Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born (2024)

This is that kind of thing you have to experience it once in a lifetime.

An Amazing Show! It's more than just a drama, you'll be transported to different world.

World of Pansori and Gukgeuk.
I'm so in love with the world they crafted. I don't know pansori (Korean traditional singing) and gukgeuk (Korean traditional theatre performance of only female) in real world, but in here, in this show, pansori and gukgeuk really catch my attention. It's an immersive world like we see a recorded live theatre performance. The sing, the song, the wardrobe, the stage performances are all really beautifull!

Female powers.
The casts of course delivered top notch acting especially the main star, Kim Tae-Ri. We're watching a legend in the making, her works like this show will be immortalized. Another actress like Jung Eun-Chae have little screentime, but her presence will always captivating. Young actress like Shin Ye-Eun, sure she have good track record, and in this series she show her amazing talent. Another casts also doing their very best, Woo Da-Vi as Joo-Ran, Ra Mi-Ran as Kang So-Bok, and many other i can't mention. You will feel it that they're doing their best.

Change is inevitable.
The story it self not so complicated, or nothing new. It's simple but added a world we never knew, world of pansori and gukgeuk. Overall we see a journey of a girl with amazing talent, fight her best to achieve her dream. Speak of the story, i can't put sideway the original source, the webtoon's story. Many webtoon fans outcrying their frustation because many aspects been changed. I have some experiences too with another show when a story i liked been adapted to another format or version. Change is inevitable.

If webtoon fans keep being frustrated with the changes, they will miss many amazing things in this adapted version.

Easier for us to enjoy any adapted version, as different universe, or maybe different story at all, watch it as a blank slate. I know it's hard, many other show butchered my beloved story, and it's hard not to compare. But then i realized, live action movie or series can reach wider audiences, means many more people will love a story that i also loved, eventho we each love different version.

Romance.
Once again it'll be related with original source. It'll be different, but present. Webtoon fans probably don't liked it, but for me as general audience who didn't read the original works, it's so fun and entertaining to guess what is happening along the show. I won't spill much about this, because like i mentioned before, it is fun to guessing along the show.

The Music.
Pansori really catch my attention, its a Korean traditional way of singing. The way they sing is like poetry that read outloud with melody, my apologize, it's hard to deliver this expression in another language. Original Sound Track have plenty of pansori in it list. One of the song that catch my attention is the song title bird performed by Leenalchi.
Turns out Leenalchi is a pansori pop band, so of course they have performed many pansori in modern ways, you can go to their Youtube and enjoy more of pansori.

In the end, JeongNyeon is an amazing show. It's more than just worth your time, it's a show that we have to see once in a lifetime.

Wish you all good day.

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A Star was Born

The moment JN lost her voice was truly the turning point—it was where the show truly began. Before that, a star was waiting to be born, and losing her voice was what ultimately made her shine. JN's final performance was absolutely breathtaking! I was completely immersed in the moment, and it felt as though I was witnessing a genuine gugeuk performance.

This drama was written so wonderful. From the adaptation to its original webtoon of the same name down to the acting of the amazing actors. A job well done to the cast and crew honestly!??

This is just one of the few dramas where I want a follow up. I'll be waiting for the Season 2 indefinitely ??

The gay subtext hello ?!?!?

anyway all things aside! Maeran's final performance (?) was bone chilling??

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A Star Drama is Born

First of all, tvN and Disney+, what the heck was that ending??? I demand a re-do!

This show is a love letter to theater and performance. Everything from the acting to the writing to the overall production is spectacular. I cried and laughed and pulled out my hair when Jeong-nyeon's actions got too frustrating. This show was made with love and care, and I'm glad that the ratings in Korea agree with just how great it is.

Through all the characters, we see what it truly means to chase a dream at all costs. Whether it's Jeong-nyeon succeeding against all odds, Ok-gyeong abandoning hers when it no longer served her, Joo-ran (she deserved better) forced to abandon hers due to the constraints of her time, Yeong-seo chasing hers away from her famous family's shadow, this theme is explored in all its glory. We even see the dark side with Hye-rang holding on to hers and refusing to make way for others.

