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Love in The Big City starring Nam Yoon-su and Jin Ho-eun released all eight episodes on TVING on October 21, 2024. The drama is based on Park Sang-young's bestselling eponymous novel from 2019 that focuses on a gay man, Go Young, finding love and navigating life.
Disclaimer: The article contains spoilers.
The slice-of-life K-drama is a realistic representation of love and human dynamics which often withers away as emotions come with an expiry date. The finale episode of Love in The Big City, however, ended on a sad note, contrary to viewers' expectations. After several hit-and-misses in love, Go Young (Nam Yoon-su), fell for Shim Gyu-ho (Jin Ho-eun) and they started living together.
However, their love took a turn after a year into the relationship as Go Young started nagging and lashing out at Gyu-ho. While Go Young felt frustrated about having a monotonous job, Gyu-ho worked at a nursing home and part-time as a bartender. Even so, Gyu-ho cleaned the house, did their laundry, cooked food, and often waited for Go Young to come so that they could eat together.
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However, Go Young took Gyu-ho and his love for granted as their arguments increased with time. Nonetheless, Gyu-ho would always come back to Go Young to make things up while the latter was too nonchalant with Gyu-ho staying or leaving. In the end, Go Young breaks up with Gyu-ho as the latter gets a good job in Shanghai, only to regret later how badly he treated Gyu-ho.
Viewers were left reeling from the heartbreaking ending to their love story as Gyu-ho (Jin Ho-eun) did everything he could to be with Go Young. An X user wrote on x:
"I'm so mad the ending broke me"
Viewers discussed the ending scene from Love in The Big City episode 8, where Gyu-ho and Go Young write their wishes on a paper lantern to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The lantern burns after flying for a bit as Go Young accidentally scratches the paper lantern by striking off his wishes of having a car and more.
Fans stated that it was one of the most emotional scenes from Love in The Big City as at the end of the series, Go Young realizes how much he loves Gyu-ho and regrets taking him for granted.
"I just finished watching all the episodes of #LoveInTheBigCity and I am devastated, my heart hurts, I cried too much, I will never recover, it was the most beautiful and painful thing I have ever seen in my life." a fan wrote.
"Nooo the ending here hits harder than the book. Earlier in this episode young said after everything he still doesn't how what love is but here he said his only wish was "love" when he actually wrote "gyuho" on the lantern," another fan commented.
"There has never been a better representation of love lost or ephemeral queer romance in visual media than this," another fan added.
Others highlighted their breakup scene from Love in The Big City episode 6 when Go Young tells Gyu-ho to date other men in China and Gyu-ho walks off with tears in his eyes. Some viewers underscored how Gyu-ho stuck with Go Young despite being mistreated because their love was too pure for the world.
"THEY DESERVED THE HAPPIESY ENDING OF ALL HAPPY ENDINGS EVER ITS SO NOT FAIR," a fan commented.
"The Airport break up scene. Go Yeong acting as if he dgaf anymore so that it'd push GyuHo to leave for a better life. While everyone is crying for the lanterns scene, this part is the most painful moment for me while reading the book," another fan added.
"Despite Young’s poor treatment of GyuHo during their time together, GyuHo never took offense. Every time GyuHo packed his bags to leave, he always returned because he genuinely cared for Young. Now, alone, Young finds himself missing GyuHo." one other fan shared.
Love in The Big City review: A closer look at love in the real world laced with heartbreaks and epiphanies
Love in The Big City takes a refreshing dive into modern urban life, relationships, and the unique struggles of young adults living in a bustling metropolis. The drama, starring Nam Yoon-su as the lead Go Young, delivers a delicate balance of romance, melancholy, and the gritty realities of contemporary love.
It explores emotional complexity, queer identity, and the deep human need for connection, making it a compelling story that both celebrates and critiques urban living. The story follows Go Young (Nam Yoon-su), a twenty-something navigating life in Seoul. Go Young’s character is queer, which adds layers to the narrative, particularly in how the story unpacks his romantic experiences.
He’s caught between transient relationships, a sense of detachment from the world, and the relentless pursuit of meaning in his everyday existence. Unlike the traditional romantic K-dramas where everything neatly ties together with a love story, Love in The Big City offers a more fractured, realistic look at how love and relationships can be both fleeting and transformative.
The show doesn’t shy away from addressing complex topics like loneliness, the consequences of casual dating, the stigma attached to queer identities in Korea, and the struggle of finding emotional and physical intimacy. Love in The Big City juxtaposes the bright lights of the city, full of possibilities, with the personal isolation that often accompanies such an environment.
Nam Yoon-su's acting is arguably the anchor that holds the series together. There are moments where his vulnerability is on full display, such as when he reflects on his past relationships or confronts his feelings of loneliness. These scenes are poignant and raw, offering a rare glimpse into the emotional complexity often absent in mainstream K-dramas.
What sets Love in The Big City apart from other K-dramas is its unabashed portrayal of LGBTQ+ relationships and queer life in South Korea. The series takes on the challenge of normalizing queer identities in a society where representation is still limited. The city itself almost becomes a character, its sprawling streets and bright lights reflecting both the allure and the emptiness that the characters feel.
Love in The Big City has 8 episodes starring Jin Ho-eun, Kwon, Hyuk, and Na Hyun-woo as Nam Yoon-su's love interest. It is available on TVING and Rakuten Viki.
