Love has a way of blinding people, but it also has a way of changing them.

In the Korean BL Roommates Of Poongduck 304 starring Kim Ji Woong (Ji Ho Joon) and Yoon Seo Bin (Seo Jae Yoon), two unlikely men are thrown together by an unexpected situation, leading to a workplace romance between a chaebol and the landlord he lives with.

A romance that changes them.

Funny and full of crazy coincidences, Roommates of Poongduck 304 delivers on the laughter, but it’s also surprisingly deep. The two leads’ drastically different lifestyles and upbringings create a love/hate tension that builds into an intense attraction, which is highly entertaining to watch.

But it’s how they accept each other that truly sold me on the series.

Intern Seo Jae Yoon is gay, a fact that the viewer is subtly made aware of through his open interest in his friend, Yoo Seung Seok (Kang Woo Jung). For much of the drama, Jae Yoon is torn between growing tensions at work and the need to help the man he’s hopelessly in love with, and this is where the series begins to shine.

Love blinds Jae Yoon. His feelings for Seung Seok are heartbreaking once it’s apparent his crush is abusing his affections, using Jae Yoon’s same-sex attraction to achieve success at work. Ji Ho Joon, Jae Yoon’s roommate and boss, is aware of Seung Seok’s intentions, which increasingly bothers him the more he himself falls in love with Jae Yoon.

Amidst this turmoil, The tension between Jae Yoon and Ho Joon grows, developing into romance and a mutual understanding that opens their eyes and hearts, changing them both.

Jae Yoon helps Ho Joon build confidence in himself and his leadership, something Ho Joon lost after his post-college start-up business ended in disaster. Ho Joon helps Jae Yoon achieve the same self-confidence while also helping Jae Yoon become more comfortable with his sexuality.

There’s power in finding people who accept us for who we are. There’s power in relationships that bolster us rather than tear us down. And that’s the kind of power Roommates of Poongduck 304 gives us.

This is the kind of power that made me fall in love with the series. I was as strengthened by Jae Yoon and Ho Joon’s developing relationship as they were.

The only downside to the drama is the length. Considering the depth of emotions and the morale-boosting relationship offered, Roommates of Poongduck 304 needed more time on screen, which becomes glaringly apparent in the final two episodes. The first six episodes deliver a tantalizing slower buildup that touches the heart, which makes Jae Yoon’s abrupt absence and the quick way their relationship is repaired in the final episodes anticlimactic.

For a much-needed drama about a romance that helped our two leads find themselves and the confidence and acceptance they craved, we needed at least two to four more episodes to beautifully resolve their relationship.

Despite this, Roommates of Poongduck 304 does leave an impression.

For an enemies-to-lovers romcom about two men who find themselves inside each other, check out Roommates of Poongduck 304 now on Viki, Gagaoolala, and Heavenly.

Rating- 4.5 out of 5