A Shoulder to Cry On (2023)

A Pleasant Watch Not For Everybody

I honestly don't know what to think. For the first five episodes, I was really into it but after the last two episodes I'm left confused. We get a random time skip and a dodgy reconciliation, followed by yet ANOTHER time skip, with no visible development throughout. To me, it seemed very, maybe not rushed, but chaotic in the end. Moreover, I'm finding it really hard sympathizing with Tae Hyeon. I get that he has separation anxiety and is hurting inside, but calling someone nothing and a toy and just spitting on someone's feelings like he did, really pushes to what extent we can blame it on his trauma. But that's just my opinion. On the upside, the acting and chemistry were great, and I think that's the first ear kiss I've seen, so that's a plus. On the whole, I enjoyed myself while watching despite the story and character's being far from my ideal.

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An overall sweet and short drama

I'm not giving a full mark because, as someone else pointed out, the last two episodes felt rushed. Which is a shame because the overall drama was pretty well paced. It's honestly a pretty good drama and I'm giving the side eye to people complaining about the lack of kisses. Personally I like that there was no kisses, intimacy takes many forms and the physical aspect of it is not the end all be all of a relationship. I thought the ending was actually pretty nice, they're learning about each other all other again, this is the moment when their relationship truly starts ! And the little kiss on the ear was honestly so sweet ! For those still hesitating about watching this drama, go for it ! Don't listen to the people complaining about the lack kissing and enjoy a lovely story.

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This Korean boy's love series only has one thing missing... the boy's love portion. Seriously, it's like they sat around in a brainstorming session and thought, "How can we give every BL lover blue balls?" This was infuriating. I am so irritated that I watched this whole series with no good resolution. I'm not sure if they got through too much filming before they did any love scenes and the actors were like, "nope just can't do it." I don't know what happened but this series was not successful. It would have been more successful to make it a "bromance" and cut out any thought of actual romance between our 2 main characters at all.

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BL watchers need to stop thirsting for intimate scenes only

If you haven't watched it and going through the reviews first, don't let the ratings disappoint you. It deserves at least a solid 8. -2 for still pretending like gay couples don't kiss or have s€x.

This drama is based on a manhwa. I am a manga/manhwa/manhua reader. There's only very few time when a live action matches with the original one. But this one!! The actors actually did better than the manhwa. Their chemistry was way better than the manhwa. The director reduced the assholeness of Taehyun a lot. The angst was on point. But people are only mad because there is no kiss scene? Have you seen them hugging? That was way intimate than a kiss. Yes a simple kiss wouldn't have hurt. But that's how k-media is. And I heard these two are idols. So it's more understandable.

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Cute Wittle K-BL

I enjoyed that this series brought me one of two things: easy binge and Omega-X. I've become a fan of them in recent months (After hearing their music all over Korea during my time there) and I ended up becoming a wee bit of a fan. However, I never watched any of their band content or bothered to learn any of the members' names specifically because I remembered that two of them would be premiering in this series, and I live for a surprise. All in all though, I enjoyed this little series, it had a perfect duration time, a great cast, and a pretty decent plot.

Let's Dive In.

Now the leads aren't perfect, but for what it's worth, they did a really fantastic job. I was actually close to dropping this series during the first two episodes because it was giving "My Beautiful Man" and if anyone knows me, they know I loath that series. I'm already not a huge fan of enemies to lovers, but I'm okay with rivalries and competitors and opposing teams, but an actual bully (someone who makes a person's life miserable and quite literally is a genuine bully) to lover concept is hard for me, seeing as I can never understand how someone could fall in love with the person that gives them living hell. But by episode three, it picks up a bit more, it becomes lighthearted teasing, and eventually they become best friends before the lovers part. Actually, I thought episode three was one of the best episodes, and it only picks up from there.

Now on to the actual romance -- I think it dragged in a lot of places, but it was believable enough, so I'm not mad. No kiss which is a tad bit aggravating, but I've been told that there is also no kiss in the Manwha, so I'll leave my feelings out of it. I absolutely loved the last episode, I liked that it was fun and cute and adorable and domestic. It felt very organic and natural and I loved it.

The time jump wasn't very fun, and realistically thinking about it, no one would still be hung up on a crush two years later. but this is fictional, so I'll fuck with it.

