Summertime – Series Review

Do Hyeon is the top student at Oh Bok High School, an all-boys school. He gets excellent grades and even serves as the student council president. Meanwhile, his best friend Eun Ho is a carefree student who doesn't care about academics. He'd rather play video games than crack open a textbook. Despite their different personalities, Do Hyeon and Eun Ho have been inseparable since birth. Their families are also incredibly close. After Do Hyeon's parents passed away, Eun Ho's family almost consider him a second son.

Do Hyeon is secretly in love with Eun Ho. And nope, Do Hyeon hasn't confessed yet. He has no clue how Eun Ho would react. What if his best friend doesn't feel the same way? Do Hyeon is terrified that one-sided love could ruin everything between them. For now, he's stuck fantasizing in silence. His imagination gets especially wild at night, when he has erotic dreams about hooking up with Eun Ho. Then, Do Hyeon wakes up and remembers that Eun Ho is still just his friend. Meanwhile, Eun Ho has no idea any of this is happening. He simply sees Do Hyeon as his annoyingly perfect childhood bestie.

Eun Ho usually hangs out at the back of the classroom with his other friends. Recently, their class got a mysterious new transfer student named Lee Hyun. Everyone is curious because transferring schools this late in the year seems suspicious. Ooh, what happened at his old school? Eun Ho's friends assume Lee Hyun must have caused some huge scandal. They grill him for details, but the new kid's attitude rubs them the wrong way. Soon, there's a confrontation. Things almost get physical until Eun Ho steps in. He defends Lee Hyun and tells his friends to knock it off.

Later, Lee Hyun tells Eun Ho what happened at his previous school. His old classmates found out he was gay, and school became miserable afterward. That's why he transferred. New school, fresh start. When Lee Hyun comes out to Eun Ho, he braces for another crappy reaction. Instead, Eun Ho barely makes a big deal. You like guys? Okay, cool. Why should he care? After dealing with homophobia at his old school, Lee Hyun is probably expecting judgment. Instead, he gets a casual ally.

Eun Ho's kindness works a little too well because Lee Hyun quickly gets comfortable around him. They start hanging out, and Do Hyeon goes into jealous boyfriend mode despite not actually being the boyfriend. Lee Hyun and Eun Ho aren't flirting. They aren't secretly dating. They're literally just becoming friends. None of that matters to Do Hyeon, whose brain has already decided this transfer student is Public Enemy No. 1. When Lee Hyun visits Eun Ho's house to adopt a stray animal, Do Hyeon somehow convinces himself that something scandalous might happen. So what does he do? He hunts Yi Hyeon down to confront him.

Do Hyeon pressures Yi Hyeon into keeping his distance from Eun Ho. Yi Hyeon agrees because he just wants to survive his new school year without more drama. Congratulations, Do Hyeon. You scared off the competition! Yet, Eun Ho grows increasingly annoyed by this controlling behaviour. When Eun Ho hangs out with his friends to smoke and drink, Do Hyeon swoops in again. He orders the guys not to let Eun Ho touch cigarettes or alcohol. Eun Ho is fed up with the constant meddling, and Do Hyeon's attempts to keep him close are pushing him further away.

My first impression of Summertime is incredibly positive. A romance between childhood friends has always been my favourite dynamic in BL dramas. Nothing gets me more invested than two lifelong besties falling in love. The series also earns major brownie points for its polished production. Oh, everything looks gorgeous! Best of all, Summertime is horny as hell. It doesn't pretend to be some innocent love story. Do Hyeon and Eun Ho are having dirty thoughts about each other. Very dirty thoughts. The BL content gets spicy pretty fast!

The #1 reason to watch Summertime is the smut. Damn, this series is packed with raunchy scenes! Early on, Do Hyeon has erotic dreams and even jerks off. Later, the couple explores each other's bodies. At one point, Eun Ho gets so carried away that his legs just lift off the bed. Imagine hooking up so hard that you levitate! These guys have sizzling chemistry, especially when they make out. Other dramas try to serve risque content, but the actors aren't comfortable or the camera misses the hottest angles. But here, everything works. Summertime gives us legendary kisses, insane chemistry, and top-notch visuals. We hit the BL jackpot!

Unfortunately, Summertime is one of those BL dramas you watch for the smut, not for the plot. The romance starts off promising. Ooh, that sexual tension is juicy! But then, the story drags out the relationship angst for too long. The couple is either arguing or avoiding each other. Why? I can't keep track of their bullshit, but there's always some contrived reason. Once the friends-to-lovers arc is done, Summertime seems to run out of ideas. The last few episodes give us a half-assed storyline. The series fills the rest of the time with sex scenes and romantic fluff.

I hate that Do Hyeon is such a jealous weirdo. He freaks out whenever Eun Ho wants to spend time with anyone else. You wanna talk to another guy? Permission denied! Excuse me, who put this asshole in charge!? Even the smaller moments get under my skin. Do Hyeon helps Eun Ho get dressed, feeds him, and follows him into the bath. Why does he treat his love interest like a helpless toddler!? That grown man can take care of himself! Do Hyeon thinks he's being protective, but it comes across as possessive instead. This control freak wants to run Eun Ho's life for him.

Do Hyeon's actor (Seong In Ho) and his co-star (Kim Do Min) have amazing physical chemistry. When these guys kiss, oh wow… HOT!!! They really know how to turn up the heat. I understand why BL fans are going feral over this couple. Yeah, I'm right there with them! Outside the romantic moments, their performances aren't as interesting. Both leads can seem kinda wooden. I wish they'd show more personality instead of standing there with blank expressions. The supporting cast has to pick up the slack. Eun Ho's friends and family bring way more energy into their scenes.

Near the end, Eun Ho struggles with his self-esteem. His character development almost gets interesting, but the writing doesn't go deeper. Do Hyeon tells him, "I love you for being yourself", and apparently that fixes everything. The finale also has a vague dream sequence that leaves us even more confused. By the time Summertime ends, I'm annoyed by its lack of substance. Still, I gotta admit… this series is sexy as hell. Even though the story is shallow, hot BL smut compensates for a lot. So yeah, I still enjoyed Summertime and shamelessly rewatched those kisses!