Painful but beautiful season two that outshines season one.
This second season is a bit like revisiting a restaurant you once liked just to find out the chef got even better... The food got more depth, stronger flavours and even prettier plating....As this second season may not be a feel good season but it didd make me feel a whole lot of emotions, mostly pain, but in a good way, as well timed flashbacks, music and lighting make up this well balanced story of love, regret, growth and loss done right. As they do a really good job showing the happily but not the ever after that followed the first season.
This season has kept most of the old cast but introduces a whole bunch of new very lovable characters, that truly add some sugar to soften the pain of the story.
The leads have gown a lot, they are still lovable, slightly broken (very) and perfect opposites that may attract but also need a lot of work. So if you are looking for some feel good fluff, back away and watch something else this is more of a Our Beloved Summer meets Touch your heart lind of deal, but much shorter.
Easy to binge, easy to feel and easy to fall in love... A joy for the eye, some scenes may make you hungry, some will have your heart fluttering, others will make you laugh but I am willing to say that most of the drama is spent with an ever growing lump in the chest.
I think that most people who liked season one just a little bit may feel a tad ( a lot) of heart break in season two but will undoubtedly see its greatness... for those who have seen neither, go see season one so you can watch season two.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is my second attempt to write a review, because with time passing, my thoughts and impressions changed a lot. Let's start with the good things: the chemistry of those two guys is very nice, the production felt high quality despite the choppy editing we got sometimes, the acting was very good from everyone, the music was also great.
Now let's talk about the elephant in the room: Ji Woo's behavior. We learned in s1 that he is an awkward guy, who has some trust issues and likes to put up walls. But he was also adorable, he smiled occasionally, he was pretty lively despite most of the time appearing rather calm and looking gloomy. He had interest in the world around him, and he also was interested in Seo Joon. Seriously, he was cute. Good-looking too, a good cook. And last but not least: he was good at heart. He had a lot to offer, and I could 100% see why Seo Joon felt for him. They both had different personalities, but resonated well together. A match made in heaven. Sure, the viewer could assume they would get some problems in their relationship. Maybe their different personalities would be an issue sooner or later, maybe Seo Joon being an idol/movie star and having a tight schedule would make everything difficult. But still we trusted in that love, and - I'm talking here for myself - I trusted in those two guys because they have a pure heart.
Now we got s2. We learn they broke up. Why? Well, that's the question that wasn't answered for the longest time. We as viewers had to guess what the reason was for Ji Woo suddenly ghosting Seo Joon. He just left him a note and vanished. Is this a mystery series? We then got some flashbacks (we later learn those scenes were from the future too), we get a lot of angst, a lot of drama, in the first two episodes at least we got a bit of humor too. Nothing was explained well. They used their time to introduce new characters with their own storyline. They weren't just there to support the main story. During all that time, we still didn't know what was going on in Ji Woo's head. Instead we had to endure how he treated Seo Joon like sh*t. It was pretty obvious he didn't enjoy it though. It was his way of pushing Seo Joon away. He just put up a big wall like he did in s1 too, but this time it was too much. He just crossed the line. He was cruel. A person that's good at heart, shouldn't be that cruel. He could have behaved differently. People tend to forgive this behavior, because Ji Woo was also suffering. I can't forgive it. From my perspective, being weak and hurt and confused, is no excuse to hurt other people badly, especially the ones you apparently love. He just went too far.
So what happens next? The series is almost over, and we don't even know the full reason for the break-up. Some mysteries were resolved about Ji Woo's parents, and then we FINALLY see that Ji Woo indeed cares for Seo Joon. He decides to not run away any longer, maybe after Seo Joon told him he gave up, and now Ji Woo is running after Seo Joon. Great. Seo Joon pushes him away, once, twice, but then Ji Woo tells him, he will not be able to chase him any longer if he keeps that up, and Seo Joon gives in.
People say this is realistic, relatable, emotional, romantic, complex, mature. Is it really? The core ideas of the series aren't bad. But they just went too far. Ji Woo became a gloomy and unattractive guy who behaved like a baby - he was even crying like on! - that had no real character growth throughout the whole series. At the end he AGAIN had lots of demands, and Seo Joon was the one who now must adjust to him even more, so he won't run away. What's the message here?
