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

A story about healing so that you can love

The director Hwang Da Seul is a genius for sure. She took what was originally just a fluffy romcom franchise, rams it through a messy breakup plot that does not make much sense in the first instance, and then gives us a story about two people very much in love trying really hard to heal, survive and perhaps even love again.

Saying that the show is angsty does not do it justice. It is not angsty, but it will put your through a lot of pain for sure before giving you what you need.

But at the same time, the creators have given us a show that will have few parallels not only in the BL industry but also the larger queer entertainment, when it comes to unpacking a relationship. The break-up is just a set up here. It is a story about how two people radically different in how they interact with the world, come to terms with the traumas of their past, their insecurities, their needs and wants, and more importantly how strongly they are in love with the other. And more importantly it is a story about how we really need to be able to work on ourselves to be able to love without hurting them or yourself.

Couple of things to note before watching:
1. As a standalone series it is top notch, but there are major gaps if you judge it as part of the franchise. The tone and mood of this season is quite different from what the earlier season offered. There are logically sound plot points that connect the two (if you grab the subtle cues given to us), but overall the two are very different in all but name and the backgrounds of the characters. It is quite likely that you might not enjoy this if you really enjoyed how things were in season 1.
2. Do watch it in one go, now that all the episodes are out. Spend a day to watch it just so you can process all the emotions you go through. For those of us who chose to watch it as the episodes aired, it was just literal torture for over a month. So when you binge it, keep hydrated, keep tissues to wipe your tears as well, and keep remind yourself to not project on to these characters.
3. Adding to the need of doing point number 2, it will also help in understanding the subtle cues that the creators have given. There is a lot to interpret in the series. After rewatching it once again, I realised that there is not a single shot, no character, no sentence spoken, not even a look or a gesture that does not have a purpose. Big or small, but definitely serves the main plot quite a lot.

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Slow but worthwhile

This drama gets better on your 2nd time watching.

During my first watch, throughout ep 1 - 9 i disliked jiwoo's character so much. Even as he explained his reasons in ep 7, i couldn't understand them. It felt selfish of him. His worries could have easily been resolved if he had communicated openly with seojoon in the first place. And i absolutely hated how unnecessarily mean and harsh jiwoo was on seojoon. My heart ached for seojoon, for him still trying to reconcile his relationship with jiwoo despite the constant rejection. I was waiting for a good reason as to why he left, why he's so persistent in not getting back together with seojoon despite the poor guy's begging. And when i found out loneliness and guilt was the reason, it felt small.

However, watching it a 2nd time it dawned on me that not all relationship problems arise from external obstacles, most of the time it manifests internally. And jiwoo's case perfectly showcases how internalizing his fears to avoid problems in their happy relationship would eventually come back and hit him harder. Even the jump cuts between present and flashbacks made me co confused during my 1st watch, but rewatching it made me appreciate the director's skills and foresight. It was beautifully executed and the transitions flowed, showing the drastic contrast between his current life and his life with jiwoo. Same routine yet different feelings and scenes. There were many symbolisms and parallels used by the director in S2 to build up sj and jw's story, it'll hit you harder when you realise it.

Honestly i didn't like season 1 that much, it was definitely one of my top K bls but it didnt struck me as hard. There were many plot holes in season 1 and due to the short running time, they couldnt dive much into the characters and their relationship. I found it rushed as the characters just suddenly fell in love and they didnt show why or how. But season 2 completely changed my view on TMS. It felt complete. You get to learn more about each character and see the development of their relationship. I loved the addition of jiwoo's ex as that was a chapter in jiwoo's life which he needed to close and move on from. It also helped put things into perspective for him since she was in his shoes during their relationship - she constantly felt lonely while jiwoo could not understand why she felt that way. Presently, jiwoo feels lonely while seojoon is blissfully unaware.

To those who say TMS S1 was better and this sequel was a waste, i honestly disagree. I love the route they chose for S2 instead of just showing fluffy domestic moments. It would feel empty like that. S2 chose to showcase that not every story ends with happily ever after, it depends on the couple's efforts to compromise, trust and openly communicate with each other. In many instances you will notice how despite seojoon putting 100% into the relationship, his actions done out of love yet it backfired and in turn caused more internal turmoil for jiwoo. Seojoon is unaware of this because he only sees his side of their relationship. In jiwoo's case, he expected seojoon to know how he feels and what he isnt happy with because he is an actor. Going as far as running away and naming his restaurant "Ti Aspetto" ( Im waiting for you) expecting seojoon to understand the underlying meaning. These are common mistakes we as humans do in real life relationships and its so refreshing to see them being addressed, it feels relatable cause the characters are imperfect.

