Nossa Simulação de Namoro (2023)

BL around a dating sim app and characters design: what's not to love ?!

The drama is centred around an office romance in a video game development company. The two main male characters share an interesting past together and I found the various flashbacks very well done and put at the right place all along the series. It allowed the viewer to understand easily the dynamic of their relationship, the trauma of their past still impacting their present. It made perfect sense and was very thoughtful. Given its length, the story is appropriately paced: it is never boring and manage to have some peaks and valleys, making it a really good and exciting show to binge-watch.

After watching this drama, I become really fond of the two main actors. They were both excellent, their friends-to-lovers storyline was super believable with well-executed kissing scenes as well as proper relationship development. The other cast members were likeable even if they are not that present given the shortness of the show.

I loved the format of the series with each episode ending on a typical multiple choices sequence as in many visual novels and dating sim games: it was super cute and totally in line with the thematic. The soundtrack was really nice with a couple of songs full of soul and emotion. The making made the drama even more enjoyable: it was simple and efficiently supporting the storytelling.

I would recommend this to people looking for a different kind of romance, it takes some very well-known tropes and manages to make something fresh from it. It kind of gives similar vibes to the manga "Otaku x Otaku". If you love office romances, friends-to-lovers stories and have an interest in games development and art design, go for it!

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So Good, But Too Short

Too bad this series is so short and to the point because it stands out tremendously in many aspects. It's the reason I can't give this series higher than an 8, because out of all the good things that happened, its brevity and lack of details withdraw it from being, in my opinion, one of the best.

Let's Dive In.

Our Dating Sim is an office romance that for once didn't have me falling asleep with futile office jargon, or too much time spent watching them work. It was a nice balance of story, romance, and the very slice of video game language that we do get. Ki-Tae is wrapped around the finger of Wan, who confessed his love in high school but then out of embarrassment (and a misunderstanding) runs away and can't be found for the next seven years. Through his online webcomic, Ki-Tae is able to find him again and gain him entry into his game development job, as they try over again. I think the story was beautiful. The way Ki-Tae is so heartbroken about Wan's disappearance, the way we see it again in the later episodes. The consistency of it was faultless, but with the show's little timing, I'd hope they'd be on top of it.

I think my only argument is that because of how short it was, the romance is rushed. even though both actors give off exuberant chemistry, their getting together felt hurried, with nothing but a simple (but fucking awesome) kiss being their reason to get back together. And lost time and all that, I get it, but still, less than a week of reconciling doesn't mean getting together immediately.

Other than that, everything was good. The friendships in the office, the flashbacks to high school, their domestic home life, their connection, the natural chemistry between them, how they look at one another, touch one another, kiss one another. I even really appreciated the mini-dating sim game at the end of each episode, I think it was a perfect touch.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - Too short, so things were a bit rushed, but they still gave more story than other series. Because everything else was pretty perfect, The score is still very decently high.

Acting: 9/10 - Great! Especially Seungyu (Ki-Tea or Eddy) who carried emotions very well.

Music: 6/10 - I can't keep forgetting to listen to music like this every time, but again, I literally don't remember.

Recommendation value: 8.5/10 - It's a super cute watch, and if people do enjoy watching short series, then this is a good one because you can finish it in less than 3 hours.

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UNEXPECTEDLY GOOD

Korean BLs are not my favorites as they have the same storylines, same cinematography, etc. The story for this isn't something new, the cinematography isn't new either, but what makes it different is the actors, and the script. Finally, we have a main lead, Ki Tae, that's communicating. He delivered and saved this drama from becoming just another Korean BL. My favorite scene would be when Ki Tae panicked and looked for Lee Wan in the streets. It felt real. Their kiss at the end can still be improved. It was a little awkward to see them kiss and there's a space between them while kissing, not even placing their hands on each other's neck or face.

Overall, I'm happy that I get to rate a Korean BL a 9.5 stars. I'm so tired of rating BLs last and this year not lower and higher than 6.

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cute but definitely underwhelming

you know a bl is really good if you felt an overwhelming amount of emotions and this bl did not deliver that..

i have seen lots of reviews saying that this was the best bl drama from 2023 and i could disagree on that. i get that maybe the production was on a budget but man the acting was lowkey awkward. also the series was super short and everything felt kinda rushed.

chemistry??? there was none. yeah they were cute an all but the chemistry was not there ?i was really hoping to see much more from the boys but it was too boring and felt like a basic web drama where two boys fall in love and have a happy ending blah blah blah. there were no twists nor surprises to spice it up. it was just bland.

alsoooo one thing i noticed was the camera movement from each cut scene. it distracted me so much like the camera man did not do a good job of capturing chemistry and genuineness idkkk ?anyways this show wasnt for me so thats why i gave it a low rating!

