The Korean BL The Director Who Buys Me Dinner, adapted from the webtoon of the same name by Toesa, has ended.

A tragic story about two star-crossed lovers, Director Min Yu Dam (Park Young Woon) and his employee Dong Baek (Park Jeong Woo), The Director Who Buys Me Dinner is about a hundred-year-old curse and the two men forced to endure it.

Having yet read the webtoon this is based on, I went into The Director Who Buys Me Dinner with no deep understanding of the story and no real expectations. What I found was a quick watch that delved straight into the plot.

It was a good drama, but it falls short of being a rewatch favorite. The Director Who Buys Me Dinner may connect more deeply with those who have read the manhwa. While I’ve always wished for longer format BLs out of South Korea, most of them manage to wrap up their stories beautifully despite the length, although their endings can often be rushed.

I had the opposite problem with The Director Who Buys Me Dinner. The ending felt well done. The acting and cinematography are beautifully rendered. The chemistry felt palpable. The emotions are intense. But the beginning of the series left me wanting.

While I wanted to be more invested in the story, I was easily distracted. The plot moves swiftly while not going anywhere in the first few episodes, with the two leads bickering over dating while kissing away sudden wounds and getting drunk after a week of uneventful dinner dates.

This ‘stuck in place’ pacing, lack of deep dialogue, and no profound character setup made it hard to connect with the romance the drama was trying to build, even as I was amused by the predicament they found themselves in.

The glimpses of their possible chemistry and the quick flashes of curse-filled angst gave it more potential before sliding into a very satisfying ending. But I still needed more time with this drama to fully appreciate the story the writers wanted to tell.

The real depth for me came from the antagonist, Dennis Lee (Jang You Sung). His role was beautifully portrayed and well-rounded. While he had less screen time, every one of Dennis’ appearances was used to its full potential. His struggle was palpable, his desperation not to repeat the past a veritable tragic story in his eyes and actions. His interactions with Yu Dam and Dong Baek are full of tension and foreboding possibilities.

I don’t know how Dennis is portrayed in the manhwa, but in the series, he comes across as a haunted artist having to relive a past he may not have wanted any part of. As the man forced/paid/ordered to kill Dong Baek in the past, he’s stuck with having to repeat that.

While I understand the anger many viewers no doubt feel toward him, I find it just as tragic to have to repeat a murder inside a story that isn’t really his. Inside a story where he’s the tool used to end a life.

Again, I think my connection to him is mainly because I found his character the most well-rounded, which is crazy considering how little Dennis’ screen time is compared to the leads. I think it’s also because I don’t have the manhwa to compare it to, leaving me with how the series portrays him. There’s something powerfully endearing about how he wants to protect the man he’s supposed to kill.

However, while the drama started a little weak for me, it ended strong. The writers and actors all pulled the ending together in an emotional, impactful way.

I simply wish the beginning had been as strong.

And I also need a happier ending for Dennis.

For a short watch about two men who need to fall in love to survive, check out The Director Who Buys Me Dinner on iQiyi.

Rating- 4 out of 5

Official link of the Webtoon- Here