The most impressionable, beautiful romances are often unintentional and wholly unexpected.

Adapted from the webtoon Biuidojeog Yeonaedam by Phobe, South Korea’s newest BL, Unintentional Love Story, is precisely this kind of romance.

Starring Cha Seo Won as potter Yoon Tae Joon and Gongchan as salaryman Ji Won Young, it tells the story of a wrongly accused young man trying to be reinstated by his company. To do so, he must find the company director’s favorite artist, Yoon Tae Joon.

The whole ‘I need to use you for my own gains, but I end up finding myself instead’ trope isn’t new, but I’m soft for inspiring stories about people who find strength and truth in each other. From the beginning, the longer episodes, the chemistry between the actors, writing, cinematography, and pacing are done incredibly well in Unintentional Love Story, offering a much fuller story than we’re used to seeing in a Korean BL. There is even a hinted-at hate-to-love secondary romance between café owner Kim Dong Hee (Han Do Woo) and You Make Me Dance‘s Won Tae Min (Go Ho Tae).

While the first two episodes are spent chiefly setting up the foundation of the larger story, it feels cinematic and magnetic. Every character, from more minor walk-on roles to the supporting cast and main leads, is meaningful, making the town the drama takes place in and the people who live there as much a main character as our leads. It isn’t often that a KBL manages to create such an immersive setting, one that feels as patently crucial as the story. It sets this drama apart, like a tapestry of threads that are being carefully woven together.

Or, in this instance, a piece of clay manipulated, step-by-step, into a charming piece of finished art.

The misunderstandings, angst, and fights are undoubtedly coming. A relationship between two men built on untruths and running away is a wreck waiting to happen, but it will be interesting to see if love can survive the wreckage. If what they find in each other and the inspiration they take from one another is enough to overcome any quarrel.

Ji Won Young is lost, a man with no grand dreams looking for help from a potter who, for whatever reason, ran away from his success. Their equally frustrating predicaments bring them together, and I’m heavily invested in their growing attraction, especially Ji Won Young’s sexual awakening. His realization and what may come from it promises to be as potent as the story, and I hope it doesn’t disappoint.

For a drama that uplifts while promising an angst-filled conclusion, check out Unintentional Love Story now on iQiyi or Viki.

Rating- 4 out of 5