It doesn’t always take much to find yourself drawn to another person, especially when the one seeing you sees past the persona the rest of the world assumes is all there is.

In the Korean BL Ball Boy Tactics, adapted from the web novel by Ji Seung Hyeon, being seen is something retired gymnast Han Ji Won (Yeom Min Hyuk) knows all too well. Trying to quietly start over at university after leaving behind the spotlight of Olympic gymnastics isn’t as easy as he hoped, especially when being an introverted medalist doesn’t exactly scream low profile. But nothing throws him off quite like crossing paths with Kwon Jeong U (Choi Jae Hyeok), a talented but guarded basketball star whose interest in Ji Won seems anything but casual.

The drama itself moves slowly and feels awkward at times, but that awkwardness fits. It mirrors Ji Won’s cautious, uncomfortable relationship with the world around him, something that makes his electric, unspoken connection with Jeong U even more compelling.

Going into this series, I wasn’t familiar with the actors or the original web novel, so I didn’t have many expectations. But it didn’t take long for something to click. I’ve never been one for love-at-first-sight tropes, something I was worried Ball Boy Tactics might lean into, but instead, I got something more visceral. Their first meeting, and the quiet run-ins that follow, aren’t sweeping or overly dramatic. They’re understated but electric. More like that zap of static when you touch something you didn’t realize was charged. And that’s the “something” I was hoping for to hook me.

The first two episodes don’t stray much from the attraction-charged run-ins between Ji Won and Jeong U. Other than small glimpses into Ji Won’s past and why he left gymnastics, it’s mostly focused on the pull between the two main leads. We don’t get much insight into Jeong U at all, outside of hints at a messy dating history and his playfully cold demeanor. But it’s enough to make you wonder who he really is and what his interest in Ji Won might mean, not just for Ji Won, but for himself.

For now, we’ve only dipped our toes into what promises to be a slow-burn story full of curiosity, chemistry, and complicated interactions. But if the quiet tension and early character setup are anything to go by, Ball Boy Tactics is setting up a romance that’s more about gravity than grand gestures.

And I’m intrigued.

Catch it now on GagaOOLala and iQiyi.

Rating- 4 out of 5