Love in the Big City (2024)

Unafraid, Unapologetic and Raw

After a long time I have watched a series that left me completely satisfied. The writer, director, creative team, actors, producers all did a phenomenal job of bringing a complicated subject on screen in the most poetic way. I commend their bravery that they could look beyond the hate.
The story is a unique exploration of one man's inner world while he navigates through his identity and tries to find love in a big, brutal city. He stumbles, makes mistakes of gigantic proportion which leaves him broken and scarred for life. Yet he stands up, fumbles but steadily moves forward. The story explores this journey and shows many things which generally is off limit for romance dramas. It bravely discards the theory of love heals all! Love doesn't. In fact misplaced love can scar and damage someone beyond retribution. Through the struggles and triumphs of a gay man's love life, the drama taps into this often unexplored side of romance.
All the actors acted brilliantly. The production quality was top notch and the star of the show was the screenplay where it did not drop for a single second. I commend the creators again for creating such magic on screen.

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This might be the Korea’s best lgbtq+ film ever to have been made

This isn’t only a drama where we go straight into the scandalous stuff which is great: We get to see what life is truly like, when being a part of the lgbtq community. The way Nam Yoonsu wanted to act in this movie made it even better, he didn’t care abt what the fans of his in Korea would think cuz it’s acting. And I do appreciate him for portraying this character. The drama brought me tears dripping down my face and a lots of good moments too. I recommend you to watch it cause it has a great story line and good actors which brings the act to life, but if you’re uncomfortable with lgbtq I think you should definitely pass on this one.

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you're still you

my perception of nam yoon su as an actor has grown exponentially since seeing this drama. his performance as the flawed yet poignant and poetic go young left me laughing, smiling, and in tears multiple times throughout the drama. his chemistry with each of his love interests was amazing and i can safely say that this might be the best cast i have witnessed in a korean bl so far.

honestly, this was a beautifully sad watch (hence the slightly lower rewatch value), but the visuals, music, acting and dialogue are an easy 10/10 for me. this drama is an absolute win for korean bl, in my opinion. hope to see nam yoon su choose projects as interesting as this in the future because he definitely has the talent for it!

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KO

Crochet du droit, crochet du gauche, uppecut et même direct à plusieurs reprises! Et KO à la fin!!!
Il faut être bien accroché pour regarder cette série queer qui nous montre certaines réalités sur l'Amour et l'Amitié. Bien sûr que c'est violent car elle nous parle de l'homophobie familiale et sociétale. Elle nous parle des difficultés à être soi en tant que gay dans une société patriarcale et réactionnaire comme la Corée (Ce n'est pas toujours mieux dans nos sociétés occidendales!)
De la production aux acteurs en passant par la photographie ou le montage, tout a été fait pour nous prposer une série vraie, de belle facture et sensible. Elle n'a pas eu droit au chapitre en Corée, et c'est une honte.
Comme quoi lorsque l'on a quelque chose à dire et que l'on s'en donne les moyens artistiques, on peut faire un sans faute. Bien sûr qu'elle est triste, mais elle offre aussi une porte vers l'espoir.
Je suis sûr que c'est la meilleure série coréenne de l'année. (Le dernier drama coréen qui parle de faits de société qui était à la hauteur de son propos, c'était "My Mister" avec le regretté Lee Sun Gyun.)
Si vous aimez passionnément l'Amour, il faut l'avoir vue. Vous aurez la boule au ventre maintes fois et vous en sortirez ému, mais vous aurez une facette, un petit aperçu des vissicitudes d'être gay dans ce monde.

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SPEEDING UNIVERSE AND CRABBY TABBY

Critic:
This might be korea's best LGBTQ+ show of all time.

As a GAY person the Story was top tier, it was very realistic and well executed, every parts contains key memories to proceed with the other, pacing was good, Cinematography was just MIND BLOWING it definitely surpasses the cinematography of The Eight Sense, Like Your Name Engraved Herein Level.

Actors are visually attractive, they slayed their role, although Nam Yoon-Su was forced feminine on his role or he was a gay-masculine but he did a great job, I can see myself on him..

Overall this was worth of watching don't skip anything and prepare tissues.

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THE BEST AND MOST REALISTIC LGBTQ+ SHOW I HAVE SEEN!!

I already had pretty high expectations considering the cast, budget and the fact that this is based on an acclaimed novel but this show was so perfect!

