One amazing drama
I may be a little generous with my scores on this one but this drama was amazing. The story was not very original but had some interesting touches so it felt fresh. The acting was so natural and good that sometimes I felt like I was invading their privacy. The side characters were actually interesting and funny even though it was a mini series so they weren't explored in depth. The cinematography was simple but beautiful. The music was cute and fitting. But most of all the chemistry between the leads was INCREDIBLE. Their relationship was so pure and real and both of them were mature and loving. If you're looking for some cute, pure love with some spice then this is your show. Hope we get more productions (and with more episodes) like this from S. Korea because until now the're killing itWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
BL KDRAMA HISTORY BEING MADE
I wasn't going to write a review until that last episode urged me to. Usually, I wouldn't praise a show/director/producer for giving us great kisses or whatever because I'm not that type of BL fan who just wants to watch two guys make out. I actually watch BLs because 1, I find them cute if they're done well, and 2, I 100% support LGBTQ+ media exposure and awareness. HOWEVER, I do have to praise the director/producer/writers of 'To My Star' for going against the grain and how the LGBTQ+ community are considered in South Korea. We all know how conservative and heteronormative society (and the governments) are in Asia. Especially Korea. And all the BL kdramas usually contain one or two "pecks" - if you can call lips barely touching and not moving a peck - at the end of the series or movie. 'Where Your Eyes Linger', 'Mr. Heart', 'Color Rush', and 'Wish You' all follow this formula for kissing. They either have decent pecks or the lips touch. 'To My Star' took a few steps forward, past its predecessors, towards a more progressive and positive direction. TMS had a total of THREE kisses and each one was better than the last.Sure, the first one was one of the aforementioned type of pecks but within the context of the scene, it made sense. The second was a more decisive, passionate kiss but still within the realm of what South Korea has given us already. It's the third kiss in the last episode that was hook, line, and sinker for me. The chemistry was amazing, there was OPEN MOUTH KISSING, they were all close and intimate in a bed together, and it lasted longer than 5 seconds. Like, wow. I was in shock as it happened, thinking that the camera would pan away before they actually kissed or right after but nope, they actually kissed. Properly.
I'm still in shock tbh and even though the production wasn't the most amazing, the writing wasn't incredible, the story was too short, and the editing wasn't impeccable, I'm still giving TMS a higher rating just for being progressive. Standing ovation to the actors too for being comfortable/supportive enough to not only act in a BL, but give their full passion into their performances. As I mentioned before, their chemistry is amazing and they didn't make their kisses look awkward at all. Which I appreciate.
Rewatch value is 10/10 because the show is short and easy to watch. Plus it's cute. I definitely recommend giving TMS a go if you haven't already!
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10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS!!!
It's an amazing short series who captured the best moments between the couple, their development and progress, the love and connection. You might want to see longer episodes, because these are short(15min or less), but that might be its strong point. I love when they go to the main point and without dragging they show you what is the most important.No necessary drama. Amazing delivery from the cast.
You are going to love it if you are looking for an easy, lovey-dovey story line with no necessary drama form the other characters. Give it a shot. Highly recommend it.
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Love it!
This gave me "Where your eyes linger" vibes all the way! I searched the director and it's the same: Hwang Da Seul. Also the characters and their personalities resemble the ones from that show. I really love the mood that this story puts you in with all the tension and the dynamic between the two protagonists! The acting was also so good and natural! It somehow warmed my soul! Loooooooooovvvvvvveeeeeee iiiiiiittttttt! ^__^ ^__^ ^__^ ^__^ ^__^ ^__^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (other words to fill out the space to get to 500 characters to post this without telling too much)Was this review helpful to you?
good soup
it is i, the niel.this is one of the few times where i genuinely agree with the rating on here, lol. this was a very short series, but they were able to effectively make it seem worthwhile. it's a very simple story, and i largely enjoyed all of the characters/the dynamic between the main couple.
i honestly think that the acting was the best part of this show. there genuinely weren't any moments while watching when i felt as if an actor was too stiff or not comfortable in their role. the writers/producers/directors did a great job building up the supporting characters so that we, as an audience, came to like them individually. i really do appreciate when characters in bls are given actual time dedicated to them, so that the main couple's interactions don't feel suffocated/forced. additionally, the cast wasn't too complex. i didn't feel the need for there to be any other people involved, though they could've explored their personal backgrounds a little more. the random characters thrown in at the end were sort of goofy, but in a good way.
would i rewatch it? sure. i can see this being someone's comfort show because of how simple the plot is, and the conflict generally gets resolved for the most part. i'm a sucker for these character archetypes, so i really enjoyed seeing the leads on screen. i don't think it's super unique, but it's well-done, the dialogue is solid, and overall, it's something pleasant to get through. there were definitely some cheesy moments, but they were cute. the development was casual and subtle, but not to the point where i'd question "why do they even like each other?" it was natural. bye-bye!!
best,
the niel.
