Eccentric Romance is a Korean BL series about two university friends investigating a campus killer. After joining a gym, the main characters meet a hunky personal trainer. Although their new acquaintance seems friendly, he may be connected to a recent murder case. The protagonist's paranoia grows when he finds evidence, but his friend doesn't believe this outlandish theory. Their relationship becomes strained as loyalties are divided.
While the romance isn't anything special, I still like the couple in Eccentric Romance. They have a few cute moments that appeal to me as someone who enjoys the friends-to-lovers trope. One of the leads also delivers a charming performance. However, the murder mystery worsens as it drags on and becomes too sloppy with the details. The last few episodes focus too much on the killer nonsense instead of highlighting the BL content.
Eccentric Romance Summary
Title:
기이한 로맨스
Series Info:
South Korea (2024)
Genre:
School mystery
About:
Eccentric Romance is a happy & funny BL drama.
Plot
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.
Eccentric Romance Trailer
Eccentric Romance Cast
Characters
Sung Hoon
Yoon Jun Won (윤준원)
Sung Hoon is a 21-year-old sophomore majoring in business at Korean Foreign Language University. He is also a member of the university's basketball team. Sung Hoon has been best friends with Jay for eight years. They can communicate despite their language barriers. The athletic Sung Hoon encourages Jay to work out at the gym. However, he grows suspicious of their personal trainer, Jin Wook.
Yoon Jun Won
Yoon Jun Won (윤준원) is a Korean actor. He is born on October 26, 1994. His first BL project is the 2024 drama, Eccentric Romance.
Jay
Save Saisawat (เซฟ ไซสวัสดิ์)
Jay is a 21-year-old Thai international student at Korean Foreign Language University. He is a sophomore studying Korean, although he still prefers to speak in Thai. Jay has been best friends with Sung Hoon for eight years. They start working out at the gym together. Jay befriends Jin Wook, the hunky personal trainer. He dismisses Sung Hoon's claims that Jin Wook could be a murderer.
Save Saisawat
Save Saisawat (เชฟ ไซสวัสดิ์) is a Thai actor. He is born on September 9, 1998. His first BL project is the 2022 series, Ai Long Nhai. He has a supporting role in the 2022 drama, Why You… Y Me. Save also stars in the 2024 Korean BL series called Eccentric Romance.
Supporting Cast
Jin Wook
Go Byung Wan (고병완)
Ji Won
Kim Tae Ha (김태하)
Seung Joo
Lee Geon U (이건우)
Ki Hyeon
Jun Sik
Professor
Cast Highlights
Save Saisawat
Jay's actor has supporting roles in various Thai BL dramas, including Ai Long Nhai (2022) and Why You… Y Me? (2022).
Lee Geon U
Seung Joo's actor has a supporting role in the 2024 BL drama Love Is Like a Cat, which is made by the same studio behind Eccentric Romance.
Eccentric Romance Review
Review
Drama Review Score: 6.8
I'm torn about Eccentric Romance. Despite the mediocre review score, there are parts of this drama that I genuinely enjoyed. The playful story features two amateur detectives investigating a murder. If done well, there's a market for a witty mystery show with a gay twist, like 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, it shows glimpses of potential here and there.
The murder mystery in Eccentric Romance is written poorly. It misses the storytelling fundamentals, like identifying the victim. We know too little about the person who got killed. It also doesn't develop the primary suspect. Despite receiving a lot of attention, Jin Wook lacks any meaningful characterization. His only defining trait is being a hunky fitness 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 expanding 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) brings a subtle charm to his performance. If only Eccentric Romance were a better series, many BL fans would have crushes on him based on his charisma. Also, he looks hot! The opening song always 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 justify his language barrier. Although unbelievable, I think these goofy explanations are hilariously camp. 😆
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 narrative. It wants to shock the viewers with an unrealistic gotchya moment rather than give a coherent resolution. Since the mystery was unsatisfying, I wished it occupied less time in the plot. It should have focused on the couple's relationship, which the finale neglected. Sadly, Eccentric Romance never fulfills its potential as a lighthearted BL mystery. Despite a few bright spots, my final opinion is disappointment.
Summary
Mediocre story
Eccentric Romance tries to create a compelling murder mystery, but the plot suffers from slow pacing and missing nuances. The story becomes increasingly unrealistic and illogical toward the end.
Endearing romance
Sung Hoon and Jay's romantic arc drags at times. However, I still like their friends-to-lovers journey, which hits the usual BL tropes. Their cute and comedic interactions make the couple endearing.
Engaging acting
Sung Hoon's actor (Yoon Jun Won) is a charming performer with an engaging screen presence and an attractive physique. His costar (Save) overdoes the bubbliness, but he still handles the role well.
Happy ending
Eccentric Romance has a happy ending as the murderer is revealed. However, the finale prioritizes an unconvincing twist over a coherent resolution. It also doesn't have much BL content near the end.
Decent artistry
Some shots look awkward, like when the leads talk with their backs turned to the cameras. Yet, I enjoy the gratuitous shirtless scenes. Showcasing Sung Hoon's body should be considered artistry!
68%
Eccentric Romance is a mediocre BL drama with a weak mystery and an unsatisfying resolution. I like the cute couple and the charming leads, but they aren't enough to offset the flaws.
Eccentric Romance Episodes
Episode Guide
- Start Date October 10, 2024
- End Date November 14, 2024
- Episodes 12 episodes
- Episode Length 15 minutes
Eccentric Romance has a total of 12 episodes. Each episode is around 14 to 16 minutes long. The last episode is around 18 minutes long. It is a medium-length BL drama, and you can finish the entire series in around 3 hours. Eccentric Romance started on October 10, 2024 and finished on November 14, 2024.
Eccentric Romance Information
Links
- Gagaoolala Eccentric Romance Gagaoolala
- MyDramaList Eccentric Romance MyDramaList
- Viki Eccentric Romance Viki
Director
Gong Jag Wan (공자관) is a Korean director. He worked on the 2024 university romance BL series, Eccentric Romance.
I too enjoyed this one due to the chemistry of the main leads and the playful direction/dialogue, rather than the main plot. The murder "mystery" was definitely poorly plotted out and the last two episodes (and a lot of the character actions) didn't make much sense, while being predictable at the same time. It confuses me with a lot of BLs where friends fall in love, whether the characters know each other are gay to begin with.