Bound Contract – Series Review & Episode Guide

Doyun studies music at his university. He's friends with Hajun, a younger student in the same department. Doyun is calm and collected, while Hajun is loud and bubbly. Despite their differences, they still get along. They even meet up for Doyun to help Hajun with guitar practice.

Some time ago, Doyun ended a relationship with Jihyeon. These two university sweethearts were once in love, but their relationship became strained over time. Jihyeon accused Doyun of being emotionally distant. His boyfriend would bottle up his feelings and never express them. Eventually, Jihyeon grew tired of the poor communication in their relationship. He dumped Doyun, hoping their time apart would make them value each other more.

After the breakup, Jihyeon remains bitter. Instead of keeping his distance, he appears at the same places as Doyun to make him uncomfortable. Doyun usually ignores him and avoids interaction. Lately, Jihyeon tries to provoke a reaction and taunts his ex-boyfriend, asking him to reflect on what went wrong in their relationship. Doyun tries to stay composed, yet his ex's behaviour is irritating.

Jihyeon shows up during one of Doyun and Hajun's guitar lessons. Doyun impulsively grabs his friend's hand and pretends to be affectionate. Hajun is totally confused and has no idea what prompted this sudden intimacy. Jihyeon becomes annoyed when he sees his ex flirting with another guy and leaves angrily. Doyun gets what he wants by faking a relationship, even if it catches Hajun off guard.

Later, Doyun explains the situation. Hajun finally understands he was used as a fake lover. The two friends agree to continue the phony relationship for now, labelling it a temporary contract. In fact, Hajun feels excited about the idea. He wants their romance to appear as convincing as possible, such as taking a couple's selfie in public. As the charade continues, Hajun starts to develop real feelings for Doyun.

Bound Contract begins with a love triangle. It introduces the three central characters: a hot protagonist, a bitter ex-boyfriend, and a hilariously random guy swept into their conflict. Doyun pretends to date Hajun, showing off his new boy toy in front of his former lover. Why? He wants to be petty, and we love him for it. While a fake relationship isn't entirely original in BL, this storyline shows potential. I had a general idea of what might happen (real feelings! fallout! reconciliation!), but I still looked forward to the messy drama.

Here I am, holding a bag of popcorn, ready for the juicy love triangle to begin. Unfortunately, Bound Contract is a flop. After setting up a compelling conflict, the story doesn't develop in an interesting way. Where's the flirting? The catfights? The bitchy drama? My popcorn has gotten cold as I wait for anything to happen. This short series is under 30 minutes long, so it should move quickly to advance the plot. Yet, each episode feels less eventful than the last. Half an hour later, Bound Contract has accomplished very little. The romance? Rushed. The tension with the ex? Not resolved. And my popcorn? Untouched.

Doyun and Hajun begin as a fake couple, so we expect their relationship to become real by the end of the story. While this does happen, their romantic arc is unsatisfying. I want to see flirting, plenty of sexual tension, and ambiguous moments where they get confused by their feelings. Instead, most scenes show Hajun yapping nonstop while Doyun barely reacts. In a BL drama, you want to see the two lovers bonding. In this series, their exchanges seem oddly one-sided. Hajun makes too much noise, Doyun stays silent, and there are no romantic vibes between them.

This relationship could still work if the leads had a good rapport. Give us witty banter. Or heartfelt chats. Or flirty moments where the lovebirds grow closer. Yet, none of that appears in Bound Contract. Doyun's backstory explains that he struggles to trust others. Okay, that's fine, but the series should find a way for him to connect with Hajun. He needs an emotional breakthrough! Frustratingly, Doyun stays closed off for the whole series. His heart is like a vault, with no access allowed. This BL drama suffers because the protagonist never seems available for romance.

As handsome as Doyun's actor (Cho Myeong Gyun) may be, his performance is dire. He gives the impression of someone who doesn't want to be on set, filming this low-budget drama. There's no spark in his eyes, no liveliness in his expressions, and no enthusiasm in his body language. At times, he looks like a beautiful android where someone had cut off the power supply. Hello, hello? Are you still there with us? Hajun's actor (Jung Hyun Woong) tries too hard to compensate for his co-star's lack of charisma and appears overeager. The pair's chemistry feels totally wrong.

After an entire series of very little plot development, the finale wants us to believe Doyun and Hajun share a romantic bond. I'm not convinced. Honestly, I don't think Doyun likes Hajun very much. Then again, it's hard to tell how his character feels because he never reacts to anything on his expressionless face. Despite their lack of connection, the story still makes them a couple anyway. It thinks that just because the couple kisses in the end, that proves the romance. But no, Bound Contract is a lacklustre BL drama that doesn't show the leads have fallen in love.