizes he wants to be with B, breaks it off with the girlfriend once more and end up dating B. The show ends with them happily dating.

**My Opinion**

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT:
- The actors playing B and T. Their chemistry was amazing and their interactions were cute and sweet. They also do a great job in portraying the affection between the characters.
- I like how T manages to overcome some of his trauma by series end thanks to B’s help.
- The writing is pretty nice despite the plot being predictable and cliche. The director do a good job depicting the challenges of daily someone with mental issues that can affect their day to day life and basic social skills.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT IT:
- Very tame intimate scenes which can be a disappointment.
- Angst comes from T constantly denying his own feelings which is an overused trope.
- T’s character is very complicated. Because of his trauma, he isn’t a very nice person, hurting B on more than 1 occasion and only thinking about himself and telling others he’s not. The fact that he dragged an innocent girl in to the mix is proof of that. He’s not a very likeable character.
- Slow burn, meaning they only got together in the last episode. I would have loved to see more of their daily interactions as a couple.
- The show is constantly playing with your emotions which means it can get a little tiring to watch.

**Conclusion**
An OK watch but won’t be revisiting again.

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Petition for season 2

One of the most beautiful and romantic bl till date from Asia....It has everything you want and the sexual tension and chemistry between the main lead just top notch .... I can't even describe in words ... every character play a important role in story development so be patient while watching and don't be judgemental from start .....you will never feel that they are rookie and it's their first project together.They have given their 100%.

Many others bl of 2023 that gives hope and butterflies in stomach are-
Our dating sim (Korea)
Jack' o frost(Japan)
My School president (Thailand)

Just give a Chance to these bls and you will not regret it.

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~ Sometimes you find a gem like this ~

With difficulties finding a good drama these days, it was a surprise with this production. The story was well written and had depth. What I loved most about the drama was its well rounded characters. I can't applaud more for how they showed the day to day life of the leads without making it boring and draggy.

The two leads character was well written and executed. The chemistry between them made sense and I could really feel their emotions. Ji Hyun was a simple down to earth boy who knew when to stand up for himself and was adventurous. I liked the people around him and their conversations. The scenes with his bff, Ae ri, restaurant ahjumma and even small moments like him sending pics to his mom about his day to day life felt wholesome.
Jae Won was the life of the party and people loved around being him. He was attractive to the core. And just like not everything that shines is gold, he did carry a lot of emotional baggage from the past. There were so much to peel from his character. Especially the talk around maintaining one's image was fascinating. How often the pressure of having to maintain an image can get to you. I understood him with my whole heart. His equation with Yoon Won was so adorable and I am so happy they explored their friendship with them drinking & chatting stuff.

Mental health issues were dealt in a decent way though I was not really fond of the scenes with the doctor. I haven't experience counselling irl but it felt depressing to hear the doctor talk. SPOILER ALERT*** For example talking about how sad it is when her patients chose to end their life was not something to be discussed to a patient who almost lost his lover's life *** SPOILER ENDS

The chemistry was uff AMAZING. I feel so giddy watching the romance and I don't feel like this in other dramas.

With all praises there were few nitpicks from my end, one being the camera angle. In most of the heavy scenes, the camera was literally closed up on the face of the actors, blocking out other people talking or any background due to which it felt claustrophobic. Editing could have been better but it wasn't bad to spoil the drama for me. It was a pleasurable watch and totally recommended !

P.S. Im Ji Sub playing Jae Won reminded me of Lee Joon Ki and Lee Do Hyun so much. In so many scenes i felt i was watching them.!!

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A Masterpiece! Sheer Perfection!

I do not use these words lightly but this series is as close to perfection as one can get. and does show that you can have a good story, awesome acting and have a BL all under one umbrella. You do not need to compromise. This series is so much more than a BL or a love story. It is a story of sensing and knowing what is going on with the one you love and feeling them and knowing them as well. It is as if their ‘eighth senses’ are intertwined. Even in its darkest time, it never seemed lost or hopeless as their kas had once been touched and they were bound together - inexorably. This story could have been so maudlin and melancholic; yet was not. It was dark for sure, every broody. But it felt honest and promising.
Unquestionably this is one of the finest Bls for the year 2023 and not to be missed.
You can read my full review of this brilliant production at BLBliss.com.

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THIS IS WHAT THE BL INDUSTRY NEEDS

i usually don't leave reviews under bl dramas cuz there's nothing much to write abt but this drama is different. firstly their chemistry is off the charts. they can act without dialogues and the message is conveyed. cinematography, dialogues just– the standard.
the music suits the vibe of the drama so well. you can connect with the characters, even the friends esp jihyun's don't feel like a filler role but like a character who has some presence.
has been a long time since a bl matched the standards of ITSAY & TMS and prolly made new standards. overall well done, well made drama!!!

PS I WENT THRU 8 STAGES OF GRIEF WATCHING THIS BUT IT WAS WORTH IT 😭😭

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Soooo good

The main characters' connections feel so effortlessly real and natural—it's exactly the kind of BL drama I've been searching for, something that feels genuine and is just beautiful to watch. Unlike some BLs where characters can be overly toxic, caught up in pointless love triangles, or pushed through ridiculously forced narratives, this one truly stands out. Sure, there were a few moments in the plot that kinda bugged me, but honestly, it's no big deal. I can see that this drama stands out from the rest, and it didn't spoil the whole experience for me at all. Super glad I stumbled upon it

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