The author apparently wanted to show us "that in a relationship, one always loves more and works harder". Is this a good message? One that leaves you with a warm feeling in your heart? Not in my case. It's very questionable and honestly depressing.
To sum my thoughts up: They destroyed the Ji Woo character by taking away his good qualities and emphasizing his weaknesses. They even destroyed the Seo Joon character to a certain point. He obviously loves Ji Woo, but I wonder why at this point. Why does he want to be with him? I never asked myself this question when watching s1. I thought he was attracted to his big heart. He felt safe being with Ji Woo. The writers took that away completely.
I think the director has a talent to make everything artistic, cryptic, complicated, emotional and beautiful. It's an EXPERIENCE watching her work. So she fools the viewers in thinking it's "deep". Indeed it was pretty shallow at the end of the day. Minor issues were blown out of proportions, and where we expected some big revelations for example regarding Ji Woo's parents or Seo Joon's trauma, everything felt trivial.
I still rate this series rather high, because I was glued to the screen the whole time. They did something right if people talk about it so much, discuss it so much, and in general are so deeply affected by this story. That sure is an accomplishment by itself.
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ALL HURT & NO COMFORT
This series looks at love through rose-tinted glasses and calls it a day. Emotionally manipulative and angsty, this BL tries so hard to make you root for one of the main characters but fails hilariously.STORY & CHARACTERS: There's nothing new or unique about this story. You've seen this shtick before in most breakup dramas. The common tropes of moving back to the childhood village, reuniting with the past lover, and having the main love interest chase the other stubbornly - have all been used before, but that's not the problem. These predictable tropes aren't really the story's downfall. It's the fact that the mystery of the break-up was recycled from the first season. The themes of insecurity and low self-esteem were already the major conflicts in S1.
Season 2 was basically the same thing, but with higher budget and more unnecessary characters that got more screentime than the two main characters.
There's no plot twist here, folks. One of the main characters (Ji Woo) is literally just the carbon copy of his S1 persona. He did not develop at all, but just regressed to a more selfish coward who spews hypocrisy and hate every time he opens his mouth. He verbally abuses Seo Joon, the other main character but asks for comfort from the latter ("please hug me"-ep 10) when he's the one who finally gets rejected.
This is endless angst with Ji Woo consistently hurting Seo Joon for 7 episodes:
First strike: JW knew that SJ has extreme emotional trauma from being abandoned by his parents, and yet he still abandoned SJ without a proper goodbye on his birthday.
Second strike: Every chance he gets or in all their interactions, JW sees it fit to hurl emotional abuse & insulting words to SJ. SJ did not do anything wrong in this relationship. Even with his his exhausting schedule, SJ still makes time to see JW. Sometimes, he only sleeps for two hours just so he can hang out with JW. SJ neglects his health and his own friends for JW.
Third strike: JW let SJ sleep in that brutally cold camper van for DAYS because he couldn't summon enough humanity to be kind to the person he proclaimed he loves.
Fourth strike (and the most hurtful): JW slept with SJ, and told SJ the morning after that they could continue this "fuckbuddy" relationship. That was the lowest blow, and you could really see the exact moment SJ's face falls at the implication.
TLDR: This series has no heart. It tries so hard to tell a deep, idealistic story by making everyone cry their heart out in the dark (seriously, the lighting is so bad. I can barely see anything), but it doesn't quite make it because it's hard to get past the baseless cruelty & hurt. There is NO justifiable excuse for JW's behavior- of him emotionally scarring someone just because he himself is feeling lonely & isolated.
JW's pain & chosen isolation are understandable. His mental instability is not his fault. Choosing to break off a relationship is not a sin nor should it be condemned. He has every freedom to do so, but nothing can ever excuse or justify every single hurtful word and behavior JW chose to throw at SJ.
