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Convenientalias

Convenientalias

I Picked Up a Star on the Road korean drama review
Completed
I Picked Up a Star on the Road
1 people found this review helpful
by Convenientalias
Nov 13, 2020
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 6.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
This review may contain spoilers

Funny but should have committed more to unrelatable FMC

The concept of an accidental kidnapping of a superstar is fun, and there are certainly some scenes in this show that play with that concept for all it's worth. Nak Goo helping Lee Yeon Seo to keep Kang Joon Hyuk prisoner because he doesn't realize it's a kidnapping is probably the funniest running gag, and it has a good payoff with Nak Goo eventually being willing to aid and abet anyways because of his crush. Other funny aspects include Kang Joon Hyuk and Lee Yeon Seo occasionally having awful priorities, Nak Goo's possible chaebol background (??) and Kang Joon Hyuk's general outrage at his situation.

However, I think it was hard for me to get into this drama partly bc despite the female lead kidnapping Kang Joon Hyuk and twice almost murdering him, we're still supposed to find her more mundane struggles relatable. Like, you get the sense that we're meant to sympathize with Lee Yeon Seo's job and money struggles and see Joon Hyuk as kind of a spoiled brat when regardless of their financial situations, she is literally the kidnapper here. The show constantly shows Yeon Seo being used and abused by Joon Hyuk's demands for better treatment and his rudeness towards her, which is ridiculous. She is still obviously the villain in this situation. I'm fine with Joon Hyuk eventually deciding to sympathize with her (and maybe getting a little Stockholm Syndrome) but does the narrative have to constantly side with Yeon Seo too? In fact, when Joon Hyuk gets away from her and comes back to sort of befriend her outside of a kidnapping context, Yeon Seo not having to follow his orders is shown as her gaining power in their relationship, which is just kind of weird...

Moreover, to completely lift blame from Yeon Seo, the show randomly adds in another villain as the person who "actually" attacked Joon Hyuk, which is just stupid. While I wouldn't be against Joon Hyuk facing a more serious threat than Yeon Seo, the fact remains that Yeon Seo still did attack and kidnap him. That was a thing that really did happen. The show wants to have some dark humor with Yeon Seo kidnapping someone but it feels like it's unwilling to actually admit that she really did kidnap Joon Hyuk and is really holding him captive. Well, maybe I'm taking the premise too seriously... But if the show was more willing to commit, and maybe go a bit darker, I honestly think the funny parts would only get funnier, and it would help the tension and characterization a lot too.

Anyways. It was still pretty funny if not all I could have hoped for. My favorite part was Nak Goo, honestly just a sweetie if kind of a weirdo.
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