To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories

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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An Emotional Rollercoaster

The sequel to To My Star delves into the not so pleasant aspects that could come from a relationship. I think it was important that it showed that a relationship is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows. Life doesn't work like that. To My Star explores doubt, miscommunication, pride, guilt, and sorrow in a way that is engaging from start to finish. It may not be the direction that people wanted the second season to go in but I think it is important to show the more realistic aspects of a relationship.

If you think that all relationships can remain perfect at all times, you are terribly mistaken. To My Star shares a story that is more close to real life. But, if you are lucky enough, despite all of the obstacles you may go through with a significant other, you can overcome them and come to understand each other more through the pain you have both endured and come out on the other side stronger than ever together.

One thing that I loved the most about the overall conflict that was presented in this show is that it highlighted that every break up doesn't have to be for some grand reason. A lot of relationships may run their course or go through a rough patch simply due to little things that accumulate over time. Feelings change and people change and that's okay but what isn't okay is to run away without communicating with your partner about how you feel. Ji Woo had a hard time pouring out his feelings which ultimately caused more strife between him and Seo Joon that could have been avoided. But, the thing is, there are a lot of people out in this world like Ji Woo who run away from there problems and have a hard time saying what is on their minds so I don't fault him for that. You live and you learn and I am glad that a character like that is shown on screen. Seo Joon was fighting tooth and nail trying to get Ji Woo back and some say that he was fighting too hard and that he was too desperate and should have let him go sooner. But, all I saw was a person who didn't want to give up on the person that he was in love with. So what if he looked crazy. If you think a person is worth it, I don't see anything wrong with fighting for the person you love within certain measures. He ultimately decided to give up and let Ji Woo come back to him when he was ready which I think was for the best in their situation. I am glad that they ended up back together in the end despite everything.

Ji Woo and Seo Joon are two totally different people with different communication styles yet despite the pain that they both went through, I could still feel the love that they had for one another. It was still palpable. The chemistry was still there and the love for sure was still there. Relationships go through pain sometimes but I think it is ultimately about how you choose to resolve problems and come back from the pain that matters. It may take a little while but if both partners vow to understand each other more and change some of there ways to better the relationship, then they can move forward together again. Sometimes pain can lead to growth is how I viewed Ji Woo and Seo Joon's relationship.

On another note, I will end this by saying that I enjoyed this season very much (probably more than season 1). It had a story line that was very gripping to me and one that had me theorizing and thinking about it long after an episode would go off. The cinematography and locations were beautiful to witness and the characters all served their purpose well. I would definitely recommend all to watch this but just know that it is not the most lighthearted watch ever but it's still worth it!

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FINALLY a good bl sequel

PROS:

- the cinematography!!! you can definitely tell they got more budget & creative direction for this season because some shots literally fucking stunned me, they were gorgeous!!! they went full film d’auteur for this one & I couldn’t approve more, this is my jam!!!

- the characters, and especially kang seo joon. like I just love this character so much??? everyone in this show fucking WORKS, but kang seo joon is like this cartoon-y character who also feels so real & he’s just really fucking amazing.

- I love the writing & its realism. this sequel made me realize that even the original season had a deeper aspect to it compared to other kbls, a sort of looming feeling of mental health issues & other problems, even with a happy ending. and in that way, the writers perfectly continued that story & gave us more context as to who both characters are as people, and I think the writers did a great job underlining the possible problems in their relationship & playing on their differences. I feel like this sequel worked when all of the others haven’t because the writers stayed true to the characters & story they wanted to tell. obviously season two has a different tone & setting, yet both seasons really work together, whereas it’s usually really not the case.

- the chemistry & acting just work. I don’t think han ji woo’s actor is the best actor & the more emotional scene wasn’t the best imo, but apart from that this pairing just works really well, and overall the acting is very solid. even with all the issues between the characters, the chemistry between the actors makes you care about this pairing a lot more.


CONS:

- v angsty, and I know that this is not what some people are looking for in this sequel, and in that case I would skip this one out. or just binge it all in one go bc I guarantee you, binging the first 8 eps and then having to wait a week for the conclusion like I did was HELL.

- I think han ji woo is a very interesting character that I really like, but since he’s been the driving factor for every drama & break up this couple has had, and he’s very cold & everything, in some moments it was really hard to care for him. there was literally a point in the show where I felt like these two were better off broken up, and I’m not sure that’s exactly what the writers wanted. so I think they went a bit too far with ji woo’s cruelty in certain moments, when it should’ve been slightly more push & pull rather than one hurting the other repeatedly if that makes sense.


WOULD I REWATCH IT: maybe not on its own bc it’s very angsty, but if I rewatched the original show I would definitely follow it with season two.


CONCLUSION: FINALLY a sequel that is not disappointing!!! I despise second seasons, but here I’m so glad I gave this one a chance, despite not even knowing how it was gonna end! This just proves me that you can introduce angst, break ups and challenges in a sequel and still make it good, and I’m just really happy that one of my favorite 2021 shows actually got the sequel it deserves <3

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Gives you insomnia and breaks your heart but totally worth it!

This season was the definition of pain. It was really heavy, but I respect the realness and how mature it is. This is a story about love not about how to be a perfect human being. You don't choose who you fall in love with. when you love someone you have to accept them the way they are, and handle their trauma, low self-esteem or whatever that makes them do stupid things. Real love is WORK , trying to fix the issues, and helping your partner to be a better person. I don't think the ex story line was necessary, but after all I enjoyed this season a lot. The acting was perfect. Their chemistry is crazy! and I think season 3 is a must at this point. it will make us appreciate this season more. Since we aren't really sure about JW if he will leave again or if the relationship is strong enough to last. Seeing their relationship getting stronger in a third season will make us believe in them more, and we'll know that everything they went through in this season was worth it . There are many good BLs out there but this one will always has a special place in my heart.

