Beautiful and emotionally poignant drama

Ok, so when I first saw this I was a bit skeptical to start it. For one, I prefer longer dramas and I am not really a fan of the short 10 min per episode webseries.


After a spell of continued boredom, I decided, why not? I’ve got nothing to lose and I might be genuinely surprised and fall in love with the series( like Semantic error or HiStory 2). Anyways, I decided to start it.


Off the bat, I wasn’t impressed. Yes, the production was cute and all but the first episode didn’t really do a lot for me. I thought it another show like Mr Heart where I would enjoy it but not have it on my favourites list.

But, as the series progressed, I found myself genuinely becoming interested in the characters and their actions.

For one, the chemistry between Han Tae Joo and
Kang cook was phenomenal. I don’t know how to explain it, but when together they could display so many emotions without actually saying anything or doing anything. For example, episode 8 before Han Tae Joo was to go to England. Them lying in the bed was surprisingly emotionally poignant and I felt myself tearing up at the most basic of things. They didn’t even kiss, for gods sake! Even their “bouts” relayed so much emotions and I think that’s just the phenomenal acting from both Han Gi Chan and Jang Eui Soo.

The cinematography was good overall and the production was crisp but I expected nothing less from a Korean BL. I’m not really keen on OSTs or musical scores, to be frank I could care less about them but I will comment that this had a good one and for me to notice it is a huge feat.

Like I said, the story really brought nothing to the table and made use of basic tropes but still, it felt fresh in some ways. The won’t they, will they fit a bit exhausting after sometime because it seemed like they always went one step forward and three steps back at times!!


On to characters. In my opinion, there were really only two characters that had character development- the two male leads. Apart from that, nothing really changed for anyone else. Hye Mi, her mother and Kim Pil Hyun basically stay the same throughout, with essentially the same convictions driving their actions. I think really the only time we see character depth is when Kang Cook was about to leave for Japan. Honestly, this isn’t negative criticism in any way. In fact, I’m glad that the writers went down this route, instead of cluttering the plot progression with useless narratives.

Rewatch value. Personally, I’m not a fan of rewatching series( except for itsab <3) but this is pretty rewatchable. It also helps that you can finish it in a little more than an hour.

Overall, this was a beautiful, emotional drama that had a near-perfect execution with so little to work it. I mean, there wasn’t many ways the plot could have developed past where it did and that’s okay!! The performance of the cast was superb and this overall was a lovely treat.

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Nothing new, but endlessly charming

Normally, I don’t really endorse straight, cheesy rom-coms. They frustrate me and for the most part I feel nothing when watching. But, a friend who holds a similar sentiment to me recommend it to me. I said to myself, however for the superficial of reasons( the fact that the cast is insanely beautiful), that I would try and watch two episodes at least and see if it was worth it.


At first, I thought the premise was cute and overall the first episode was good. A bit cliche and dramatic but still, good. It went on like that for a bit and I almost dropped it. To be completely honest, I don’t know what kept me going. The shows charm perhaps, or me relating so much to Shin Ha Ri, I have no idea. But I’m glad I did, because the more I watched, the more the show found it’s stride. Let’s break it down.

Acting

-As you read further, you will see my review of the storyline and why it has my lowest rating. The actors were not giving much to work with. It was a perfect execution however. Ahn Hyo Seop and Kim Se Jeong has incredible chemistry. I was literally always on the edge of my seat anytime they were together. Even their calls were amusing and their dynamic playing out on the screen was so refreshing. The acting of the cast was really good in general. It did have its cheesy moments, but I couldn’t help but laugh because I had fallen in love with the cast. And for once, the MCs looked like they were in love. It was utterly convincing that these two had fallen head over heels for themselves. I didn’t find myself straining to see their love and I find that amazing. Kudos to the amazing cast.

Characters
- This is a first, but I found Kang Tae Moo the best written character. He had conviction, he had a perfectly executed back story and the writers didn’t try to erase his painful past by introducing shin ha ri to “take away his pain” and make him forget. I love that Shin Ha Ri encourages him to remember the good things from his past and not try to shy away from it. Shin Ha ri was moderately well written as well, but her character felt a little less convincing. She felt like a worn out trope at times and I found myself exhausted. Nevertheless, her charming demeanour drew me in and amazing acting made her so likeable. I did notice at times that the writers tried to make her seem weak and a damsel in distress, but it didn’t end up working. The beauty of her character as an independent, determined young woman always shone through.

OST
-I don’t really notice things like this so I have nothing to say except that the opening song was so cute ahh!!

Cinematography/Production
- As expected from Korea, this was crisp and clear and didn’t feel cheap. They are the masters of cinematography in the Asian drama market and this lived up to expectations.


Story
- The story was nothing special and was filled with so many overused tropes and plot lines. Love at first sight, rich guy meets poor girl and proposes they date to fool his family, best friend of poor girl falls in love with close friend of rich guy…I could go on and on. It felt like I was watching a wattpad book come to life. There were some inventive plot points here and there: the double deception was interesting and Kang Tae Moo’s backstory felt a bit more believable. But, it still felt overused. And for many people who aren’t as patient as others, this might disinterest them really quickly. The writers might have wanted to stay on the safe side and appease the public with generic plot lines, who knows? Also, I genuinely did not like Young Seo and Sung Hoon’s relationship at first. It felt like an extension of Ha ri and Kang Tae Moo. Everything they did up until the 11th episode( where Young Seo finally meets Sung Hoon’s mother) depended on the main couple. The literal reason they never got together was because of the whole scam situation and the reason they almost broke up was because of Kang Tae Moo. They did find their footing at the end though and finally did things that only involved them and not external forces. Now, in no way is the story bad. The cast’s execution made it so much more bearable and believable so kudos!!

Rewatch Value
-10/10 watch again. I just finished but I can’t stop thinking about my babies??I love them sm it’s insane. You should definitely watch this if you haven’t and I will be watching again the near future once I’ve processed everything.

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An Absolute Masterpiece

I am genuinely afraid for every bl that comes after KinnPorsche. This drama, along with bad buddy , itsab and not me, have raised the standards so high that they will almost be impossible to meet.

The most enthralling thing about KinnPorsche is it’s ability to make things feel fresh. Contrary to what bls are characterised by( whereas we have the same tropes being used time and time again) this drama uses familiar storylines but reinvents the wheel completely. This does not feel like something any other company could release, it feels authentic to the actors and those working hard to bring this to our screens. It cements itself as unique and that is its strongest point.

The chemistry between the actors is also what made this drama so revolutionary. I can confidently say we have yet to see such chemistry between actors than mileapo. They are phenomenal. Amazing actors of course, but their interactions are so emotionally full and vast. There’s no boring moment with them and I often found myself blushing at certain moments. Kudos to them.

And of course, the vital things like scenery( which was amazing), the overall acting capabilities of the cast( they all did amazing) and the production( quite literally some of the most crisp productions we have seen in the bl industry) further contribute to the excellence of this drama.

Overall, I am quite pleased. Quite relieved at the idea I no longer have to wait in agony for new episodes but also quite sad that I have nothing to look forward to on Saturdays.

This will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you so much for the past 15 weeks. They’ve been amazing.

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