Love Class Season 2 (2023)

i love Ma Ru

As always, I wish I could rate it higher but, let me tell you why I can't!

The first episode was pretty disorienting, as they switch scenes rapidly and all characters are introduced.
However, I found by the end of the second episode, I had a good grip on who's who and the format of the story.
It's interesting though because I believe the story could've ended with episode 9, and episode 10 is 90% filler--cute, but technically unnecessary. I still liked it though.

I have to admit, I only managed to be interested in two storylines/couples: Ma Ru/Min Su's and Lee Hyun/Kim An's.
I skipped most of Ju Hyuk/Sung Min. Something about the actors and their storyline and interactions didn't click with me, but that doesn't mean the actors themselves were bad. It's just a personal thing.

But the real showstopper was Ma Ru! He was super funny, and I preferred his and Min Su's storyline the most. It's a pretty typical romance, nothing really special, but I liked the characters a lot so it didn't matter.
I resonated a lot with Min Su's character, so Ma Ru had me constantly wishing I had someone like him in my own life haha... ha.
Sigh.

They also had the best kisses out of the two plots I followed.
That is to say, Lee Hyun/Kim An's kisses are bare close-mouthed kisses without much feeling, as if the actors didn't actually want to kiss each other at all lol.
Don't know much about Ju Hyuk/Sung Min's, but their storyline is the most NC out of them all.

While the romantic chemistry seemed pretty solid to me, the two plots I've followed both had issues. Questions that are integral to the plot and characters are left unanswered in both storylines, one of those instances being truly baffling to me as to why it was never addressed or explained.

Editing was pretty messy, which I've gathered is likely due to budget/time constraints, with various boom mics in wide shots and, once again, every couple has screen time in every episode which means that sometimes scenes are cut relatively fast.

TLDR; I kept watching because of Ma Ru/Min Su. I truly like them a lot.
There are worse shows, there are better shows--it's honestly just fine if you can turn your brain off.

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Based off my personal rating criteria specifically made for BLs

1. Characters 9/10
+ They made Lee Hyun into such a bright and adorable cinnamon bun while still actually giving him depth
- I personally do not like the character of Maru. Partly because there are 3 couples in this show, I feel that Maru did not get enough time to give him the redemption the writers may have wanted. I feel that to the very end, I was not a fan of him
- Ultimately, most of the characters suffer from a lack of characterisation due to the large cast and time constraints

2. Shipability 10/10
+ Personally, I love everything about the Juhyuk and TA couple. I feel that it was a fairly interesting and accurate representation of how some relationships happen. I was on board for the way Juhyuk knew exactly how to hook the TA and everything about their dynamic
+ I like that they showed Kim An as broken as had Lee Hyun be the person who taught him to smile again. I really think personality-wise, the 2 characters are perfect for each other

3. Plot 9/10
- I really don't like how the toxic guy (Kim An's "brother") just left without much resolution
+ But I do concede that the portrayal of the toxic relationships with all the gaslighting and love bombing was very impressive

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A Diamond In The Rough

Oh but I'm so glad Love Class is back. I was one of the, apparently, few people who really loved season 1 but let me assure you even if you did not like season 1, you might just enjoy this anyway.
This show is tied to the original Love Class by the thinnest of threads, so much so that you won't have to have even read the synopsis of the original to understand this series.

This sequel is also tonally quite different from series 1. It's slightly more grounded and mature, not angstier, just a little quieter.
There is quite a nice soundtrack, but the music mostly takes a backseat and the characters are instead allowed to just exist, sometimes silently, without sound effects, without music telling the audience how to feel. It lends the show an almost whimsical indie feel, but also just a feeling of realism and gravity.

Just like the original Love Class, the highlights of this show are its characters. These six young people are portrayed with care and authenticity and their lives and experiences feel real even when they venture into the slightly contrived.
I specifically loved Lee Hyun and Kim An's roles and found their dynamic compelling and honestly just very sweet.
Kim An's "tragic backstory", for lack of a better term, didn't really work all that well for me, certainly not as well as Yu Na's story arc from season 1, but the writers still managed to tell a believable and touching story about overcoming grief and trauma and fighting tooth and nail for happiness in mundane, every-day ways.
The one draw-back of the cast is that they are all conspicuously male. Unlike Love Class 1, this season doesn't have any important female characters, much less ones central to the plot.
Disappointing as I find this fact, I did find myself quite fond of all six main characters fairly quickly which does somewhat speak to the quality of the writing.

I will admit that this show has its rough spots. The audio is at times incosistent, there even are one or two shots where a boom mic makes a surprise appearance, but personally I thought that just added to the nostalgic indie vibe of the whole thing.
What did bother me was the dreaded "sleeping kiss" cliche which suddenly reared its ugly head when I was least expecting it.

If however, you are willing to overlook these flaws, or quirks perhaps if you're feeling generous, then you will almost certainly find a hidden gem in this lovely little show.
As ever, Love Class stands out as somewhat unique amongst other shows in the genre and for that alone I'd say it's worth a watch.
Maybe you'll fall in love with it along the way, who knows.

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Еще одна любовь

Очередной шедевр от Кореи (да еще такой горячий финал) и снова в Любимые. Изначально хотела смотреть из-за Джеймина (BAE173 - Чон Мин Ук), так как являюсь фанатом данной группы. И первые две серии пыталась понять сюжет, было немного запутанно. Но потом пошло и затянуло. Много психологии. Много, даже для столь короткого времени, чтобы подумать. Наша главная пара Ли Хен (актер J-Min ) и Ким Ан (актер Kim Yong Seok
Ким Ён Сок) действительно является главной парой данной дорамы. Их история, а особенно история Ана заняла много экранного времени. История прошлого была мрачной, но интересной. Абьюзер был тоже хорош. В игре этой главной пары, я не разочарована не на грамм. Поцелуи, а я знаю, что именно к ним придерутся "великие критики" - здесь, были правильными. Так как Джеймин айдол прежде всего, а нетизены любят докопаться до всего. Вторая пара Мин У (актер Ву Хё Вон) и Ма Ру (Ли Кван Хи) были наполнены многими смешанными эмоциями. Но это была еще одна история зарождения любви, как вариант. Третья пара. О господи... Что эти двое творили. Вам обязательно надо посмотреть, я была в шоке и не верила, что это сделала Корея. Джу Хёк (An Jeong Gyun) и Сон Мин (Jung Woo Jae) . Сыграли восхитительно. Рассказ о трех парах, разных историй любви, согрели мое сердце. Это было за пределами того, что я ожидала. Здесь, порой, не нужно было произносить слова, потому что они могли передать все, что они чувствовали. Я довольна.

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