Weather Forecast Love (2023)

A Tightly Woven Cute Story.

Eight 16-20min episodes. The whole production is very well done and happily satisfying. The only weak link is the music, which was meh. Would highly recommend, though I probably won't re-watch frequently.

Tension is masterfully and evenly sustained as the present unfolds and the past is revealed (university and highschool). There's a lot of jumping back and forth but it was fairly easy to follow, especially once I recognized this visual clue: in flashbacks the boys wear a highschool uniform that has a blue and red pattern on the inside of their collars! If you see that, it's in the past.

The premise kind of felt like a Japanese BL; a fantastical take on something mundane that sets up a romance, almost like it’s fated. The feel of this series remains very Korean though; strong storytelling with great acting, lovely cinematography, and a well-written script with a lot of earnest and sweet moments. There is some angst but also communication (eventually) and a satisfying resolution.

The two leads have great chemistry and their yearning is tangible. Kisses are just pressed lips yet still manage to contain emotions and passion in their gentle sweetness.

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A little confusing but still sweet

It’s a story about two boys who knew each other in high school and ended up parting ways, but they meet each other again at university. It’s a meet again, second chance and enemies to lovers story. The plot is nothing very special, but it’s a cliché I always love to see. It was also nice that the main couple were in focus and the support characters were there to help their story progress. There was no other extra plot lines besides the main couple’s, which means the two got enough screen time for us to really see their story develop.

However, the plot ended up being a bit messy and confusing, so I had a hard time following what happened at times. I especially struggled with the flashbacks as they don’t really seem to be following each other in a chronological order. And I ended up unsure as to what exactly happened between the two in the past. Certain episodes did appear quite choppy too. But I did like the fact that there was a clear difference between the flashbacks and present; the school uniforms made it easy to differentiate, and the screen size changed too.

Lee Do Hyun & Ban Dong Wook: I found the two adorable, it was very easy to see that the two like each other. Dong Wook appeared to be quite cold at times which was explained by his lack of sleep; something I found a bit of a lazy way out for his change later. Do Hyun is a basketball player and that was pretty much all that his personality was reduced to. I might be overexaggerating a bit, but it really felt like that at times. I do wish that we had a clearer look into what exactly happened between the two in the past as that would have made it easier to understand their present. Neither of the two is good at communication, obviously, but I expected that. The chemistry between the two actors was nice, I loved how the two characters looked at each other. The kisses were not the best we have seen, but they also weren’t the worst.

I liked their friends. Kim Hye In was sweet, I liked how she wasn’t an ex or a jealous wanna-be girlfriend, but their actual friend. She was supportive of all of her friends, keeping their secrets and not judging them. Yang Seung Joo kept looking at Do Hyun with hearts in his eyes, his feelings were obvious from the start. I do like how that part of the storyline was carried out. He made the right choice.

There was a hint at a possible new couple at the end, so I am curious if they are planning some sort of a spin off.

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A Binge-Worthy Feel Good Series!

Well, I don't think I need to elaborate much. It was surprisingly a good watch. I haven't seen the two leads before nor have I heard of them but for amateurs, they did a pretty convincing job.
The story of course isn't something new, I mean for a high school/college-themed BL I suppose you don't need to complicate it anyway. You will get the usual cliche BL tropes but everything balances out cz the two leads have amazing chemistry.
It's a short series that will make you smile ear to ear at the end.
Can be watched in one sitting cz the episodes are only around 15-20 minutes each. It'll surely boost your serotonin levels and will leave you wanting more.

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Webtoon disconnect

UPDATE 2/19/2024
I attempted to come back to give it another go since I am reading the webtoon now.

Usually, I allow a little bit of disappointment when a Korean BL is based on a webtoon. However, this series disappointed me more than “A Shoulder To Cry On”. I get that a lot of the times these kind of adaptations leave out the good parts of the webtoon so you can go read it. But this KBL feels so different from the webtoon that I had to fast forward to get some livelihood. Even then the series is so slow that it was boring.

Why is it that so many of these school KBLs are formulaic as Thai school BLs. Here is the formula:
1. Boy likes boy but is afraid to confess
2. Boys have misunderstanding
3. Boy goes on to think he has one sided feelings
4. Boys loose contact with each other for years because one moves away
5. Random meet up years later in same school/class
6. Misunderstanding continues with poor communication
7. Third party likes one of the boys
8. Kissing/skinship leads to more confusion and misunderstanding
9. Someone helps clarify the confusion as one party decides to leave again
10. Misunderstanding is clear up and they finally get together.

I’ve read too many of these in Webtoons but never at this boring pace. I definitely think this is for a much younger audience of schoolgirls who see chemistry because anytime two boys kiss it’s chemistry. But for me this isn’t chemistrying.



3 MONTHS AGO
I might have to come back and rewatch this solely on the 8.3 rating of this series. Maybe I am missing something here because I was excited to watch another KBL. I really liked Jun and Jun because despite the lack of plot, the acting and chemistry was really good. I am pretty open minded and tolerate of KBLs if you give me visuals with good chemistry, I will watch it.

