Love Class (2022)

An Easy? 6 Episodes

LONG REVIEW AHEAD BC I'M DRAMATIC :)
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First of all, y'all are regarding this show too highly... in my opinion.

Was it easy to watch? Eh. Did it have a sweet message? Sure. Did it make any sense at all? Hardly.

Now hear me out. This story was fed to us as two male college students in a marriage&family class who reluctantly become partners for a dating assignment (Gagaoolala). That sounded pretty average to me (in the scope of BL's that I've watched), and it was only going to be 6 episodes, so I picked up the show as soon as it aired. However, it was very clear after the second episode that this storyline was not headed in the direction I had assumed it would. In fact, I think the train this show and its viewers were riding switched its course twice, teleported to another dimension, and then pulled into its final destination upside down.

SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THIS REVIEW!!!

Why do I feel that way, you may ask? Well, let's start with the stalker.

This show is literally 6 episodes long. SIX. Why did the writers waste 30% of this show on a stalker that is practically forgotten about after the fourth episode when he's caught? It was irrelevant and time consuming--even as a trope to bring our main protagonist (Ji-woo) and his two love interests (Ro-A and Yu-Na) together. This scenario in six episodes would have only worked had the stalker been stalking Ji-woo, not Yu-Na, and if the setting was more thriller-like than soft and romantic. 4/10

Now, let's talk about Ro-A's roommate (Nam-Jun).

Was he hot? Yes. Do I just have a thing for bald men? Maybe. But I digress. What the hell was that? Did y'all see what I saw? I was all for the beginning premise of this show: guy likes guy, but the guy that guy likes, likes girl. I was not prepared for guy likes guy, but the guy that guy likes, likes other guy that likes girl. Now we have a jealous best friend harassing Ji-woo and kicking over tennis balls...... While I don't mind a love triangle, I cannot emphasize enough that this drama is ONLY 6 EPISODES. Thus, Nam-Jun's character felt 2 dimensional and as ridiculously placed as the stalker. 6/10 (higher score bc he's hot).

Finally, let's get into the topic of that one student and her teacher.

Why? 1/10


Now for my ratings! If you're still here...

Story? 7/10.
Honestly, it wasn't bad. But, it wasn't good. The only reason I found myself coming back for each episode was in hopes to see progression between Ji-woo and Ro-A's relationship. Yes, their story ended up progressing. Yes, we even got a kiss. No, I was not satisfied.

In every way, their story feels unfinished. I mean.. it kind of is unfinished.. and not in a way that I'd like to see a season two between these characters (and whichever other characters the writers will drop in). We see nothing build between them, unless you count a drenched Ro-A reciting a poem to Ji-woo through a locked door. And even that didn't do it for me, as the scene that ensues (where they're in the bed) only lasts for a minute or two, and there's nothing romantic about it. And now that we're talking about romance, I will die on any hill as I say that there is no genuine romance in this show. Ro-A kind of just stays by Ji-woo's side until Ji-woo realizes that his feelings for Ro-A are more than he thought. But we don't even get to see that shift. It kind of just happens, and then they're together and happily holding hands after the longest 20 minutes of my life.

Acting/Cast? 8/10.
I don't have much to say, honestly. Ji-woo (Han Hyun Jun) and Nam-Jun (Yoo Hyuk Jae) were my favorite actors/characters. They really encompassed their roles as the men who pine after their unrequited love, and I was able to feel their hurt, anger, confusion, and passion. Everyone else was just okay. Nothing spectacular, but nothing terrible. Honorable mention to the stalker: great performance, but you run weird.

Music? 6/10.
Can't recall a single song in this show, and OST's are my favorite. That should say enough.

Rewatch Value? 7.5/10.
I'll tell you what. I do see myself watching this drama again, but it won't be my first choice when I have nothing else to watch. It's just light, quick, and there's a kiss at the end to seal the deal.

Overall? 7/10.
I really wish Korea would stop releasing less than average BL's, because we all know how well done their hetero drama's are; a low budget does not equate to a poorly written script. I want heart. I want reality. I want ROMANCE. I want to see a relationship between two male characters feel natural, and I want their story to make sense! BUT, we can't all have what we want, so I will settle at a 7 for this rating. Just know that you have been warned of the mediocrity of this drama.

Leia Mais

Awkward but It Works!