Pros:
1. love the cinematography

2. LOVE THE CAST

3. IT IS SO REALISTIC LIKE OMG

4. real people with real problems

5. even though I am neither male nor gay I felt like i could relate to their issues on a very personal level

6. I could see love: Nam yoon soo is a great actor and his co stars are just as brilliant because every person played their role....The way he looked at his co-stars made me think he was in love with every single one

7. The depiction of his character: I love how his character incorporates certain stereotypically gay characteristics in a naturally and in-excessive ways (usually you get to see them being overly "girly" or extremely "manly" as an attempt to distinguish them but I like that he is a mix of both)

8. The way they brought up "kylie" (if ykyk) it felt so REAL...kylie was unwanted and he ignored her but she is an undeniable part of his life and I love how he showed his reactions

9. Mi-ae: after seeing mi-ae and go-young's friendship I felt like I NEEDED IT...The way their relationship progressed was also
extremely natural and her future is also a less talked of circumstance

10. NAM YOON SOO'S SMILE: THIS MAN'S SMILE BE SAVING THE UNIVERSE BECAUSE HE LOOKS LIKE A LITERAL ANGEL

Cons:
I didn't have any particular cons but I do wish they had a special OST that would remind me of the show every time I heard it.

Its high time that korean media had some diversity and I think rather than judging something based on the LGBTQ+ aspect we should see it as a show with great storytelling

All in all I loved this drama and I will recommend anyone and everyone who likes realistic shows (without any biases) to watch it...

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Realest types of men

I'll write this short and simple, this drama was so real that even I related to it.

In this story Young dates the most canonically accurate men in one's journey about learning about gay life and love. We have:
1. The man ready to risk it all but you/yourself are not ready, only to leave with regret and what ifs
2. The man that uses you to study homosexuality or the "CURIOUS" people of this world
3. Right man, right time but soon falters as time has other plans

I might be speaking from experience because I for one have experienced all three, but sheesh was this drama an nail to the head. I honestly was more dumbfounded than I was happy watching it cause damn did it hit. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, believe me I did! The quality is exceptional, from the actors, to music, to editing, to directing, to the script, and to the ending (more in spoiler), it all works. This is a show made to and possibly was born to tell a story, a story that is to be seen/heard and not be forgotten. I would say this is not for the fluffy bl watchers, absolutely not. This is for the people who wants to learn, understand and witness how life is on the rainbow. This is a show to truly show how it is to love in the big city.

Small side comment tho:
I really thought that gyu ho might be his end game because everything felt natural really, you go through those types of phases as you are in a relationship, up and down and vice versa! I felt gyu ho's struggle when they essentially broke up just cause he was going to china, but hey I have to admit not everyone is a fan of ldr. Buuuut it was the way gyu ho might even try just for go young. Like you can see how madly inlove gyu ho was with him! I'm sure he would give the world to him! But as go young said himself, he still needed to find himself and maybe he still wasn't ready. But I really wanted them endgame sooo maybe a special ep to see them get together? I honestly don't need another season (unless this isnt the whole story from the novel) because everything felt right already.

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A raw and realistic depiction of a gay man's search for eternal love and himself

This is quite an emotional roller coaster of a story. I never read the novel and didn’t know much about the drama. I thought this might be your typical romantic-comedy but actually, this is a very realistic portrayal of a gay man searching for eternal love, and growing up along the way.

From the first episode, you know this is not your typical BL. The portrayal of the friendship, late night clubbing and hunting, and the drunken hookups are raw and real. “Love in the Big City” doesn't shy away from the harsh reality of finding love, and the difficulty compounds when you are a gay man in a conservative society.

Ko Yeong’s growth is shown through his different romantic relationships with a few men. You can see him grow from a fun-loving young man not believing in love, to realizing he might have lost the love of his life. Each relationship is unique and all have a very interesting start. This drama reminds me of the American TV show “Queer as Folk”. It might not be as daring, but daring enough to cause controversies in Korea.

When Ko Yeong met Nam Gyu, he was young and not ready to be loved. Nam Guy’s unconditional and persistent display of love did not end on a good note. When Ko Yeong was ready and met Yeong Su, it was the other party that’s not ready. It’s unfortunate because they had such a sexy vibe going on between them. Gyu Ho is the match made in heaven. They are both so adorable together and just click. At that time, they are both fighting real life’s challenges and unable to balance romance with career’s demands and reality’s tests of their love. By the time Ko Yeong realized what he had lost, it was a little too late. His meeting of Habibi is interesting and also somewhat of a half-baked story. I was having a hard time understanding Ko Yeong’s last message to Habibi. I thought it was just a fling without much deep feelings, but his message sounded more serious than I thought.

A highlight of the show is the friendship between Ko Yeong and Mi Ae. When you are an outcast, it’s really a blessing to have a friend like that through the highs and lows of your life. But as they grow older, such a friendship has to evolve as they get on with their lives. I had wished to see more of Mi Ae towards the second half of the drama, and not just that somewhat useless drinking scene with her sister-in-law.