FINALE: There's no comfort or genuine resolution in this story. It isn't realistic or even idealistic at all. Nobody would want to have this kind of relationship filled with inequality & insincerity. In the end, the writers will try to put a band-aid on all the emotional trauma & abuse, but it's simply not enough. Strong angst & decent acting, but not much else. This love story is as shallow and insincere as Ji Woo's love for Seo Joon. Truly a tearjerker but for all the wrong reasons. 5/10
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The rare sequel to surpass the original...but is it still BL?
Sequels in any genre seldom please fans at the same level as the original. BL sequels enjoy no immunity from this spotty track record. Usually, a lack of freshness accounts for a sequel’s dimmer reception. Something in their formula goes stale. To My Star 2 avoids the staleness trap because TMS2 abandons the original recipe that made the first season a winner. First, by opening the series with the Kang Seo Joon and Han Ji Woo having broken up, the latter now living in a rural village hours from Seoul. Then, in case this off-screen break-up failed to alienate loyal viewers enough, TMS2 also abandons the genre formula of what makes BL BL. Viewers with the patience to stick around despite these disappointed expectations will be rewarded with a series that works on its own terms. To My Star 2 is a well-acted, well-written character study about two people who must reckon with the legacy of emotional trauma in their past to move forward with their present love.The BL genre’s signature qualities include depicting two men falling in love with another, sticking to fairly standard rom-com tropes, and understanding what the core audience for the genre wants to see. A typical BL series wraps those elements into a fluffy storyline geared to elevate the viewer’s serotonin levels. The first season checked all three boxes and charmed in the process. To My Star 2 strays from that tried-and-true formula. Rather than light-hearted rom-com, the series delivers angsty drama. Rather than depict two men further the romance established in season 1, season 2 opens several months after the couple de-coupled. In early episodes, they scarcely interact. By departing so markedly from the original’s feel-good mood the creative team behind TMS2 boldly carves out a new formula for success.
If TMS2 does not clearly read as BL, it also cannot easily be classified as LGBTQ+. None of the drama or emotional angst revolves around anyone’s sexual identity. If the script swapped out the same-sex couple for an opposite-sex couple, no modifications to the storyline would be required. Neither the past emotional trouble nor the reasons presented for the premature end of the pair’s relationship depends on internal or external homophobia or on sexual identity. In true BL fashion, these two guys just like each other without worrying about the pesky ramifications of being gay that distinguish LGBTQ+ fare. What remains, then, is a study in the fragility of human emotion, and a story with universal overtones. Pegging any series’ entire story arc to emotional traumas that took place in the distant past is a risky endeavor, and one might fairly complain that the writers fell short of concocting a story that fully explains the behavior and reactions of either Seo Joon or Ji Woo. Nevertheless, TMS2 delivers a compelling story about two people in pain. One because he considers himself unworthy of receiving love from his partner; the other because he cannot let his partner go.
With 10 episodes approaching 30 minutes each, TMS2 has a total running time nearly double the original’s. The writers invested the extra time into world building. Support characters are more fleshed out than is possible during the curtailed runtime of the mini-BLs Korea is famous for. As with the original, the president of Kang Seo Joon’s talent agency plays an outsize role, both in his star actor’s messy personal life as well the messy professional life. With many episodes set in the rural village to which Han Ji Woo has retreated, various neighbors and villagers turn up to influence events. When Ji Woo rebuffs Seo Joon’s overtures for reconciliation, a subplot about a reality series that showcases struggling rural restaurants provides a convenient device by which the writers can inflict Seo Joon’s presence on the reticent restauranteur. To My Star 2 will never be confused with arthouse fare, but rather than simply trot out a fluffy story guaranteed to please BL fans who look for that, the creators instead developed a serious drama that allowed the two leads to become more than stock characters. The gamble was rewarded with a compelling piece of television drama.
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Shallow angst masquerading as, well, something.
Drama and people crying seem to be often taken for quality of storytelling and acting. It can be, for sure. But not here.This is also a story that could have been told and been successful. Also not here.
The problem is that this is a sequel, with established characters, and the behavior of one of them is so at odds with who he was in the original that it doesn't make any emotional or narrative sense.