This is a complete mish-mash of characters that honestly should not work. They are awkward and seem awkward in their own skins. But weirdly, it all works and turns out to be a charming and engaging series. It grabbed my attention and never let go. There are some hidden meanings in this series and that is captured very well. An awkward happenstance that turns charming and you end up rooting for them. Physically, these two actors seem out-of-place, not compatible with each other, and awkwardly clumsy. Yet, it all worked. There is such good chemistry between them that appears to be genuine, even if it is unorthodox. Just enjoy this charmer.
You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.

Leia Mais

Unfortunately, nothing stood out

I was able to finish the series and I found some parts of it cute, but other than this, I found too many flaws for it to be worth recommending.

- The premise of the show is cute, but is drowned by other plotlines very quickly, and by the end I wondered why did they bother with the couple assignment trope to begin with.
- Speaking of plotlines: there's so many, way too many for a six-episodes drama. There could have been hope if they gave up on one or two of them, or if they had more episodes to better tackle them, but unfortunately this is how it is. As a result, the different plotlines are introduced but never properly explored, so it really felt disappointing overall.
- As I said, some parts were cute. Unfortunately though, the chemistry never seemed to bloom at any time in the story (mostly because the excessive plotlines I mentioned above DIDN'T LET IT), and even the feelings between the two protagonists seem to develop in a weird way. I'm not saying that they should be all about their romance at all times, but I felt like there wasn't enough of them, which is a huge flaw for what is meant to be a romantic drama.

I really can't recommend this drama because it feels like a draft, rather than a finished project. Nothing stood out enough to me to make it memorable, except the fact that it was so messy and unsatisfying.

Leia Mais

Mediocre, but not bad?

The drama is about a love class where 2 classmates are meant to be spending time together to learn more about relationships. In this class, the two main leads, Roa and Jiwoo get together and get close. You can tell that Roa cares about Jiwoo, but the connection falls a little flat. The characters aren't particularly likable, The two girls are okay, and the muscly friend of Roa is a bit of a salty man who does eventually help the two get together. Another reviewer mentioned how this was both too short and too long. I think that if certain arcs were made longer, such as that of Roa and his friend, and if others were shorter, such as the stalker part, it would have been a more enjoyable experience. The whole thing is 2 hours long, and there is a bit too much happening for everything to feel realized. I think with some editing of the script, it would have become a much better piece of film.

I have a hard time recommending this in the current sea of BLs coming out. If this came out 4 years ago, I would have supported it more. However, this BL does not stand out enough from other BLs. Do I wish I hadn't watched it? No, I'm okay with it. Did I love it? Ehhh...

If you are intrigued, you can watch it as it is only 2 hours in full. If you were to watch it, I would recommend putting it lower on your watch list.

Leia Mais

Some good things, but likely to disappoint BL fans

There isn't a really great story here, but I find it okay, and there are some things the series does quite well.

Firstly, the main love story is not perfectly done. The way Ji Woo gradually falls in love with Ro A could have been done a little better. And while Ro A is clearly in love with Ji Woo from the start, we can only guess that he has met Ji Woo before the first lesson of the titular class but we do not see it until quite late in the series (and even then, there's a missed opportunity to show more of what makes Ji Woo attractive to him).

I feel a little conflicted about the portrayal of (Korean) society's homophobia. On the one hand, the series shows quite deftly the pressure that Ji Woo and Ro A will face as a gay couple and this becomes a plausible explanation for Ro A's rejection of Ji Woo when Ji Woo eventually confesses to him: he simply loves Ji Woo too much to subject him to the pressure, and he assumes that since Ji Woo has been in love with a woman before, he can easily lead a "normal" life with a woman as his partner. It is not just Ro A's love that is touching here but also the sympathetic portrayal of the predicament of gay people. However, I also can't help but feel that the portrayal of homophobia is a tad too exaggerated. Someone claims that Ji Woo and Ro A are a gay couple even before they are really one, based on a photo of Ji Woo feeding an injured Ro A, and suddenly their classmates behave as though gay people were monsters and they are shocked to see an actual gay person for the first time in their lives.

The other flaw in the story is the creation of a love triangle--Ro A's friend-cum-roommate has a crush on him. I can see how this helps to create tension in the story, but ultimately, the series would be better off with this roommate being portrayed as a protective and supportive close friend instead. It feels as though the falling out and reconciliation of Ro A and his roommate are forcibly used as a plot device.

