Bump Up Business (2023)

K-BL, but make it a clumsy theater club project

(╭☞•́⍛•̀)╭☞ Disclaimer:
This review is based on my personal opinion/experience, it's not meant to sway yours, feel free to agree/disagree with it.

If I thought Unforgotten night was hilarious, this takes the cake for the best so bad it's so good series. Hear me out, I love my OOO boys to bits and pieces, especially my boy Yoojung , but you can't tell me this series wasn't the most hilarious shit you've ever seen, I kid you not, two minutes in and I just about peed myself from laughing, this series gave me serious war flashbacks, it honestly felt like I was seeing LOONA's First love story all over. This series had soo many issues, but to name a few:

>Slapstick comedy and Plot from the early 2010's.
>Sloppy camera work, bad editing, low quality ost, and recycling of the group's MVs and performance outfits because frugality I guess.
>Hilariously one dimensional, flattest of flat cardboard acting, and while the cast did improve a bit after the third episode or so, the acting was still one of the weirdest I've ever seen (especially Junji, his acting in the first episode had me wheezing for a good three minutes, followed by Rie and KB).
>The MLs and their dying bud of romance, don't get me wrong, I really love Nine and Mill, and I have no doubt that they have amazing chemistry, but you cannot tell me that these Nine and Mill are the same ones who acted in beat and beyond, I'm sorry, it's just not happening.
>Unintentional comedy 101.
>Mill and Junji's guide to looking like a little adorable puppy.
>This series is brought to you by low-key second hand embarrassment.

If you couldn't already tell by now, I'm not really writing a "review" here, this is more of an afterthoughts typa thing, but I felt like I should write something considering this is one of if not the very first K-BL with a whole K-pop group acting in it, and the fact that OOO are one of my ult groups. From the moment I saw the short character introductions the company uploaded on YT I just knew I wouldn't be able to take this seriously, specifically that one snippet of KB practicing his evil laugh, holy mother of gay that was hysterical, not even he could take himself seriously lol, so yeah, don't watch this with sky high expectations, this was obviously done on a veeery minimal budget, with amateurish acting and no thoughts put into the script, so if you're not bothered by that and have an hour or so to spare, I say give it a watch, it might not be the greatest thing you'll ever see but it'll definitely make you laugh. I genuinely don't know what else to write cuz honestly I'm very much out of practice and my head is a bit too empty, if you're looking for a more detailed review I suggest you check out the other reviews, they probably will provide you with a more insightful review than mine.
Have a nice day/afternoon/evening peeps. <3

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Buyer Beware!

We have an American expression that adroitly sums up this BL. ‘What you see, is what you get.’ The title puts in a nutshell what the series is all about. It is a story of two K-pop stars who are joined together to form a “Business Gay Performance”. I must further admit I was intrigued by them and its story. Perhaps because their acting is surprisingly entertaining and good and while I am guessing it is not much of a stretch for them to play K-pop stars since that is what they do, they were still rather convincing on screen. Honestly, this series overall is entertaining. It could have been better had it been longer and had a greater commitment to its message. For when it came to the actual fulfillment of the relationship, there was none. My further warning to viewers is: Buyer Beware!

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Another no kiss, exploitative fanservice drama

I didn't know anything about this drama or the actors, so I gave it a fair objective watch and it's so disappointing. If the actors cannot commit to fully playing gay characters that includes even one plain kissing scene, then they should not be playing the leads of a gay romance. If they did at least commit to that minimal professional extent, then it would at least give the drama some sort of legitimate artistic grounding, but since they didn't it just makes it so many meta layers of bad, undermining any possible critique of the hypocritical kpop industry of making money off the the appearance of a gay romantic actions without any support for any actual gay rights or artists by literally embodying the hypocrisy.

The premise itself is a very real issue of using gay as concept to attract attention which the character Ji Hoon plays lip service to being against. Using skin ship and other actions as fanservice to pander to real people shipper fans that many idols are forced to do that have now gone from the once ubiquitous homophobia laced pocky game to non committed queer roles with no kissing. The in drama company so clearly is using the "Business gay" concept but also having their artists staunchly deny and have to avoid the media questioning their shady tactics like the media is wrong to question them. This is playing into the delusional fantasies of real people shippers that idols that are denying relationships are lying to them.

The in drama ceo is also quick to sell her artists to J who wants to work with his first love, and Hyun Bin who has roofied both Ji Hoon and Eden and had them both assaulted by an actress. He took photos of it happening to Ji Hoon and almost tanked his whole career. That's a huge criminal deal and the drama just brushes past it just like it has with everything else that's also a disturbing very real thing that kpop idols have to contend with, their management selling them for sexual favors. There are so many heavy industry things that the drama is lamp shading but does nothing with.

