Han Tae Joo is an 18-year-old high school student and is the sole heir of the TB Group – a family-run business conglomerate. His strict father keeps him under surveillance 24 hours a day, and he feels both bored and oppressed by his reluctance to let him enjoy a little freedom.
His closest friend is also his unofficial bodyguard – another 18-year-old male student named Gang Gook. Gang Gook is something of a tough guy, with a powerful physique and a no-nonsense attitude. But as the two young men grow older, they come to wonder if there is perhaps another dimension to their friendship.
When an outgoing female student named Hye Mi is transferred to their high school, she inadvertently drives up the romantic tension between the two childhood friends by going on a date with Gang Gook – irking Han Tae Joo, and stirring up long-suppressed emotions. Will they act on their desires, or will Han Tae Joo and Gang Gook’s friendship remain platonic?
My first Korean dramaaaa!!! I can’t believe it lol. I have finally watched a Korean drama y’all!. And while this was a mini series of only 9, ten-minute episodes, it did not disappoint. I am so happy that Where Your Eyes Linger was my first choice.
Characters
Han Tae Joo and Gang Gook are complete opposites of each other. Han Tae Joo is rich, cocky and can be a bit of a playboy, but he’s also clingy, needy, and doesn’t have many friends. Gang Gook is stoic, quiet, and mildly awkward, but he is also strong, loyal, and will wipe the floor with anyone that crosses him or Han Tae Joo.
I liked these two characters. You know the saying opposites attract? Well these two were definitely a good match because I feel like they balanced each other out. Han Tae Joo brought the fun and spontaneity while Gang Gook brought a sense of safety and the seriousness of life’s realities.
Hye Mi was a mildly weird girl that seemed to struggle socially but had no issues going after what she really wanted. I liked her because she was not written to be an annoying, conniving, evil female character that causes drama. She was just a socially awkward girl that transferred to a new school and wanted a boyfriend lol.
Tae Joo’s dad was the epitome of an abusive douchebag. This is the first and last time that I will mention him.
Story
The storyline is easy to follow and I am thankful for decent subtitles. We follow Tae Joo’s and Gang Gook’s relationship at school and at home and watch as they both come to the realization that their feelings for each other are much more than just platonic. I think both actors did a great job at showcasing what suppressed feelings look and feel like when you’ve had to do it for such a long time. Gang Gook knew what his feelings were for a long time but denied them while Tae Joo didn’t come into his feelings until later but completely accepted them when he did.
There were definitely some things that could have been expanded upon and delved into deeper. But seeing that the episodes were only between 9 to 12 minutes long, there really was no time for any depth. I, for one, would have loved to know more about Tae Joo’s mother and the role she has in his life. She was absent throughout the whole series but it was apparent that Tae Joo loved and missed her and would often express as much to Gang Gook.
I also would have liked to know Gang Gook’s history. The viewer is lead to believe that he has no family and is all alone. Some kind of way he ended up getting hired and working for Tae Joo’s family as his companion and bodyguard. But he also serves as Tae Joo’s “whipping boy”. If ever Tae Joo does something and gets into trouble, Gang Gook bears the consequences which are often beatings. The severity of the beatings depends on what Tae Joo did. Tae Joo tries to be good but that stupid demon of a man that’s raising him seems to just like screaming at Tae Joo and hitting Gang Gook for no reason.
The final confession between the two is a bit heart wrenching and leaves you feeling warm inside but sad. But not to fret! This series has a happy ending.
Locations/Scenery
I think the locations of filming aren’t much to get excited about. They aren’t horrible but they aren’t extraordinary either. The only place that stood out to me was the location by the water in the final scene. The time of filming was perfect because the sun was in the perfect spot to cast a nice sunset-like glow over everything which made the scene just that much more beautiful.
Music
Whoever was in charge of finding the music for this program deserves an A+. Every song was so fitting to their scenes and I found that I really wanted to know who some of the artists were that were singing. I loved this soundtrack.
Overall
Overall, I really enjoyed this mini series and to be completely honest, I want to watch it again. I think the actors had great chemistry despite their real life age gap and they both did such a great job at portraying the characters of Tae Joo and Gang Gook.
If you are familiar with my reviews, then you already know the main thing I ask for in a romance drama and acting in general:
MAKE ME BELIEVE IT!
And these actors did that. At the very end, the way Gang Gook looked at Tae Joo made my stomach flutter. In that short moment of the scene, can’t nobody tell me Gang Gook wasn’t in love with Tae Joo. Find you a man that looks at you the way Gang Gook looked at Tae Joo in the final scene of this series! Lol
Final Rating:
I took off 1 star because I wanted to know more about Gang Gook’s history and why/how he ended up working for Tae Joo’s family. I also wish the kiss hadn’t been so tentative. Tentative kisses sometimes make the whole thing awkward. The actors were good enough to not make the scene awkward but they still kissed each other like they were scared to do it lol. Other than that, it was a good show and I definitely recommend it.
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