Rating:

Story: 8/10 - Followed a steady path from point A to point B. I was actually really intrigued with the whole archery thing, including his rivalry with the other guy. Really nice back-flash storytelling, probably one of my favorite parts. Others were meh, and the friend group was meh, but I think Yeboem (Hogyun) is the cutest thing in the world.

Acting: 9/10 - Really good. Some meh parts, but it was pretty good!

Music: 8.5/10 - I liked it! Obviously, because Omega X was singing their OSTs lol.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10 - It's really freaking cute, and I think anyone can easily enjoy this. It's not perfect, but it's an easy binge and you get to see some pretty adorable guys act in love.

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Wasted potential.

The plot was simple and sweet. I read the manhwa before starting the show and noticed that there were many changes, some worked in the show's favour while some did not.
I liked the OST lot. It suited the show's atmosphere. The leads did a decent job considering it was their first acting project. However, I didn't really feel their chemistry. I have this nagging feeling that the show had a lot of wasted potential. Their relationship should've been explored a little more. Also, some scenes didn't seem appropriate to me. For starters, Dayeol left the school suddenly. As a manhwa reader, I know that's because he was on a scholarship and according to the rules he had to leave but for the show-watchers, it must've been a bit confusing. Also, the conversations they had while they went on the trip in the last episode were uncanny for a pair that's been together for two years. Some plot points seemed unnecessary and overdone, for example, the girl liking Dayeol and the friend who was an aggressive bully towards Dayeol.
Another thing is that the confrontation that Taehyun has with his aunt, it's supposed to be after Dayeol's confession. Here, the confrontation is before the confession so the order of events doesn't correlate well with Taehyun's state of mind and actions. Anyhow, as I mentioned before, the show had potential but it didn't utilize it well.

I don't mind the absence of NC scenes but a kiss or at least an indication of a kiss would have been a nice culmination to the show similar to say, Cherry Magic.

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Worth the watch

If you've just started watching or are unsure whether to start because of what people say about the beginning of the series don't be and just give it a chance trust me.

At the beginning the toxicity of the relationship between the two leads is a lot and although I personally didn't mind too much because I sensed we would see a lot of character development (specifically from Tae Hyun) I wasn't certain they could turn it into a love story in only 7 episodes. Boy was I wrong though.

Pacing is really key when it comes to such short series like this (episode wise at least) especially ones with an enemies to lovers trope but this one really nailed it in my opinion. The development between their relationship and interactions wasn't rushed and felt very natural unlike some other similar length dramas. it was sweet, entertaining and also had an element of realism all at the same time.

The characters and their back stories were also incredibly strong and kept the story super interesting throughout the whole series. It was great seeing a high school drama that captured the worries of someone who has been doing one thing their whole life but still unsure of their purpose (Da Yeol) and another who has severe family issues and childhood trauma all whilst acting the bully character (Tae Hyun).

The cast also added a lot to the experience for me as it was amazing seeing Yechan and Jaehan have such an outstanding acting debut as idols themselves. Every emotion was heartfelt and real and their chemistry was radiating off of each other every minute of every episode.

In conclusion I found myself anticipating every week to come whilst also dreading the end which is of course what you want from a show that you're watching. Definitely watch this even if you don't think it's your thing because it's more than worth the time and investment!

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Moved to write my first review because this show made me angry

Watching episodes 1 through 6, I was impressed with the production values and character development -- less so with acting and makeup. Episode 7 was ridiculous and stirred a visceral response. These are two grown young adults. Men who (supposedly) have gone through so much pain in order to be together. We've skipped ahead in time (lazy trope) to jump right over their reconciliation and watch them enjoy a winter (?) beach vacation together. Two guys in their 20s. In love. Alone. And they are terrified of touching each other. Not only did that throw me out of the story completely, but it also made me feel used. Look up "queerbait" and there's A Shoulder to Cry On. I understand that the actors are from Omega X, and they're limited in what they can do. This show should have been made with different actors or, I'm sad to say, not made at all.

