Blueming (2022)

oddly honest, maybe bittersweet

idk, for some reason this made me cry and feel melancholy without really understanding why i was sad, but not in a bad way? something about this just had a slow burn hurt, like that stitch in your clothes slowly ripping open and falling apart instead of a quick rip and tear.

It's a lowkey subtle show, done in the typical "imply don't show" manner you may know from k BLs in general, but especially from series like To My Star. (which, btw, has the same director as TMS s1 and s2, and Where Your Eyes Linger). It's a soft, subtle show that may or may not really hit home for some with its understated realism while others find it boring and underwhelming because of exactly that. idk, i liked it

minor crits:
-they gave just a LITTLE bit too much screentime to the side characters. without any background knowledge of the manhwa this was adapted from, it really seemed like the male friend with glasses had a crush on the female artist friend or siwon lmao. it was probably a nice nod to the manhwa and his plotline for people who did read the manhwa but it was just confusing more than anything to me
-i wish they showed a bit of why daun likes siwon so much. that little convo they had about it near the end was cute, but i wish they had showed some of the those qualities more before they got together? you kinda saw a glimpse of it when siwon felt bad and went out of his way to apologize to the female artist, but otherwise....eh

Leia Mais

16 episode 1 hour dramas are OVER

I really enjoyed this overall! This show further proves what I thought, you don't need THAT much time to tell a good story with interesting characters. I was super excited to watch the whole way through and the leads are sooo handsome. The steamy scenes are great, but subtle. The kiss was fantastic.

Acting: so awkward omg. I'm not sure if it's the direction or what, but there's so many scenes with uncomfortable awkward tension. Especially da-woon. He only has two expressions: completely blank stare and (sometimes awkward) smiling. Si won has more of a range in this but his bawling crying scene was really bad. Otherwise I liked him a lot. Everyone else does a great job! Especially the little sister, the mom and the quiet girl.

Plot: it's fine! Pacing is good too. Huge pro of having a short story. There were some points in the story that I felt were kinda done weird like the photo thing and the ass classmate and the quiet girl and the guy crushing on her. I see what they were going for but they were kinda just distractions and poorly executed. Also I'm here for the fluff and keeping it light, but the progression to a romantic relationship between the leads felt undeserved and sudden? Like Da-Woon doesn't have much of a personality so the only thing the audience can see that Si-Won would like is that he listens and clearly has a crush on Si-Won. Actually, I'm not even sure how Si-Won knows da woon had a crush on him?? Like he was literally just being a nice guy albeit a bit intrusive. There's no way he had enough evidence to feel comfortable believing da woon had a crush on him. The man barely talks or e-motes. It really just makes it seem like a "well he really likes me so I really like him" sort of thing.

Also I'm sorry I know it's 2023 and we've "moved forward", but I'm gonna need plots to actually talk about being gay sometimes. Like it doesn't always have to be a big thing but at least drop a hint that either character could be into guys before the big kiss?? There was literally no reason to think that either character was gay apart from knowing the premise so to get them knocking boots in a hotel suddenly feels kinda strange.

Speaking of, Da-Woon you got some nerve!! I was rooting for you and then you pulled that thing with your mom and the movie. Like was that totally necessary? And why would you not tell your mom to keep it lowkey and not talk about it with si-won nearby.

Also, not only did you not confess on your own, but you lied to him TWICE when he confronted you about it and tried to gas light him. Did NOT like that at all. Like damn you fine and all but that was kinda crazy and a bit unhinged. I'm side eyeing him a bit but he fine as hell so he can get a few chances. It really just seemed like da woon was trying to secure his man anyway he could but we don't know what he was thinking at all because again, he has I NO personality. It honestly just comes off sleezy since we have no real context.

Anyway, it's a cute show and I recommend it. It's very short and easy to watch. Just lower your expectations and don't think too hard and you'll have a great time!

Leia Mais

Realistic Acting With Amazing Script And Story

This became my favourite as soon as I binge-watched it just now.

LIKES:
1. Amazing acting (which Korean shows almost always deliver tbh)
2. Chemistry between the two MCs was incredible!
3. Every character felt three-dimensional
4. The story and the script were impeccably written. Engaging, to the point, bittersweet, smart.
5. Production quality

DISLIKES:
1. Too short!

I seriously cannot emphasize enough how much I liked this show. The love story felt so realistic and organic. The family dynamic of the main character was depicted well. Also, the traumas of the main character were also developed well and came out in an amazing story and acting.

Leia Mais

Restrained and subtle, but oh-so lovely.

I'm a huge fan of this director. I like the pace; the look; and the air of subtle restraint evident in her work. In Blueming, love and attraction simmers, feelings are scrambled and awkward, and the 'confession' doesn't evolve flowery words, but spawns touch and yearning. I thought the acting felt real and the characters felt fully dimensional and thus gave both male lead actors a full ten points. If I could have, I would have added another ten points for the cinematography. Some of the scenes were beautifully shot. All in all, this is one of the best BLs I watched in 2022.