So we have a grumpy chef who's a bit of a old man trapped in a young man's body. He has no patience for celebrity, but ironically has to live with the biggest and most narcissistic celebrity in Korea. Naturally they fall in love, opposites attract and all that - both of them have big hearts and are beautiful people underneath the pride and narcissm, and they live happily ever after.
Then comes S2, and we discover that rather than being happy, Ji Woo was seething with resentment, crippling low self-esteem, and crushing loneliness. Forget that this is the opposite of who he appears to be and that we got not the slightest hint that any of this was going on inside him, or that this is incompatible with the character as already drawn.
So suddenly, one day, Seo Joon comes home to find Ji Woo has left, dumping him with a post-it note, and has disappeared completely. A year later So Joon finds him in the greyest and most depressing seaside village imaginable - in the depth of winter, of course, because winter is grey and the previous series was during summer. Clever subtle contrast, right? And then Ji Woo proceeds to treat So Jeon like absolute shit, with the typical "I never loved you" and even "you never loved me either, it was an illusion."
Bleak and grey covers the first 8 episodes - a campaign of sledgehammer lack of subtlety and depth of any kind in favor of shallow drama and shallow and inauthentic "exploration" of... something, I guess. I'd say inner emotional life and the tensions in a relationship, but there are no tensions - it just snaps in half and is replaced by cruelty and hatefulness.
Then it just... resolves, and they go back to Happily(er) Ever After, with no real discussion or processing - a light switch is flipped, and we resume the story of S1 just where it left off. A man leaves his bf with a short note, disappears for an entire year with no communication whatsover, then treats him like shit when he finally tracks him down. Here's the reconcilliation.
"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Give me a hug."
"Ok."
I'm not joking, that's it. The director thought everyone would forget the first 8 miserable episodes if she dumped a pile of fluff on us for the ending.
She was right, judging by the glowing reviews.
I would skip this, so it doesn't ruin your happy memories of S1. Or just start with Ep 9, and pretend they had a minor fight (which you'll easily be able to do), and then enjoy the cute frolicking, and Ji Woo's really lovely white overshirt, which I want.
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But i was wrong. Turns out the 2nd season was filled with angst. I didn't hate it. I'm just not a fan of it.
However i ended up liking this season.
At first it was really frustrating to see how Ji Woo just left and ghosted Seo Jun for a whole year. But then in the end everything make sense. I wish Seo Jun could play hard to get for a little longer though.
Comparing to S1, i could see they had more budget for this season. Better cinematography, setting, styling, and more casts. The duration and pacing were good, but i feel like some parts could've been shorter. They also explains the plot holes from S1.
I dislike the idea of ex coming back, but they done it well.
I like how the side characters also had development.
My favorite character is Pil Hyun, he did great as Seo Jun's CEO. I feel bad for him since S1, everyone hung up on him first and now in S2 he's left alone. He deserves a better ending.
The acting was great. All the actors portray their roles perfectly.
I love the chemistry between the leads, they were perfect together. But i must mention Son Woo Hyun would do great as a singer. He truly had the talent for that. His singing part on ep 4 is amazing.
The i love the music that were used.
My favorite is "그럴때, 나는" by Son Woo Hyun & Kim Kang Min.
Overall it's a great sequel. I won't rewatch this as much as the prequel because of the angst, but in the end I really really liked this drama.
If you're in the mood to cry I'd recommend this.
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Sorry but this sequel just doesn’t cut it for me
What’s with all these s2 breakup plots!?One moment they’re in a disgustingly sweet romance, and then suddenly, Jiwoo moves to the countryside after leaving Seojoon a note declaring the end of their relationship.
In TMS’ first season, Seojoon’s unpredictably exuberant personality contrasted nicely with Jiwoo’s quiet, awkward behaviour, making for an endearing watch. Things turn ugly in the sequel as their strengths morphed into their flaws. Seriously, the whole breakup tirade was unnecessarily painful to watch.
