To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories (2022)

More interesting than first season, but at times illogical

Season one of To My Star was too slow and predictable for me. Season two was more interesting to watch, but it had many things happening in its plot that didn’t make any sense. Just like in season one I find the acting, camera work, editing and music really good, but the problem for me yet again was the story.

This series has typical getting back together after the break up storyline. And like always we have one character who chases after the other only to be rejected and when they finally decide to give up then the other one realizes how much they actually love the other. This is basically a summary of this whole show. But this series has so many illogical things in it, that it ruins the feeling.

First, why does it take Seo Joon a whole year to find Ji Woo? Wouldn’t someone's home town be the first place to look at after they disappear? Or why wait until one year to contact Hyung Ki? Also, why did they decide on one year? I personally think this was too long a time to have them be broken up. I think 1-3 months would’ve been enough. So, if it has been one year, why is Seo Joon still looking for Ji Woo when it’s clear that the latter is not interested in being found.

Second, I don’t understand how Ji Woo managed to open a restaurant and then keep it afloat when he didn’t have any customers. Yet, he bought food and probably had to pay rent. Where did all his money come from? And later when he actually gets some customers, how was he able to do everything alone in this restaurant? It just didn’t make any sense!

Third, it has been a whole year of Ji Woo living in the countryside, yet he hasn’t been able to think about his actions and figure out that maybe what he did was wrong? Also, I didn’t get why he was waiting and basically expecting Seo Joon to find him after he broke up with him via note. And when they do finally meet he is so rude and cold to him. He could’ve at least said sorry and admit his mistake. Instead he is quite harsh to his ex-lover. Also, I didn’t like the kiss and them sleeping together only to be driven even further away from each other after that. Not to mention that the kiss was initiated by Ji Woo himself! He was constantly sending mixed signals.

Four, can we talk about weird coincidences or ‘destiny’ in this series? Seo Joon just happens to work with Ji Woo’s ex of all people. Then Seo Joon just happens to work with the “Countryside Kitchen” series. And in the end this all handkerchief story. It just seems so unrealistic. I understand that sometimes this kind of things happen where you think that the world is so small, but so many times with one person? Unlikely...

Moving on to the characters. In season one I actually found Ji Woo as an interesting character. But in this season I just didn’t like him and most of the time I didn’t understand his actions. I felt that the series should’ve explored more about his reasons. Seo Joon was quite the same as in the previous season. I did find his efforts to get Ji Woo back quite weird and I am happy he decided to give up when he did, because otherwise he would’ve over done it. It is still quite a mystery why after one year he still wanted to get back together with him, though? I personally would’ve wanted to get closure and then get as far away from Ji Woo as possible. Ending to their story was a little bit underwhelming for me and I felt that viewers didn’t really get the closure or final understanding why things happened between them as they did. It feels like the makers of this series knew exactly why everything happened, but they couldn’t bring it to the viewers.

As for background characters - there were too many! I seriously don’t understand the reason for bringing in Ji Woo’s ex and neighbor with the daughter. Most of the time I was annoyed with their scenes and was just waiting to get back to the main storyline. They could’ve used all this time they put into these three characters to make the main storyline better... I do like that Ho Min got his own story this time, even though I must say that ending for him was quite unexpected. Pil Hyun actually turned into one of my favorite characters in this season. It was clear that he was constantly giving everything to others, but in the end he was still alone. I found his relationship with Yoon Seul so bittersweet. He, like Seo Joon, clearly loved his partner yet he was constantly being left aside. I think that Pil Hyun in a way represented both Seo Joon and Ji Woo.

In conclusion, I found this season easier to follow, but just like in season one the story wasn’t the best. Even if the acting, camera work, editing and music are really well done they can’t help badly written script. I often felt like this whole series was not thoroughly thought through.

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Disappointing

This was hyped so much, I was expecting something amazing, but it was mediocre at best. It started out pretty good; the quality was much better than season 1 and the first two episodes had me hooked, but then it quickly devolved into slice of life and nonsensical drama. We get it, Seo Joon is a celebrity and he gets bad articles written about him. It's the same plot as season 1 all over again, except the MLs are getting back together instead of getting together for the first time.

