Eccentric Romance – Series Review & Episode Guide

Sung Hoon is a 21-year-old sophomore at Korean Foreign Language University. He is a business major and plays on the basketball team. Sung Hoon is close to Jay, a Thai international student studying Korean at this university. Sung Hoon and Jay have been best friends for eight years. Despite speaking different languages, they can communicate and understand each other perfectly. Even so, Jay struggles with Korean vocabulary and prefers speaking in Thai.

Sung Hoon and Jay are excited to enroll in an elective course together. This health and fitness class is famous for being easy to complete. Instead of taking tests, the students only need to complete weekly assignments to earn good grades. In the curriculum, one of the projects is to take a self-portrait of their physiques. Although it sounds easy, Jay feels troubled because he doesn't think his body is buff enough. Sung Joon, a natural athlete, encourages him to visit the gym. Jay agrees and feels motivated to work out.

The friends sign up for gym memberships. They meet the receptionist, Ji Won. She is a sophomore with a Thai language major. To Jay's relief, she can overcome the language barrier and communicate with him. They also meet Jin Wook, a 28-year-old personal trainer. He loves travelling and has visited Thailand 56 times, making him fluent in the language. He can also communicate with Jay easily. The hunky Jin Wook has a muscular physique, which catches Jay's attention. Jay seems more determined than ever to bulk up.

Jay has never been to the gym before. He is hopelessly lost with the gym equipment and requires Sung Joon's assistance. Due to his struggles, Sung Joon barely had time to exercise. Jay feels guilty for occupying his friend's workout time. After talking to Ji Won, she encouraged him to hire a professional personal trainer at the gym. Jay follows her advice and pays Jin Wook to coach him. The two enjoy their workout sessions together, and the charming Jin Wook makes Jay laugh. As Sung Hoon observes them from afar, he seems annoyed by their close bond.

Recently, the entire school is rocked by a shocking murder. Jun Sik, a member of the volunteer club, was found dead in a nearby farm. The police interrogate Jin Wook since he is the last person to see Jun Sik. Sung Hoon also notices a bruise on Jin Wook's body, matching the news report of the Yeonma-dong murder. Sung Hoon suspects Jin Wook could be the killer. However, Jay dismisses the theory. As Sung Hoon's paranoia grows, Jay is annoyed by his friend's baseless accusations. Their relationship becomes strained over the divided loyalties.

I'm torn about Eccentric Romance. Despite the mediocre review score, there are parts of this drama that I genuinely enjoyed. The story features two amateur detectives investigating a murder. If done well, there's a market for a witty mystery show with a gay twist. Think about the massive shipping fandom behind Sherlock. Surprisingly, the BL genre hasn't tapped into this popular niche too much. While Eccentric Romance is an unsuccessful attempt at a gay mystery, there's potential if it refined some aspects of the story.

The murder mystery in Eccentric Romance is written poorly. It misses some storytelling fundamentals, like identifying the victim. We know too little about the person who got killed. It also doesn't flesh out the primary suspect. Despite receiving a lot of attention, Jin Wook lacks any meaningful characterization. His only defining trait is being a hunky personal trainer. If we're supposed to care about catching the killer, the story needs to offer more context. Elaborate on the backstories, relationships, and motives. These nuances will make us feel emotionally invested in what happened.

Instead of developing the mystery, Eccentric Romance is focused on making accusations. It constantly depicts Jin Wook as sketchy, hinting that he hides an evil secret behind his persona. Whether he's the real culprit or a red herring, these scenes lose their impact as the investigation drags on. The protagonists spend too long feeling suspicious of Jin Wook rather than confronting him. The story loses momentum and adrenaline once you realize it's another unproductive episode with no breakthrough. I need the plot to progress faster and the stakes to be a lot higher.

Besides the slow-paced murder mystery, the series drags out Sung Hoon and Jay's romance. Whenever they celebrate a milestone, like a kiss or a confession, the story creates an excuse to stall their relationship development. However, I enjoy the couple's interactions. They follow a solid friends-to-lovers journey. Their scenes consist of basic BL tropes, but they work on me. I find myself smiling or giggling at their cute, comedic exchanges. While my brain tells me their romantic arc is written clumsily, my heart still ships them as an adorable pair. I like them together!

Sung Hoon's actor (Yoon Jun Won) delivers a charming performance. If only Eccentric Romance were a better series, many BL fans would develop crushes on him based on his charisma. Also, he looks so damn hot! The opening song in every episode includes his shirtless scene, reminding us of his godly physique. His costar (Save) overdoes Jay's enthusiasm slightly, but he still handles the role well. As a Thai actor in a Korean drama, the story makes awkward attempts to explain away his language barrier. Although unbelievable, I don't mind that much.

Eccentric Romance worsens toward the end as the convoluted mystery dominates the last few episodes. The story gets sloppy with the details, creating an illogical and unrealistic narrative. It wants to shock the viewers with a gotchya moment rather than give a coherent resolution. Since the mystery was unsatisfying, I wished it occupied less time in the plot. Instead, focus on the relationship arc to highlight the couple's charm. Sadly, Eccentric Romance never fulfills its potential as a lighthearted BL mystery. Despite a few bright spots, my final opinion is disappointment.