Love Class Season 2 Korean BL Review

Drama: Love Class Season 2 (수업중입니다 시전 2)

Director and Writer: Jang Young-seon

Cast:- Woo Hyo-won, Lee Kwang-hee, Jmin (Jeon Min-wook), Kim Yong-seok, An Jeong-gyun, Jung Woo-jae, Kim Ha-rim, Jung Hyun-woo, An Tae-woong and others.

About the show:-

A story of three childhood friends (now adults), an assistant professor at a University and an Arts student, all of whom find love in the most unexpected ways.

Lee Hyun is a first year student of Business Administration at a University in South Korea. Lee Hyun is searching for his tutor, who leaves his tutee and his job as his tutor unannounced during Hyun's high school days and doesn’t return. When Hyun notices a student in the university who resembles the one he is looking for, he decides to go after him. To his astonishment, Hyun comes face to face with Kim An, his former high school tutor, the guy he has been looking for. Hyun grows fond of An and soon finds himself falling in love with him. Hyun follows An around the University like a puppy, even joining his classes and taking him around to finish assignments together. Will their newfound friendship and companionship turn into something stronger like love?

Joo-hyuk, a student from the Art department is back on campus after finishing his military commitments. An unexpected incident causes Sung-min, a teaching assistant from the department of Business Administration, and Joo-hyuk to run into each other. After a fling with Joo-hyuk, Sung-min leaves him at the hotel the next morning and leaves his calls unanswered. They experience a push and pull kind of a relationship and often find themselves heartbroken because of the lack of communication. Will the two sort their misunderstandings and be ready to give this newfound relationship a chance? Are they only fooling around with each other or is love on the cards for the two?

Min-woo is a first year student of Mechanical Engineering from the same University as Lee Hyun. He works part-time at a café near the University. When he is not studying or working, he is often around his best friends, Lee Hyun and Ma-roo. The three have been friends since elementary school but Min-woo now finds himself madly in love with Ma-roo. He is always in a dilemma around Ma-roo, that is, whether to confess his feelings or leave his friendship with the other undisturbed. Everyday around Ma-roo feels more complex to Min-woo because Ma-roo is unaware about his feelings for him. Min-woo, although frustrated by his “just friendship” relationship with Ma-roo, fears that any confession could ruin their precious friendship.

Ma-roo, on the other hand, is always around Min-woo, making sure he (Ma-roo) keeps Min-woo safe and protected and is always taking care of Min-woo, all the time worried about his well-being. Min-woo is his world through and through but he is under the impression that it’s solely friendship. One drunken kiss and a fake relationship with a female friend to make the other jealous, leaves them both in a fix. Has their childhood friendship blossomed into love without them realising or have they jeopardised their friendship? Are they ready to take their relationship from friends to lovers? Is the escalation of the relationship the right choice for them?

(*This review may contain spoilers. If you have already watched the show, please continue reading. If you haven’t watched the show yet, you can still continue reading or you can come back to the review later.)

What I loved about the show:-

I loved how all six characters got equal importance in the show.

Every character has depth, has flaws and also has strengths. The storyline of each character and their partner (the 3 couples) is intriguing. I was hooked to the show right from the start. The show had a smooth beginning and a clear and a complete ending. There are a few defects in the plot but they are too few and get covered by the strong storyline and acting.

I fell in love with all the couples but Ma-roo and Min-woo have successfully stolen my heart.

Min-woo and Ma-roo -

The best thing that your partner or your companion can do for you is to be your best friend. And what’s better is when you find love in your best friend. Someone you trust, someone you cherish, someone you are most comfortable with is the one you get to love for the rest of your life. You get the privilege of giving your heart to the one person who has selflessly been alongside you for most part of your life.

Favourite Scenes:

1) Episode 5 - Ma-roo and Min-woo’s hug scene -

This is one of my favourite scenes from the show. It is a scene packed with many emotions.

First let's talk about Min-woo :

Min-woo has been friends with Ma-roo since elementary school. But he doesn’t realise as to when and how his feelings for Ma-roo turned romantic. In his intoxicated state, Min-woo is overcome with his romantic feelings for Ma-roo. The hug is a display of everything Min-woo feels for Ma-roo. He wants to be close to Ma-roo, wants to feel loved and also wants Ma-roo to feel the love he has for him. In his sober state, Min-woo probably wouldn't have given in to his intrusive thoughts of hugging his best friend with everything he has (I can't say that for sure because he did get carried away and kissed a drunken Ma-roo a few nights before. I would have said yes to consent even between friends but Ma-roo does address the issue in this scene so I am glad it was sorted).
I have watched this scene everyday since the episode’s release and I cannot remember the number of times I have re-watched it.