I honestly found Ji Woo's character extremely toxic. The reason he broke up with Seo Joon and ran away never really makes sense even after he explains it to both his ex and Seo Joon, and he's a total dick for 99% of the series. The worst part is when he sleeps with Seo Joon at the end of episode 4, only to start treating him like garbage again the next day. Then he stays like this until the last episode, where he delivers one of the worst crying scenes I've seen in a drama. The crying was so bad it made me laugh.

A lot of things didn't add anything to the plot and just felt really random. Ji Woo's dad's friend who scammed the entire village? Why did they blame Ji Woo for that when he was in high school at the time? Makes no sense. Ji Woo's ex? I get that she was there to make Seo Joon think that Ji Woo still liked her, but they really didn't do much with that so it seemed a bit pointless. Also, for an ex that supposedly broke Ji Woo's heart, he forgave her real fast. And how exactly did she find out Seo Joon was Ji Woo's ex? Their conversation was disjointed and her thought process was never shown. Ho Min becoming an idol? I get that the actor is an idol in real life, but that was so random and unnecessary.

One of the things that bothered me the most in season 1 was that Seo Joon's PTSD about things breaking was never explained, so I waited all of season 2 to get an explanation, only to get an underwhelming, half-assed flashback in the last episode. It didn't make a lot of sense. The whole thing about his parents moving to Italy because he annoys them was also random.

All of that said, the leads have pretty good chemistry and Son Woo Hyun's acting is great, but it's not enough to save the mediocre plot.

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Be emotionally prepared

I didn't want to watch season 2. I liked the first season. I knew that season 2 was going to be sad and I wasn't emotionally prepared.

I forgot.

I ran out of other things to watch and saw this in my list, and thought, "I haven't seen this yet, and there was a reason I didn't want to watch, but I can't remember why." By the end of episode 3, when I'd had a constant lump in my throat and a pain in my heart since the beginning of episode 1, with no end for the sadness in sight, I remembered why I didn't want to watch season 2.

I have zero regrets.

I haven't read all the other reviews, but I have read some comments, and honestly, by the end of the series, if you can't figure out why Ji Woo originally left with only a note, then you haven't had enough life experiences. Not everything is black and white, and sometimes the reasons you have for doing something don't really hold up when you think back. And sometimes, you can blame someone for the problems in a relationship, and then you realize that you were the problem all along. It happens. But in that realization comes growth. Ji Woo was just lucky enough to have someone who loved him enough to chase after him, and who supported him regardless of their status.

That being said, Seo Joon did everything he could to make himself available, in hopes that they would reconcile. That kind of love will get you a lifetime of happiness when you are with the one you love, but is nothing but pain when you are trying to win back the relationship you had. Or that you thought you had. But even when Seo Joon thought he'd had enough, he was smart enough to know that, once Ji Woo relented, if he didn't take Ji Woo back then and there, he would never have the chance again.

I hurt for them through 9 of the 10 episodes, but the 10th episode made it all worth while. Just hold on. It'll get there.

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masterpiece

No.1 for me. i am sobbing. i cannot put into words what this series has done to me, i cannot describe the perfection of every aspect of this. the first season was good and i loved it but the second season, oh my god. i am actually speechless. i have watched almost every bl out there and adore a good few but this takes the reigns. i literally cannot fault a single aspect of it and i cant even describe how flawless it is because there are no words and id be writing for hours. the ending is beyond anything you could dream of for a series but im so emotional that its over, ive literally never reacted like this i dont know whats wrong with me. i wont even recommend you guys watch this because i have to insist you watch both seasons ASAP. they leave no stone unturned and the emotions are so raw and real especially in the last episode, i am actually in shock that something like this exists and hasnt gotten more hype. a true masterpiece beyond comparison. although it may seem this series is taking the typical direction of other bls and you might be tempted to drop it, please stick with it because i promise you will not be disappointed by the ending

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A deep dive into beautifully complex characters

To My Star is a series that requires the audience to be able to understand the characters in order to enjoy it. The inner worlds of the protagonists are stories of their own, and if you manage to figure them out, you'll be able to make sense out of every single thing that happens in this show, every word and every action. If not, you'll be disappointed.