Leia Mais

a pure and good fun time, with a dash of trauma

"something that doesn't bother me could be someone else's huge burden. about pain, it's an absolute thing for a person. it's not something you can compare. if i feel pain, then it is pain. nobody can judge you."

my god...this just a beautiful tease of the masterpieces we could have without discrimination in korean media. the depth of acting, the amazing interaction between these well-established fleshed out characters. the male leads don't necessarily have great romantic chemistry, but they like each other so much, you can feel it in such a pure way from the first episode. like, platonic love? very pure and healthy (except for that business at the end). kim so bin as yun-jeong was especially good, i found her character refreshing rather amidst what could have been very cliche or even harmful plot devices. all this with these über-short runtimes and limited episodes, they did a lot with very little ...korean BLs are too powerful, that's why the government had to nerf them.

*short addendum, did anyone else feel like the last episode was like, mostly fever dream? one instance where the pacing and short episodes did not pay off, and on the last episode? weird choice.

Leia Mais

ummmm i loved it lol

Summary: It’s about film school (well it’s an all around art department and not an exclusive college I think but whatever) and a filmmaking competition. A dude meets another dude when needing to collaborate on an assignment for class. They both have issues and they fall in love. The protagonist is Si Won.

Despite having seen the poster before, I had no intention of watching this. I was bored and procrastinating, so I decided to browse the ‘newest’ list on the explore page; now I'm glad I did. I was not prepared for ANY of that, including my reactions to it or my feelings afterwards. Blueming was like a short, intense, emotional love letter to the art of filmmaking, the volatility of art/film school in a neat story.

That’s a huge part of why I enjoyed it so much and why I love rewatching it. It’s very authentic in that way and I loved that so much. I can make connections between this, the love and obsession of all the movies and art I’ve absorbed and seen as well as my knowledge of working in filmmaking/art and the past—and current—experiences that make up the love of what we do. Tangentially, I immediately felt compelled to rewatch "Bright Star" (story about Keats and the love of his life. Dir. Jane Campion, 2009) afterward because I wanted to experience the same sense of intimacy (though it’s more intense in the film, more cinematic).

Consider the time constraints and view the program in the light of what is essentially a feature-length movie. The time constraints are a built-in flaw in these shows that they would be able to overcome, imo, if they treated it moreso like a feature when recording instead of episodic and needing to establish something concrete in every episode. Would take too long to elaborate but I hope some people understand what I mean in the difference between a TV approach and a film one.

However, though shortform is limited in what they can accomplish, it's a mark of the show's success when viewers are able to evaluate it moreso on the basis of its content, rather than being preoccupied with the things they feel are missing.

They wove cinema into their identities; being artists is part of that. The pacing was good (for how brief it is), and we were shown as well as told. Daun, the least developed between the two, changed between the beginning and the end (all the characters did) And though he is the least developed of the two, more blank slate, that’s the point of writing for visual media. They don’t end up where they started; something has actually changed. I actually think a season 2, if it is to be believed they are making one, is a great idea though I wish it were a full-fledged one since I believe the production team could have a lot to say.

It's realistic but not nihilistic or overbearing, more easygoing in reflections of reality. Sometimes things are bad, awful, hard as fuck and sometimes they’re beautiful, the depths of humanity. Again, and artistic, and particularly very cinematic, view of the world. Everyone’s striving to be themselves. Daun and Siwon's bond is defined, but I admire Siwon's sister's storyline openness. Not because a romance for her wouldn't be intriguing, but because you want everyone to be happy. Typical of a lot of Asian media of this genre, they also don’t define the sexualities in narrow terms which is what I personally prefer but not everyone does. Such is life.

Acting: So ok. Never heard of either actor but their acting was good. Think Kang Eun Bin does theater, which makes sense why he’s good, and Jo Hyuk Joon did opera. The best I’ve seen in these types of series, and a Korean one. Hyuk Joon has more experience, clearly, but he has also lived a longer life, and has developed into his body more. There isn’t a glaring asymmetry though, not at all. Eun Bin is more lanky and awkward—which will naturally change over time with age—but he knows what to do, and how to incorporate it, within his movements (movement and the way you talk is really important for me in acting). JHJ brings such charm to Da Un even when he seems impenetrable; Eun Bin displays realistic faux-confidence—we can see the cracks immediately for both of them. This isn't how I'm used to seeing these shows and enjoying it.

There was a vague air of attraction that was built from the first time they met, without these two specific actors I cannot imagine it being the same. Physical intimacy was a plus, but even if that wasn’t there, what they showed would elicit even my own feelings of wanting that type of intimacy, to get cuffed. This couple's physicality involves being near and absorbing, consuming, each other's energy. Experiencing each other. Negative capability, per Keats. It's just good and it feels good; I can't explain it.