This particular exchange is my absolute favourite-

Min-woo- 나 잠간 나갔다 올께. (I will go get some fresh air)

Ma-roo- 지금? 야 어디 가는데? 같이 가? (Now? Where are you going? I’ll go with you.)

Min-woo - 아니야 괜찮아. (No, I’m all right)

Ma-roo- 너 취했어. (You’re drunk)

Min-woo - 아니야, 나 다 깼어. (No, I am sober now)

Min-woo badly wants to get away from the room. He is either embarrassed to know that Ma-roo is aware that he had kissed him or he is heartbroken to realise that Ma-roo thinks the kiss is a silly prank/joke and that Ma-roo will never feel the same way about him.

I love Ma-roo's 너 취했어 (You’re drunk). At that point of time, Ma-roo may not have romantic feelings for Min-woo but he surely feels very protective of his best friend. Though he confronts Min-woo about the kiss, he cannot let Min-woo leave the house in a vulnerable and drunken state, late at night. He is concerned for Min-woo. He always has been. Ma-roo has always been protective of Min-woo and he couldn't just let him go, knowing it could be unsafe for him or he could put himself in danger in such a state.

I love Ma-roo's concern in his 너 취했어 (You’re drunk). The whole conversation and the scene are extremely sad and painful.

They love each other but do not know how to express and confess.

2) Episode 9 - Ma-roo’s heartfelt words to Min-woo while Min-woo is sleeping -

Ma-roo’s confession about love is probably one of my favourite confession scenes in Korean dramas.
The words are too sweet.
I love how Ma-roo acknowledges Min-woo's consistent presence in his life. He acknowledges that that presence is the most beautiful form of love and the only form of love that he knows. To always be there by someone's side, consistently without complaints, without expectations and to always be supportive and encouraging is a brave and selfless form of service. To lend their shoulder when in need, to be a friend, a guide, a support system, to lend an ear when you want to complain or whine, to remain a powerful force of strength and support throughout, to always show love and respect and to be kind and caring is generous. Ma-roo understands that kind of love is unwavering and extremely rare to find.

But what I love is not just his acknowledgement of Min-woo and his unwavering one-sided love. I love his confession that till that time, he has been grateful for the love he has received from Min-woo, be it as a friend or something more than that. But now he will work harder to love him back. He will try and experience a new kind of love with Min-woo. Min-woo is not alone in this relationship. Ma-roo is going to return the same amount of love to Min-woo that he receives from him. Now it's his turn to be there for Min-woo. He wants to reciprocate the love and the feelings he has received from Min-woo and he wants to show Min-woo that he gets to be loved as well.

3) Episode 9 - Ma-roo and Min-woo’s early morning date and conversation -

During the initial phase of any romantic relationship, couples tend to go out on cute dates and try to spend as much time with each other as possible. Although Ma-roo and Min-woo have gone out and spent a lot of time with each other since childhood (to adulthood) as best friends, the time they spend together now is different. They get to do it as a couple. This time together seems more special. Min-woo and Ma-roo often hang out at the café Min-woo works at. But now when they hang out at the same café, instead of bickering and fighting, they flirt, woo and act cute around each other and it’s heart fluttering to watch. Previously Min-woo would come home alone and often find himself lonely because Ma-roo would spend all his evenings partying with his friends. Whereas now, they go out to have lunch and dinner together, hang out together at home and spend their evenings together or with their friend Hyun.

All these moments are adorable but there is something about the date, which Ma-roo takes Min-woo on, in the early hours of the day in episode 9 that is too cute to handle.

Ma-roo takes a still sleepy Min-woo on a date at dawn. The sun still hasn’t risen and the streets are still deserted. The best part about Ma-roo and Min-woo’s new relationship is how comfortable they are around each other. Their friendship is intact and stronger than before. This is the exact reason why Ma-roo gets to be his goofy self around Min-woo and ask for a Piggyback ride.

