Long Time No See (2017) is a South Korean BL drama. The series tells the paths of two old friends, who have been separated for a long time, crossing again. After their old relationship, they separate and do not see each other again. Their paths will unite once more. Of course, when they first meet, they hide their mafia connections and real identities.
The second meeting will be a more complex one. While watching the series, I can say that the mafia connection and theme remain a bit weak. However, the emotional bond and tension between the characters are quite in place. In addition, the rediscovery of friendship and love, and the progression of their relationship in the shadow of weapons are also not bad.
Both characters do not know that they previously started an online relationship and are old friends. The BL series is not a trouble-free BL love story where everything goes well. It has a story trying to stand on its feet amidst chaos and violence between two gay youths. The year 2017 was a period when content was produced globally for BL cinema. In my opinion, this story of finding oneself and self-sacrifice is a series that should be watched for regulars of this genre.
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Long Time No See BL Series Summary and Flow
Chi Soo, namely Flying Dagger, works for Black Rose, who took him from the hands of his friends who mistreated him due to his sexual orientation when he was in high school. He is a hitman for hire. But he is bored with his job and now wants to quit. He begins to write his life as a novel. He meets Gi Tae, who follows his story published over the internet.
While their messaging friendship continues, they make an appointment to meet. But as a result of a mishap, they cannot meet, but encounter each other on the street without recognizing one another. Flying Dagger is also a customer of Gi Tae’s mother’s restaurant.
While all these are happening, problems arise between two mafia brothers. Chi Soo and Gi Tae, having met each other, become lovers. While continuing their relationship, Flying Dagger now wants to quit being a hitman. But there is one last job he needs to take care of. He will kill the rival mafia leader. Right at that moment, a hitman named Wild Dog hired by the opposing side appears before him. Wild Dog, on the other hand, is someone very familiar.
The Duo’s Relationship: Passion, Protection, and Behind the Armor
Chi-yeon (Flying Dagger) and Gook-hyeon (Wild Dog), who are the gun barrels of different organizations in the dark underground construction site, secretly slip away from the ruthless world and live their own passionate, yet equally distant relationship. Due to their profession, they are afraid of growing their emotions because there is no place for weakness in the underground world. Still, human nature after all; behind those harsh and secretive armors, Chi-yeon softens beside the man, while Gook-hyeon adopts a protective reflex at the cost of his life. In this darkness, the only wagon where they can breathe is actually each other.
Gang Wars: Exposure of Identities and Institutional Violence
The insatiable ambition for power and status at the upper echelons of both organizations causes a clash when applying pressure over a murdered gang member. Meanwhile, the identities and love of the duo will be revealed. The interests of the organizations instantly try to crush people’s real emotions and existences. While power holders want to create temporary chaos and preserve their own order, the two lovers are caught between gang wars. Here, both the series and love truly ignite. This is the note that adds excitement to the movie.
Encounters and the Crack of Betrayal: From Heartbreak to Shared Existence
Every encounter of the duo is practically a scene of mental collapse and confrontation. The first big crack forms with Gook-hyeon being helpless in the ambush set by his gang; severely wounded Chi-yeon points a gun at Gook-hyeon, the man he trusts most, to survive. Right at that moment, cracks in value judgments and lack of communication reach their peak.
I don’t want to prolong it too much; despite all the heavy prices to be paid in that darkness, the only reality left in the hands of the duo is the love they have for each other. They realize this.
Series Review and My Commentary
The drama tells confronting the past, emotional openness, and characters understanding each other anew very well. There is not only a mafia and power struggle, but also the internal struggles of the duo. Declaring love from a homophobic world into a homophobic underground world is also encouraging. These themes are very good and I liked them. The duo not knowing each other actually reflects very well the conflict between their real identities and the fake identities they hide under. Are they ruthless mafia member hitmen for hire, or two gay men thirsty for romance and love?
The meeting of the duo happens with a mafia showdown to be carried out for revenge and power. Full of acting, psychological, and romantic tension, the series is also satisfying in terms of character chemistry. Even if there are some clichés and quite superficial themes that are not very deep in the crime-mafia theme, it is fundamentally necessary to focus on the gay love developing between two men. The symbols and names in the series are also very interesting; for some reason, they felt a bit artificial to me.
Will mafia showdowns or love be the winner? The production is in a slightly different conflict area than familiar BL productions. A bit of LGBT and queer themes are not absent either. As we said above, the romance mixed with the tension in the series is a reflection of two mafia member men being caught between love and crime.
If you wish, you can look at the cast and technical details on the MyDramaList site. By the way, without forgetting let me say, the 5-episode series was released in the form of 17-minute episodes. In mini-series format.