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A good but frustrating sequel

I want to start off by saying that I LOVED the first season, so it was very hard for this to top the previous one, and unfortunately it did not. Don’t get me wrong it’s still a really good show, but some parts were really confusing to me. It’s not a spoiler that they break up, because the whole season is about that, so I knew it even before I watched it, but it felt kind of unrealistic. If you really think about it, how the breakup was handled, is true to Ji Woo’s personality, but that’s the problem. I hate how he acts, he never speaks his mind and is so frustrating to watch, I’m glad that there was a big character development in the end, but if I were Seo Joon I would have honestly punched him in the face. He has to thank the fact that he’s adorable…
Nonetheless I still really liked how honest and “raw” this season was, it made me feel a lot of different emotions, and it kept me glued to the screen so much, I watched all 10 episodes in a single day. I love this couple and even if this was a little upsetting, the happy ending made me wish for another season just to see them again (even thought their story is finished and honestly another one would be a stretch), I hope we can see them again in other shows!

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Give Jiwoo a hug and apologize to him right now you haters! (Repost)

So, I've seen how people are kind of like trashing on Jiwoo because of what he did to Seojoon. It's understandable, and it's not very nice because, you know - he kind of just went AWOL without telling Seojoon why or what he did (it wasn't Seojoon's fault, anyway).

So, why did Jiwoo leave? In my perspective, I personally felt like he was insecure. He had trauma from his past lover, and obviously, they didn't end well together. Jiwoo had kept it to himself because he didn't want to be Seojoon's burden (with the guy already having busy schedules). Jiwoo's pretty much a pessimist, I think it was shown during the show (but I haven't watched it in a hot second and writing this months after I watched).

Jiwoo's afraid that Seojoon would leave him eventually, like how his ex did. Like he was afraid that Seojoon would finally realize how boring he was (he's not) and leave him, so with this plaguing his mind for a good year was probably tiring. And so he breaks up with Seojoon and ran away because he wanted to protect himself from the larger pain of when Seojoon does end up breaking his heart.

He's just trying to protect himself before it happens even if it won't because he doesn't know the future, he's insecure, he's negative about it, and he just wants to push himself away before it's too late.

So obviously, Seojoon finds him and brings him back and reassures him about it. Like it's fine. Anyway, thanks for reading through my little rant, I just wanna go give him a hug. I will literally be the biggest Jiwoo defender. I don't care.

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one of the best goddamn romances to exist.

to be honest, i still don't think i can quite put a finger on why exactly to my star hits so different, but it really does. there's something about how lovingly the show is shot, about how irreversibly in love jiwoo and seojoon are, and about how soft they are with every word and every touch.
there's something about the fact that when these characters are in pain, you really come to love them enough to cry right alongside with them, and when they're happy, you find yourself kicking your goddamn blankets in happiness and smiling till your cheeks hurt.
at the end of the day, i think the best way to put it is this: to my star is a show that will make you fall into it so effortlessly that you won't even realize how deeply you've fallen into love with these characters and their story until it's too late to back out.
(also, just as a sidenote: i fucking ADORE that film effect they've given this season so freaking much!!! it really brings out a sentimental sorta vibe that matches perfectly with the story and gives it a gorgeous timeless look. the visuals are just taken to the next level this time 'round <3)
tl;dr? GO WATCH THE SHOW OH MY GOD I SWEAR YOU WON'T REGRET IT

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Wondeful Execution Of Perhaps Unnecessary Angst

I get it, okay? I get Han Ji Woo's insecurities, loneliness, and why he ran away.

But.

It's been a freaking year since he left. Waiting all that time for Kang Seo Joon to come to him is too long, is it not? What was the sense in that?

But in any case, he waited. What I don't understand is why he kept rejecting Kang Seo Joon for so long once his lover found him. And in the end, when Han Ji Woo realizes his mistake, he dares tell Kang Seo Joon that he would not chase him as much as he had been chased. Seriously? I understand he had insecurities still, but for someone you love...surely...you could learn to try...It would be an amazing character development.

Overall, I felt Han Ji Woo did not get to the type of realization he should have by the end of the show. He should have realized that he hurt his lover and that his insecurities were just that -- insecurities, not realities. He should have apologized more, begged more, and got to a point of a more enlightened realization.

