Love Class – Series Review & Ending Explained

Episode 1

Episode 1 Summary

Ji Woo is a university student enrolled in the Marriage & Family class. This course teaches about dating, marriage, and starting a family. Unofficially, it has a reputation for the classmates to hook up with the opposite sex. Ji Woo attends this class hoping to grow closer to Yoo Na, his female friend. He has a crush on Yoo Na and wants to work with her on a group project. Unfortunately, she pairs up with another girl, Hye Won. A reluctant Ji Woo is partnered with Roa, a senior male student.

Ji Woo plans to quit the class since he can't spend time with Yoo Na. However, he surprisingly enjoys hanging out with Roa as they work on their first assignment. They have lunch dates, play arcade games, and share insightful chats in the middle of the night. On several occasions, Ji Woo is startled when Roa becomes intimate with him. He doesn't know what to make of his partner's subtle signals.

At the end of the episode, Roa compliments Ji Woo and calls him adorable. The awkward remark prompts Ji Woo to ask Roa if he is attracted to guys. Before his classmate can respond, their conversation gets interrupted by Yoo Na's sudden arrival. She seems panicked after running away from someone dangerous during the night. Ji Woo is surprised when Yoo Na asks for his help.

Episode 1 Review

My first impression of Love Class is positive. Right away, I'm intrigued by its concept. A BL series in a class that teaches about heterosexual marriage & family values seems powerfully defiant. Ji Woo is introduced as a straight guy with a crush on a girl. I'm curious about how he'll transfer his feelings from Yoo Na to Roa over the course of the series. If done right, this journey can be pretty exciting to watch.

This episode introduces Ji Woo and Roa well, giving us an insightful glimpse into their personalities. I'm curious to learn more about them. However, the character who interests me the most is Yoo Na instead of the two leads. There's a big difference between her confident attitude in the flashback and her meek demeanour in the classroom. I can tell she has a ~story~, so the mystery around her intrigues me.

In the beginning, we meet Ji Woo, Yoo Na & other random students. However, Roa isn't mentioned at all. Love Class deliberately hides their lead until Ji Woo discovers he's stuck with a male partner in his class. Roa sits down and shakes Ji Woo's hand, but we don't learn his name. The story doesn't make it obvious he's the main character or love interest. Roa's understated introduction feels like some random guy appeared, tying into the theme of Ji Woo not expecting to fall in love with him. It's a clever way to emphasize the serendipity of their romance.

Episode 2

Episode 2 Summary

The episode begins with a flashback of how Ji Woo & Yoo Na became friends. They met during orientation, where he helped her in a party game. Another flashback revealed that Yoo Na faces a stalker problem. Lately, a disturbing individual has spied on her and left creepy notes. Yoo Na worries about her personal safety. Despite reporting to the police, they only agreed to increase the patrol in her neighbourhood. She still doesn't feel safe walking home alone every night.

Yoo Na becomes mistrustful of men due to her stalker, so she teamed up with Hye Won for the class project. As the two girls grow chummy, Hye Won reveals she has a crush on their professor. However, Professor Lim doesn't seem to reciprocate these feelings for his student. Even though Yoo Na fears most men, she feels comfortable around Ji Woo, who vows to protect her. He accompanies her as they walk home together after school every night.

Roa warns Ji Woo about the dangerous situation, insisting he's putting himself at risk and should leave matters to the police. Yet, Ji Woo is too delighted about spending time with Yoo Na and dismisses the concerns. Roa's warning came true at the end of the episode. The stalker waits until Ji Woo is alone before attacking him in the middle of the night. Ji Woo is frightened when his assailant swings a baseball bat at him. Fortunately, Roa arrives just in time to come to his rescue.

Episode 2 Review

I'm intrigued by the stalker storyline so far. However, I start to feel like Love Class is about the romance between Ji Woo & Yoo Na instead of a BL series. She's overshadowing Roa as the lead and spends more time with Ji Woo. I'm not at the point where her prominence annoys me yet, but I want to learn more about the main characters. Roa hasn't received meaningful content, so I don't know who he is as a person.

The professor is totally the stalker, right? I used my years of armchair detective skills and pegged him as the culprit since this storyline got introduced. Oh my god, I was SO sure Professor Lim was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Every episode, I'd make snarky comments to myself about why they haven't suspected this phony professor yet. I thought Hye Won's crush was a cover to include his character in the narrative until the protagonists discover the scandalous truth. Damn, I genuinely thought I solved the stalker mystery! 😆

Episode 3

Episode 3 Summary

Roa scares away the stalker, but he injures his arm in the process. After a visit to the hospital, he must wear a cast over his broken arm. Although Ji Woo is thankful and apologetic, he asks Roa to keep this attack as a secret. He doesn't want to Yoo Na to feel worse about her situation. Roa is reluctant and believes the police should get involved. Nonetheless, he agrees to the discretion. In exchange, Roa makes Ji Woo become his assistant while he is immobilized.