As a BL series, Love Class doesn't quite have enough fluff to make one squeal. And while it does take some things seriously and has an at least okayish story, the good parts of the story are not really related to the developments in Ji Woo and Ro A's relationship. This will definitely result in disappointment for BL fans.

Leia Mais

The whole storyline is just a plot of other series.

This series was released in 2022 but every aspect falls below the average. The normalcy of the storyline could've made this a better series if the script and settings are on-point. The inconsistency of emotional dialogues and music is what this series failed to overcome. This is just a two-hour entire series but the whole team behind wasted its potential.

The main leads exude pretty features but their chemistry is literally off. Their acting may not be as epic as the professional actors, but they portrayed their roles well.

Just happened to watch this since this series is short. I can say that this is not a must-watch.

(Suggested overall rating is 6/10 but I will rate this a little bit higher since it stays the lane with my other 6.5/10-rated series)

Leia Mais

HMMMMMMMMM

At first, the story is interesting although the genre is not new. I don't know but the storyline is terrible. They create scenes just to trigger the emotions of the viewers. I just felt that they only focused on creating something that the viewers would love to see, but they failed in that part. They made things excessive just like the picture of the main lead feeding each other, they create chaos in that too much, and for me it's unnatural. Well, I know that in reality, some people are still against LGBT or are not open to it but I just don't like how they portray it in the series. The flow of the story is a bit off. I don't know but suddenly they make things fast... The events happen so fast, the transitions are all unsatisfying.
The chemistry is not that strong but it's also not bad. It's in the mid. The tall male lead can improve his acting skill, don't get me wrong but trough out the series his eyes are not acting its not telling the story or the emotions, it is frozen or stiff. The love triangle theme(best friend situations) did not work well in the series maybe because of the chemistry or the storyline.

Leia Mais

Why do short series...

Why do short series leave you begging for more and then I also suffer through 45 to 50 minutes each week for 12 weeks just to have less of an experience with longer series. That is also my biggest complaint. There are a lot of great aspects to this series. It could have been a longer series without ruining it's charm in my opinion.
First they had a stalker and violence and it was addressed and presented appropriately without making it the focus of the series or over taking the main story line. The story line of the class project was great.
Congrats to Kim Tae Hwan for his portrayal of Lo-A . I felt his love and his aguish of feelings for Ji Woo. Second goes to Yoo Hyuk Jae for his portrayal of Nam Jun. His feeling and anguish was very well played. I did like Hyun Jun and his portrayal of Ji Woo. I think his character could have used more time to show his transition to having feelings for Lo-A. Really a scripting thing. Thank-you for having 2 female characters that we very enjoyable and likeable.
Over-all this is a very strong series. I was engaged and left wanting more. This series is much better than the rating here.

Leia Mais

The kind of romance I loved

Love class is a beautiful depiction of awkward love filled with fluffiness. My original perception of it was "just another bl", but it has surprisingly left a mark in my heart.
Good things -
Acting - Everyone was fit for their roles and gave their all to live the character.
Production - It never disappointed
Music - Great
Idea - The best and the unique one

Bad things -
The length. There was a lot that could be shown, and if they pulled off a drama with a longer length, at least of 16 episodes, it would have been a better drama.
I would have liked it if they showed yoo na's character more. She was someone who could have made this drama even better. Her position would be a good way to educate people about serious topics.
I would have also loved to see nam jun's side of the story. Much as he was the bad one, I wanted to hear his story more precisely.
Also the relationship between the MLs was quick. Especially considering how they could have made their thoughts clearer.

In the end, I think it is a good story that could have been a legendary one if they took more effort to make it longer. I know there might be tons of reasons for this, but still.
Is it worth watching - totally yes.

Leia Mais

The series is fun, it's a nice storyline and a short series, but it did get to the point. The actors were good and I loved the teacher. The leads had good chemistry. It was a nice refreshing take on falling in love through a school project. It was a nice touch to put a little action with the stalker moment, I mean it's been done but it was nicely done. It does have fluffy moments and the leads make you laugh and cry especially at the end. It did a good job in telling and taking on through the storyline on a fast 7 episode drama, but it did work out nicely. I like that it kept a good flow and showed the growth of the characters all dealing with the issues. Its totally a cute short series to enjoy.

Leia Mais