Our Days – Series Review & Episode Guide

Mon travels away from home for his first year of university. He plans to live with his friend Pond, whose uncle offers free boarding. However, Mon follows the wrong address and accidentally ends up at a stranger's home. He meets Soh, the resident of the luxury loft. Despite the mix-up, Soh is hospitable and allows Mon to stay for the day.

Mon and Soh spend the night drinking. Soh becomes drunk and accidentally kisses his acquaintance. While Mon is mortified by the kiss, Soh does not recall what happened. Later, they meet at the university campus. Soh is surprised by Mon's sudden hostility around him. Mon accuses Soh of inappropriate conduct. His partner is apologetic and claims the kiss isn't intentional. Nonetheless, Mon never wants to see Soh again.

Mon and Pond decide to move away from the uncle's place. Instead, they chip in the rent with their friends, Fame, Jean, and Tiger. In an ironic twist of fate, Mon discovers Soh is a mutual acquaintance and one of his new roommates. Soh is remorseful about what happened between them and asks to make amends. He desperately wants them to have a fresh start, as if the drunken kiss never happened. Yet, Soh continues to act standoffish, leading to awkward tensions around the house.

Mon used to love playing basketball, the sport his father introduced. However, Mon fell out of love with the sport recently. He refuses to apply for the school's team. A part of his disinterest stems from his high school rival, Tack, who received the basketball scholarship over him. Tack and Mon attend the same school, becoming adversaries. Mon's rival constantly taunts him about not being a good enough player for the campus team.

While living together, Soh becomes curious about Mon's past. Soh meets Mon's younger brother Micky, an energetic high school student. Micky reveals his older sibling's struggles. Beneath Mon's cold exterior, he is wounded and vulnerable. In addition, Soh meets Saint, a popular basketball player from another school. Saint shares a mysterious past with Mon and seems strangely fond of him. Soh wonders about their ambiguous relationship.

Our Days is an unconventional BL drama because it goes against the standard formula in the genre. Many other series make a loud splash with surreal plots, snappy dialogue, or sensationalist twists. In contrast, this story avoids flashiness and tries to be as ordinary as possible. The leads are regular guys instead of your typical twinks or pretty boys. Our Days cherishes authenticity, portraying a down-to-earth narrative that can happen in the real world. It strives for rawness and realism, although sometimes unsuccessfully.

This series has a different rhythm than most BL dramas. The story is slow, quiet, and mundane, unlike the sleek, sexy, and fast-paced romances prevalent in the genre. It takes ample time to advance the plot, develop the characters, and explore their motivations. The protagonists go on long journeys of growth and self-discovery. If you have patience, the narrative builds to precious moments of introspection. However, I suspect many fans won't respond well to the dull pacing. Our Days is too much of a slow burn and doesn't offer enough excitement to hold your attention.

As much as I appreciate the thoughtful story, Our Days starts to drag in the second half. It makes a few mistakes in the last few episodes. Firstly, the romance stalls for too long. There was a perfect time for the characters to become an official couple, but the series missed that window of opportunity. The relationship stagnates when the narrative needs a fresh boost of new storylines. Secondly, Soh's behaviour becomes aggravating. I liked him before due to his character's kind personality. However, he turns insensitive and needlessly cruel, losing all my goodwill toward him.

Episode 4 introduces Saint, my favourite character in Our Days. For starters, the actor (Offroad) looks sharp on camera with an abundance of shirtless scenes. In addition, Saint brings seduction, emotional drama, and an air of intrigue. He's like a breath of fresh air in a series low on energy. Saint is supposed to be in a love triangle with the leads. However, the storyline doesn't work. I find Saint more appealing than Soh in every aspect, including personality, looks, backstory, and compatibility. It perplexes me why Mon pines for Soh when he has a much better alternative.

Our Days features an unknown cast, many newbies without prior screen experience. The leads aren't dreadful, but they lack the charisma to carry the series alone. Mon's actor (Gap) doesn't have the range to portray a tsundere character. He may not be the best fit for this role. His costar (Mhing) is okay, yet he doesn't share sparks or chemistry with his partner. Both get outshined by several supporting cast members, particularly Offroad. I also enjoy the perky actor who portrays Pond (Poon). Plus, Coach Ryu is delightful and livens up the basketball scenes.

Overall, I like how Our Days offers a calm, pensive story that feels distinctive in the landscape of BL. I enjoy the subdued drama, delicate emotions & intimate character journeys. The unhurried pace doesn't bother me, but I know others will complain it's dull. Yet, I don't feel passionate after finishing this series. Fatigue sets in during the last few aimless episodes, enough to dampen my interest. Our Days also suffers because it's missing the traditional BL magic. It lacks the bold plots, the juicy romance, and the exciting thrills that make this genre entertaining to watch.