The South Korean production Love in the Big City (2024), adapted from Park Sang Young’s novel of the same name, is above BL standards. For the BL audience, series generally cannot go beyond handsome actors and sweet university stories. The industry is like this. In this series, in a city woven with loneliness, it reveals the inner world of a young man trying to find his identity with all its fragility. The series also has a movie version.
It will be a good choice for those who want a more emotional and more fulfilling story. Themes such as youth love, sense of belonging, suppressed identity, and being lost in the city form the foundation of the series. Today’s human is lost in the crowds in big cities. Especially sexual identities are completely excluded and under pressure within this crowd. It is also possible to read the loneliness of LGBT individuals in the subtext of the series.
🏳️🌈🇰🇷 Curator Recommendation: Best South Korean BL catalog
Love in the Big City (2024) Plot Summary and Review
Ko Yeong is a lonely gay university student. In his own world, introverted, but someone inside whom storms rage. Far away from his family, he remained alone within the crowd of Seoul. He hides his sexual orientation from his friends, his circle, and even from school.
Yeong, who cannot fit into his own existence, tries to add color to his life by modeling, but that is also just a momentary breath. The relationship he has with a photographer he meets one day lasts short. Even that relationship does not give him a lasting sense of place. Right in such a period, Mi Ae enters his life. She is also quiet, she is also a bit broken. But loyal. This female friend, who keeps Yeong’s secrets to herself, becomes the first person to establish a real bond with him. This bond woven with loneliness opens a small window in Yeong’s inner world, even if it is little.
But the series does not stop here. Ko Yeong gets caught up in the allure of nightlife, goes after casual relationships, sometimes runs away from love rather than chasing it, and sometimes gets even more lost while searching for himself. His paths part even with his best friend.
But this is where the story grows. Because Yeong decides to write a novel spanning 10 years starting from 2015. He is actually writing his own life story, but between the lines, the viewer also feels every loss, every drunkenness, every morning.
Series Commentary
The strongest side of the series lies right here: the sense of reality. Neither exaggerated dramas nor fairy-tale-like relationships… Just life as it is. Therefore, the drama does not let go of its viewer easily. The actings are quite in place, the shooting angles are elegant, and the cityscapes are like a character accompanying the story.
I can say that this series, unlike classic BL productions, appeals to the audience looking for emotional depth. A direct hit for those who love characters lost in youth but still holding onto an emotion with hope. Also, a quite satisfying drama for the audience who wants to see the more realistic, unembellished aspects of LGBT+ life.
The relationship of Ko Yeong and Gyu Ho is built on an emotional balance where opposite poles complete each other. While Ko Yeong behaves more introverted, controlled, and cautious; Gyu Ho is spontaneous, brave, and clear in his emotions. While Gyu Ho’s extroversion brings the feelings Ko Yeong has hidden for a long time to the surface, Ko Yeong’s calm also provides a safe space for Gyu Ho. They both become emotional support for each other and teach each other to redefine their personal boundaries. In short, both characters learn something and develop. You will love the story of two gay men.
Love in the Big City tells how young adults lost in modern city life experience love, loneliness, and internal transformation. Original broadcaster: Viki, TVING; more details could perhaps be on the MyDramaList site.
Characters and actors: Nam Yoon Su – Ko Yeong: A young writer trying to find his own voice within the city, whose emotional wounds are carried from the past. With both his fragile and resilient nature, he acts cautiously in relationships. Jin Ho Eun – Sim Gyu Ho: An extroverted university student who looks at life more practically and energetically. He brings an unexpected warmth to Ko Yeong’s world, causing him to question his emotional walls.