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IT NEARLY GAVE WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GIVE

Okay, I gave this drama a second rewatch. Maybe I didn't focus enough when I watched it the first time.

Some of the things I pointed out still stand. It did leave me with a "Huh? That's it?" reaction in the end. Watching it again didn't provide me with a clear reason why this whole project is confusing.

The story did revolve around the "Business Gay Performance" concept, but it felt like it's going somewhere, but you realized it's already the end. Maybe having many subplots played a part in why this drama felt rushed.

When I was watching EP 8 initially, where they're already confessing to each other, I checked the remaining time and realized it's reaching its end. I was really disappointed.

Let's go to the actors!

Nine, I think, carried (for the main leads). He did act well and show the necessary emotion needed for specific scenes. I'll admit some of his line delivery is monotonous, but you'll give him credit for trying, especially since this is their first drama. And being drowned in BAE173 content due to Love Class 2, I thought he and Hangyul looked similar.

Mill, as mentioned, I understand that this is their first drama, and his acting did show some potential in some parts, and I'll give him credit for that. But I was confused as to why he didn't maintain eye contact, especially in the ending scene. I am not sure if he's looking at Nine's chin or what, and don't get me started on the English lines. I was really thrown off by that.

KB, I still hate his character, so I think he did well. The plot didn't do justice to his potential, to be honest.

Junjie and Rie were alright. They did what they had to do with what was given to them.

Yoojung, let me preface this by saying he might be my favorite member of the group (initially, I said Nine); he's handsome. BUT! Why did his English lines with Mill feel so awkward? They really tried T_T.

I stand by my initial review that this type of idol-casted drama is a "make or break" situation. In the case of OnlyOneOf, I believe that they really tried their best (who wouldn't?), and I'll give credit for that.

Right now, I am really interested in knowing the group further since I am also a K-pop enthusiast. Especially when I did get to know BAE173 and OMEGA X, through BLs as well.

I will end this by saying, if you're their fan (lyOn), I understand why you watched, enjoyed, and liked this drama. And for someone who didn't know the group initially, this might be the best introduction you need to be interested in the group.

Watching their Idol League episode proved that Yoojung is my bias.

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Really liked it but

The story was great
Had potential to be a really great series
Nine and mill are my 2 favourite members so I was happy to see them as the leads.
The other member of only one were also great in there roles but the script let them down.

Overall the story felt rushed as each episode was only 15 minutes long and only 8 episode.
There was too much story line going on to really focus on 1 idea.
There was so many things happening
Trainees debuting
The duo forming a group
An obsessed ex
Drugging someone for picture for what ?? We don’t know
Fear of water
Fear of flying
Childhood crushes on boys
The denial of being gay
1 drunk kiss that was never talked about
The ex drugging eden for photos
Doing solo activities so quickly
Then a quick I love you and it ended 🤦🏻‍♀️

So much filler nonsense could have been left out and more depth could have been added to the actual point of the show which was gay business service turning into real love. That’s all the story needed
The side plots and back stories weren’t necessary.
I would like to see mill and nine in another show together.

This show left me with so many unanswered questions like
Why didn’t they show the water skiing event?
How did Ethan get over his fear of water so quickly?
Why didn’t jihoon like to fly?
What happened between the X and setting him up with the girl
Why was the ex so obsessed
Just a whole bunch of WHY WHY WHYs

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I have been avoiding this show and I regret it

It is so unserious with the way it progresses which makes it so fun to watch.
Let me preface by saying that I have been an OOO fan since 2020 and this is the first kpop group that made me see the appeal of kpop, in general. They are a group where I have liked the majority of their discography. I do not buy physical albums, except for this group's and I own three of their physical album. I say this to say that this review may be a little biased.

When this show was first announced, I was quite surprised. A whole kpop group will be starring in an adaptation of a shounen ai/bl manhwa where the main romance involves two group members. Semantic Error had two idols but they were from different groups so this was unexpected.
Queer baiting in the entertainment industry is nothing new so I found this plot to be very interesting since the group has been accused of doing this. Now, in actuality I do not believe OnlyOneOf partakes in this fraudulent "Business Gay Performance" but when seeing their paired up music videos, fan meetings in Korea, and their tours in the U.S. and people speculate, I can sort of see why some say that but we do not actually knows these people nor is queerness still openly embraced in most countries (yes, including the regressing U.S.).


