The Guy Next Door – Series Review & Episode Guide

Sian is a 25-year-old aspiring writer who lives in the city. He has worked on his mystery novel for the past few years. However, he feels discouraged since his manuscripts keep getting rejected. His lack of success frustrates him. To pay the bills, Sian has a part-time job at a convenience store. The work is time-consuming and unfulfilling. It adds to Sian's growing dissatisfaction with his life.

Despite his unhappiness, Sian still likes writing. After work, he returns home to write his stories late into the night. Sian feels most inspired during these quiet hours. However, he grows irritated with Junwoo, his new roommate. Junwoo is a 25-year-old musician who enjoys playing his guitar, even past midnight. The music is too loud, and Sian can't concentrate on his writing. Initially, he tries to ignore it. Eventually, he gets fed up and confronts his roommate.

Sian knocks on Junwoo's door, ready to argue. When Junwoo answers the door shirtless, his roommate's buff physique catches Sian momentarily off guard. Sian cuts straight to the point and brings up the noise problem. Junwoo says that he has insomnia, so playing music helps him settle down at night. He offers to share his demos with Sian, who declines harshly. He doesn't care about his roommate's music. Sian just wants Junwoo to keep quiet at night so he can focus on his writing.

Junwoo apologizes and agrees to quiet down at night, yet he adds a condition. If Sian brings him a free coffee from the convenience store each day, Junwoo will keep the noise low. Sian feels irritated. He sees no reason to bargain when Junwoo is the one causing the trouble. If there's no deal, Junwoo threatens to keep playing the guitar past midnight, even if it may disturb others. Sian grows angry at his roommate's unreasonable attitude. Junwoo stays cheeky, almost as if he enjoys provoking him.

The negotiations continue. Junwoo tries to convince that his music isn't disruptive. Instead, it can serve as inspiration to fuel Sian's creativity. Junwoo thinks Sian can write better with a gentle song accompanying him in the background. Sian is still irritated and sees his roommate as a nuisance. Nonetheless, they reach an uneasy compromise. Both will try to coexist without getting on each other's nerves.

The Guy Next Door is about two roommates who didn't get along initially. Their first conversation has weird vibes. There's Sian, who speaks so harshly to his love interest. I'm on his side in the Roommate vs Roommate feud, but he seems too hostile. There's also Junwoo, who reacts inappropriately. He tries to flirt and banter, but it's the wrong time to be playful after upsetting someone. Both leads behave unlikably early on. Instead of creating fun sexual tension, they have made me uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Sian and Junwoo resolve their annoying conflict. Yet, I still don't like them as a couple and struggle to enjoy their exchanges. One of the problems is Junwoo. Sorry, this character gives me the ick! He likes to flirt, which isn't a problem, but it becomes his only personality trait. While flirting is charming in small doses, too much of it can feel sleazy. Junwoo comes across as stupidly horny. Every word sounds like a cheesy pick-up line, and every interaction is just an excuse to get touchy-feely with Sian. In Episode 3, Junwoo even crosses boundaries and shoves his hand down Sian's pants. Stop it, you creep!!!

This couple likes to do random things. In Episode 2, they create playful slogans for items in the store. If the leads were more charismatic, this scene might feel fun and whimsical. With Junwoo & Sian, it just seems plain silly. Later, they try a trust exercise by falling backwards into each other's arms, which looks ridiculous lol. Despite the odd antics, they spend enough time together for a few romantic moments to work. It might be a soft glance. Or a quiet pause. Or a lingering touch. It isn't much, but I sense some faint sparks between them, raising my heartbeat just a little.

Junwoo's actor (Cho Tae Seob) lacks the charm to make his role more likable. I also want to hand him a hairbrush, because there's always a strand of hair covering his eyes. Not in a stylish way, but in a tragic "how can you see?" kind of way. His co-star (Jeon Yu Bin) is a familiar face in many Korean BL short dramas. As Sian, he plays an angsty character, allowing him to show more emotions than usual. He even cries in the last episode, which is impressive. However, the story is so lacklustre that I don't feel anything. His tears are wasted on this poorly written series.

The Guy Next Door begins with a storyline about Sian as a struggling writer. I assumed falling in love would inspire him to finish a successful novel, yet it never happens. The series drops this plot after a while, so nothing changes in his writing career. During the second half, it doesn't bother with any substance. Each short episode turns into pure romantic fluff. All Sian does is kiss or flirt. This BL drama focuses too much on the relationship content, which isn't even enjoyable. Since it neglects emotional arcs and character growth, the story never develops meaningfully.

The last episode focuses on the sex scene. The cinematographer tries to make the moment feel as erotic as possible and even adds an awkward shot of Junwoo's backside. Yet, this encounter still feels mediocre, especially since the couple's kissing doesn't look great. They nibble on each other's lips instead of getting passionate. Overall, The Guy Next Door has no good story, no good romance, no good chemistry, no good kisses, and no good moments. It underdelivers in every metric I use to review BL dramas. I can't recommend the series when it offers so little to enjoy.