That being said, I really want to watch this but I can’t. Maybe it is the slow pacing or it is my of the plot, something didn’t click. This is a very short series was released in one hot, I didn’t get there storyline. I found the characters to be annoying and the lack of chemistry to be too painful to watch. I skimmed through this short series because I thought the second half would be better. Nope, it didn’t get any better.

Maybe I wasn’t in the right mindset when I watch this so I will rewatch it again and come back with a revised review if I can see why it got a 8.3 rating.

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Worth your time!

(WARNING: BAD ENGLISH)
First of all is the plot. To me, I think the storyline is easy to get a grasp of since it is fresh and kind of vivid (?).The characters are well-developed, as well as their inner thoughts/selves are quite about right too. The main conflict is solved properly and gradually without any rush or timeskip, leaving satisfaction and pleasure. And the improvement in both of the main leads' behavioural thoughts are reasonable, which made the serie great. But if you do go out your way to compare the drama with the original manhwa which is adapted from, you will notice very obvious differences. In the manhwa, Dohyun is what you consider a "typical Korean manhwa bottom", with fragile looks and mediorce personality, especially being openly gay. Whilst in the drama, he appears to be tougher, more strong-willed and manlier in some ways. Donwook is no exception, in the manhwa he is your Korean daddy with sexy muscles, but in the drama he is your Labrador Retriever and seems to be more docile and calmer too. So, if you are looking for a common, not-so-special manhwa then "Weather Forecast Love" is for you. I personally prefer the drama more because there is more depth to it. I'm glad the plot got added in so much more things.

Next is the acting. Both of the actors got their jobs done so well, left no crumbs. The chemistry is not so crazy, but it is there, enough to satisfy the viewers. The characters' emotions and feeling were portrayed gracefully and so well that it is easier to understand once you really get your mind into it. Not to mention both of the leads were such gentlemen! Love their looks so much. Sadly, I tried to find a live or an interview featuring the two actors but there were none, kinda let me down. But even without promotions like that, this serie still blew up so you get how good it is. The great cinematography showed their feelings with good angles too.

And then comes the music. This drama is like any other well-made drama, contains soft, sweet music to blend in with the soft scenes. Overall I think the musical arrangement is fine and nothing much to say.

To sum up, "A breeze of love" is totally going to my rewatch list. A smooth, well-done storyline with gorgeous actors and amazing cinematography are all there are. Definitely recommending this to my fellow BL fans.

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Blowing a pleasant breeze of young love

It kind of feels average, but I salute the balance of giving us decent BLs with captivating visuals and a plot that is good enough to satisfy the viewers. It wasn’t as great as I was expecting it to be, maybe because of how the main couple took longer for their love to only bloom during the finale. I liked the tension of the enemy-to-romance troupe but this is a short drama that I badly hoped for an early access to love progress.

Nevertheless, no one can’t deny the fact that the cast perfectly does their best to give life to their characters. The amount of visuals is insane, and I easily fell in love with them. Giving the second lead a proper ending is the best decision of the production. They also hinted at a possible sequel that may focus on his romance.

The finale is certainly the best episode. I didn’t expect that they would almost draw a daring scene during the scene that involves sitting in bed, the ice, and asking if one wants to see the other one’s underwear. Ending them in kisses is fine but as said before, I am demanding more since the couple have the right chemistry and it is a pity not to utilize it in the show.

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Cute but a little lackluster.

Honestly nothing major to say about A Breeze of Love. I think the story was wholesome and but I found myself a little bored even though it is only 8 episodes. It lacks in depth and is instead full of cheesiness and I didn't particularly find much chemistry between the characters.

I think it's a good one off or starter BL, or for someone looking for a surface level high school romance, but honestly nothing that special in my opinion. I'm not particularly fond of lingering shots of every single interaction which is where they lost me a little. I think it could've been improved maybe if we got more insight into Dong Wook's insomnia or a few less shots of silent sunlight scenes and more dialogue. Tell me why I was the most interested in the show during the basketball tournament.

So yeah, cute but a little lackluster.

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Bittersweet Experience

**Brief Synopsis**
T (Student): Dong Wook
B (Student): Do Hyun

Beginning: T and B were once friends with feelings for each other but ended badly in B's mind and T transfers schools. They meet again after all these years and despite still having feelings for the other man, B feels great animosity towards him because they left on a bad note (mainly because T tried to his growing feelings for B by pulling himself away from him). Not wanting those feelings to resurface, B wants nothing to do with T but doesn't have a choice when his basketball team loses a player to injury and T is the perfect substitute. T on the other hand has never forgotten B and wants to rekindle their relationship, not only because B is a cure for his insomnia, he still likes him despite having tried to walk away the first time and forget. Thus he decides to make a bet with B; if they won the match, B will have to grant him a wish. They end up winning and T asks B to move in with him.