While I found the premise interesting, the overall plot, characters, and character interactions were so typical. The dialogue and scenes were regurgitated . From the beginning when it shows that "dream" and the "because you wanted it", it was so trope-y. If you have ever read straight or even queer (specifically MlM/BL) romance media like books or manga, manhwa, and manhua, they will have these dreams/sequences displaying desires or past memories and those awful phrases that are perpetually recycled. The two too many moments where Ji-hoon (Nine) cornered a flustered Eden (Mill) with his questions before Eden speedily gets away made me roll my eyes. I have to mention that one scene where Ji-hoon stepped in when a male fan asked Eden for a hug and gave the hug to the fan instead cause the dominant characters in every romance do this weird thing. I am tired.
BUT I did appreciate that the story has Eden as someone who was attracted to boys from a young age rather than the stereotypical "I was only attracted to women until I met you/only gay for you". Also, I was surprised that they kissed. I do not really care for couples kissing tbh especially since "What Did You Eat Yesterday" barely shows any hugs and it is one of my favorite comfort shows.

If you are a fan, you know that they can sing and dance so well but that does not mean they can act well. I am so sorry but the acting was so unmoving? is the word I want to say. Like I did not care about any of the "serious" parts of this. KB's character Hyunbin came off as just goofy which I did enjoy but I doubt that was the intention lol.
Even I have favorite members in OOO which are Rie (Gun) and Yoojung (Jay). Rie had such a small part but I found him to be the best in acting; he was literally just being himself. I will acknowledge how Mill, Junji, and Yoojung tried really hard (especially Yoojung having to speak in English) and I commend them but that is all I can say about the acting in the entire show.

Going onto character dynamics, I found it fun. Being that I am familiar with the group, the dynamics presented in the first episode were funny. Nine is actually the youngest member but is playing the oldest even among Junji's (Sung) and Rie's respected characters. I sincerely could not take Nine serious in this show at all. If you know how he actually functions in the group's vlogs, seeing this clown play a serious role was so amusing. It is one of many aspects in the show that proved it to be entertaining to me.

Sidenote:I found it interesting they have these age switch ups since, from what I have always seen in Japanese BLs, the older and younger characters are portrayed by actors that match the dynamic. There are many examples but one recent movie I came across was "Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka?" where the older character was played an older actor compared to the younger counterpart.

Adding clips from their vlogs, music videos, and implementing OOO's actual songs was such a good touch. I loved seeing the small clip of Mill in NYC during their U.S. tour to add some character to Eden.

Again, I did enjoy it regardless of my gripes. This is not one that I would rewatch but there aren't many shows/movies I would rewatch.
Overall, I give this an 7.5

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A Rush Job with Potential

Bump Up Business is a short South Korean BL series adapted from a webtoon by RK Studio, airing on iQIYI. With 8 episodes of around 15 minutes each, it offers a unique glimpse into the K-Pop world, mixing fanservice with the realities of the industry. The plot revolves around Eden, a rookie idol about to debut, and Jihoon, an older celebrity in the same agency. As a pair, they’re marketed as a "business gay performance" couple—a premise meant to boost their popularity, but one that quickly blurs the lines between reality and performance as they grow closer.

The first thing that struck me was the series’ K-Pop setting, which I found refreshing, though I’m not the biggest fan of the genre. Music lovers will appreciate the soundtrack, but the drama itself struggled to fit its 40-chapter webtoon source into a limited runtime. This was perhaps its biggest weakness. The pacing felt rushed, with too many subplots crammed into too little time, leaving key relationships—especially between the leads—underdeveloped. By episodes 7 and 8, I found myself checking the clock, sensing the show’s desperate race to wrap things up.

Despite these pacing issues, the actors—many of whom are idols in real life—delivered charming performances. Nine, in particular, reminded me of a young Seo Kang Joon, managing to be both endearing and amateurish. There were moments where I almost connected deeply with the characters, but the story didn’t give me enough time to truly care.

What stands out in Bump Up Business is its subtle critique of the K-Pop industry. The show highlights the performative nature of fanservice, a reality that most K-Pop fans are aware of but perhaps don’t always acknowledge. The tension between pretending to be gay for fame while not being accepted as truly queer is poignant, especially in a conservative society like South Korea’s. The series flirts with these deeper themes, but never fully explores them, leaving us wanting more.

The ensemble cast, featuring members of OnlyOneOf, was solid overall, though some, like Rie and Junji, didn’t get much screen time. KB, who played the antagonist, was particularly memorable—so much so that I found myself genuinely disliking his character, a testament to his acting.