Jiwoo, whose quiet behaviour was previously seen as awkwardly adorable– comes off as selfish and unlikeable in the sequel because he’s so infuriatingly awful at communicating. Seojoon is ceaselessly giving in his attempts to make Jiwoo happy, like a puppy begging for its owner’s attention. But nothing is ever enough.
It’s a real shame that the story had to take such an ugly turn with a breakup. Let alone a breakup that made little sense to me. It would have been better off focusing on Seojoon and Jiwoo working through their relationship, given how Seojoon’s celebrity status is bound to take a toll on their private lives.
Sequels should be about the deepening of relationships, as a couple matures together. I would have liked to see more of that instead of whatever this was.
Full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/07/03/to-my-star-season-2-2022-bl-review/
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1This review may contain spoilers
SAY HELLO TO THE REAL ME
Hey, everybody. Ji Woo here.It's no secret that you loved me in "To My Star", because I've read the glowing reviews and comments here on MDL as well as every other social media platform. In that series I'm a grumpy chef with no patience for celebrities or celebrity culture, who ironically ends up having to live with a major movie star and falls in love. The series was one of the great romantic comedies of 2021, with amazing rewatchability.
I must confess, though, that I wasn't really cool with it. You see, while in that series I made deadpan wisecracks and rolled my eyes at the rascal behavior of my soon-to-be boyfriend, beneath the surface I was actually a seething cauldron of rage, further hobbled by a malignant case of low self-esteem.
I know, I know -- I did an amazing job hiding it. To watch me in "To My Star" you would never know how profoundly unhappy I was, or how much I resented the man you thought I loved.
But I have good news -- there's a Season Two now, and in that series I let it all hang out. For TMS2 I made it known I wanted my toxic antisocial side to be as front and center as possible, despite however much it might clash with the lovable grouch I was in Season One.
I asked the director if we could start out by brainstorming on how to debunk the me of TMS1. And she was up for it, let me tell you. By then she'd achieved tons of acclaim for the romantic comedies she'd directed. The notices about her were even better than mine or the ones for TMS1 itself -- they made out like she was the goddam Nora Ephron of Asian drama. But to her credit she wasn't satisfied with that and wanted to achieve a new level of creativity, kind of like Woody Allen did when he brought out "Interiors" after his own string of legendary romantic comedies. (Sorry -- I know it's probably not PC to mention the Woodster.)
So, she and I got to work, and since you've read this far I'll share some of what you can look forward to.
In TMS2, I:
1. Leave my boyfriend on his birthday after he doesn't show up on time for the birthday party I never told him about, and which I can't possibly postpone until the next day because, well, in Season One I'd also walked out on him on his birthday. The viewers who want an early start on talk of how deep this season is will love the parallels.
2. To signify that this series will be the cold winter that befalls the warm summer of Season One, leave my boyfriend a terse breakup note along with the box containing the uneaten birthday cake, placing the box where he'll be sure to find it when he returns to the darkened, silent house.
3. Disappear for a year while making no contact whatsoever. True -- it's risky to drag it out unrealistically, but it has to be a full year because a two or three month disappearance is for sissies. We're reaching for extremes here.
4. Start up an Italian restaurant in my bleak home town, opening for business every day for months without a single customer while still buying food and supplies that I prep in the kitchen each morning.
5. Bear the crushing weight of a dark scandal caused by a friend of my parents, that everyone in town takes out on me by not eating at my restaurant.
6. Have my obsessed ex-girlfriend show up all the way from the USA with one goal in mind: rekindling the relationship we had as teenagers. In a dramatic contrast to my horrible treatment of my boyfriend, make sure I treat her only with kindness and understanding.
7. Befriend a little moppet straight out of Central Casting: precocious and adorable, spouting lines of adult dialog like they were written by Neil Simon, but then hurt and vulnerable when we need to generate a crisis. Above all, make sure I always treat her with kindness and understanding as well. Heck, let's even have her start out by calling me "Dad".
7. Have my boyfriend show up after a year of desperate searching, begging to understand what has happened and with one goal in mind: bringing our relationship back from the brink. In contrast to my benevolent treatment of my ex and my friend's daughter, have me treat him like a piece of dogshit I thought I'd scraped off my shoe months ago.
