The Table – Series Review

Siwoo and Seongjae are drinking buddies.

Siwoo and Seongjae are university students who like to hang out at the bar after class. These two guys always sit at their favourite table, where they can relax and chat about whatever's on their minds. Funnily enough, Siwoo doesn't drink any alcohol. He's a total lightweight who can't handle his booze. When they first met, Siwoo tried drinking once and almost had a medical emergency. That was enough alcohol for one lifetime. These days, he sticks to soda while his bestie enjoys the real stuff.

You'd think someone who doesn't drink would find better places to hang out than a bar. Yet, Siwoo still shows up whenever Seongjae wants company. Seongjae doesn't mind being the only one drinking. He's just happy to have his favourite buddy sitting beside him. One night, Seongjae has a few too many drinks and starts getting sentimental. He gushes about how lucky he is to have Siwoo in his life. After all, not everyone would put up with a friend who gets wasted all the time. Seongjae even jokes that Siwoo should keep drinking soda beside him for the rest of their lives.

Once Seongjae gets drunk, Siwoo has to make sure his bestie gets home safely. They walk together late at night. Seongjae is so wasted that he can't remember the passcode to his own home. Good thing Siwoo is there to save the day! After helping his friend inside, Siwoo gets invited to stay over for some ramen. Hmm, a late-night ramen invitation? Unfortunately, Siwoo doesn't take the bait. He turns down the offer because they have classes the next morning.

Siwoo and Seongjae have feelings for each other.

Dojin is a university friend who has noticed how Siwoo and Seongjae are always together! Are they really just drinking buddies, or is there something more going on? Dojin gets nosy and asks if they're dating. Both guys insist they're just friends. Nothing romantic here, thank you very much! Yet, Siwoo has been acting grumpy ever since that question came up. As it turns out, he has been hiding a crush on Seongjae all along. He'd love to become more than friends, but what if Seongjae doesn't feel the same way?

Seongjae brings up Dojin's question again. Are they really just friends? Siwoo gets defensive and assumes Seongjae would be disgusted if he ever developed romantic feelings. Meanwhile, Seongjae worries that a love confession could ruin their friendship. Imagine telling your bestie you like him, only to find out he doesn't feel the same way. Awkward! You might start avoiding each other until the friendship falls apart. The funny thing is that neither guy will admit he's talking about himself. They keep discussing these hypothetical scenarios as if they're giving relationship advice to someone else.

The next day, Dojin chats with Siwoo on campus. He points out how Siwoo hates noisy places and doesn't even drink alcohol. Why does he keep going to the bar with Seongjae? Siwoo finally admits that he has a crush on Seongjae, but he's too scared to confess. What if his feelings aren't returned? All this worrying has made Siwoo moody around Seongjae. They used to be so comfortable together, but now an awkward tension hangs between them. Seongjae doesn't even know why his bestie has suddenly become so distant.

The Table is crap. After watching nine short dramas from True Film, this might be the worst of the bunch. It has all the issues from their previous series. The stories are never interesting. The dialogue is always dull. None of the romances feel unique, like they're copying and pasting the same relationship template with a different cast. Instead of improving with each project, this studio keeps churning out low-effort BL slop. Your audience deserves better quality. Your actors deserve better material. Isn't it time to raise your standards?

Early on, the story reveals that Siwoo and Seongjae are secretly in love with each other. How wonderful! The feelings are mutual! That means they can move on to the next stage of their romance, right? Oh, if only it were that easy… Instead, nothing happens because these two losers are too scared to confess. They spend the entire series hesitating and worrying about their relationship. What if he rejects me? What if we can't be friends anymore? Oh, shut up! For thirty minutes, we're stuck listening to the same whiny conversation. Every scene feels painfully tedious. I'm so damn bored of this couple and their annoying bullshit!

Is there anything else happening in the series? Nope. One unspoken love confession. That's all you're getting! The writing is so lazy that it doesn't even bother exploring other storylines. What about the characters? Do they have hobbies? Anything interesting going on in their lives? No, their entire existence revolves around having a crush on each other. Meanwhile, I've watched other filmmakers pack so much substance and creativity into a 30-minute drama. The Table doesn't try at all. It offers a basic romance and assumes that's all BL fans need to be entertained.

The production is just as uninspired as the rest of the series. True Film still uses the same filming locations as its previous projects. How many times have we seen that infamous wall that they always pretend is a "bar"? Or the table by the windows that somehow passes for a "cafe"? When you've watched as many of their dramas as I have, you recognize all the familiar spots. Can we please get a little variety? Once again, the studio keeps telling the same old stories in the same old places. I'm tired of how little effort it puts into making each series feel unique.

I don't wanna be too harsh on the actors. Look at the crappy material they're working with! How are you supposed to give a memorable performance when your character has the personality of a cardboard box? Seongjae's actor (Yoon Ki Su) tries to be lively, but the script barely gives him any opportunity to show off his playful side. His co-star (Lee Dong Hee) has the worse role. He plays the miserable Siwoo, who spends every scene whining about his love life. Does this guy ever lighten up? Unfortunately, neither actor has enough charisma to overcome the weak writing.

After thirty minutes of boring relationship drama, Siwoo and Seongjae finally confess. They share a little kiss. Just when there's a bit of romance, the story comes to an end. Is that it!? Well, that was fucking anticlimactic. We waited so long for the couple to get together, but we don't even get to enjoy a few sweet moments of them as boyfriends. Overall, I'm so underwhelmed by everything. The Table is like the BL equivalent of fast food. Cheap, bland, and made with barely any effort. I hope the studio realizes this isn't good enough and puts more effort into its next series.