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Cute and chaste Korean BL
PLOT: Seo Joon, a star actor caught up in a scandal, takes refuge in the restaurant run by Ji Woo and his friend. Some time later, Ji Woo welcomes a new roommate, Seo Joon, who is hiding himself. During their difficult cohabitation, due to their different personalities, Ji Woo teaches Seo Joon how to cook. They share some good times (secret, because of Seo Joon's popularity) and fall in love. But dating a star is complicated...+++ I really like Son Woo Hyun as Son Woo Hyun; his acting is very natural. Kim Kang Min plays a more stoic, less emotional character. Together they have great chemistry.
+++ Very good cast overall.
+++ Well-executed direction
+++ Good OSTs
### We wonder where this story is going, because the characters are complex, Ji Woo is hiding quite a few secrets, and communication is far from easy.
### Unfinished ending (see season 2)
=> The actors are good, but it leaves you wanting more...
*********************************************
BL coréenne cute et chaste
PLOT: Seo Joon, un acteur star, framed ds 1 scandale, se réfugie ds le restaurant tenu par Ji Woo et son ami. Qq tps + tard, Ji Woo accueille 1 nveau coloc, Seo Joon qui se cache. Durant la cohabitat°, difficile car leurs personnalités sont différentes, Ji Woo va apprendre à Seo Joon à cuisiner, ils vont passer de bons moments (secrets, en raison de la popularité de Seo Joon) et tomber amoureux. Mais c'est compliqué de sortit avec 1 star ...
+++ J'aime bcp Son Woo Hyeon en ML, il a 1 jeu très naturel. Kim Kang Min joue 1 personnage plus stoïque, peu émotif. Ensemble ils ont 1 bonne alchimie.
+++ Très bon cast général.
+++ Réalis° bien maitrisée
+++ Bons OSTs
### On se demande où va cette histoire, car les personnages sont complexes, Ji Woo cache pas mal de secrets, et la communication est loin d'être évidente.
### Fin inachevée (voir saison 2)
=> Les acteurs sont bons, mais on reste un peu sur sa faim ...
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Great BL Drama
It's a bit slow at the start, but quickly pulls you in to a great story to follow. Both actors, Woo Hyun & Kang Min seem to have a spark between them from the beginning, but it definitely takes a while to warm up to Kang Min's character Ji Woo. He does a great job as keeping his character boring and sad until it's necessary to open him up.Once you get the feel & background of these two characters, you realize this should work out for a happy ending. Saying that, it's kind of shocking how the sequel (To My Star 2) begins.
A good "feel good" BL to watch. The Sequel is just as good, if not better than the original.
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Ladies and gentlemen, they actually TALK to each other.
Ladies and gentlemen, they actually TALK to each other. About their feelings, about the issue on hand, they talk things out as they occur to leave no misunderstandings (although one of the main characters sometimes tries to, but the second one doesn’t let him). As a BL watcher, it’s SO BIZZARE to me, I’m still pleasantly surprised.It feels different from many other ‘typical’ BLs, perhaps due to very realistic way of production & script. The story is not over the top, it is believable and realistic. There are no exaggerated slow motions, no overly-dramatic music, no unnecessary playing on each other’s heartstrings. What is also worth noting is the fact that they did a great job setting the characters, having such limited time for it.
Overall, it’s a nice and simple BL to make you feel cozy.
Korea delivered again.
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worth a watch
I really enjoyed this drama. Its a slice of life story with realisistic plot points considering who the characters are. The acting overall was good especially Son Woo Hyun who played the main lead. i really enjoyed his characther as he was written to be really straight forward with expressing his feeling so there wasnt any "accidental miscommunication" trope happening.The characters in general where engaging and interesting to watch.
The only thing i would change is that the drama is quite short and thus the relationship feels a bit rushed especially the ending. If there wouldve been even one more episode i feel it wouldve tied the story up more neatly.
over all worth a watch
Check out the second season too!
