Where Your Eyes Linger Review
So the show's premise was about two 18 year olds high schoolers who grew up together. One was the son of a CEO named Taejoo and the other one was named Gook, a tough no nonsense bodyguard who was supposed to watch over him. They went to the same high school and in the introduction, Taejoo was running from a bully from school and his two friends. I think it was over a girl. So in the fight, Gook came over and ended it all with a punch to the bully's face but before that Taejoo was already injured in the face because he got punched first. After that we were introduced to the father, and he was a strict one who later slapped Gook for not taking care of Taejoo and he even threatened Taejoo that if he got into trouble again, he would be sent overseas for his studies.
In the last episode, we would see how this came around again.
So they had lived in the same house for 15 years. Taejoo grew up without a mother and his father didn't have time for him coz he was so busy in his work so all he got was Gook. Though their characters were different, Taejoo was the whiny sort who would do or say things as he wanted while Gook tried to put up with him though initially he would resent but would give in anyway. Though Gook was supposed to protect him, they were more like friends and were happy together until of course, a girl had to come in between them.
I know this was like the case a few times in such dramas. It's always the appearance of a third person even if it's a relationship between a guy and a girl. So let the jealousy game begin.
However, I actually liked the girl. She's adorable with her geeky like appearance and she was a transfer student who took a liking to Gook which surprised Taejoo coz normally girls would go after him coz of his good looks. Gook wasn't so interested and gave a fake number but Taejoo secretly texted her his real number when Gook was sleeping. Probably the wrong move coz later he got jealous when they went on a coffee date, lol. He was already eyeing her up and down when she got his number like uhm...thinking, are these two for real? haha..
The girl's mum owned a small eatery and she was such a funny character who fangirled over them when they came to eat there. But yah she did ask an inappropriate question at first, lol..thanks to the all the manga that she had been reading, as shown in a later episode. She did tell the girl well, not to disturb their friendship, I guess she kinda knew what's up when the girl asked if it was possible to have jealousy between friends, implying about Taejoo and Gook, though initially there was nothing going between them haha.
I don't think I want to turn this into a lengthy post but there were some pivotal moments. I was curious how they started to fall for each other but it wasn't a straight up love story. Their chemistry was already off the charts from the first episode and you could already tell that Gook was suppressing his feelings for Taejoo behind his tough demeanour while Taejoo was pretty upfront in his confessions later on after that fateful coffee date Gook had with the girl where he crashed in by having lunch at the same eatery. And also when during a dodgeball game, he got angry when he got hit in the face with a ball because Gook chose to protect the girl who joined in their class game but the ball got diverted toward Taejoo's direction instead.
By the way, the coffee date started when Taejoo received an unexpected visit from a girl at their home, I suppose was the one that started the fight between him and the bully, and he tried to shush her up by erm, kissing her which he then boasted to the bully in a secret underground basement in their school. There was nothing going on but Taejoo just wanted to show the bully he got the upper hand. However, Gook saw them through their house window and I guessed he was upset because he then texted that girl who crushed on him if she wanted to go out with him.
After Taejoo find out about the date, he was trying to teach Gook the art of dating and flirting, which agitated Gook later who even threaten him to not do that again when Taejoo suddenly grabbed him by the collar to show 'closeness' when they were alone together in the basement after the bully and his friends left. Taejoo then gave this innocent puppy look like 'why you mad'...lol..but I think after that encounter, he started to question their friendship and his jealousy with the girl and after the coffee date that perhaps, Gook also had feelings for him like he did too but was in denial.
Gook meanwhile was all the way denying that there was something between them, which at first I didn't understand, but was perfectly reasoned out in an inner monologue during a fighting sequence with Taejoo's dad's bodyguards who tried to block him from entering the house. Before that, they were in an emotional fight after Taejoo's confession which Gook didn't want any of it, choosing to believe that Taejoo was like that because he treated Gook like his mum who was absent in his life.
But after Taejoo said ok, since Gook would be happier if Taejoo wasn't in his life, he gave him a month to leave the house. Strangely, after Taejoo left the training place where they normally would have their regular sparring practices, I think it was jujitsu, he started to regret his harsh words just when the girl texted him to meet up. But within seconds of their meet up, where she gave him a handmade doll as protection, he started to say sorry and confessed that he liked Taejoo but she promptly hushed him. She said she knew it all along, even her mother told him not to come in between them, but she wanted to try her luck. However, during the coffee date when he mostly had his eyes on Taejoo who was at the next table, even though she was right infront of him, she knew then his eyes were not on her even though he was looking at her.