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tak mělo to své mouchy

Bylo to fajn až na to jak si omlátil květináč o hlavu, což jaki nechápu jak si dokázal tak okrvit čelo.
Tomu dlouhovlasýmu bych ten květináč o tu hlavu ale klidně hodila. co se sere do toho kdo koho má rad. jen žárlil, ze jeho nikdo rad nemá no. blbecek.
Můžete mi pak vysvětlit, když bylo o dva roky později, tak proč oba vypadali ještě mladší než na ty střední omg.
Ten špatný odstín rtenky v některých částech.
no a jako kde v ty poslední epizodě vzali ty bundy a ty další pyžama? jakoby to bylo v ceně? a jak si poznali kartacky, když byly oba kartacky stejný? no mám hodne otázek a málo odpovědi.
Jinak to bylo fajn. Oddechovka.
Herci jakoby z nich nejsou zrovna oskarový, ale šlo to.

Děj byl docela dobrý, takový basic s tím, že se zas umíralo a že zas měl někdo deprese, ze ten dotyčný zemřel kvůli němu. To už je takové klišé tady v tom všem.

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I would've needed a shoulder to cry on if this was executed better

I went into this show with pretty low expectations. Knowing that the leads are members of a K-pop group had me really worried about both their acting abilities as well as how far they'd be willing to go to showcase physical intimacy. And I have to say that I was positively surprised!

In my opinion, Jae Han and Ye Chan were really solid in the roles of Da Yeol and Tae Hyun. I thought they both fit the roles they were playing really well, especially Ye Chan as Tae Hyun. His winking, the cheeky smiles and the puppy eyes fit the role so well and really brought a lot of charisma to the character. They aren't the best actors in the world, but they were good enough to carry their roles, and with a bit more practice, they could become really great, I think. I enjoyed watching them both and they had solid chemistry. This may not come as a surprise, given the fact that they've been part of the same k-pop group for a while now, but it really could've gone either way. It could've felt awkward since they're close friends in real life, but it didn't. I mean, it did sometimes, but that was because the characters were supposed to be kinda awkward around each other sometimes.

If you're looking for romantic kiss scenes and a lot of physical intimacy, you're not gonna find it in this show. I assume that is because the actors, as mentioned, are part of the same group, so maybe they just didn't want to kiss. Or - and more likely - their company wouldn't let them, since sadly there's still a lot of homophobia in the industry. Knowing this, it didn't really bother me that we didn't get a kiss. But I know that it would bother some people, so I figured I'd mention it.

As for the story, I really liked it up to a certain point. And even after that, the story wasn't the issue, but the execution. Tae Hyun feeling like he's responsible for his adoptive mother's (and unborn sibling's) death is a very interesting concept. Especially exploring his fear of abandonment that resulted from being given up for adoption in the first place and from the accident, as well as the idea that he brings bad things to the people he loves, sound very intriguing on paper. The issue is that the story never really did much with them. Instead, they chose to go with a time-skip at the exact moment when things would've gotten interesting. Da Yeol confessing his feelings to Tae Hyun, and Tae Hyun's fears getting the best of him, thus pushing Da Yeol away was really solid in my opinion. Tae Hyun then realizing that he actually does like Da Yeol too, but Da Yeol being too hurt to be with him would've made for an interesting conflict. In my opinion, this should've happened half-way through the series. Then, the second half should've explored the conflict. It should've shown how Tae Hyun gets over his fear of abandonment and open himself up to the idea of loving and being loved again. It should've shown Da Yeol being severely hurt and finding it hard to open up to Tae Hyun again. It should've spent several episodes on the characters growing as individuals to then slowly find their way back to each other, and finally being ready to be together. Sadly, none of that happened. Right after the conflict happened, the show chose to skip ahead in time, showing the characters get back together, but sadly not showing any of their character development in the process. It was very frustrating since this show actually had characters that had actual traits and fears, and didn't just exist to be in love with each other. But they didn't really do much with them in the end, which was a let-down. If executed properly, I would've probably shed tears as these two characters are dealing with their issues. But my eyes remained dry.

Because the ending was handled so poorly, I don't think I'd ever re-watch the show. It's simply not satisfying, and the start isn't incredible enough to warrant sitting through the disappointing ending. Only rewatching the first part of the show wouldn't be satisfying either, since you'd stop watching at the point of a break up (not that they really were together before that anyway). I would recommend giving this a watch, because it had a lot of potential. But you're most likely not gonna take away a lot from it. Unless you're an OMEGA X fan, of course, then you're probably gonna really enjoy seeing Jae Han and Ye Chan on the screen together. Even if you aren't an OMEGA X fan, you might find yourself liking the actors. That happened to me, at least. All in all, it had a lot of great potential, but sadly potential alone doesn't make for a satisfying watching experience.