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To My Star is worth the watch, and also the rewatch…
Here’s the thing about Korean BLs, I wouldn’t say they are the best in the industry when it comes to others from differing countries of the genre, but I will say this, they are the BL dramas that I come back to and rewatch the most. And To My Star is a great example of this, at least for me. It’s not groundbreaking or ahead of it’s time or anything like that, but it’s still just really good. I find myself thinking about it and wanting to watch it again on the regular. In my consideration, TMS, both seasons, are essential viewing for BL fans, and I will stand by this opinion. It doesn’t even matter how many times I’ve viewed it at this point, because I know I will come back and watch it again and again.Was this review helpful to you?
Opposites attract and create very deep love stories
Strange strength is that of love that transcends the barrier of distance and time, mocks prejudices of all kinds and also manages to perpetuate itself in art as an inspiring paradigm for future generations.But there are loves that break, in addition to social and temporal molds, those of carnality and logic. How, why, for what, are just the first questions in the face of the inevitable evidence of these powerful attractions.
We don't know if it's because of something in physics or chemistry, but it's no lie that opposites attract and create very deep love stories. Perhaps it is these differences that make them feel a strong attraction towards each other and, what's more, if they complement each other healthily, they will be able to have an almost perfect relationship for life.
However, patiently overcoming obstacles to get to that point will not be an easy task!
When a series becomes a mass phenomenon, regardless of whether or not it has its cinematographic values, it is because it touches some intimate fiber of that audience that occupies their armchairs in front of the television to enjoy it. With '나의 별에게' ('Naui Byeolege, Na-ui Byeol-e-ge, Naui byeorege'), English title 'To My Star The Series I', from 2021, which has only already been seen by millions of viewers in everyone, proves the axiom.
Because? Its theme, which was evidently the driving force behind its success: the differences between the two characters, one of them a famous celebrity and the other an ordinary chef, in addition to telling about a homosexual relationship. Their lives will be shaken when one of them, who flees from the press and his followers after being involved in a media scandal, is forced to leave his comfort zone and will cross paths with someone who does not want to leave it.
The Korean BL drama, in 9 episodes, revolves around Kang Seo Joon (Son Woo Hyun), a famous free-spirited film and television celebrity who goes into hiding after being implicated in a public scandal. At his hideout he meets Han Ji Woo (Kim Kang Min), his new roommate, an introverted and conservative man who leads a modest and unpretentious life.
Forced into an uncomfortable situation, they begin to share their personal stories, fears, and dreams. Despite his fall from grace and not having started the relationship on the right foot, Seo Joon believes that his luck changes when he meets and falls in love with the boy who represents his antithesis. While they spend time together, between the actor and the chef, who move in two very different social spheres, a romance arises,
Seo Joon is not only famous at the peak of his career, playing the leads in hit dramas and television variety shows, as well as high-profile advertisements, he is also outgoing, extravagant and very charismatic. Accustomed to being the center of attention, his personality is pure magnetism that attracts other people to his presence; while Ji Woo, who always tries to go unnoticed and not experience any upheavals in his life, represents the humility and simplicity of a down-to-earth boy who prefers a quiet lifestyle with simple pleasures, such as cooking or hiking.
And against everything predictable, one falls in love with the other and what is worse... it is reciprocated.
The series, by director Hwang Da Seul, who took her time to weave the story, with the meticulousness that characterizes her, worked like a craftsman in her eagerness to recreate every detail about a topic that she is passionate about: boy love, as he did with two other dramas: 'Where Your Eyes Linger' (2020) and 'Blueming' (2022), and the short film 'Inner Me'.
With a simple, but captivating and visually emotional plot, the novice filmmaker, recognized for her creative abilities, shows that it was no coincidence that she won the Award of Excellence at the V Catholic Film Festival for her 2018 short film 'Spring That Summer' .
To do so, it was based on Park Young's script about a romantic relationship between two initially heterosexual boys. The film exposes prejudices about homosexuality in Korean society and, above all, in the world of arts and culture, reflected by Jeon Jae Yeong (Kim Pil Hyun), Seo Joon's crisis and talent manager. , upon discovering the budding romance between the two protagonists, but later he will become an accomplice of the two lovers. The series also reflects the role of the media and social networks in the public's perception of youth idols.
Emotionally charged, 'To My Star' captures the essence of intimacy, vulnerability and unconditional solidarity within the queer community, with two young people navigating their gender identity and cultural background as its narrative heroes. Through an under-researched focus on BL storytelling and powerful performances, the series explores the complexities of human connection and challenges conventional notions of love and intimacy.
