Summer Strike (2022) poster
8.4
Your Rating: 0/10
Ratings: 8.4/10 from 19,203 users
# of Watchers: 39,384
Reviews: 108 users
Ranked #829
Popularity #354
Watchers 19,203

Lee Yeo Reum is a young woman whose career and life are going very well: She has just been awarded permanent contract status at work, and she has a boyfriend she likes very much. But work is starting to get stressful, and then she is hit with a double whammy of misfortune. Her mother dies in a tragic accident just moments after she is dumped by her boyfriend. Feeling utterly dejected and burned out, she decides to quit her job, head to the seaside, and do absolutely nothing for a while – at least until she can recharge her batteries and recover mentally. She moves to a small seaside village named Angok. And it is here that she meets An Dae Beom, a librarian who also has his share of skeletons in the closet. Many years ago, he was a math prodigy with a bright academic future ahead of him. But circumstances have forced him away from the big city and the scholastic life. What will happen when these two lost souls meet – and will a spell of “doing nothing” in this small town really cure their ills? (Source: Viki) ~~ Adapted from the webtoon "I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything" (아무것도 하고 싶지 않아) by Joo Young Hyun (주영현). Edit Translation

  • English
  • 한국어
  • Arabic
  • Русский
  • Country: South Korea
  • Type: Drama
  • Episodes: 12
  • Aired: Nov 21, 2022 - Dec 26, 2022
  • Aired On: Monday
  • Original Network: ENA Genie TV
  • Duration: 50 min.
  • Score: 8.4 (scored by 19,203 users)
  • Ranked: #829
  • Popularity: #354
  • Content Rating: 15+ - Teens 15 or older

Where to Watch Summer Strike

Netflix
Subscription (sub)
Viki
Free (sub)
Apple TV
Free (sub)

Cast & Credits

Photos

Summer Strike (2022) photo
Summer Strike (2022) photo
Summer Strike (2022) photo
Summer Strike (2022) photo
Summer Strike (2022) photo
Summer Strike (2022) photo

Reviews

Completed
JulesL
89 people found this review helpful
Dec 27, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 8
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Going On Strike Against This Thing Called Life

Summer Strike started with messages of self-discovery and how one should take a step back to move forward, but it ended with more than that. To me, recovery from grief and trauma was also one of the main themes of this healing drama.

Through the journey of Lee Yeo Reum, who decided to go on strike from her life by breaking away from the confines of her job and Seoul, this drama is relatable to viewers who are tired of their busy lives. We all, at one point or another, just want to do nothing.

Yeo Reum was an overworked girl in her 20s who had to deal with a series of hardships in her personal and professional lives before making a life-changing decision. Realizing the hopelessness of her mundane life, Yeo Reum decided to stop enduring so fiercely and simply just be.

However, leaving the stressful city life and starting anew in an unfamiliar seaside village, Angok was not as smooth as Yeo Reum hoped. Encountering prejudice and unfriendliness at first, our young female lead had to go through some pretty harrowing experiences before finally finding herself at a comfortable point in her life at the end of the show.

Meeting a shy librarian, An Dae Beom was a pivotal turn in Yeo Reum's journey of self-discovery. Dae Beom's kindness and calm were like an anchor for Yeo Reum, but he was also tortured by his past. With a tragic family history, Dae Beom had his own reasons for saying in Angok. As the relationship between the leads blossomed, the show covered themes of support and comfort.

The romance between these two with scars was a slow-burn one, enjoyable for me because it was so natural. The emotions and the steady, growing attraction built around an interesting storyline were satisfying for me. There was no culminating intimate skinship, but the pace made sense. There was no doubt that there was something solid between the couple at the end.

I enjoyed watching the sisterly love develop between Yeo Reum and Kim Bom, a high school student, and other heartwarming relationships, especially between Kim Bom's grandmother and Yeo Reum. In addition, other characters with their own demons to face and romance between different couples added flavor to the story.

Interestingly, even though the show was touted as an escapist healing drama, there were sinister undertones throughout some episodes. Therefore, I was not surprised as the later episodes featured darker scenes including a murder scene. However, there was no true case to crack because the show gave no opportunity for the viewers to figure anything out. There is no mystery tag for a reason.

Instead, the ensuing tragic events were meant to serve as a further catalyst for Yeo Reum's and Dae Bom's personal healing and growth.

Some viewers criticized Yeo Reum's character as a doormat, being taken advantage of at work and at the end by the villagers in Angok. Similar criticism was made about Dae Beom and how he was easily manipulated by certain people.

I disagree.

To me, both lead characters have a quiet dignity about them. They chose their battles and fought for what mattered. Even during moments when the viewers preferred for them to stand up and fight back, their perceived passivity was relatable and understandable. They were consistent throughout the show, and the little changes the characters made in their lives had a more substantial impact on the story. Good character development does not always mean 180 degree change.

Without a doubt, the entire cast was great. How the characters interacted with each other and dealt with life, in general, reminded me of how the people I know and I would behave in real life. The show did a great job showcasing the layers of human nature, including its selfishness and selflessness.

Acting-wise, I have nothing but praise for the leads. Kim Seol Hyun and Im Is Wan impressed me with their quiet intensity and ability to emote so much with the smallest expressions.

Finally, to top it off, the soundtrack was memorable for me. The way the show wove the songs and background music into the story was fitting and perfectly set the scenes and moods. I especially like "A Strange Day" by JiHyo from TWICE and "Color" by Sunnie. Enclosed below is the link to the OST list.

Overall, I hope more people will give this drama a chance. For me, the beauty of a "slice of life" series like Summer Strike is how well the show depicts the everyday experience, the struggles of daily life and trying to find oneself during the process, and the stark portrayal of human nature's good and bad sides.

OST list on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIZ81nIsbgM

OST list on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4QoX21xv9cN6oVHumGfdZM?si=5b7d0c33e7cc400d

* JiHyo (TWICE) - A Strange Day
* The Boyz - Summer Night
* Fromm - A Slow Summer Song
* ENHYPEN (Sung by Heesung, Jay, Jake) – ZERO MOMENT
* Jiyoon (ICHILLIN') – I'll Wait
* Tearliner – We Swim in Dreams (Feat. Bang Jaemin)
* Tearliner – Me, the Protagonist (Feat. Love X Stereo)
* SEOLA (WJSN) - Lover
* Kum Junhyeon - Hello, Stranger
* Sunnie - Color
* Hwang Inhyeock - I Will Remember You
* Low-end Project - I See You Like I See the Sun

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Completed
Nicholas louie
50 people found this review helpful
Dec 27, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

Comfort

First of all, I really do hope more people discover this drama, it's just too good to ignore. The perfect healing and comfort drama. Also it's storyline and how each character was thoughtfully written were beautifully done, especially the development of the female lead and the male lead. I looked forward to every new episodes every week. Towards the end it did get a little sad and dark, but nonetheless it wasn't too rushed and the ending wrapped up nicely. There was truly never a single dull moment. 'Summer Strike' is also not your simple slice of life drama, but a deep meaningful insight of life having the blanket of comfort over it.

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Details

  • Drama: Summer Strike
  • Country: South Korea
  • Episodes: 12
  • Aired: Nov 21, 2022 - Dec 26, 2022
  • Aired On: Monday
  • Original Network: ENA, Genie TV
  • Duration: 50 min.
  • Content Rating: 15+ - Teens 15 or older

Statistics

  • Score: 8.4 (scored by 19,203 users)
  • Ranked: #829
  • Popularity: #354
  • Watchers: 39,384

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