Everything that happened in season 1 set the perfect foundation for the second season. In the first season, we already get to see how Jiwoo is an insecure person with low self esteem, and that's what eventually ends up ruining his relationship with Seojun in season 2. We also see how Seojun goes out of his way and sacrifices himself to quite an extreme in order to be with Jiwoo, and that's another one of the reasons why they break up in season 2. I honestly found it incredible how they managed to construct such complex characters with such a short amount of air time, so I was thrilled to see they stayed consistent with their personalities and stories although the format of the series changed immensely.

Another thing I really loved about this series is how each episode of the second season was like a step of a ladder, the plot and characters evolve gradually, with some turning points, in a way that feels realistic. Each episode provides bits of information that help the audience understand the motivations and reasons of what's happening, so we can finally enjoy the resolution knowing everything. The resolution itself was probably one of the best parts: the conflict wasn't resolved magically, it was an imperfect and very realistic ending where the characters showed that they had evolved and learned enough to be able to get back together, but also that for their relationship to work they had to put effort into it by communicating, understanding and adapting.

In conclusion, Our Untold Stories manages to expand on two very complex characters and gives us all the answers we needed to understand them further. It does so in a way that it forces you to open your mind and empathise with two people who are extreme opposites from one another. This is also the main message of the series: no one and no relationship is perfect, but it's all about understanding. The way it doesn't only convey that idea but it makes the audience participate in it just makes it even better.

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A poignant and thought provoking sequel that explores the main characters with unexpected depth

At the time im writing this review, i've watched the entirety of 8 episodes released (and the first season ofcourse, if any of you havent, i urge you too! another amazing project from Director Da Seul, and the best, until TMS2 came around XD) and, while im cautious for the final two episodes, i have to say the series already have such a grip and a chokehold on me. Through and Through. From the story, characters and their development, acting across the board, cinematography (im talking shot after shot is beautifully done, different scene hold a certain ambiences, many attention to minor details ;even with the smallest thing like the lights). Its apparent that the entire crew of this project put alot of heart in their work and i very much admire them for that.

As someone with a long history as a BL spectator, TMS2 really stands out special in its own way. I dont recall any BL that explores such a human characters, reaction and struggles with more complexity and depth. If you think you know what to expect coming from the first season, you dont. The sequel pack a WHOLE different punch. Dont be mistaken, the main characters are still the same familiar and beloved pairing from the first but the Director and Scriptwriter took a refreshing approach with this series in expanding both of their characters in way that you wouldnt expect. I admittedly cried and cried again, both tear of sadness and comforts! Theres soo much raw human emotions and moments, and its delivered with such passionate and talented actors that its literally impossible to not be immersed with their characters. Its chilling honestly.

If i didnt make it obvious yet, this series is not your typical BL realism fantasy of rainbow and sprinkles!! It delve in some real and serious topic with insecurities and mental issue, but not in a tactless way, dont worry!

Quick nod for the writer! I must say im throughly impressed by how consistent their characters writeup are and their development. Every character have their own unique personalities and characteristics and how they reacts to different situation are in accordant and natural. She successfully incorporated Seojoon's character as a Top Star with how he perceived people and how he is being perceived by people, how he approach situations etc. It makes such a fun aspect of his character!

I'll take this moment to talk briefly about Jiwoo as a character. As the whole series basically revolves around him, even as we walked it through mostly from Seojoon's perspective. He is a conflicting figure....he dont express himself well, he isnt always honest, he keep his heart close to him in this series, which is just his personality but once you learn about him as a person, his past and his mental struggles; He feels very human, just like the rest. He acted irrationally but no one does in our worst mental state. For all the reasons stated, he become a pitiful character to me. I....will not elabore further just to avoid spoiling- Haha.

I, wholeheartedly reccomend this series!! Itll open you to new understanding of human feeling, mental health and love. Such an eye opener, its almost like im a different person with a different perspectives about people and things after i watched the series.

Im already dreading that the series is drawing the ending in just a few days 😭 Regardless of the ending. I would LOVE to see another season!

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Heartbreaking & Heartwarming at the same time

I finished this yesterday and to be honest iam still conflicted about how iam feeling for this Season2.I gave a total 8,5 but until i finish writing this review my rate might go higher or lower.I don't know yet iam still confused.This is just my personal opinion and a simple review.Don't take this as a recommentation.Damn seriously this is the first series left me with tangled thoughts and mixed feelings.Anyhow let's start with the basics.