8. Make sure this includes me telling my boyfriend repeatedly how I never actually loved him. I'll gaslight him by implying it must have been his imagination the whole time.
9. But, in a plot twist, have me give him a big sloppy kiss one night and then sleep with him ... only to revert back to the shit treatment the next morning.
10. After my boyfriend finally gives up and leaves, have me read about the relapse of his illness, which is almost certainly due to the stress I've put him through.
11. But then, before viewers can start to blame me, include a scene where I finally turn on the phone I've had switched off since the day I disappeared. Show me ugly-crying while I read the poignant messages from the man I abandoned.
12. Finally reveal the reason why I wanted my boyfriend to feel so much pain: I was lonely. He had a job that kept him busy, and while I certainly could have gone back to working in a restaurant or even opened one of my own, I stayed home and quietly seethed.
There's more, but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Tbh, there were moments when I worried we might go too far with all my terrible behavior. Fans of Season One would want to kick my ass over the 180 in my personality and the dark, angry tone of the whole enterprise. That's when the director reassured me that in the last two episodes we'd do another 180. My personality from Season One would miraculously reappear.
I worried that such a HEA ending might seem too fake and forced. After revealing my rotten core, how could even a wane smile from me ring true? But the director insisted. She felt that as much as she'd enjoyed the challenge of throwing Season One under the bus she had to reclaim her romantic creds. The final two episodes would be a return to the bright and easy comforts of Season One. After enduring so much sadness and frustration, viewers would be weeping for joy over the tsunamis of fluff suddenly crashing over them. Even better, the return of the Season One vibe would almost certainly silence the critics while making TMS2's defenders all the more adamant.
Still, I was skeptical, I'm telling you.
She reassured me, though. She said that this kind of crazy shit makes people go tribal. If anybody complains about the sudden happy ending, or about the whiplash plot points or the inexplicable disconnect between the grumpy but lovable me of Season One and the asshole I am in Season Two, it won't be a question of defending the show on its merits -- fans will just change the subject and say the complainers have no eye for genius. Season Two will be declared an absolute masterpiece no matter what. And if commenters dare to dissent they'll be told that all they want to watch is fluff, and they wouldn't know Great Art if a painting fell on them in The Louvre.
Finally, if you end up loving TMS2 as much as I do you'll be pleased to know that we're already thinking about a Season Three. It would feature even more crazy antics by yours truly, because, honestly, unless I get some serious therapy there's no telling when I'll relapse. The possibilities are endless!
Sincerely,
Han Ji Woo
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Another Unnecessary Sequel
I was hesitant to watch this series because it obviously would involve some type of break-up (We all knew it would when the sequel was announced), but I still gave it a try. It was ok but there really was no point for this sequel. However, I appreciated some of the topics it introduced.The positive: The cast was great and did a great job considering the material they were given. I also liked the sets and the locations they used throughout the series.
The negative: Although I think the story concept was good, the execution was not the greatest. Episode 1 started off strong but the script goes down hill quickly by Episode 2. I started to see the script’s many weak elements. It also introduced a lot of random unneeded issues for the main characters to deal with. The sequel also made me dislike one of my favorite main characters from the first series.
Random Note: This would have been better if it was a stand-alone series without any ties with To My Star. I probably would have enjoyed the series more.
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1This review may contain spoilers
The mundane pain that just makes sense.
Realistically speaking, I would not say it was as charming as season 1, yet the story itself was for sure more compelling. Yes, the delivery of the characters’ struggles had some misses, but I appreciate the realism of this season.One thing I appreciated about it was the fact, it in fact had a plot. While many people wanted more fluff and the pair being all cute, I truly dislike the empty fanservice type of sequels. This was rather raw and I loved it. Seeing these characters struggle as individuals was great. A couple is not just a pair, they are also individuals. Some issues are personal, and while they might affect the dynamics between two people, the source of them is found somewhere else.
I also believe it was a smart choice to start the plot after the break up, without actually showing all the details of when it happened. Yes, seeing the in depth portrayal of how it affected Seo Joon would be great, it would also mean less time to see Ji Woo’s side of the story - and we truly got barely anything here anyway (more on that later).