Conversational scenes were the most moving to me. There are a few crucial exchanges that I eagerly anticipated because of the writing, acting, and palpable intensity of the emotions they deftly conveyed, all of which were interesting and well done. The show grabs my/our attention by taking us along, making us feel like you're a part of the characters' lives and their universe. Without the artists, his friends, the ridiculousness/competitiveness, the anxiety of wanting to make it and be perfect because it is PRESSURE to have to deliver in this school setting—ultimately the most depressing and frustrating parts of art school—and how they deal with that, I doubt I would have enjoyed the show as much as I did. Btw, the bullshit is all too real, especially with men, who feel uncomfortable (many times threatened and emasculated, even the non-straight ones) with others' success and “losing out."

One of my favorite scenes is their scene in the street on the last ep. They both did amazing and Eun Bin shone in that scene.

I understand that some people were confused (and there were times when it was confusing, but you could go back and see what you missed), but I enjoyed the show's experimental elements. It was pretty powerful and the point is that it does take you a couple of times, or a delayed amount of time, to realize something is off in that particular scene. it would have been better if that experimental motif was previously established so the audience could gain that pattern recognition, though.

In terms of production, it's well-done. Her/her crew’s best, the actors best, and it makes me curious how she would work with other genres. Which brings me to a tiny point I'd like to make: I just don't get why women (regardless of sexuality) get so attached to this genre—as writers, producers, directors, whatever—exclusively, and I find the whole thing to be pretty cringe. Clearly Hwang Da Seul is talented, and her productions have tightened up, her crews better, the casting good. But she had a character stand-in for herself, explaining that these are the stories she loves and well. Me personally I don’t get it but I’ll leave it at that.

Anyway, there are production issues: time constraints, voiceovers I can’t stand and make me embarrassed (hotel room), more specific about Da Un—but the vagueness is also a plus for me—and more specificity about Si Won’s past. But then there were good cuts, or little things that reminded me why I love doing this. There’s a moment that transitions with a perfect beat from two characters speaking after an event, while declaring friendship, and going to Si Won and Da Un on a bus after they establish they feel something for each other. Even something as insignificant as that can leave a mark.

It's rare for me to enjoy the soundtrack of an asian TV show, but I found myself enjoying even the Bon Iver-sounding number. The music by JHJ is included as well! I really like that song.

The show is about two people who are growing up and going through growing pains, falling in love, and being in love. where everything that goes wrong is worth it and you can firmly believe in a happily-ever-after, but a real happily-ever-after where nothing is perfect but it's good enough.

I’ve rewatched the show multiple times; it’s entertaining and the two of them make a great couple. This is the director's best work, in my opinion, most intimate and full of feelings, it's delightful and will make you feel immensely good. I really hope she tries her hand at other things and genres.

Leia Mais

just wow

this was so good, the aesthetics, cinematography and EVERYTHING ! the actung was good and the storyline, the kisses were so cute and perfect which made me smile and the silhouette SCENE !! I screamed !! The sotry line just moced so smoothly and I watched it all in one day which is really hard for me to do because I often don't watch shows in one sitting and in one day but this ine, couldn't take my eyes off the screen and I seen myself clicking for the next episode and the next :( that's all <3

twice lyrics for you :
그런 날이 있어
갑자기 혼자인 것만 같은 날
어딜 가도 내 자리가 아닌 것만 같고
고갠 떨궈지는 날
그럴 때마다 내게
얼마나 내가 소중한지
말해주는 너의 그 한마디에
Everything's alright
초라한 nobody에서 다시 somebody
특별한 나로 변해
You make me feel special
세상이 아무리 날 주저앉혀도
아프고 아픈 말들이 날 찔러도
네가 있어 난 다시 웃어
That's what you do
Again I feel special
아무것도 아닌 존재 같다가도
사라져도 모를 사람 같다가도
날 부르는 네 목소리에
I feel loved, I feel so special
자꾸 숨고만 싶어서
마주 하기가 싫어서
모든 게 의미를 잃은 듯이
내가 의미를 잃은 듯이 가만히 주저앉아 있을 때
그때 내 앞에 나타난 너의
따뜻한 미소와 손길에 (hey)
Everything's alright
초라한 nobody에서 다시 somebody
특별한 나로 변해
You make me feel special
세상이 아무리 날 주저앉혀도 (앉혀도)
아프고 아픈 말들이 날 찔러도
네가 있어 난 다시 웃어
That's what you do
Again I feel special
아무것도 아닌 존재 같다가도 (같다가도)
사라져도 모를 사람 같다가도
날 부르는 네 목소리에
I feel loved, I feel so special
Uh, you make everything alright
구름이 쫙 낀 햇살 한 줌 없는 날
네가 바로 나의 shining light
That's what you do
아무리 어두운 밤도 다시 낮
I owe it to you
Because you make me feel special
세상이 아무리 날 주저앉혀도 (앉혀도)
아프고 아픈 말들이 날 찔러도
네가 있어 난 다시 웃어
That's what you do
Again I feel special
아무것도 아닌 존재 같다가도 (같다가도)
사라져도 모를 사람 같다가도
날 부르는 네 목소리에