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I loved the first season, it was short and bubbly and there was this remarkable chemistry between the leads… the second season though, blew me away! I thought about this series a lot, it affected me so much that I wanted to know other peoples opinions on it and I started to spend time on twitter and even reddit lol, which is sth I honestly dont do at all. I have read lots of theories even came up with my own. I dont even know…the last time I was affected this much by a series with was game of thrones i guessXD

Anyway i liked how detailed it was, the acting, the cinematography, soundtrack everything was perfect imo. I do agree with some people saying the ending was a bit rushed and the angsty 8 episodes were was a bit unfair and Seo Joon forgave Ji woo way to easy. Yeah, I also think Ji woo should have realized he made a mistake by ep 7 onwards maybe? So that we would have 3-4 eps of him begging Seo joon to take him backXD jokes aside I do think that he should have made his motives for break up and how he felt during that one year of their relationship more clear to Seo joon. But I guess I am ok with how it ended, we had lotsss of fluff! Everyone had their closure. I would love a season 3 but I dont think it will come…

Ugh I kinda feel empty now that is over and I dont think anything will come close for a while:(

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To My Angst

Overall: season 1 was a romance so I was hoping in season 2 to learn more about the backgrounds of the two leads, have some character growth (specifically Ji Woo getting better at communicating), some fluff and some realistic drama (i.e. the public finding out about their romance and fallout from that). Instead we got...angst and character regression instead of growth. If someone wants to avoid 9 episodes of angst, then I'd suggest just watching episode 10. I really dislike when one character is a huge jerk to the other character for a long time because then I'm not happy if they are together at the end due to all the pain that was caused. Once you break a glass, even if you put it back together, it will never be the same. Watched on Viki (also Gagaoolala)

Content Warnings: gaslighting, grief

What I Liked
- the cute scenes
- episode 10 (except for the very last two lines), enjoyed the callbacks to the first season
- acting
- music (wish we had vocals for the intro though)
- the supporting characters from season 1 that returned in season 2 (and wish they had had more screen time/depth for their characters)
- talking about Ho Min's decision was funny (I looked up the actor)

Room For Improvement
- Ji Woo, I am so disappointed that instead of character growth we got character regression. Breaking up via a sticky note and ghosting someone (on their birthday no less) after a year of dating is inexcusable. Then Ji Woo has the gall to name his restaurant "I'm Waiting For You". Ji Woo lies to Seo Joon and is extra cruel by telling Seo Joon that it's Seo Joon's fault their relationship doesn't work before eventually admitting it was Ji Woo's fault/insecurities. No amount of grief or introvertedness excuses his actions (I know people who are extremely introverted and they all manage to communicate with their significant others)
- Seo Joon needs to learn about respecting boundaries - I realize this was supposed to be romantic but it felt like harassment to me
- non logical/realistic plot things/responses - is a celebrity having a fear of loud noises a huge scandal??? I don't understand this at all. Another is, what a terrible detective. It took 1 year to figure out that Ji Woo was in the town where he grew up/where his parents used to live, wouldn't that be the first place to look??? Also what was the motivation for who posted that story about Seo Joon?
- the cliche ex, this added nothing for me
- the kid, if they were shown babysitting a friend/relative's kid and talking about how they wanted their family to be in the future that would have been awesome, but this character seemed tossed in to add additional drama
- the frequent time jumps back and forth made it feel disjointed and confusing, wish they had told this in a linear fashion
- the explanation for Seo Joon's phobia was underwhelming
- I wish they had had a short recap of season 1 at the beginning of episode 1
- the intro with season 1 short scenes and instrumental music wasn't my favorite intro

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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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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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Even Better Than The First Season

When the first season came out, it was instantly one of my favorite BLs. I loved the characters' chemistry, the story wasn't bad and the acting was great. I really only had one problem with it: the series was too short and because of that, we didn't really get a chance to explore the characters to my satisfaction. We only got snippets of their past here and there but nothing that really showed us why Ji Woo and Seo Joon became the people they were.

That's why I think this season is even better than the first. It's shedding light on concepts they introduced in the first season, "tying loose ends" so to speak while adopting more mature themes of heartbreak and loneliness and the roles people play in a relationship, all the while giving us a bit of fanservice of their domestic life together. Each episode fills my heart with joy and anxiety and as I watch the back and forth between Ji Woo and Seo Joon, I end up loving the series even more.

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Love, redemption and second chances

This is a story of an established couple and their struggles. How complex emotions like insecurity, perceived loneliness, one's own ego etc. play role in complicating things are manifested in this series. Also how one can overcome those are highlighted upon. It is a nuanced, layered depiction of love, it's complexities, the hurt it causes and the courage it requires to overcome those.
The story is relatable, mature and engaging. It is not for viewers who are looking for BL fluff. It is raw and at times rough to watch. It pulls you in and keeps you worried and elated with the characters. There are no instant fixes and rapid gratification.
The direction is flawless. The series is positioned like a puzzle piece and the viewers are challenged to piece it together. HGS, the director, has directed many cult classic BLs in the past but with this one she dared to break the BL ceiling and give us a genuine slice of life love story minus the rosieness and instant fixes.
The cinematography is beautiful and complements the story. The tone and hue change with the story and run as a parallel story teller.
The acting of all the actors are perfect, even the child actors gave flawless performances. The MLs, their chemistry and acting abilites are legendary already. How much they expressed through their eyes is worth a separate discussion and analysis. They were brilliant.
Overall this series made me cry, laugh, stressed, anxious, happy and satiesfied. I will be getting back to this over and over again. I loved it!

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