A Shoulder To Cry On – 소년을 위로해줘 is a South Korean BL live-action adaptation based on the Boys Love webtoon written by Dong Mul. It’s about two young boys involved in a prank gone wrong.

This BL series premiered on GagaOOLala on 14 March 2023, after much controversy surrounding OMEGAX and their talent management, Spire Entertainment.

Introduction

A Shoulder to Cry On is a 7-episode K-Drama adaptation helmed by Picturesque Co. The BL series is slated for a November 2022 March 2023 release. Today, the production company releases a statement related to the postponement of the series premiere. Due to the controversy between the two actors (Jae Han and Ye Chan) and their agency Spire Entertainment, the premiere is postponed indefinitely. The producers expect that there will be an amicable settlement of the issue surrounding the alleged physical and verbal abuse suffered by Jae Han from the female CEO of Spire Entertainment.

The official trailer has been released!

Official Trailer: A Shoulder to Cry On
A teaser was released showing the developing relationship between Tae-Hyun and Da-Yeol

Synopsis

Da-Yeol hears two guys fooling around in the nurse’s office and accidentally knocks over the curtain rod. When the nurse walks in on the scene, devilishly handsome Tae-Hyun tells her that Da-Yeol tried to make out with him. Before DaYeol can correct the misunderstanding, the rumor spreads and his archery scholarship is in jeopardy. To make matters worse, Tae-Hyun doesn’t show the slightest bit of remorse; in fact, he shamelessly begins hanging around DaYeol. It’s not long before the two begin walking the thin line between hate and love.

Description from Lezhin Comics

Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
  • Filled with subtle and obvious symbolism depicting the growth of an intimate relationship between two troubled souls, A Shoulder to Cry On, is a perfect example of how intimacy can be described without using tease or involving scandalous imagery;
  • Series dir. Song Soo-lim (who also wrote the script with Kang Jae-hyun) succeeds in coming up with a story that’s believable, and utterly heartbreaking but invigorating at the end. There were ups and downs as most relationships are, and the way crucial scenes were put together is just marvelous;
  • While episode 1 comes off rather bland, the flow of the story and the way characters developed was excellent as the series progresses;
  • YeChan and Jaehan have acting talent that goes beyond mere character portrayal. While they may be considered rookie actors, the depth of their acting is impressive. Both tackle serious and challenging roles, and they both nailed it;
  • Gorgeous camera play, showing close-ups of the leads ( Jae Han and Ye Chan) and the supporting cast, with equally engaging shots of the school, and the beautiful surroundings. It gave the series a refreshing, welcoming look and feel all throughout;
  • As emphasized in our previous post, it appears that A Shoulder To Cry On follows the Gakuen Heaven formula – a new guy and the rest of the class, with a bit level of animosity and notoriety exhibited by the ‘oldies’ to DaYeol (Jae Han). Their initial encounter at the school clinic is pivotal to the rest of the story;
  • The quality of the production is top-notch, just the way the credits were presented makes it engaging and fresh, plus the OST gives viewers K-Pop vibes;
  • A lot can be said about the way KBLs are made. While the production value is always high (as so is the acting), the episodes are short but sweet. Still, it’s too short for me, which makes it so enjoyable to watch it again, and again.
A Shoulder to Cry On stars Jae Han and Ye Chan in a BL series.
Enemy to lover: Fans of the webtoon have high expectations from the K-Drama adaptation and are eager to see some of the iconic scenes of the webtoon come to life. However, they’re also expressing their concerns over the short duration of 12 7 episodes, which they think might not do justice to the complexity of the characters. [source]
Jae Han and Ye Chan stars in A Shoulder to Cry On - press briefing and interviews.l
“In particular, Jae Han and Ye Chan shared various stories about their acting, behind-the-scenes stories, and highlights, raising expectations for the drama to have an unforgettable time with the audience.” [source: KStationTV]
Jae Han and Ye Chan answered some questions in the interview, plus glimpses into the A Shoulder to Cry On filming and fan events

Cast of Characters

It’s interesting to note that both lead stars are members of the boy group Omega X. Having worked together – rehearsals, stage performances, and everything in between – what we have here are two artists comfortable with each other.

Da-Yeol is an outsider and a member of the archery club. He elevates his academic status via an archery scholarship. A prank by Tae-Hyun insinuating that he’s making out with him put his scholarship in jeopardy. After the prank, things get even more complicated (and romantic?)

Kim Jae Han (27) or simply Jae Han is a member of Spire Entertainment’s boy group Omega X and a former member of WYNN Entertainment’s boy group SPECTRUM.

Shin Ye Chan or Ye Chan (21) plays Tae-Hyun, a prankster, who spreads the rumor about Da-Yeol making out with him. What started as a prank took a 360-degree when Tae-Hyun initiated a sort of companionship with Da-Yeol. Is the prankster in love with Da-Yeol after all?

Ye Chan is a South Korean artist, a member of Spire Entertainment’s Omega X, and a former member of the boy band group, 1THE9.

A Shoulder to Cry On on Social Media

Picturesque, the content producer of A Shoulder to Cry On, previously released a statement regarding the series and the legal battle that OMEGAX and the series’ stars have to go through:

Jae-han and Ye-chan, who were both interested in acting, took a serious approach and had a passionate attitude toward this adaptation. This could be seen in the way they constantly communicated with the director and production team with character analysis and opinions based on what they learned studying all night since the first meeting. In addition, even in the midst of their challenging schedule, they were always bright and energetic and generously poured their energy into the project.

Production Company For OMEGA X’s Jaehan And Yechan’s BL Drama “A Shoulder To Cry On” Releases Update Following Spire Entertainment’s Abuse – SOURCE

KPopMap posted some intriguing/interesting articles discussing the source of the Bl series. Here’s one of the tidbits:

“A Shoulder To Cry On” (“소년을 위로해줘” in Korean) has all the tropes we love in romance dramas: from enemies to lovers, heart-fluttering chemistry, campus romance, angst, and more. It tells the story of DaYeol, a scholarship student and archer who overhears two boys fooling around in the nurse’s office at school and accidentally knocks over the curtain divider, exposing both himself and the scene. In a panicked attempt to cover the student up, he falls over just in time for the school nurse to walk in on them in an inexplicably awkward position. Thus begin the series of unfortunate events that make DaYeol and TaeHyun’s lives deeply intertwined.

An Introduction To “A Shoulder To Cry On”: The Latest BL Webtoon Getting A K-Drama Adaptation Starring OMEGA X’s JaeHan & YeChan

This is a continuous coverage of A Shoulder to Cry On. News and updates will be posted when it becomes available.