Tinted With You – Series Review & Ending Explained

Story

Time travel

I love the idea of putting a modern character in a historical timeline. What I don't love is how this idea gets executed in Tinted With You. The dream, the painting, and the mysterious art gallery lady are so unnecessarily convoluted. The more they try to explain Eun Ho's situation, the less enjoyable this series becomes. Honestly, I'd prefer if they scrap the lore and just throw the protagonist into the past without an explanation.

The premise has so much potential, but it doesn't get explored in any meaningful capacity. Why can't we see Eun Ho adjust to living in the past and let him explore the universe more? Also, aren't the others curious about him and why he carries these contemporary items in his bag? I want more scenes highlighting the culture shock, but we barely get anything substantial. The characters hardly leave the premises, and when they do, it's just to draw pictures. How boring!

Banished prince

I also love the idea of an exiled prince ostracized from the kingdom. Once again, what I don't love is the execution. Heon's storyline is too abstract and would've worked better if we had more scenes leading to his banishment. Show us his interactions with the king. Show us the other royals plotting against him. The additional context would've enriched the narrative, making it more compelling and coherent.

Instead, Heon was introduced with a terrible first impression. We meet his character under confusing circumstances. I was cringing from the fake blood, bad crying, and melodramatic dialogue. Instead of sympathizing with Heon, I was laughing at him because his situation seemed so over-the-top cheesy. Tinted With You took a really creative idea and botched it with amateurish writing. It's a shame this series doesn't have a better storytelle to implement these imaginative concepts more cohesively.

Romance

Eun Ho and Heon

I like the relationship scenes between Eun Ho and Heon. Their characters have a cute rapport and the sweetest kisses, amplified by their cinematic surroundings. In my opinion, this couple has okay chemistry. While I don't sense a big spark between the actors, their connection is serviceable. I could use more passion, but I'll accept these performances.

Yet, I'm left unsatisfied by the overall storyline, portraying a superficial whirlwind romance without much substance. Heon and Eun Ho's attraction seems surface-level, falling in love because they like drawing pictures together. Sharing the same hobby sets a basic foundation for romance, but can we have more content please? I wanted deeper conversations and more meaningful interactions to establish their bond, which this series never delivered.

Heon and Guem

The Heon and Guem relationship is a wasted opportunity, failing to develop substantially. Tinted With You teased us with the prospect of a love triangle. However, the reality is that nothing happens between Heon and his bodyguard. It's simply a one-sided crush from Guem, who doesn't express much nuance other than "I'll protect you with my life!" Okay, that's nice, but what else can you offer? His devotion to Heon is one-dimensional and doesn't excite me.

In general, Guem's character is underdeveloped. He isn't one of the leads, but his role is still pretty prominent and deserves more attention. However, Guem behaves stereotypically, never expanding upon his loyal bodyguard archetype. After eight episodes, I don't know much about this guy and have little reason to care about him.

Acting

Decent acting

The acting in Tinted With You is decent. All three actors grew more comfortable in their roles as the series progressed. Generally, I think Heon and Guem's actors put forth okay performances, but nothing too remarkable to report.

In contrast, the actor portraying Eun Ho (Jun) leaves a more memorable impression on me. I'm drawn to his perkiness and cheerful disposition, which help to energize the series. He can carry the scenes by himself, but also interact with the other actors just as smoothly. Plus, I think he's super adorable with his boyish good looks, always an asset to enjoying BL! 😚

Ending

Happy ending

Tinted With You has a happy ending where Eun Ho and Heon travel to the present timeline together. An execution order had been placed on Heon, so his life was in grave danger if he stayed here any longer. Eun Ho convinced the banished prince to leave and come home with him. After completing the magical painting, both characters were teleported away from this feudal era.

Initially, Heon wanted his bodyguard to accompany them on the time-travel voyage. However, Guem decides to stay behind without his master. It turns out the art gallery lady had visited Guem earlier. She tells him to remain in this world and preserve the painting in a safe location until the present. Otherwise, Eun Ho won't be able to travel between the timelines and rescue Heon's life. As a result, Guem makes the tough choice of separating from Heon to ensure the prince stays alive.

Art gallery lady

You may be wondering about the identity of this mysterious art gallery lady. Well, keep wondering because the mystery around her character is never solved! She only appears in the first and last episode of the series. Yet, we know nothing about who she is, where she comes from, and what her powers are. Apparently, Art Gallery Lady wants to change the past and save Heon's life. That's why she teleported Eun Ho into the painting to modify the timeline.

Of course, this explanation answers NOTHING, leaving you with even more questions about the situation. If she has these omniscient powers, why doesn't she go into the painting and save Heon himself? Also, how did she anticipate Eun Ho would rescue Heon or fall in love with him? It seems like a risky plan considering her only instructions to Eun Ho were: "Complete the painting or you'll get trapped here forever, sucker!"

Who is the Art Gallery Woman? I have a theory that she is GOD in human form. Yes, God is apparently a BL fan who ships a high school student with a feudal prince. That's why she ordered Guem to stay in the past, manipulating him to get out of the way from Heon and Eun Ho's budding romance. She works in mysterious ways. 😇

Present timeline

After the time travel, Tinted With You jumps forward two years into the future. Annoyingly, the series doesn't show us the immediate aftermath of Heon arriving in the present timeline. I wanted to see his character adjust to a shockingly different culture, but this enormous event gets glossed over in the ending. Tinted With You couldn't bother to explain the logistics of Heon fitting in with modern society.

Instead, the final scene shows the two protagonists settling into their ordinary routines as university students. Heon knows how to use a laptop, showing he's fully integrated with the present-day lifestyle. The final scene is supposed to be a twist, because they see someone who resembles Guem. I mean, it would make NO SENSE for Guem to be in the current timeline? Did the art gallery lady transport him into the future too? Nonetheless, it's best to not overthink this ridiculous ending too much, like with everything else about Tinted With You.