Music: i don't know i guess it was ok.i was too broken to pay attention to it,iam sorry.

Production,directing,cinematography,acting.YES to all.Everything was in a very high level.
Many times i cried my eyes out,so i guess actors did a very good job.

Story/plot: And here is where things starts to be complicated and messy.
For 9 freakin episodes,they were breaking our hearts piece by piece,episode after episode.
The story starts when one of our main leads just disappears.Like vanished into thin air.No explanation,no reason,no heads-up.Just a simple darn note.Thats all.And it wasn't an one night stand to justify his disappearance.They were into a serious relationship for a year.I mean comon!How immature one can be to leave like this? And not just for a few days but for a whole year!
Obviously life is not all rainbows and unicorns,so why a BL should be?The main concept of the story actually it was okish.The details in my opinion were problematic.Like when you cook an almost perfect dish and in the process(during writing the script )you decide to add another ingredient which ends up to be totally wrong and ruined the previous almost perfect taste.This is how i felt while watching.I was prepared to eat a delicious dish and after few bites something tasted really bad.
I was angry,mad and frustrated about how the writer decided to write Han Ji Woo's character.Like he was a totally different person from what we saw in S1.Why?What motivated him/her(the writer) to twist his personality into such a dramatic level?I don't get it.
As i said the story was good.In this season they wanted to give us a real life relationship with its ups and downs,with fights and break-ups and with many many tears.Ok i accept this cause this is life.But!But!!
Han Ji Woo been a total asshole,immature and selfish,especially when poor Kang Seo Joon gave him NO reason to act like this was a bummer!HJW kept rejecting him cause of his low esteem and his own insecurities.Of course he is human and having insecurities is totally fine.Who doesn't have anyways?The main problem was how his char was written.They gave him all the bad traits out of the blue.What they were thinking?Why they turned him into a villain?into a bad person?
I would prefer the problem was a cheatting matter or something equally serious like he didnt want to drag him to his parents bad fame or whatever.I wanted the reason why all this happened to be more,i don't know how to say it.More wow!More grand!I will not talk about Kang Seo Joon character because right now i don't have the time to praise him enough!He was just a sweetheart,Sentimental,understanding,supportive,at any time he was ready to forgive and forget.The perfect boyfriend!I went through many different emotions while watching.Although most of the time was really mad,lol,i think that is what makes this series good at the end.Because managed to deliver many emotions despite the fact it wasn't a fluffy one.
No i don't want a S3.Don't give the writers more crazy ideas,please!It will be better to forget all about S1 and watch this as a separate story.Thats my final thought and suggestion.Take care all!

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ANNOYING START BUT GREAT ENDING

All I ever felt while watching from start to almost end is annoyance, like I don't really get it why Han Ji Woo is that unreasonable in breaking up and running away from Kang Seo Joon, all they ever do is to argue.
But along the way they unfolded the reason one by one of the break up, I realize Korean stories are really goes on something like having a bad and hurtful past and that they are affected hardly by it so it becames hindrance in their decisions in the future just like other Kdramas, but it is still nice.
I liked how the episodes and the momentum of the story is being break down, the way they intended that the recon of the lead are at the last episode made us all want to watch until the end due to the curiosity whats gonna happen next ? Are they gonna be okay? Will they reconcile? Who's gonna choose by Ji Hoon? Is the girl or Still Seo Joon? Somethings like that ! Becuase some Drama I've watched is that they put the recon of the story in the middle that really makes me stop it because the part that I am waiting for has been shown or has happened so nothing to be curious about, no excitement at all--but not here !
The Woo Hyun and Kang Min did really great here, the acting is so nice, and Woo Hyun's acting is really a pro ! You can really see how he gave his best for the role.
I love the Daepyo and the Manager like they are always there for Seo Joon, they also did a great job, also Sung Yoon the woman and the Mother and her child, they arw great !
My favorite part is when Seo Joon And Ji hoon get back together, and how Jo hoon acted like a cry baby for Seo Joon's forgiveness, its very funny and cute! They've got me there !
It has a nice ending, the story was justified for me, it doesn't felt rushed, everything was slowly spoken to every viewers and the kissing scene was really Daebak ! I can say KBL'S have nicer kissing scenes than the KStraightDRAMA's, and all the living loving scenes WHOAA .. I almost die in jealousy.
That's all I can say. JJang ! 👍👍

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The Sequel I Thought I Never Needed

To My Star is a gem since the beginning of it's run last year, and the announcement of a sequel makes me worry about how will it turn out to be as a part of an awesome series. The start of the part 2 makes me curious for what is actually happening with the plot that's too irrelevant as to what I recall from last season's ending. It's a totally different one, I should say. I have a hard time deciding on whether I should continue watching after episode 2 but I yearn on how the story will unfold. And so, deciding to let it end before binge-watching it after is a nice decision I made.

