Checkered Shirt – Series Review & Episode Guide

Jeongwoo is an engineering student at Donghan University. He is roommates with Jaesub, an outgoing friend in his department. Jaesub once dated Minji for two months. After their breakup, Jaesub hopes to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend, but she seems unsure. Jaesub distracts himself by picking up girls at a bar. He brings Jeongwoo along as his wingman.

Jeongwoo feels self-conscious about his romantic inexperience. He never dated or kissed anyone. Jeongwoo also sees little point in starting a relationship since he leaves for the military in a month. While Jaesub teases his friend for being perpetually single, he offers to help Jeongwoo find a girl to hook up with. They visit Seogku Beer to chat up girls. Jaesub does most of the socializing and flirting for both of them.

Recently, Jaesub bought clothes from OfferUp. Hangyeol, the seller, offers to deliver the shirt in person. They arrange a meeting at Seongku Bar, where Hangyeol works part-time as a bartender. Jeongwoo slips away from Jaesub and the girls to meet Hangyeol outside the bar. They complete the transaction smoothly. Jeongwoo hands over the cash, while Hangyeol gives him the checkered shirt. Jeongwoo even lets him keep the extra money since he doesn't have the exact change.

At home, Jeongwoo tries on the blue plaid shirt and plans to wear it later that night. He's surprised to find an old photograph in the pocket. It's a picture of Hangyeol with his boyfriend. Jeongwoo messages him about it. At first, Hangyeol tells him to throw it away, then changes his mind and asks if he can get it back. Jeongwoo agrees. They meet again, Jeongwoo returns the photo, and Hangyeol thanks him with an offer for a complimentary cocktail at the bar.

Later that night, Jeongwoo is supposed to meet Jaesub to pick up girls. Yet, Jaesub suddenly gets a call from Minji, who wants to reconnect with him. Jeongwoo encourages his friend and cancels their plans for the night. With his evening free, he decides to stop by Hangyeol's bar and accept the free drink. As they chat casually, Jaesub sends another message. Jaesub wants to hook up with Minji at the house tonight, so he asks Jeongwoo to stay elsewhere. Hangyeol offers his place for Jeongwoo to spend the night.

Checkered Shirt is the 4th BL drama from SUKFILM, a Korean studio that has produced many short series. Their past projects were about cheating, cheating, more cheating, so surprise… they moved away from their favourite topic. At last, a story about something else! To clarify, it still has a love triangle, and the protagonist misleads his female partner. The plot clings to familiar tropes, unable to break free of its old habits. Nonetheless, I'm glad Checkered Shirt puts more effort into the script than pressing CTRL+C and CTRL+V.

The good news is that I enjoyed Checkered Shirt more than the studio's other entries. Congrats, there's an improvement! The bad news is that the story still feels basic, not inspiring me in terms of creativity or depth. Is there an interesting hook at the start? No. Does anything out of the ordinary happen? Like, not really. Is it trying to convey a meaningful message? Umm, I don't think so. Right now, Checkered Shirt feels like a Generic BL Drama without a memorable plot. The series also lacks a unique selling point that would elevate it above mediocrity. It's doomed to be overshadowed by more interesting stories.

Thankfully, I like the romance. This relationship is juicy because one of the main characters has little experience in his love life. I get a thrill out of watching Hangyeol flirt aggressively around Jeongwoo, who doesn't know how to react. It's also his first time experimenting with a guy, adding to the spiciness of the moment. Ooh, imagine a virgin sitting in front of you, ready for his gay awakening… This scenario almost feels like a fantasy from some raunchy porno! Checkered Shirt commits wholeheartedly to this dynamic, delivering lots of sexual tension and an iconic first kiss.

After the kiss, drama follows. Jeongwoo freaks out over his same-sex encounter, while Hangyeol acts hilariously petty toward him. As they work through the conflict, we learn more about their personalities. The story also adds personal details that strengthen their characterizations. I like how there's a contrast between the two leads. Jeongwoo has book smarts, Hangyeol has street smarts, and they balance each other well. The romance starts to click beyond just a physical attraction. Slowly but surely, I can picture the couple growing close on an emotional level.

Hangyeol's actor (Jeon Yu Bin) is the king of Korean BL, building an incredible portfolio of gay web series. I look away for a second, and he has already starred in five new dramas, kissing a different guy each time. Out of all his screen partners, this pairing is my favourite. His co-star (Choi Dong Ho) has past BL experience, so he's comfortable with physical intimacy. They look cute as a couple and share a comfortable rapport that makes their romance convincing. Their individual performances are fine, but mostly average. Both stars seem more charismatic together.

After seven decent episodes, Checkered Shirt ends on an annoying cliffhanger. Jeongwoo is confronted about his sexuality, while Hangyeol meets his ex-boyfriend. Both dramatic plots remain unresolved in the finale. Yes, there's an upcoming sequel that will hopefully continue the storylines. However, the long wait between seasons may alienate viewers, who won't remember what happened. Or worse, they may not even care anymore. I must judge Checkered Shirt based on its frustrating last episode, which has lowered my opinion of a series I otherwise enjoyed.