Roa's secrecy makes his roommate Nam Jun worried about the injury. They have known each other since high school. Nam Jun confessed his love long ago, but Roa rejected him and wanted to remain platonic friends. Nonetheless, Nam Jun still has lingering feelings. Nam Jun feels annoyed after discovering Roa's bond with Ji Woo. He believes Ji Woo is a troublemaker and warns him to stay away from Roa.

Meanwhile, Ji Woo visits Roa's apartment to take care of him. Ji Woo helps Roa wash his hair, do household chores, and put him to sleep. The two university friends strengthen their relationship after spending time together. When they share a meal in the school cafeteria, Roa wants Ji Woo to feed him the food. A reluctant Ji Woo agrees to help his injured friend. At the end of the episode, the entire class gossips over a scandalous photo. Ji Woo is stunned that others have misinterpreted their friendly exchange in the cafeteria as romantic affection.

Episode 3 Review

Ji Woo hiding his attack doesn't seem sensible. I understand protecting Yoo Na's feelings, but you almost got severely injured because of her stalker. Instead of hiding this information, you should keep her & the police informed about the latest escalations. That way, Yoo Na can take the necessary precautions to protect herself from the violence. Ji Woo might think he's doing a kind gesture, but it's actually foolish.

I like the cute relationship moments in this episode, even though Roa is reenacting every BL trope in the book. Each scene evokes a sense of deja vu, like I've seen these events before in another series. To put it another way, Ji Woo and Roa's interactions could be done by any other pair of BL leads. Love Class lacks a distinctive flavour in the romance to make it unique. With that said, I still think these scenes are decently done and give the relationship some needed development. P.S. I like how Roa sits on the bed and keeps staring at Ji Woo with come-hither eyes, haha. 😙

The love triangle with Nam Jun feels unnecessary. Love Class has only six short episodes to convey its narrative, so we don't need an infuriating love triangle to complicate matters. Besides, the other love triangle with Yoo Na already occupies so much time. This redundant relationship with the annoying Nam Jun just feels like overkill. Nam Jun threatening Ji Woo in a jealous fit is too much. Take it down a notch, ya psycho.

Episode 4

Episode 4 Summary

A photo of Ji Woo and Roa's intimate exchange in the cafeteria has circulated online. Their classmates gossip about their ambiguous relationship. Visibly disturbed, Ji Woo barely interacts with Roa once the gay rumours surfaced. After class, Professor Lim and Ji Woo's friends check in with him, but the freshman insists he's doing okay.

Roa plans to send a group email to his classmates, apologizing for the trouble he caused with the photos. Nam Jun thinks the apology is unnecessary. As the two friends argue, Nam Jun trashes Ji Woo and blames him for causing trouble. Roa is upset with his roommate and doesn't want to live with him anymore.

Roa tells Yoo Na about the stalker attacking Ji Woo. Roa blames Yoo Na for exploiting Ji Woo's kindness and putting him in danger. Later, Ji Woo receives a threatening letter from the stalker. It's a photo of Ji Woo with his eyes cut off. This picture is the last straw that breaks his mental fortitude, sending him into a downward spiral. Roa visits Ji Woo's home and recites a sad poem, which resonates with Ji Woo. Although Ji Woo previously locked himself in his room, he finally opens the door to invite Roa into his apartment.

Episode 4 Review

The photo scandal storyline sucks. It's a harmless picture of Ji Woo and Roa, yet the reactions seem overblown relative to the scandal. There's an unpleasant vibe to how the events unfold. First, the classmates mock the two guys for being close. Then, Hye Won & Yoo Na act concerned, but they make him feel ashamed with a hint of casual homophobia. Also, Roa's apology bothers me. Apologize for what? For having your privacy invaded or sharing a playful moment with a male friend? Ugh, this entire plot is so icky and grimy. 😩

I hate how Roa talks down to Yoo Na in this episode and blames her for putting Ji Woo in danger. Excuse me!? How is Yoo Na "exploiting" Ji Woo just because she wants to walk home together instead of being alone at night? Understandably, she feels safer with a friend by her side since a dangerous stalker is harassing this frightened girl. Yet, Roa is driven by jealousy, makes petty accusations, and misconstrues the situation to portray her as a villain. Roa demonstrates a mix of victim-blaming, mansplaining, and condescending attitude that bugs me. What an insensitive asshole.

Love Class wants us to think Professor Lim is the stalker, right? That scene where the professor talks to Ji Woo is so on-the-nose, like the perpetrator taunts his victim after leaking the photo. I'm ready to call the cops and tell them to arrest the professor already. He's so obviously the culprit lol.