Middle and End: Because T got hurt in the game, B allows him to stay with him until his cast is taken off. With T close to him, B finds out about T's insomnia problem and that he would do anything to fall asleep. He learns that he had been a sleeping aid for T back in high school and concludes that T has been playing with his feelings all this time and is utterly disgusted by him. He confronts T about it and the latter doesn't know how to explain, thus making B think he was right all along. He tells T to get lost and leaves. T, not willing to lose him for a second time, finally manages to trap him a few days later and confesses his feelings. B, who still has feelings for him, finally allows himself to believe that this might be true and kisses him. The series ends with them together.

**My Opinion**

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT
- The ending was really cute. I really like how happy they look together now that the misunderstandings have been cleared up. Going through this show has not been easily and the ending feels like such a nice payoff.
- Very good looking cast. Did well in their roles and convinced the audience of the emotional turmoil the characters were feeling. The ensemble cast did a good job as well. There wasn't any awkward scenes or cringe.
- Nice pacing. Because the story was a simple one to tell, the pacing was just right even if they only had 8 short episodes, not too fast or slow.
- The production is high quality.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT IT
- Simple and predictable plot with no memorable moments. This was a simple story that has been told many times over. The main conflict was due to the lack of communication between the two characters because both were afraid to let the others know how they felt. Once that was cleared up, it was happy ending.
- A very emotional ride. This show is not fluffy by any sense of the word. It was sad throughout until the last episode. It was a little too much for me.
- Nothing happens beside their relationship, which is to be expected. The story felt a little empty and plain.
- There was a slight lack of chemistry between the leads. Their love felt more like bromance rather then real love. There was a lack of sexual tension between them or pining. They cared for each other for sure but it just doesn't feel as romantic as other stories in my eyes.

**Conclusion**
A simple predictable "meet again" type of story.

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Petite brise de douceurs (et pluie fine (petit coup de coeur))

A Breeze of Love n'est pas parfait ni très original. Certains vont l'aimer, là où d'autres ne comprendront pas son intérêt. Mais j'ai vraiment (genre vraiment beaucoup) aimé ce drama pour des tas de raisons explicables et inexplicables. A Breeze of Love est typiquement le genre de BL que j'aurai plaisir à revoir dans quelque temps et qui, je sais, me laissera encore un sourire traînant aux lèvres, parce qu'il est doux et frais.

J'ai adoré les personnages. C'est sûr qu'ils ne sont pas parfaits. Lee Do Hyun est le personnage le moins creusé des deux. On sait qu'il aime le basket et qu'il garde une rancune envers Dong Wook, mais pas plus. Quant à Dong Wook, son insomnie n'est pas développée et ça ne m'a pas dérangé plus que ça. En réalité, des gens qui souffrent d'insomnies sans raison, ça existe. Et malgré ce manque de développement, j'ai aimé chaque moment avec eux - ensemble ou non. J'y ai vu beaucoup de non-dits qui peuvent être mal interprétés, mais ce n'est jamais devenu ultra dramatique pour des prunes. Dong Wook a plusieurs fois été capable de se livrer quand il le fallait et Do Hyun a été assez intelligent pour l'écouter. J'ai aimé le côté saint de leur relation.

Le meilleur ami (Yang Seung Joo) était une bénédiction. D'ailleurs, je n'ai pas compris pourquoi les gens ont boudé la fin sur ce personnage. Ce n'est pas comme si les choses s'arrêtaient en cours de route le concernant. Au contraire, on nous fait comprendre qu'il a attiré l'attention de quelqu'un et qu'il connaît, lui aussi, son happy-end.

Mon seul vrai reproche, c'est la relation qui ne débute qu'au dernier épisode. L'attraction entre les personnages est là, mais elle n'a pas été exploitée plus que nécessaire. La relation (j'insiste sur le mot « relation ») ne débute qu'à l'épisode 8. Si la romance existe depuis le début, il est dommage de ne pas en avoir plus. Je ne parle pas de scènes intimes, non, mais plus d'interactions en tant que couple. Bien qu'on nous en offre ici et là, on n'a pas le temps de pleinement l'apprécier.

Ça me frustre toujours de voir à quel point les KBL sont ridiculement courts notamment lorsqu'ils ont d'aussi bonnes bases (je n'ai pas lu le webtoon dont il s'inspire). De ce fait, j'apprécie sincèrement quand de petites productions veulent donner un maximum (avec en plus une photographie sublime). Mais souvent, une histoire moins chargée est plus louable sur un format aussi réduit. Le format de 8 épisodes est plaisant, quand les épisodes sont plus conséquents. Comme mentionné dans un précédent avis, le jour où nous aurons droit à des KBL et des épisodes d'au moins 45 minutes, ce sera Noël chaque jour de diffusion.

Bref ! A Breeze of Love est le genre d'histoire d'amour qui n'a pas besoin de grandes explications. Elle est sincère et simple, et c'est suffisant.

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