Oh my gosh, I have to talk about the fighting sequence. The dramatic journey to go the house on his motorbike, that was the first time I saw him riding one and he looked so freaking cool. He already upped the macho factor when he was undressing to put on the uniform before the second sparring and my gosh, his body was so solid like you can see ridges of his back muscles, lol..that even Taejoo was curious how he got such a nice body when he was all the time with him and eating together.
I mentioned about the fighting sequence and the inner monologue where he discovered all the confusion was actually love and it took that momentary separation to understand it. And how he was losing in the fight until he caught a glimpse of Taejoo at the window looking at him as he was kneeling infront of his dad. My thoughts at that time was 'go fight for your man!' and that short glimpse gave him strength to literally fight all the way to the inside of the room to get to Taejoo. Unfortunately, to prevent Gook from being hurt again coz at that point he was already bashed up so bad, Taejoo decided to agree with the dad to go overseas for his studies the next day but on one request. He wanted to go back to the house with Gook.
That short separation when Gook thought Taejoo was kidnapped when he came home to apologise and perhaps confess too and then later finding out that he would leave next day for England. It made Gook to finally confess that he liked him which Taejoo thought was the wrong timing since he was already leaving. He was disappointed they didn't get to kiss coz Gook rejected him at first at the school field but now he rejected Gook instead when Gook brought him closer for a kiss. By then his lips were all bloodied from the fight and he didn't want to hurt him further.
When they were in bed together, not doing anything else but just talked to each other as dawn was approaching, with Gook telling him to take care of himself in England, and if he would ever come back, Taejoo said he would. But Gook said that things would be different then coz they would go on different paths. Taejoo promptly cut him saying that he would come back because he had a dream...to be happy. And being with Gook, made him happy. This followed by their inner monologues about not taking their eyes off each other (hence the title) because they liked each other. But the separation was inevitable.
That was when I lost it. It was said in such a sweet heart wrenching moment that I felt their upcoming separation. Taejoo left at the break of dawn without any word but took along with him a metal sculpture that Gook had made and put on display at their house.
Fast forward, Taejoo worked in the restaurant of the girl and her mum and which brought in business, lol..coz all the other girls wanted to dine there to see him because of his handsome looks. However, Taejoo had made up his mind to go to Japan for a holiday to get his mind off Taejoo, which by then, we found out through his inner monologue when he was pushing his luggage back that Taejoo had been gone for 3 years and was most likely not coming back.
Unknown to him, the bully, who by then had become more than friends with the girl, was in touch with Taejoo and had told him that Gook was going to Japan. But he didn't say anything. So we thought he didn't care.
But that was where we were wrong. HE DID COME BACK!!!! Even Gook was surprised when he made an unexpected appearance when he took a rest in a pavilion at this beautiful location near a reservoir with a rainbow arc at the background. By then, Gook had changed his appearance. He no longer had that bang but he was looking fiiiiineee....with his smart blazer and his new hairstyle. So freaking handsome, that even Taejoo was taken aback how handsome he had become.
So Taejoo kept his promise to come back and when he found out that Gook was leaving for Japan, he said that if he had planned to run away, they should run away together because that was their wish. Now this was the moment that got every girl in the BL fandom screaming I guess. Taejoo had this habit of touching Gook's ear but initially, Gook didn't like it back then coz I guess at that point, he was resenting his feelings but this time he decided to embrace Taejoo's affection towards him. At first, he pushed the hand away as though in resentment again. But actually, he wanted to push it away to be able to embrace his neck and pulled Taejoo in for a kiss..
Aww!!!!! That looks they gave prior to the kiss was in the poster so I defo think they would have a happy ending coz in that poster (see the pic), Gook had a different hairstyle and they both were dressed up. I even thought they would lean in for a kiss after that which I was proven right.
So their last confessions ended up in tears and separation but now that they were together at last, nothing stands between them and their love for each other. It was so freaking sweet as they smiled to each other after the first kiss and promptly went for their second. After the anguish, jealousy and what have you, they have turned their friendship, relationship between a master and servant, into something much more. Then the show ended up with a distance shot of them kissing and embracing each other in their signature freeze frame shot for every episode cliffhanger ending. But this time it was the finale.
Even though each episode was pretty short, 10 minutes to be precise, it was so well written and like I said their chemistry was off the charts from the start already. Every emotion was depicted accurately and you have so much feels, and the music was apt for every pivotal moment. Even the side characters, including the bully whom they were frenemies with, but eventually reconciled them when he told Taejoo of Gook's plan to go Japan that might have prompted his return from England. In fact they all played a part in bringing them together. They didn't even acknowledge these were two guys falling in love but rather, how their friendship actually meant more than they realised.
At first I didn't have too high hopes for the web drama but was just hyped up, it lived up to expectations. Though the kiss was unexpected, it was a perfect ending. Going to watch it all over again! Well done :)
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