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Soul Mate (Japanese Series)

Is this technically a gay show? Even after getting through the whole thing, that's still kind of tricky to answer. There's never any physical intimacy shown between the two leads, not even a single kiss. What it gives you instead is something that goes way deeper than that. It traces an emotional bond that spans a full decade between two guys who are both dealing with their own baggage, and what they share basically amounts to being soulmates. The story moves across Japan, South Korea, and Berlin. Honestly, whether people want to call what they have a romantic relationship or not doesn't really matter to me. A relationship doesn't need a label like boyfriends attached to it to actually mean something. And closeness doesn't need to be physical to feel genuine. What this show captures is something quieter but way more powerful, a bond rooted in understanding, respect, and just showing up for each other. Across eight episodes, each running 35 to 45 minutes, this is one...

Love Mate (Korean Series)

This show falls in one of those categories where you have to define the line between a cute office romance or a workplace harassment situation. Our guy cannot take enough for an answer, but then this stupid and cheesy flirting also becomes sort of addictive after a while and you enjoy it (maybe because it is so bad). The plot is the same done to death of romance, ex showing up, back o love, just using a different inspiration. This series has 8 episodes ranging from 15-20 minutes each.

Lee Jun totally doesn't believe in love. However, he does go on a blind date every day, just so that he doesn't have to eat alone and then firmly blocks them. He believes love is an unnecessary, uncomfortable, and unpleasant emotion. He advocates for single life, going against traditional norms. In his company, he proposes an idea of a show highlighting single life, but is vehemently opposed by a new hie Ha Ram. A hopeless romantic, he is not afraid to say thatches is a bad idea. As expected Lee Jun hates the guts of this guy and tries to avoid him, only making Ha Ram more resilient to change Lee's perspective on love. He is a string crush on Lee Jun and even confesses it but get declined. Ha Ram starts flirting with Lee Jun at every opportunity and eventually they decide why don't they date for a month and then figure out whether it works or not. They have great time together, and we are later told that Lee Jun's previous boyfriend broke up with him over a text message and once then he has been wary. Finding themselves in a bit of a push-and-pull relationship, Lee Joon and Ha Ram begin to understand each other better, as they slowly learn about each other’s past and present struggles. As expected, the ex boyfriend shows up in the scene. He is a famous model who is being considered as a model for the new show. He tries to charm up Le Jun again, but thanks to full support from Ha Ram, they realize he is just playing. The two lovers are strangler than ever and decide it's time to move from temporary date to permanent boyfriends. 

The big problem with this show is that it is so predictable. You know exactly what would happen. Still the cute flirting and Ha Ram's infectious energy salvages the show However I also think that his actions account for borderline harassment. The series pretends these exchanges are comical and lighthearted, yet I feel deeply disturbed by his creepy misconduct, but hey when have BL shows ever shown boundaries. Also Lee Jun's switch is so random and sudden. Firstly, I do not agree of the reasons for his being so opposed to love and then suddenly after many flirtations from Ha Ram, he then just gives in. It is never really obvious why these two people would fall for one another. But, I believe the trick here s not take this show seriously. Thankfully I realized that very soon and the cringy and corny dialogues and situations were actually not all that bad then. As expected, when the show could have ended in 6 episodes, the introduction of the ex happens to add to the conflicts. Unfortunately, his character brings a tedious love triangle conflict that bogs down the final stretch of the narrative. I mean there is not even one big showdown to show the guy his place. It is all very quiet and meek. Overall, this just ends up being a very ordinary show with nothing new or special to say. You will not remember one bit of it after you are done watching it. There are a lot better Korean shows out there. (4/10)

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