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Good, but could’ve been better

In all honesty, I rated this BL as high as I did partially because of how satisfying it was to finally be able to watch it after waiting almost a year for its release. Like I really ate every single episode up as soon as it released and left literally no crumbs, like I’d be watching almost every episode twice.

Putting my bias aside though, this show wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. The execution for the character/plot conflicts (especially the final conflict) could’ve been done a lot better. The conflicts in the show were resolved too quickly and it didn’t go as in depth as it should’ve been given it being under the psychological genre. In other words, it’s like only dipping your toes into the pool on a scorching hot summer day. There was so much more that could’ve and should’ve been covered in certain plot points to give a better sense of understanding as well as realism in the characters, however it chose to only scratch the surface of what could’ve been a more interesting and heartfelt story.

The acting wasn’t too bad, I especially liked Ye Chan’s general portrayal of Cho Tae. He did Cho Tae’s nonchalant/playful attitude very well, and he had good comedic timing especially for a rookie. Jae Han’s acting was decent as well, I’m not sure if it’s because he himself felt awkward during some scenes, but regardless it pulled off since Da Yeol’s character is quite an awkward one lol. The acting for majority of the emotional scenes, however, lacked believability. Ye Chan’s acting felt either too calm or too dramatic in a lot of the emotional scenes for it to be realistic, and Jae Han’s timing for his line delivery was too slow in certain scenes to leave a strong impact. His facial expressions as well were too stiff to find the emotions he’s supposed to be portraying to be believable.

The music was a mixed bag, like there were a handful of scenes where they used copyright free music I’ve heard numerous times even outside of television like tell me you had low budget without telling me you had a low budget lmao. Other than that, it wasn’t that bad. I especially liked some of the sound effects used too, it added on to the overall light feel the show had. The cinematography was good for the most part, nothing I haven’t really seen before. I liked the bright, vibrant coloring majority of the scenes had, and the camerawork for certain scenes was pretty creative. The editing was alright (fun fact I learned recently, alright isn’t an actual word in the English dictionary, the more you know yall). I personally hate the kind of slow-mo shots that go frame by frame; I find them very tacky/cringy and unfortunately there was a handful of those kind of slow-mo shots in this bl.

Despite its flaws though, this bl was a really entertaining and enjoyable watch. If you’re looking for something lighthearted with some layers to it, as well as having a good laugh, I’d highly suggest this bl d=(´▽｀)=b

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My Personal Review

Overall Thoughts: I love this series. The production was crystal clear, and the acting was smooth and natural. Although, at the beginning of the show I was put off a little by the bullying.
What I liked?
1. I loved the acting of the actors and the emotions that were naturally portrayed in this series.
2. I loved the cinematography because it was crystal clear and bright.
3. I loved most of the storyline for the most part.
4. I liked the background story of Jo Tae Hyun, in understanding why he is the way he is and why he feels unloved. Him growing up blaming himself for what happened to his mother really made me feel sad inside.
5. Lee Da Yeol missing his father while living with him and feeling lonely made me feel for him. He misses the relationship that ne shared with his father.
What I disliked?
1. I disliked the bullying aspects of the show, it kind of put me off a bit and I was contemplating dropping the series all together at one point.
2. I disliked how Min Jung dealt with his jealous of losing his friend. I suspect that he also had a crush or a bit of feeling for Jo Tae Hyun.
3. I disliked how Jo Tae Hyun treated Lee Dal Yeol because he was confused about his feeling and thoughts.
Where their chemistry between actors in the series?
I would say absolutely yes. I enjoyed the innocent first-time love. The way the actors naturally displayed their emotions and the longing for each other. I was eating it up.
End Thought: I would highly recommend this series to anyone. I enjoy the dynamic of the show. It's a rewatchable series. I rated this series so high because it had more, I like about the series than disliked, but my disliked are important and are ice breaker or whether someone would stick to the series or drop it. All in all, I loved the show.

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