Vingo
This review may contain spoilers
Well handled coming to terms with yourself gay romance
A charming series which responsibly explores the difficulties of facing your own sexuality, coming to terms and finding love with another (and learning to love yourself)
Story & character development
I read some reviews criticising how the love triangle was solved, but I disagree with them. One of the main drivers of this plot was focusing in on the fears of facing your own sexuality and the challenges of finding that special connection amid the maelstrom of a school life in a culture unfriendly to gays.
Take a case in point which I think was extremely well handled. Many criticise the decision to wrap the plot up with Tae Kyung
choosing Shin Woo over Da On. But they miss something extremely important. I write from personal experience as someone who came out as gay later in my life, mid twenties. I can assure everyone that that first year was horrendous (in my case not because of any issues with family members not accepting it). The entire dynamic of my life radically and irretrievably altered. The very thing I had spent my *entire* school life running from, hiding, being ashamed of - was just there. When a gay man (even moreso for gay teenagers) actually face who they are, it takes a long emotional process to find that new equilibrium in your life.
My point here is, Da On's character needed to take time to face himself - his real self - having taken the courage to face it openly despite the myriad challenges he would be facing subsequently. His character needed Tae Kyung as a friend, there to help him in what would be a tough time ahead. Believe me, in real life the first year you're out is often not a time you want to spend wooing a first love, it's a brutally draining emotional journey. Da On's character needed to take time for himself and that ending seemed correct to me.
As for Tae Kyung, what he needed was someone to love him, give his character the attention he so obviously yearned and craved. This was simply not a role Da On's character was in a position to give him. He was now finding a new balance in his life between the work he genuinely loves, learning to love his new self and there just wasn't room in his life at that time for him to meet Tae Kyung's needs.
Whereas Shin Woo was someone ready to be what Tae required by the end. Shin had already faced Da's journey prior to the beginning of the series, and had found a balance in his own life. He was emotionally, personally ready to be be the romantic partner Tae was searching for.
A love triangle done right for once:
To my mind this love triangle plot is a rare case of one being done extremely well. And I say this as someone who actively dislikes love triangle plot devices, but in this case it fit in perfectly with the character development in the story.
Teaching profession:
Another good aspect was the role they had the educator play, dishing out advice and wisdom free from judgement. It sends a message about the importance of educators in our lives. I recall a time when one of my Chinese first year uni students came to me after I finished teaching a module, burst out crying and asked me advice about if she should tell her parents she was a lesbian. I still - years later - think about that conversation, and the advice I gave. I LOVE the subtle emphasis on the importance of our teachers and elders. The role these people play has impact on the students they teach, those who look up to them and also stays with the teachers themselves.
Charming series, well executed. My 7.5/10 represents a comfortably above average gay romance which tackles important subtleties known to gay people very delicately and sensibly. If what you're looking for is melodrama, or some bullshit fan-shipping opportunity this series isn't for you. But if you want a charming, well paced (maybe sometimes slightly slow at points) story which can provide a small insight into being gay, coming to terms with this and facing public ridicule with courage then this is for you. That this was a South Korean production makes me very excited for the future, given it is a country with a notoriously conservative culture regarding gay rights and romance.
Story & character development
I read some reviews criticising how the love triangle was solved, but I disagree with them. One of the main drivers of this plot was focusing in on the fears of facing your own sexuality and the challenges of finding that special connection amid the maelstrom of a school life in a culture unfriendly to gays.
Take a case in point which I think was extremely well handled. Many criticise the decision to wrap the plot up with Tae Kyung
choosing Shin Woo over Da On. But they miss something extremely important. I write from personal experience as someone who came out as gay later in my life, mid twenties. I can assure everyone that that first year was horrendous (in my case not because of any issues with family members not accepting it). The entire dynamic of my life radically and irretrievably altered. The very thing I had spent my *entire* school life running from, hiding, being ashamed of - was just there. When a gay man (even moreso for gay teenagers) actually face who they are, it takes a long emotional process to find that new equilibrium in your life.
My point here is, Da On's character needed to take time to face himself - his real self - having taken the courage to face it openly despite the myriad challenges he would be facing subsequently. His character needed Tae Kyung as a friend, there to help him in what would be a tough time ahead. Believe me, in real life the first year you're out is often not a time you want to spend wooing a first love, it's a brutally draining emotional journey. Da On's character needed to take time for himself and that ending seemed correct to me.
As for Tae Kyung, what he needed was someone to love him, give his character the attention he so obviously yearned and craved. This was simply not a role Da On's character was in a position to give him. He was now finding a new balance in his life between the work he genuinely loves, learning to love his new self and there just wasn't room in his life at that time for him to meet Tae Kyung's needs.
Whereas Shin Woo was someone ready to be what Tae required by the end. Shin had already faced Da's journey prior to the beginning of the series, and had found a balance in his own life. He was emotionally, personally ready to be be the romantic partner Tae was searching for.
A love triangle done right for once:
To my mind this love triangle plot is a rare case of one being done extremely well. And I say this as someone who actively dislikes love triangle plot devices, but in this case it fit in perfectly with the character development in the story.
Teaching profession:
Another good aspect was the role they had the educator play, dishing out advice and wisdom free from judgement. It sends a message about the importance of educators in our lives. I recall a time when one of my Chinese first year uni students came to me after I finished teaching a module, burst out crying and asked me advice about if she should tell her parents she was a lesbian. I still - years later - think about that conversation, and the advice I gave. I LOVE the subtle emphasis on the importance of our teachers and elders. The role these people play has impact on the students they teach, those who look up to them and also stays with the teachers themselves.
Charming series, well executed. My 7.5/10 represents a comfortably above average gay romance which tackles important subtleties known to gay people very delicately and sensibly. If what you're looking for is melodrama, or some bullshit fan-shipping opportunity this series isn't for you. But if you want a charming, well paced (maybe sometimes slightly slow at points) story which can provide a small insight into being gay, coming to terms with this and facing public ridicule with courage then this is for you. That this was a South Korean production makes me very excited for the future, given it is a country with a notoriously conservative culture regarding gay rights and romance.
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