Once they get settled near a lake, they drink the coffee that Ma-roo has prepared to help with the cold weather. Ma-roo is so good with the way he expresses his feelings to Min-woo, though he’s still not used to receiving the lovey-dovey words from Min-woo. The entire conversation between Ma-roo and Min-woo during their date is heartwarming, soothing and refreshing. Ma-roo doesn’t shy away from letting Min-woo know how much he values Min-woo, his love and the relationship. Where Ma-roo is fond of expressing himself eloquently, Min-woo is a man of very few words. His 나도 사랑해 (I love you, too) could melt a thousand hearts.

Ma-roo and Min-woo are one of the reasons I want to believe in love. They love each other as friends and love each other as partners. Their love for each other kept their friendship strong over the years and will ensure to keep it stronger for years to come. Ma-roo and Min-woo have proven how beautiful it can be if the love of your life could be your best friend or your best friend could be the love of your life.

4) Episode 8 - Joo-hyuk and Sung-min’s emotional conversation after ghosting each other -

Confessions and communications between friends who have feelings for each other is difficult but Joo-hyuk and Sung-min have proven that communication between strangers turned lovers could be just as difficult.

Sung-min is kind, caring and polite. He goes out of his way to help people and even if he finds himself in trouble because of others, he does not hold it against them. Instead he politely greets them and excuses himself away. But he is emotional and gets easily affected by issues concerning him.

Joo-hyuk on the other hand is a happy-go-lucky young man. He easily befriends people around him. He is a people’s person. He is the kind of person people would love to be around.

After the initial romantic tension between the two, Joo-hyuk decides to use the push and pull method on Sung-min. On top of that, Sung-min catches Joo-hyuk in close proximity with a man at the University. The misunderstanding between the two ensues. Sung-min is disturbed after seeing Joo-hyuk (his love interest) with another man. This causes him to dodge Joo-hyuk’s phone calls. Joo-hyuk on the other hand, unaware of the chaos that has stirred in the mind of Sung-min partially because of him, is disturbed because his calls to Sung-min go unanswered. Their misunderstanding has led to miscommunication.

After massive efforts, Joo-hyuk seizes the opportunity to talk to Sung-min about the distance that has emerged between them.

Sung-min is deeply hurt thinking that Joo-hyuk is only playing with his feelings. Sung-min is in love with Joo-hyuk at this point but is too afraid to confess. Joo-hyuk is head over heels in love with Sung-min but is playing hard to get. The conversation is a complete display of exactly that. The love they have for each other isn’t being communicated. They have unsettled misunderstandings between them and instead of sorting all that they are constantly hurting each other with bleak words. The longing in Joo-hyuk’s face and the pain in Sung-min’s eyes are disheartening. While watching them hurt, I was holding back tears.

5) All the scenes with the three friends - Hyun, Ma-roo and Min-woo -

Friendship is really one of the strongest bonds to ever really exist. In true friendship, there are no judgments, no expectations and no ill feelings. There is just selfless love.

Hyun, Ma-roo and Min-woo are blessed to have each other as friends who understand each other without words and who shower each other with unwavering and unconditional love and support.

The three truly share a unique bond with each other.

Hyun, Ma-roo and Min-woo together are a match made in heaven. They love sharing their thoughts, views and opinions with each other. They love to tease each other. They love talking about their day-to-day activities with each other. They share with each other their secrets, their schedules and their stories. Min-woo is the quiet and the shy one, Ma-roo is the goofy and the loud one and Hyun is the attentive and the talkative one. When they are together, everything is all right and everything seems to make sense.

Every scene in the show with the three together or any of the two together was wholesome but my favourite scene is from episode 8 where Min-woo and Ma-roo confess about them dating each other to Hyun. The three of them are endearing as friends and every time they are on the screen it is delightful and pleasing to watch.

6) Episode 6 - Hyun and An at Hyun’s house. The conversation they have while An is lying in bed and Hyun is lying on the floor.

An has had a tough childhood. He has his traumas and pains. He is always trying to keep himself and his heart secure and concealed, maybe because of how broken it has been since his childhood. Growing up without parents, alone with only a hyung to lean on in an Orphanage must have been difficult. He tries not to rely or depend on anyone. He keeps to himself especially after the incident at the University that still haunts him and makes people at the University gossip about.