The show, while not groundbreaking, has its moments of entertainment. There’s light-heartedness in the way the leads banter and tease each other, and the music, composed by the idols themselves, is a highlight. Still, the absence of a proper kiss scene, for instance, left me feeling a bit cheated—especially when it seemed like the series was building up to one.

In short, Bump Up Business is a decent watch. It’s not perfect by any means—the rushed pacing, underdeveloped plotlines, and missed opportunities hold it back—but it does offer a fun and interesting take on K-Pop and BL. If you’re into K-Pop or BL dramas, it’s worth checking out, if only to see how the genre is evolving in South Korea.

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manage your expectations

okay disclaimer, yes I'm a kpop fan, no I'm not a lyon (nothing against the group, I just haven't even listened to their music yet beyond the music shown in this show, so I have no particular feelings one way or another)

this show has a TW for attempted SA (nothing graphic but it is done to main characters)

I enjoyed watching this show. was it perfect? no. it had a budget of $15 and a dream but considering what they had, I thought the show was fun! other reviewers felt like they were reading off the script -- I never particularly felt that way while watching, maybe a bit looking back but idk I just didn't notice anything like that. clearly these guys aren't skilled actors but I thought it was fun seeing them gain a bit more confidence as the show went on, especially the main two guys. there were some moments they had that I thought were pretty good, honestly -- you can see that they have chemistry together. they did kiss only one time, with multiple fake outs/kissblocking moments happening, which... was a bit frustrating! but like my headline says: I was managing my expectations. I've seen much more produced BL shows have zero kisses so I'm taking that one we got as a win. (it helps that it was cute)

there were definitely parts where the writing felt off (such as the end where a character says he's going to stay for a while, then immediately turns out not to be with no explanation?). I also noticed the bgm would come on and off really abruptly at times and it was a little distracting

while I didn't mind the 15 minute episodes (*cries in 5-min episode Chinese GL shows*) I wish there were more episodes total, maybe 10. the relationship is a bit of a fast burn and it would've been nice to see more of the emotional build up, or emotional fall out of some of the things that happened in this show. relatedly, I really didn't expect what I thought would be a cutesy BL project have serious topics like toxic relationships, scandals, SA, etc in them. it was a nice surprise for me bc while I don't mind cutesy BL, the more drama the better

my fave trope they included was definitely the protective sunbae/hyung/group leader + sunshine/naive dongsaeng!!

would I rewatch? maybe. honestly I would be more interested in seeing another project done by this group, this show felt like their first steps into the acting world and I saw potential in them to get better and do bigger and better things in the future

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OOO você me promteu!

Meu deus, o que falar sobre esse mini drama...
Ser pequeno atrapalha o desenvolvimento, é verdade, mas ainda dava pra fazer algo melhor com o que eles tinham em mãos.
A idade do enredo é básica, mas funciona, dois idols que tem que formar uma dupla, usando o conceito gay e vão se apaixonando. Só isso já dava pra ser super aproveitado de muitos jeitos interessantes, mas eles escolhem os modos mais clichês e frustrantes possíveis. Eden é tão inocente que chega a ser burro e o Jihoon é tão abnegado que chega a não ser saudável, é o prato cheio pra eles serem manipulados o tempo todo! E só bem no final que eles finalmente se resolvem, do jeito mais corrido e fácil possível, sem entregar de fato nada de um casal que esperamos tanto...
No final das contas, só valeu por eu poder ver os meus meninos do OnlyOneOf, mas eu realmente espero que eles tenham mais e melhores chances do que foi essa aqui.

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Was A Little Boring :(

Before I start this review I just want to say thank you to this drama for introducing me to OnlyOneOf! Their music is amazing and I’m very happy I found out about them (if you haven’t checked them out I highly recommend it every actor in this show- well except the females -are apart of that group!)

Now back to the drama 😅

It was very cute and straight to the point but the story didn’t really hit for me. I mean it wasn’t boring- kinda? -the concept of kpop idols in bl is a new concept and I am intrigued but I feel like it was still… bland? It’s definitely not a show I would rewatch and isn’t that memorable but I’m still happy I watched it! If you are considering watching it I say go for it- maybe you will enjoy it more then me!

There were certain points of the show that really bored me and I would stop watching for days on end then continue- I actually had to force myself to watch the last episode just so it didn’t stay half watched in my list for forever 😅

In the end I gave it a 6 because I feel like they could have done more with the story and also I feel like the members that played the friends should have gotten more screen time as they barley got any :(

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