Episode 5

Episode 5 Summary

Ji Woo and Roa devise a plan to catch Yoo Na's stalker. They realize the culprit injured his arm in the last encounter. So, they ask all the male students to roll up their sleeves during class. Everybody does as they are told, but only one classmate refuses to obey the order. When they see his scraped arm, everyone realizes this random student is the stalker. He gets arrested, putting an end to the ongoing mystery.

The characters are cheerful after the stalker has gotten caught. They celebrate by hanging out, taking silly photos, and spending the night with a rooftop meal. A flashback reveals Roa had a secret crush on Ji Woo since orientation day. However, he feels insecure after discovering Yoo Na likes Ji Woo too. The episode ends with Yoo Na's love confession. Ji Woo is stunned that the girl he always desired reciprocates his feelings.

Episode 5 Review

That's the stalker!? Who the hell is this!? Introducing some random nobody feels like a cop-out, like an anti-climactic finish to an ongoing mystery. It's also underwhelming how they caught the culprit, making the entire storyline a little silly. I don't know what I expected, but maybe a more elegant and intelligent solution than *everyone, roll up your sleeves* and *the guy who doesn't do it is the stalker*. 

When Ji Woo and Roa announced their plans to expose the stalker in the classroom, I looked at the professor and thought, "Ha ha haaaa, how are you gonna worm your way out of this, professtalker?" Imagine my shock when he's innocent. WHAT!? I was still in denial even after the real stalker ran away. Like, I was so confused, did they catch the wrong guy? Hello, the professor is right there? 😲

Now that Professor Lim isn't confirmed evil, I can safely admit that I find him quite dashing. While I don't support the weird Hye Won & Professor romance, I begrudgingly acknowledge the girl has good taste for going after the most attractive guy in the series. Like Hye Won, I'm also hot for professor. One of the best takeaways from watching Love Class is discovering this handsome actor (Won Tae Hee). I'm aware he appeared in two movies, White Night and Black Stone, which are now on my to-watch list. 

This episode confirmed that I prefer Yoo Na more than Roa as a love interest. I like her mature response to Roa's accusation from the last episode. Instead of getting upset, she was introspective, accepted her responsibility for "exploiting" Ji Woo, and clarified their relationship. Compare her dignity to Roa scowling, bitching & acting like an unpleasant asshole all the time. I just feel like she's a better person than him. Despite being a BL watcher, I seriously rooted for her when she gave her love confession. Yoo Na had the character growth that I wanted out of Roa.

Episode 6

Happy Ending

Ji Woo gently turns down Yoo Na's love confession, explaining that he has feelings for somebody else. Yoo Na reacts to the rejection with understanding. They remain on amicable terms, even after the school semester has ended. Yoo Na adds him to her new Instagram account, which is now private. Meanwhile, Hye Won says goodbye to Professor Lim. He finally agrees to go on a date with her since she's no longer his student.

Ji Woo confesses his feelings to Roa, but he gets rejected. Unfortunately, Roa's insecurities lead him to believe that Ji Woo would be happier with Yoo Na. Before the semester ends, the university senior skips town and avoids his love interest. A lonely Ji Woo reminisces about the past and revisits all the locations they went to as a pair. He asks Nam Jun to deliver a heartfelt message to Roa, wherever he is. Touched by Ji Woo's sincerity, Nam Jun reveals Roa's current location.

Love Class has a happy ending where Ji Woo and Roa reunite in a small beachside town. Roa has been working at a surf shop, enjoying his privacy and discretion. The shop owner gives him wise advice, stating he shouldn't run away from his problems due to a fear of failure. Her words resonate with Roa, making him change his mind. When Ji Woo shows up at the beach, Roa greets his love interest with a hug and kiss. As they make up and confirm their feelings, the series ends happily with the two leads strolling down the beach.

Ending Review

Oh my god, the last-minute relationship drama is ANNOYING. Ji Woo already turned down Yoo Na and confessed his love to you. He made his feelings perfectly clear. What more could you possibly want? Instead, we sit through the entire episode of needless agony because Roa suddenly gets cold feet. Ugh. Their romance isn't that compelling in the first place, so we don't need unnecessary angst to make their scenes even more tedious. Get over it and get together already.

Many BL dramas conclude the story once the leads get together, but the fans want to see what happens after becoming a couple. Personally, I'd be more excited to watch Ji Woo and Roa share scenes together as boyfriends than the tedious melodrama in the finale. It's not like the storyteller doesn't have enough time. The series could trim the filler or condense its earlier subplots to make room for relationship scenes. Yet, the narrative loses its direction, slogs through the last few episodes, and doesn't inspire enthusiasm. Love Class kinda flops despite a promising start.