I felt there was no real climax to the story, or at least not the type of resolution I wished to see.

Han Ji Woo really hurt Kang Seo Joon but he did not heal the rift between them the way he should have. In the end, Kang Seo Joon loved more than Han Ji Woo, no? I don't like to think this, but as much as I adore this show, Han Ji Woo was simply too passive...

But I like him learning to express his emotions more. That part's good. But it rubbed me the wrong way when he said he disliked when Kang Seo Joon talked with others and had friends?! Seriously? That's a red flag!

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Excellent acting, too bad the script is a little iffy

I watched the series (not the movie), and I think overall this was good but has several problems. I would still recommend this to any BL enthusiast--better than season 1.

First off, the best part of this was definitely the acting: actually excellent for all the characters. Round of applause honestly.

The worst part was the music production. Apart from a few moments, a lot of the audio cues felt so random and would end so abruptly. Some even felt inappropriate for the situation we were in.

Story was unfortunately a bit whatever. At first, things were so confusing until they revealed explanations and even then, the explanations do not satisfy of fill in all the blanks. I understand that the goal was to create complexity and depth to the characters beyond what season 1 offered while also covering backstory, but to be honest, the execution was lackluster. It left me feeling that the characters were too complicated to understand or relate to, and the emotions started feeling more unrealistic than anything.

Direction was fine though and so was the rest of the production.

I think this is worth watching.

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One of my most beloved series

After watching this series watchers are divided in few groups,one group like it,where other group don't,one group thinks this was unnecessary but for me this series was really good.Nothing is perfect in this world,this has some shortcomings too,but those are easily ignorable.
Seojoon and Jiwoo is two individuals who love each other a lot,it was stated in first season and this season proves it,now how does it do that,it does it in the most melodramatic and angsty way,Seojoon loved jiwoo like burning fire whereas jiwoo loved seojoon like soothing water,sounds cliche but it's true,both are strong lovers but they have different ways to express it,and god the actors did such a good job portraying their characters,and their chemistry is off the roof since first season,and the kisses are chefs ?, perfection.
Jiwoo is a person with many layers,he keeps a huge wall around himself,so high that he sometimes hurt himself too.Jiwoo loved seojoon in his own way,he loved him so much that it probably hurted him to see seojoon with others,even in the most innocent way,this series wasn't loud about it but it was clear.Seojoon is so bright like a sun,he smiles have so much life in it,that jiwoo is afraid everyone can fall in love with this guy so easily,and jiwoo being a hardcore introvert didn't helped that much,he was fighting his own demons and it got worse and worse.So he wanted to run away,but he loed seojoon too much to do that so he probably endureda long time until he broke,the insecurities, loneliness was eating him from inside so he ran away,but he probably wanted seojoon to come after him and spend his time on him,his restaurant name also suggest that.He was a broken guy who became undone more for seojoon.
Now seojoon is a really strong character,he had everything one could ask,but he still ran after jiwoo, probably cause that's the only person that made him capable of breathing.He has my respect,man was so consistent.But he was so broken when jiwoo left him,like a living dead person,it takes a lot for a person as bright as seojoon to break,jiwoo was just that .
This season was really good,I hope they do a third too

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hwang da seul, you will always be famous.

i've been putting off watching this after season 1 because the streets said they broke up. now that i've had the time & attention to actually watch it, i have to say a few "things" about this second season.

first off, WHEW baby, hwang da seul. that's really mother. she can never do any wrong (except wyel, but that's just my personal bias towards its shooters and jang euisoo's companionship choices). i loved everything, from the parallels of the current time/flashbacks, it flowed so naturally and did not feel out of place. cinematography? stunning as always. how they delivered the angst was good here; made the characters feel more fleshed out other than season 1 where we really did not get to "know" them on a deeper lens.

now onto my personal notes. dawg. i still believe that none of this should have happened if they just fucking talked this shit out from the get-go. but whatever, this is fiction, we take what we can get. everything about this show pissed me all the way off but surprisingly? i liked it. the actors ate downnn, honey. kangmin and woohyun ate these roles up. they always had me at the edge of my seat when they would talk. the dinner scene on episode 5? the getting beer scene at episode 6? the confrontation at the last episode? absolute cinema. this shit was draggy but they made magic with it. was the conflict immature? oh hell it was. y'all are liars if you think this conflict was ever needed in the first place. did it felt draggy? a lot of times. but, the execution was stellar. it did not feel like they were going in circles, since it dived onto deeper aspects of their character.

would i rewatch this show ever again? oh baby, absolutely not. the emotions i felt watching this once do not need to resurface again. is it deserving of a high score despite the conflict being cliché and shallow as hell? well... sorta kinda. the acting of kangmin and woohyun here saved this for me, ngl.