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Well Done, Simple Sweetness

Great. Sweet and cute. Well written, acted, and directed. Definitely worth a watch. Story is simple but still holds up to an occasional re-watch. Quite satisfying and left me with a smile.

Watch past the last title page in each episode for another short scene.

The actors were comfortable with each other and had great chemistry. Their characters are believable as two young men in love. The uncertainty, flirting, skinship, and kisses are all very natural. The kisses are realistic and look like the characters are actually feeling through them.

Lee Seong Gyu was very charismatic. He also did a fabulous job realistically portraying the anxiety and a panic attack associated with the fear of his love interest once again disappearing on him. He successfully tugged at my heartstrings.

A little angst, that was mostly light, and everything was resolved well. The length of the story felt just right (eight 30min episodes)

Music wasn't memorable but wasn't distracting either.

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Save the Date

Our Dating Sim is a drama with a lot of heart in a small package. It manages to combine a lot of well known tropes into a cohesive, well paced story that's cute and entertaining without overdoing it on the fluff factor. It presents characters that are likeable with enough of a backstory to also make them compelling. The game component added another layer that was engaging and further drew the viewer into the story. It was an all around fun little romantic comedy.

The story is relatively simple and uncomplicated which, with such a short air time, is smart. Flashbacks are kept to a minimum, just enough to give the viewer the gist of the characters' past relationship and it's importance. The pacing is very well done. It's not rushed, but the story is constantly moving and it never gets boring. It is very much a fluff fest, but there are a few tenser moments and some angst thrown in to keep it from getting too overbearing. Those scenes also allowed glimpses of characters in their more vulnerable moments.

Lee Wan and Gi Tae both presented as compelling characters. I liked that Gi Tae was a confident character, but he wasn't a bully like those types of characters often can be. He was clearly comfortable with himself and he shared that positivity with those around him. Underneath that confidence and positivity though was the pain of having lost Lee Wan and once he found him again, that pain turned to fear, the fear of losing him again. The scene where he thinks Lee Wan has disappeared again and he goes searching the streets for him is a poignant one. You can feel his fear and distress. And then once he does find him, his relief that he hasn't disappeared again is almost palpable. Much like the plants that he loves and cares for, Gi Tae takes root and really doesn't change much. His character is pretty much unwavering, but that simply allows Lee Wan's character to grow more.

Lee Wan is a bit more complex. One of his defining characteristics, at least initially, is his flight instinct which is very much active. Interestingly enough, they're typically preceded by moments of bravery like confessing to Gi Tae or accepting the job interview. He's an admirable character. He throws himself into his work, pushing himself, striving to learn. He's not a wallflower, but he also doesn't stand out. His journey has more ups and downs than Gi Tae's as he discovers more about himself, finding that in a way, Gi Tae is his roots, the reason he started drawing. He stops running away, instead accepting and declining opportunities after considering what is the best option for himself.

Lee Seung Gyu and Lee Jong Hyuk absolutely delivered with their performances. Physical intimacy is generally poorly done in Korean BLs but they brought their A game and everything about them was so effortless and natural. They both had clear understandings of their characters and their performances were believable and nuanced. I also really liked Sung Ryung as Sunny. She had a great presence and while she didn't say much, what she did say held weight.

The production value was fabulous. Having the dating game theme continued through pretty much every part was very engaging. The game stages at the end of each episode were cute and fun. I personally took them as an example of how the game they created was played and thought it was nice way to incorporate it.

This is not one of those dramas with a lot deep, thought provoking content and it doesn't try to tackle any issues, but it doesn't need to. It serves as something light and fluffy to take your mind off things and give you something to smile at for a bit. It's a very well done, short drama that I would absolutely recommend for multiple viewings.

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Lee Wan (Lee Jong-hyuk) and Shin Gi tae (Lee Seung Gyu) were friends in school. Just before graduation, something happened and they went on their own way afterwards. Seven years later, Lee Wan, who is now an illustrator, gets to work together with Gi Tae on a new date-themed game project. Will their time together now lead into mutual feelings between them?

A simple fluff with almost no angst, perfect for this short drama, I appreciate each episode. It’s well-paced, well-acted, and has well-behaved characters. This is one of the rare friends-to-lovers tropes that I’m not feeling icky about. While it might be a classic story with well known tropes, the execution makes it fun and entertaining that I think many will enjoy. I loved how they utilize a dating game for storytelling at the epilogues, with spot on dialogues.

Thanks to the well-written script and natural chemistry of Lee Seung Gyu and Lee Jong Hyuk, both leads were equally exciting. Gi Tae is confident, positive, but not overbearing. He gave the right amount of playful teasing. I like how he puts Lee Wan on the spot and makes him flustered like how he did to him 7 years ago. I like Lee Wan, too, for how ‘realistic’ his character was. Introspective and hardworking, he value things that are important to him. They are just so lovely together. They made my heart happy.