The chemistry between the actors is palpable, allowing the depth of their relationship to shine on screen. As the story unfolds, their interactions are conveyed through silence, abstract soundscapes, and textured cuts, creating a captivating visual experience that immerses the audience in their emotional journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
With good intentions, successful gags and sharp dialogues, the series immerses us in the relationship between two young people that, due to misunderstandings, does not start well, but as they live in the same apartment and enjoy cozy and intimate moments together, they will open their hearts.
Since Freud we know that sexuality develops together with subjectivity. It has to do with the pleasure that can be experienced in the body from the bonds built with another.
This reality does not escape the director. While they got to know each other, See Joon and Ji Woo began to learn to enjoy themselves and each other, that experience that shapes our relationship with pleasure, that of each one of them and that which we share.
Soon Woo-Hyun, the actor who plays See Joon, and who worked with the director in the short 'You Ghosted Me for a Week', from 2021, is usually worried about work and the mess in which he finds himself involved, But he tries his best to spend time with Ji Woo.
This, despite the seriousness of his character and overwhelmed by the presence of a being as overwhelming as his roommate, is the first to fall in love. The way he initially builds a wall of protection around himself in front of the other, the glances he steals from Seo Joon in the first episodes, the intonation of his voice and the strange blink when he doesn't quite know how to act when Seo Joon He moves around her, his facial expressions, his gestures, his entire body, express that he likes her. However, he is cautious, as he suffers from disappointment in love in the past and does not want to be hurt again.
Kim Kang Min, the actor who plays the character of Ji Woo, and whom we know from his debut in 2019 with the SBS series 'Stove League', unlike the famous Seo Joon, lives with his back to the world of celebrities. Employed in his friend's cafe, he is actually a talented chef, but his culinary skills are not shown to the public of large hotels and luxury restaurants.
Pretending to get along with the roommate, Seo Joon insists on befriending Ji Woo and spending time together. Those beings with two very different personalities will little by little get to know each other and enjoy each other's company.
As the days go by, the camera captures the moments of the two boys getting closer. Through silence, abstract soundscapes and textured cuts, the intimacy between Seo Joon and Ji Woo is conveyed in a visually striking way, resulting in genuine and authentic performances that resonate with audiences.
Although it does nothing new or innovative with the premise, the diversity of conflicts they face, their psychological complexities, and the emotional evolution of the characters, add layers to the narrative and weave an intriguing web that keeps viewers in suspense.
'To My Star' explores the idea that true intimacy can be found in the simplicity of sleeping next to someone, in sharing those small moments and spaces of everyday life, transcending the physical act of sex, even if it is artistically fine. recreated, shown.
The series challenges social norms and invites the viewer to question their own perceptions of intimacy and love, while presenting a snapshot of the complexity, tenderness and vulnerability that people experience in unconventional circumstances, such as living together and the relationship between people from two different worlds.
The direction and cinematography contribute to the artistic and visually appealing quality of the series. The deliberate use of images and narrative style create an atmosphere that demands the viewer's attention and encourages introspection and invites reflection.
With a fairy tale ending and a clear resolution for its characters, 'To My Star' successfully captures the beauty and power of love, and serves as a reminder that true intimacy can be found in unexpected places and that love transcends social expectations.
With the final credits, I was able to conclude that I was looking at an audiovisual full of conceptual proposals related to gender identity, personal and social psychology, and the configuration of individual and collective destinies, in a country where today LGBT+ people continue to be discriminated against, and whose paths today, in the 21st century, cannot end up united in a marital alliance, as the refusal to legalize marriage between people of the same sex by a conservative society persists.
In this sense, the series contributes to the struggle of the members of that community in the defense of their trampled rights.
Note: The review of the film of the same name can be found, in MDL, on the page dedicated to the series on the platform.
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Not good at all
Way too overrated. I have seen a lot of people talking about this drama so I obviously got curious about it and decided to watch it. I watched the whole thing really quick, which is weird since I never do that but I guess I was waiting for the drama scenes or the problems or whatever, just something interesting to keep me going. At first I have to say that it was great but the only reason why I thought it was great it was because of it being a bl drama, I was very excited because I rarely watch good ones. When I had two episodes left I realized how the story didn't make sense and started to feel confused about it.The only good thing about this drama was the last scene but that's all.
I understand that people might be hyping this a little bit too much because it's a bl drama but to be fairly honest, it was really bad and rushed. And yeah, of course it's going to be rushed since it has a couple of episodes and the duration of each is very small but it's still a bad show.
I wouldn't recommend it, go watch something else.
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