It seems the new K-Drama Love in the Big City (대도시의 사랑법) has taken the entire world by storm. Although I’ve only just started this provocative series, it’s not hard to see why…

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Young Park Sang (published in 2019, with an English adaptation following in 2021), the series (also written by Sang) stars Yoon Su Nam (The King’s Affection) as Yeong Ko, a writer living with HIV, and his 10-year journey to finding true love.

The series also features Ho Eun Jin (Recipe for Farewell) as one Yeong Ko’s solid love interest, Ho Gyu, and explores Ko’s relationship with his female best friend and roommate, Mi Ae Choi, played by Soo Kyung Lee (Adamas). Ko has nicknamed his HIV virus “Kylie” (after Kylie Minogue), deciding that if he’s going to live with it for the rest of his life, he might as well give it a glamorous name.

Breaking from the traditional mold of BL series (it’s not, it’s a K-Drama), which often feature a single director, Love in the Big City employs a unique collaborative approach. The eight-part series consists of 50-minute episodes, each shaped by the distinct vision of one of four accomplished filmmakers: Son Tae-gyum, Hur Jin-ho, Hong Ji-Young, and Kim Se-in, who shared directing duties, helming two episodes each. This approach allowed for a different kind of character growth.

All eight episodes were released on October 21, 2024, a decision made to capitalize on the drama’s unique blend of genres and its strength as a feature-length film. Initially scheduled for release on an OTT platform for the second half of 2024, TVING decided in August to premiere the series in its entirety on the network’s own platform.

The series, the writer, and even Nam have received harsh criticism from anti-LGBTQ+ groups, stating it was “glorifying and promoting homosexuality,” with some even calling for Nam to retire from the industry.

“I thought I was used to this kind of thing after 8 years of working as a writer,” Sang stated, “but I can’t seem to get used to the true face of disgust no matter how much I experience it.”

Nam has also spoken out about the negative comments, saying, “I don’t pay any attention to them. Every time I woke up, I found over 100 encouraging messages. I feel like people’s perspectives are constantly changing.”

Love in the Big City is also available for streaming on Rakuten Viki in 190 countries worldwide.

More Drama reviews (including my final thoughts on Love in the Big City) soon so…

Stay Tuned!