The Love of Winter – Series Review

Kinn is a tourist who travels to the countryside by himself. He hopes to clear his mind from a recent breakup. Kinn checks into the Honglu Boutique Resort, where he meets the employees Tidnuer, Namjai, and Tib. Tidnuer is a local resident born and raised in the countryside his whole life. His father owns this resort.

Kinn asks for a local tour guide to show him around the countryside sights. Namjai and Tib encourage Tidnuer to accompany the new guest on his travels. Tidnuer is shy and reluctant initially. However, he warms up to Kinn's friendliness and the two men begin spending time together.

Namjai and Tib sense a connection between their friend and the new resort guest. They constantly play matchmaker, creating different opportunities for the two men to have alone time. Their plan works as Kinn and Tidnuer forge a close bond over time.

The Love of Winter is a beautiful yet basic BL series that doesn't deviate from the norm. There aren't many surprises with the simple plot or wholesome romance, both of which progress predictably. It's an ordinary story of two guys who meet and exchange mild flirtations. Then, their relationship wraps up with a happy, foregone conclusion. I don't want to dismiss The Love of Winter as generic, but the narrative follows a familiar and expected formula.

This BL drama takes place in a gorgeous location. The lush fields, grassy terrains, and vast mountainside landscape create a serene backdrop accompanying every scene. You can turn on the camera, film anywhere at random, and still capture a picturesque view no matter what. The cinematography looks majestic and graceful, an impressive feat from a small studio effort. The striking visual presentation is definitely the best part about The Love of Winter.

Aesthetically, I love the romantic ambiance in the countryside setting. Emotionally, I feel uninspired by the shallow BL moments that don't go beyond the surface level. While the content isn't awful by any means, there's a shortage of passion, enthusiasm, and adrenaline. I can't get excited about the mundane characters or their tepid exchanges. The leads only share a tiny spark of chemistry rather than sizzling flames of desire. The Love of Winter feels too timid when this genre has already advanced to many creative plots and daring relationships.

The Love of Winter is relaxing to watch. The leads get along, treat each other amicably, and dabble in a chaste romance. There's virtually no conflict other than maybe thirty seconds of tension near the end. Perhaps the two supporting characters might veer into silly caricatures, but they never become too overbearing. Otherwise, I can't think of anything stressful about this gentle, peaceful narrative. In fact, the series is so devoid of action that it feels a bit vanilla. The Love of Winter could've dug deeper into its imagination and come up with more compelling scenarios.

The short series is capped off with a subdued finale, not making promises about the viability of the long-distance couple. I can't imagine this holiday fling lasting long, considering the characters live so far apart and barely know each other. However, it's best not to overthink the happy ending from this simple, straightforward BL drama. The story isn't that complex and offers almost nothing to analyze. You might still enjoy The Love of Winter for being sweet, pretty, and pleasant, but just don't expect anything more.