Drama Digest
Oh! Boarding House is a Korean BL series about Sul Won, an unemployed young man. His mother runs a boarding house for men and students who don’t have their apartments and cannot afford high rents. However, suddenly she goes on a vacation which leaves Sul Won as the temporary landlord. This drama is based on the hit webtoon by the same name by the author ‘Penguin’.
The Feel-Good Part
Though this is a BL series, it does have female characters and straight relationships, which is not so common in BL dramas. There is a wide variety in the personality of all the characters. Even in such a short period of time, the characters were well-established. The awkwardness and blossoming love between the two leads are very interesting. The humour, though dull in certain places, is enough to make you laugh. The series has a very simple plot which is easy to follow.
The Disappointing Factor
The drama is poorly written and executed even more poorly. The screenplay and editing of the series are not up to the mark. The awkwardness is uncomfortable in some places, and the acting feels stiff and forced. In the later part of the series, much of the screen time is dedicated to characters other than the lead characters, which is not necessary. Many BL cliches are included as well, which makes it seem as if the series is a parody.
In-Depth Analysis
After losing his job and security deposit, Sun Wol begs his mother to help him. She is out on a vacation abroad and hence, entrusts Sun Wol to manage her boarding house until her return. The boarding house has several quirky tenants including Sul Won’s 18-year-old cousin, a PE teacher who is also the homeroom teacher of a tenant, an aspiring writer and another friend of Sul Won. Sul Won initially finds the tenants very weird but later he settles down in his landlord role. What follows next is a series of comic actions, antics, misunderstandings and the banter between the characters.
Star Power
Shin Yong Seok plays the role of Sul Won and Im Sung Kyun plays the role of Kim Cheol Soo. The supporting cast includes Kim Hee Joong, Ho Jin, Shin Ki Hwan and Han Seo Ul.
Overall Opinion
The drama does an average job of capturing the attention of the audience, but it has few scenes which will surely entertain you. If you can put up with a few technical discrepancies, then this series is worth trying.