I do wish the show had a few more episodes to give room for character development, especially for Jeong-nyeon. I feel like a lot of her growth, whether as a character or as a performer, happened off-screen. The ending episode felt a little lack-luster. Don't get me wrong, that final performance was awesome (although I'm wondering how Jeong-nyeon got her full voice back?), but so much is still left unresolved. The accountant guy went off scot-free even after embezzling Maeran's funds (really didn't understand why the director forgave him), and Hye-rang's part in it was never acknowledged or brought up again. In fact, I think Hye-ran was forgiven too easily; she was really sick for what she did to Jeong-nyeon. Ok-gyeong disappears without a trace, and I guess that's fine, but what about resolving her and Jeong-nyeon's mentor-mentee relationship?

The concept of film taking over the entertainment industry is teased throughout the drama, but I wish it had a more threatening presence in the story as it seemed to be a really interesting conflict.

All these critiques aside, I really think this is the best drama of 2024 by all metrics, hands down. Kudos to Kim Taeri and the cast and the entire team involved in bringing this masterpiece to life.

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Love this story about women in the arts. Kim Tae Ri is phenomenal.

This drama deserves accolades! I love how in the world of kdramas (where admittedly a lot are about the oppas/males), they managed to make this female centric kdrama with no principal male actors! It will not fit this story anyway, as it is a story of the art form gukgeuk (korean theater art form where all actors are women whether their characters are male and female). One thing I enjoy about kdramas is discovering art forms from Korea through these shows. Various gisaeng dances performances (including the one where the gisaeng dances on top of a hanging rope) in the 2006 drama Hwang Jini, paintings, instruments like the gayageum, and additional gisaeng dances in the 2008 kdrama Painter of the Wind, art of cooking in Jewel in the Palace/Dae Jang Geum, and now Gukgeuk in Jeongnyeon.
Kim Tae Ri is excellent in this, not only as Jeongnyeon but she's also excellent in portraying Jeongnyeon who is portraying her characters. Such skills required to portray a character who herself is playing a character. Another thing noteworthy of her performances is her chemistry with all the other actresses in this show. This seem to be Kim Tae Ri's strength, her strong chemistry with actresses, as shown in other works from Handmaiden, Mr. Sunshine and 2521.
Kim Tae Ri's costars are also excellent. Shin Ye Eun is great portraying Kim Tae Ri's rival turned friend. She is so good in portraying a young woman wanting to overcome a rival due in order to please her mother. I love Woo Da Vi as Hong Joo Ran as well. At first she seems like the sweet friend who is there just to show support, but I love that in her own way, she tried to work on her own dreams and even managing to get her own role in their gukgeuk performances. She and Kim Tae Ri have excellent chemistry, from their sweet friendship to the obvious attraction that they have for each, especially from Joo Ran's side. And of course, Jung Eun Chae deserves a mention. In real life, she is so beautiful and feminine, but in this show she is so appealing as someone who always play the male lead in gukgeuk performances, you'd wish she was a male. She is the closest the show has for a male lead. The other actresses are also believable in their roles.
In an era where the chauvinism of some Koreans are still apparent (based on my observation from social media), it is important that Korea continue to make female centric dramas like this, showing women stories where they are able to work on achieving their dreams and life's passions.

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STAR is not born, but MADE by connections, NEPOTISM

Cutting lead character from Original Web toon
Bu-yong is cut from drama adoption
Her character was cut just to suppress LGBTQ represtation
Devloped nation with undeveloped society.




FL is ungrateful
Ill mannered
Arrogant because she can seduce another crossdressing Woman
and FL is shameless for denying she doesnt come because of connection when she knows she has become a sugar baby
FL is Sugar baby of Moon Ok Gyeong

everything those people say about her is true but then she is FL so
people who question Nepotism are evil idiots
people who question promoting someone by Connection then talent are evil people in this garbage show

i don't see any skill in FL in acting like person who can sing can act to ?
Just like all OLD idols forcing themselves to become actors ??
she got in the troupe by her connection through Moon Ok Gyeong but shamelessly denies it
FL is person with NO Morals or respect for others
And is encouraged by her rich sugar Mama


doesn't have any respect toward her seniors or teacher
but she will get private teachinh from Moon Ok Gyeong.

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