I gotta give props to Nam Yoon Su for going all out in this drama. He really didn’t care for the criticisms directed at him. Not only was his acting great, he did not shy away from all the kisses and sexy scenes. In fact, I think he was a little too earnest like he’s going to someone’s face each time. I would have liked him to pull back a little on a couple kisses to show a more romantic side.

As I mentioned, the whole drama is about Ko Yeong’s growth through his relationships. Personally, I am not a big fan of this style of writing. At one point, I find it becomes repetitive when all we see is him going from one relationship to another. However, I am emotionally invested. I cry with Ko Yeong as he gets hurt and suffers through life. Throughout the drama, I was rooting for him to live happily ever-after, either with Gyu Ho or someone else.

I do recommend “Love in the Big City” but don’t go into thinking this is another fluffy BL. The strength of this drama is its realism and how Ko Yeong lives with the scars of each relationship and grows from them, and finds himself.



p.s. the drama synopsis doesn't seem to be 100% correct.


Completed: 10/21/2024 - Review #501

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It is as real as it could be.

For start: Expect real life story - do not expect BL happy pinky love story.
This series is so real. Bitersweet.

THANKS:
Thank Nam Yoon Su for your excellent work. I first saw you on King's affection and liked you since then. You were soooo awesome, I believed every emotion you delivered. I loved every smile you gave with your cute dimples.
Thanks to Jin Ho Eun for the most real portration of Gyu Ho. Your smile was everything.
Thanks to Kwon Hyuk - I know I saw your already somewhere else, you know.
Thanks to Na Hyun Woo - I am sorry but you were so hot.
Thank other actors which created friendship that appeared so real.
Thank you for the full length episodes - that is unexpected from Korean drama for this kind and I am sooooo thankful for this!

Please be there season 2.
I really loved it. Thank you for your work!

*spoilers ahead*
GYU HO:
I was waiting for Gyu Ho to the last second of the last episode. I really am so heartbroken that it ended like that. But again - it is life. It is just I do not know how to get from this state again. Last time I was this heartbroken was after Stay with me. Gosh I have to rewatch this excelent series with Nam Yoon Sus' smiles once I get throught this.

KISS:
Let me talk about that hot sceen with the researcher. What the ****? I did not expect that. But it was so damn good. That was the hottest I have ever seen in kdrama so far. All kissing scene were much more better than some of the K-BLs. There are kbls where if there was no kiss it would be better. But Love in the big city it is something else. Something more. Something that will set the HIGH expectations for kdramas from now on. I love it so much. You were awesome and determined. Thank you.

Thank to the actors for your devotion to us viewers to deliver us this masterpiece series.

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BEST K-BL 2024

Nam Yoon Su undoubtedly delivered his most brilliant performance as an actor. From the beginning, I grasped the depth of the experience that awaited me. A show anchored in a raw, harsh, painful, but authentic reality. The work portrays with sublimated darkness the daily life of a young gay man in Seoul, exposing the inquisitive gaze of society and his family's opposition to his sexuality. He appears as a dynamic, playful figure, at the forefront of fashion, surrounded by a multitude of friends but carrying in him a sensitivity on the surface of the skin, chaining conquests without ever finding the chosen one of his heart. The true journey of our protagonist lies in his self-acceptance and his hopeless quest for love, a quest full of pitfalls. What particularly touched me was his kindness towards his mother despite her lack of support. I was receptive to solidarity between him and his roommate, who, on the contrary, gave in to family expectations. Despite divergent aspirations, their mutual support was unwavering, and I greatly appreciated their friendship, stronger than blood ties.

Each of his relationships had its charm, and each partner, in a somewhat strange way, revealed new facets of our heroes, creating a captivating dynamic where exchanges enriched them, sometimes without words, simply through a visually striking and disturbing carnal relationship for those used to seeing Nam Yoon Su in more reserved roles. I was fascinated by the wisdom of life transmitted through the dialogues of the characters, their erudition, their questions about identity and the quest for oneself. However, I would have a reservation about HIV prevention, sometimes addressed lightly: an approach like "okay for this time without protection" as if it were an option. On the cinematographic level, many scenes are distinguished by their remarkable staging. Although the entire BL is tinged with dark, often nocturnal or confined to the apartment, the shots always remain sublime. Nam Yoon Su has been able to create a synergy with each of his partners, carrying me as a time in his loneliness and pain. His interpretation deeply moved me, and I found this BL work of striking depth and realism. I can only warmly recommend it! 20/20.

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