[also minor irk. the OSTs for these were terrible. so many english songs that felt out of place to listen to. they could've just used some simple scores/instruments for impact]

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A bit disappointing, with a lot to be desired

My first time writing a review, and it’s for the second season of one of my favourite dramas. Oh boy here we go.

I’ll be honest, I had put off watching this season for a while, since the comments and reviews foreboded a lot of angst, which the drama definitely delivered. But having binged it through, I feel a bit angry, a bit confused and a bit disappointed. First though, the positives.

What sold me on the first season, was the chemistry of our main couple Ji Woo and Seo Joon and once again, did the drama deliver with some truly great acting, framed by nice cinematography and a refreshing new setting. I really liked the new characters, I feel like most of them aided the plot well and brought interesting new dynamics in. And as painful as the first four episodes were in their subject matter, I enjoyed them immensely for the way they built up the new plot. But after episode 4, I felt like the story had unfortunately missed its chance to turn the plot around.

The kiss at the end of episode 4 should’ve been the catalyst for Seo Joon’s and Ji Woo’s relationship to shift again. It marks for one, that Ji Woo’s cruelty from before was a facade, since he was the one who initiated the kiss and he was the one admitting to being unable to “ignore” Seo Joon. For the other, it should’ve been the starting shot for the plot to clear up. Why did Ji Woo leave? What is his relationship with Sung Yoon and why is it so complicated? And also, what effect is this having on both Ji Woo and Seo Joon?

Instead of focusing on these questions the plot loses focus and becomes a bit frustrating. I ended up being quite upset with Ji Woo, for being so unnecessarily cruel in episode 5, during the dinner scene. It didn’t fit his actions from before nor did it help in inching the story closer to its goal: Getting our main couple back together. Ji Woos stoicism and deflection turn from purposeful actions to keep Seo Joon away from him, to dishonest tactics that muddle his integrity as a character who’s supposed to be in emotional turmoil.
It’s not that he isn’t allowed to be confused; it’s that his confusion is never expressed in a way that makes me feel like I understand where he’s coming from. Till the end, I didn’t get his reasoning. Getting overwhelmed and running away, being unable to face your own cowardice and preferring to hide, are all things I understand and that I would’ve loved to have explored through Ji Woos character. So why is it that he defaulted to being cruel and mean to someone he supposedly loves and is extremely attached to, to someone who truly didn’t do anything wrong on his part, who very much tried their best to be a good partner? Id think hurting someone you love would hurt you just as much, no?

Episode 10 then, ended up being too little too late for me. 45 Minutes of everything being happy go lucky, after Ji Woo crawls back and cries to Seo Joon, who’s been emotionally drained from all sides, to hug him. Unable to explain himself properly till the very end, he talks childishly about his reasoning. And that’s it, they’re back together.

And as much as I wanted to enjoy everything “being resolved”, I couldn’t. It felt unfair towards Seo Joon, who’d been dragged back and forth by Ji Woos whims, until the end.

It’s a shame really. Because I do like Ji Woos character and there’s so much potential for psychological exploration there, that has all been untapped. And the same goes for Seo Joon. Although I liked him a lot more, I could’ve used a bit more exploration of his emotional state, the way he copes and the way he is and has been since season 1, a very depressed person. I think we got a glimpse of that, during his call with his father, but i would’ve liked a bit more. In the end, it felt like everything got wrapped up in a big blanket labelled “LOVE” to resolve everything; the plot got put to bed without nearly being ready for it. But welp.

Beyond what I’ve already said, I feel like the restaurant storyline was quite rough around the edges and a bit repetitive. I would’ve also liked more about Sung Yoon and her relationship with Ji Woo. If maybe his behaviour had been a pattern from before, getting scared of his own happiness and abandoning it or something. Anything. But well. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.

Ultimately, I didn’t enjoy this season as much as I did the first one, which had its flaws but none like these. I feel like the drama bit more off than it could chew. As I said I’m a bit disappointed, but I’m happy for anyone who’s enjoyed this season regardless and had a good time. Good on you! :)

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