The plot goes well above my expectations episode per episode and I love the fact that it actually tackle simple, somehow insensible decisions that a lot of us made at least once in our lives. Yes, it does happens and a lot of times that simple misunderstanding end up too difficult for everyone around. Remember that characters are too complex just like most of us is. An adorable person who you met might actually be a total weirdo after living together for quite some time. Again, it does happen.

Actors wise, I couldn't agree more that our leads are the best thereof to pull off this series. A round of applause to this loveable BL couple. Kim Kang Min is a talented actor and so does, Son Woo Hyun. They complemented each other's energy and it exudes well on screen. The introduction of new characters are also quite intriguing and adds up flavor to already spiced original characters. Request: Can we have a totally different story for the TB Ent CEO (Jeon Jae Yeong) and his lovely partner (Han Ji Won)? I love the idea of that!

The background music is quite good as well introducing the mood of the series, wasn't worded most of the times but felt deeply. It's like it's preparing you for something very emotional and it does and give you more.

This a sequel I thought I never needed but thank goodness that I have. Well-narrated, well-played, well-embraced.

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This is a must see.

To My Star 2 told a different side of love- love of 2 different personalities. The drama brings about all emotions when we are in a relationship such as bitter, sad. depressed, angry, lonely, sweet, happy, cheerful,... We can easily relate to all emotions, actions of the characters. Like most Korean BL plot in general and To My Star season 1 in particular, it's simple, realistic and beautiful .The story, the acting, the editing is extremely fantastic. Like the way we can see the happy flashbacks intertwined with the harsh present in a smoothly way, or the flashback in the beginning but turn out it is the future and many small details has been included in different scenes of the drama. Never seen such a drama like this. Even the ost is perfect for the drama. The chemistry is wonderful. Best KBL ever.

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Is it really a sequel without some angst?

July 9, 2022

To My Star 2: Our Untold Stories really hit the fking nerves. Like I am not kidding, when I tell you how communication is such an important thing for a relationship to flourish and survive. I know there are major critiques about this sequel but let me just tell you how I genuinely liked it. Obviously, there are flaws within this season that could have been better, but you know what this series has a special place in my heart. With bias that I am heavily and knowingly acknowledging, I just want to say that this is not as bad as what others have said.

Major spoilers:








Let me just get started with the biggest critique: miscommunication and how the sequel did not outdo the first season. First of all, yes the miscommunication part was a little dragged out. It was frustrating to see Seojun get hurt by Jiwoo as who on Earth leaves their boyfriend like that. Like hello???? I would have literally beaten the fuck out of Jiwoo, for fucks sake. As for how the sequel didn't do justice, I guess it really just depends on people's standpoint and taste. Personally, I like this season, I find it realistic, as much as I criticize Jiwoo's action, I feel like this happens to a lot of people. And if I am being honest I was like Seojun too, I felt his pain right to the core. The feeling of having everything going well then suddenly it actually is not, just feels like a slap to myself. Not gonna lie, I cried so hard, especially during the point where someone told Seojun that "it is enough" or something like that. And how Seojun tried his best to get back with Jiwoo and he should finally move on. I felt that. I bawled my eyes out because I know the pain and the devasting and detrimental it is to our mental health. It wasn't healthy, but I guess the only good thing about it was Seojun got his "happy" ending which isn't the case for most of us.

On another side note (is this even a review at this point...), I really thought this was going to be a sad ending... Before revealing Jiwoo's side, I was hating him so much to the point where I didn’t even want to see him as the end game. I know what his reasons are now, but I feel like maybe a bittersweet ending would have been better...

Anyhow, this season slaps, like literally ... slaps me to point of crying ... breh

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