Strangely, I liked the reasoning behind the break up too. I can imagine many people were disappointed. I know many people were disappointed, I was reading the comments as the drama aired. For me though, it all made sense. That's kind of how life goes. You don't always end a relationship because you have no feelings for the other person - sometimes it's one or a few bullshit reasons that at that specific moment of your life make sense, even though it does not for anyone else.
On the characters - Kang Seo Joon was as much of a loyal puppy as he was in season 1. It’s impossible not to love him. At the same time, I found his character miserably helpless and it was so amazingly human of him. The way he could not move on after a year, how he desperately tried to find any reason and opportunity to still make the relationship work, to be close to Ji Woo. How he did not take a “no” as an answer, how he came back after each emotional kick. It was obviously not a healthy approach, but being weak when faced with someone or something you love and care about is extremely relatable.
On the other hand, I agree with many that Ji Woo was not a likable character in most of the episodes. I hated his actions, but I also understood where he was coming from and how he ended up in such an emotionally exhausting and empty state. Being scared of being happy. Running away, because it’s easier to handle. Hiding your feelings and not knowing how to express your insecurities. He tried to be strong, but at some point it just all crumbled down and he decided to run away instead of facing the issues he had. I found his selfish behavior quite realistic and relatable.
That said, I wish some hints of his inner struggles were introduced as the show progressed, instead of dropping it all closer to the end. The show focused so much on Seo Joon’s pain in the first half, it was hard to relate and root for Ji Woo. I’m not surprised some viewers even wished the couple would not end up together by the end. We’ve got the answers for his behavior too late for some people to find the strength to care for his happiness. At some point, some viewers got tired of waiting and just gave up on him.
As for the other characters, I know the show faced a lot of criticism because of the inclusion of “useless female characters”, but I couldn't agree less with that. Not keeping your characters in a social bubble, where they only interact with each other is a good thing. People have other people in their lives than just their romantic partners. For me, adding more characters, be it female or male, is a good thing. It adds depth and layers to the main ones. They interact differently with different people, we learn more about them thanks to these conversations. They say things they would not say to each other, that are important to understand their inner struggles and thoughts.
If I had to complain about any characters, I would say Ho Min’s trainee/idol aspect came a bit out of nowhere and was not necessary - adding nothing to the plot. Seemed more like an afterthought than a planned plot point.
Now, to talk about one of my favorite aspects of the show - the shots. The scenery was just so beautiful and well placed as the transition scenes, it made the flow of the scene so much better than just faded to black. Production wise, it’s an obvious improvement compared to season 1, which itself was already really good for a smaller production like that.
The OST, ladies and gentlemen - what calming bops we've got. How perfectly they fitted the whole mood of the show. Not to mention, having the lead actors sing one of the songs was a perfect choice to make the delivery of the message and emotions even more hard hitting.
Acting wise - it was good. By now I’m a big fan of Son Woo Hyun. Can’t wait to see where his career will lead him. Kim Kang Min has improved a lot since the previous season. His delivery was more expressive and natural. Yes, we still got “crying with no tears, trying to squeeze a few drops like a lemon” scene, but overall, the performance was quite stable and good.
Overall, while I do prefer season 1 as a whole, I like the story of season 2 more. If I’ve got a bit more steady pacing for the characters and a few more hints about their motivations earlier on, I could possibly like it more than the previous installment.
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This review may contain spoilers
Careful what you wish for
Many fans after a good first season wish for the second season of their favorite show, but sometimes same titles are better left alone. "To My Star" is a prime example of it.The script is so bad I am not sure if even the scriptwriter knew what he wanted to convey.
Because it seasons 2!!!
We already have established characters but what scriptwriters do? Change one main protagonist character so much that I start to wonder if it's split personality disorder or some evil twin plotline? But no luck! Just forget season 1 and let Ji Woo have a new personality starting from season 2!