Leia Mais

Cinematographic masterclass

Right off the bat, I can say that this is one of the best looking BLs out there, regardless of country of origin. The cinematography is, as I said, a masterpiece. Each frame is well thought out, with beautiful lighting and gorgeous, punchy colors. It is a visual feast. The story tackles sensitive matters like insecurity, anxiety, and loneliness well. Extremely relevant and relatable. There is so much to love.

However, I felt the performances from the leads were lacking. There were some stale moments, especially the heavy scenes. During those emotion driven scenes, it seemed like they weren't committed enough. On the other hand, they were fully committed during the intimate scenes. They did a great job.

Leia Mais

Be the best version of yourself that you can

Just completed this drama last night and loved it.
The description 'charming' came to mind.

This BL manages to gender neutralise and focus on the sweet angst of a couple starting to love. What I mean by gender neutralise is there are no specific BL tropes the story could be about 2 boys, 2 girls or 1 of each it works because it is about the couple. The whole story focuses on their gradual coming together.
There is enough depth of character building, despite the shortness of the drama a lot is contained as the back story is revealed. Honestly the 11 episodes flew by and I watched from start to finish engaged all the way.
The actors are very natural in their responses and the 'human-ness' of their love is beautiful to watch at the end I sat for a while just recalling scenes. Kang Eun Bin and Jo Hyuk Joon did an incredible job depicting the leads in a realistic and restrained way that emphasised the naturalness of their portrayal. the OST and cinematography were lovely and added to the experience, especially the use of tinted lighting (blue for blueming).
XXX

Leia Mais

A cinematic production.

Honestly the biggest point for this show is the production. It feels very cinematic and is less "happy sunshine rainbows" which I think matures it in a way I quite enjoy. I really appreciated the more ambiguous way that Si Won and his mothers' relationship was rather than tying it up in a neat bow. The main couple had many beautiful scenes, but I think more dialogue would have been beneficial along with more time. The ending feels a bit choppy and though I was pulled in by the beautiful way the show is shot, I am left a little empty handed with why I should care about the main couple.

It feel more like we are kept at arms length by the show. Never truly pulled into any of the plot beats - other than perhaps Si Won's one conversation with his mother. It was a nice show, but I think that is what makes it fall short in the long term. Beautiful but lacking a little substance, which is an ironic thing when you take into context the themes that it was trying to portray.

Leia Mais

You're Gonna Be Popular

Going into this drama, I don't know what exactly I was expecting from it. Maybe something sweet and lighthearted, relatively uncomplicated. Instead what I got was a story with real depth and heart, characters that came alive, excellent acting, and an overall good quality production value. It was a pleasant surprise. There is something very artistic about it that I really appreciated and enhanced the story for me. It is hands down one of my favorite Korean BLs.

The story, at face value, is a simple enough slice of life focusing on two young college men, the challenges they face both together and as individuals. Alongside them are their friends and family who have their own trials from dealing with sexism and harassment to guilt tripping from parents to the pressures of needing to be successful. The pacing was well done. It didn't feel rushed nor did it feel too slow.

I loved the characters of Da Un and Si Won. They are such opposites and yet in some ways, they are so similar. They're a study in how our families shape us, for better or worse. Si Won's mother had good intentions, but her good intentions caused lasting trauma to her son, leaving him lacking confidence and feeling the need to pursue perfection. Da Un, on the other hand, contrary to Si Won's assumption, suffered neglect at the hands of his parents which led to a different kind of trauma, one that affected and almost destroyed his relationship with Si Won. It is both fascinating and painful to watch them, as well as beautiful as they start to help each other heal.

The acting is superb. Hyuk Joon and Eun Bin both do their characters proud. They were equally good with the more lighthearted scenes and the emotionally heavy scenes. They had phenomenal chemistry and played off of each other so well. It was such a pleasure to watch their interactions. I have absolutely no complaints. The supporting cast was also really good. There is one particular scene between Si Won and his mother that is just exceptional. Both actors killed it.

The production value was for the most part really good. The cinematography in particular was stunning. I loved their use of lighting and the fact that one of the techniques mentioned in class was actively utilized was very clever.

This drama was such an unexpected pleasure, I truly enjoyed every moment of it. It's a sweet romance between relatable characters and as a whole, it's just very well done. I highly recommend watching it and this is one that I think would improve repeated viewings.

Leia Mais