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Absolutely adorable

If you're looking for a show with a lot of sweet, fluffy moments, then this is for you! The storyline is nothing mind-blowing by far, but the great acting, the amazing chemistry and the overall adorableness absolutely make up for it.

I think the biggest "issue" (if you can even call it that) of the show is the set-up itself: 7 years ago, when the two main characters were still in high school, Lee Wan confessed his feelings to Ki Tae. He attempted to kiss him, and Ki Tae backed away. This caused Lee Wan to run away and cut all ties with Ki Tae for 7 years. I'm not kidding. One failed kissing attempt was enough for this boy to be like 'lol, I'm out of here' and never return. Even if Ki Tae tried to contact him right after it happened, and even if Ki Tae's response wasn't actually that bad. After all, he didn't punch him in the face or even push him away. He was just clearly stunned. Bu Lee Wan really took it to heart, and cut all ties. Which is quite ridiculous in my opinion. So I suggest simply not thinking about this set-up too much.

If you look past this, the show is very easy to enjoy. Seeing Lee Wan and Ki Tae reunite and the old feelings re-igniting is absolutely precious. Some things don't make 100% sense, such as Lee Wan not really responding at all when Ki Tae (in the present day) confesses his feelings to him. That - and a few other things - are a bit odd, but you don't really think about it for long, because the cuteness of it all will distract you rather quickly.

I would've appreciated more exploration of Ki Tae's fear of Lee Wan abandoning him again, but I understand that doing more than they did was simply not possible within the very limited time. Unlike with other KBLs, I feel like this story was actually well paced and fit well into only 8 episodes. It didn't drag or feel bloated.

This is a show that I'll probably rewatch over and over again, whenever I'm in the mood for some light-hearted fluff. I think the chemistry between the main leads is some of the best I've seen in any KBL. There's no awkward pressing-our-lips-together-like-two-dead-fish kisses with these two, which was nice, considering both had been waiting for this kiss for 7 years. 10/10 would recommend this to anyone. If you're looking for a lot of complexity and deep exploration of emotions, you won't find it here. But if you just want to aww over two cute guys falling in love again, then this one's for you!

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K.I.S.S - keep it short and simple. And we got two of them

Best BL of '23, probably the best bl I have seen so far. The chemistry between the leads is INSANE - the touches, the kisses, the little flirty eye contacts and smiles (⁠づ⁠｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡⁠)⁠づ

Lee Wan/Ian is an introvert high school kid who, on the day of graduation, 5 mins before leaving the town forever (in fact, his family is literally waiting in the truck with their belongings packed) he confesses to his best friend, the outgoing/popular Ki Tae (Eddy), kisses him and runs off before the guy even has time to process wtf just happened. To get over his "failed first love" he copes by writing romance webtoons on his blog. Over the years, he is supported by his biggest fan/regular reader, "Gameboy".

7yrs after the "failed confession", he runs into Eddy during a job interview for a gaming company who want to hire him as illustrator for their new Otome/Dating game. Eddy is the programmer/ team lead in charge of game and he doesn't recognise Lee Wan AT ALL.

What follows is probably the sweetest, softest as Eddy chase tries to catch a very willing tsundere Ian who wants to be treated like an object of someone's unrequited love and basically, "courted".

The biggest criteria for rating a story is how good the characters at communicating. The characters here get 10/10. Though Ian spent all this time in "unrequited love" it was never really unrequited. If he had spent like 30s to let the kiss sink in, maybe they would have been a couple from the start. But his actions are understandable - he is a teen boy in a conservative country, and the object of his crush is his "straight" friend. But Eddy also doesn't take it to heart... He is his own way has always been watching over his little patootie, supporting him from afar when though they cant be together in person.

On a separate note, I feel bad for Tae-Oh and Ahn PD. Tae-Oh is the CEO but his programmers Eddy and Sunny are scary and treat him like a lackey with a corporate card. And poor Ahn PD whose writers keep running away - either to find themselves or BECAUSE they found themselves.

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Great sim of mutual chemistry

Our dating sim is officially the best BL k-drama I've ever seen. The short story, which can be watched as one longer film, brought a subject that I personally have not yet encountered. High school graduation didn't go as planned, but Shin Ki Tae and Lee Wan met again after seven years and explained everything to each other after a long time. I am not a fan of mobile games of this type, that's why I was a little hesitant to start this at all, but luckily I quickly realized that it's not a game, but a series. The chemistry between the actors is amazing and the supporting characters also prove themselves. The always tired Sunny was definitely the best of the group of colleagues we could meet.

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