Hyun has had a tough childhood as well. Watching his parents divorce each other and not paying attention to their growing child must have been exhausting and painful for Hyun. He had to fend for himself. He has had the support and comfort of Ma-roo and Min-woo growing up but everything else was tough. When An tutor’s him and shows concern and care towards Hyun, he finds hope. He understands that he can lean on someone and not think of being a burden. But he wasn’t ready for the heartbreak of An abruptly leaving him and his job as his tutor. He feels lonely and abandoned all over again.

Hyun finds hope when he bumps into An a few years later at the University he has enrolled into. He decides to take it slow and pursue An without causing An any distress or giving him a reason to run away again.

An finds solace in Hyun and his presence. He sees that he can be himself around Hyun, can feel loved and cared for and doesn’t have to fear losing ‘a family’ ever again.

It must have been difficult for An to be vulnerable with Hyun and ask him to crash at his house that night. But he must have a lot of trust in Hyun to have shed his inhibitions and ask Hyun for help. This shows how An is slowly drifting towards Hyun and his warmth.

The scene at Hyun’s house:

Hyun’s words that An must not have had anywhere to go that he chose to stay with Hyun are saddening. Hyun wants An to stay with him as long as An wants, forever if Hyun could have it his way. Hyun always wants to protect his hyung, take care of him and pour out all his love and support at him. To watch An hurting beside him but not being able to do much for him without An letting him must have been hard. He just wants to let An know that he doesn’t have to go through any of it alone, that he can be trusted and that he will help him by being by his side.

After listening to Hyun’s words, An lovingly stares at Hyun lying on the floor. He realises how much he cherishes Hyun and adores him. He is slowly beginning to understand that he doesn’t have to endure everything alone. He can give in to Hyun’s love for him and also return the same love to him. He realises how Hyun’s constant presence in his life takes away his loneliness, his pain and his fears of being judged and of being abandoned by everyone he considers his family. He realises that Hyun can be his family and that he can be Hyun’s.

Other favourite scenes -

1) Episode 9 - Joo-hyuk and Sung-min’s date and conversation

2) The supermarket scene with the three couples in episode 10

3) Scenes with Sa-ra and Joo-hyuk and Sa-ra with Min-woo and Ma-roo

4) All Min-woo and Ma-roo scenes

Supporting Characters:

Sa-ra – I love Sa-ra’s character. She is a bundle of love. She just wants to find love but every time she finds someone attractive, they end up not being interested in women. Her idea of wanting to steal Min-woo from his love interest while trying to help him might not be my favourite thing to hear but after she realises that she is a good person and that she will help out her new friend, she immediately became a favourite of mine. She is confident and beautiful and an intelligent woman and her character’s presence in the show was refreshing to watch.

Kim An’s Hyung and Café Manager’s characters have added a special charm to the show.

Kim An’s hyung is mysterious, heartless and broken on the inside. His aim is to break Kim An as well. But he remains unsuccessful in the end.

The Café Manager is the ‘tough on the outside, warm on the inside’ type of a guy. At first, he is always pushing Min-woo around with his power but then comes to realise his mistake and changes for the better.

The cameo by Professor Yeong-il and Jae-hyun in Episode 9 was surprising. I found out from social media that they are reprising their roles from the short film ‘Private Lessons’ created by Director Jang Young-seon (Director and creator of Love Class Season 2).

The Actors, the Director and the Writer:

All the Actors in the show have proven their incredible acting skills. They are natural performers. Their beautiful expressions, flawless delivery of dialogues, confident screen presence, clarity of speech and understanding of their roles/characters shows how polished and highly trained they are as actors. All the actors - Woo Hyo-won, Lee Kwang-hee, Jung Woo-jae, An Jeong-gyun, JMin, Kim Yeong-seok, Kim Ha-rim, Jung Hyun-woo and An Tae-woong are my favourites. I love this cast and would hope to see a season 3 with them or the same cast in another show. I wish all the actors a bright future in the industry and will wait to watch their future projects. Wishing all the actors good luck in their future endeavours and praying that they find immense success in their careers.

Jang Young-seon :- I love when women go behind the camera and produce meaningful, creative and successful dramas and movies. We have seen impressive and extraordinary Korean BLs created by Women Directors and Writers and Love Class Season 2 is another wonderful addition to that list. Jang Young-seon has produced a very good drama with a phenomenal cast and a creative and captivating storyline. I applaud her for her efforts.

“Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything - Katharine Hepburn.”