The main storyline and conflict is so ridiculous boardlining toxic and abusive that I have no words left for it. After Ji Woo ghosted Seo Joon on his birthday ( yes birthday again - Seo Joon really start to hate his own birthday soon) and disappeared for a whole year, Seo Joon looked for him everywhere to get an explanation and closure. But when he finally meets Ji Woo we are meeting Ji Woo season 2 version which is ruthless and can - for his own convenience - hurt people. We have full 8 episodes of that so get ready!
I will not go into the details but in episode 5 or 6 I was really convinced that this two are better off breaking up. This conviction didn't even disappear after watching 2 last - fluffy episodes that should convince the audience to have memory loss and forget the previous 8 episodes and feel that the main couple should be together once again.
They even try to explain it from Ji Woo POV but if you rewatch episode 1 after it and try to feel bad for Ji Woo.... i am really amazed by an audience that can eat this BS. Ji Woo sad past and his own issues - excluded he had a whole year to get his shit together and reflect on himself so when he finally meets Seo Joon again he should have guts to apologize, explain himself or something on this line. But what did he do? Push all the blame on Seo Joon.
Clap Clap Clap
When we as the audience who rewatch know at this point he still supposedly love Seo Joon and waited for him...
I saw reviews of how realistic this relationship is and I need to agree that is really realistic abusive relationship. Ji Woo do only things convenient for him and only takes from Seo Joon because he knew Seo Joon love him. It's always about him, he don't give a crap how he made Seo Joon feel or how hard he made it for him.
In the whole season, i didn't seen any genuine care from Ji Woon toward Seo Joon, or Ji Woo self-reflection on his behavior (only the magical forest scene that supposedly convinced him to get back with Seo Joon - that is a slide show from their happy moments)- Ji Woo is as he is and it Seo Joon that needs to change, not him. Even though the whole mess is all about Ji Woo and caused by him.
Their whole conflict resolution in last episode felt so shallow that I just know that Ji Woo will pull that shit again. There was no lesson learned for him and I don't think he even felt genuinely bad about what shit he put Seo Joon thought. If this was real life Seo Joon would really break down mentally and become a mental institution patient while Ji Woo would be too busy feeling bad about some no-existent hurt Seo Joon put his thought.
To sum it up if it wasn't season 2 of To my star, most people would see it for what it really is. I just hope more and more people realize that nice cinematography and good acting shouldn't cover how bad and toxic the script really is.
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Grumpy/Sunshine, Hurt/Comfort, Opposites Attract, Forced Proximity, Breakup/Reunion
To My Star the original had to grow on me, eventually becoming one of my favorites of all time. To My Star 2 was not that show for me.It’s brilliant, don’t get me wrong. The acting is excellent, really quite flawless. But sometimes too realistic for this genre (and me, one of the last hold outs who can’t take ITSAY), in that I felt their (especially SeoJoon’s) pain too much. Even though I identified strongly with JiWoo. If you have any kind of empathy for the complexities of desperate personalities trying to make a relationship work this show will hurt to watch. If you fall too far into feeling like either JiWoo (me) SeoJoon (lots of other people) you will fall into disliking one of the main characters (probubly JiWoo). And it is really difficult to watch a couple you loved seeing get together, seriously breaking up, in a realistically cutting way, lashing out and hurting each other an everything, and then whole heartedly struggling to come back together again.
The directing is really good, but the characters motivations are sometimes intentional obfuscated and the flashbacks felt manipulative. Well done, but I did feel a little jerked around, and like I was meant to wallow and dwell in the pain a little too much. Like all Kdramas of this type, the weight is given to the maudlin not the happiness. Although the use of doorways as transitions to the past/future was really well done. Like the original, the narrative is messy and sometimes difficult to follow.
So should you watch it?
If you like angst, wallowing, and realistic relationship struggles in your BL, watch this. If you prefer fluffy comforting BL, avoid like the plague. For me the pay out was not sufficient to the pain. I enjoyed the performances, directing, and chemistry - the leads’ comfort with each other is unprecedented in Korean BL, but that’s not enough for me to rise above the pain of the narrative.
RECOMMENDED WITH SERIOUS RESERVATIONS
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