Slow, steady, and comforting

[light spoilers in the "story" section below] So far, this drama (web drama, technically) has been a delight to watch. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful; each and every shot is aesthetic and has an air of comfort. The crew definitely used every penny of their budget and put it to good use. It's both realistic and soothing at the same time, with the right amount of comedy and budding friendship .

STORY:
Reaction after the first 3 episodes: I'm quite shocked that we're already through with more than ⅓ of the drama, but the pacing is excellent (and I hope that will continue). There wasn't any instant chemistry between the leads when they met, and that's what makes it realistic. Jiwoo really doesn't like Seojun. The two somehow end up living together and try to find a semblance of balance between their contrasting personalities. You can see Jiwoo slowly warming up to the bright but troubled Seojun, and their relationship is blossoming quite delicately. I can tell the plot isn't going to be mind-blowing or anything, but that's only because it's not supposed to distract from the more introspective elements of the series, which is each lead dealing with their own demons and growing closer together as they become more mature people. The whole enemies-to-lovers trope has somehow been executed really well so far, although they technically haven't fallen in love. It's hard to make a drama with a cliché refreshing and charming, but it worked! There's a nice balance of comedy and seriousness.
[light spoilers] Reaction after 6 episodes: Wow! I mean they still kept the pacing going well, but there was a lot of progression at the same time. I'm really curious if Hyungki's getting threatened, if Inwoo and Seojun were possibly in a relationship before, Yoonseul's true intentions, etc etc...Bottom line is, I'm loving how they've got me curious about the plot and making inferences, but I'm slightly worried about how they'll fit it all in just 3 more episodes, what with Seojun and Jiwoo probably getting together but then Jiwoo's homophobia jumping out and ruining things. I wonder how it'll go! Hopefully they don't leave things hanging like Color Rush. As most of you realized, that drama had a nice premise, but the execution was yikes. Glad to see To My Star doesn't have the same problem.

ACTING/CAST:
It's pretty clear that the leads have had prior acting experience. Kangmin is doing well to portray Jiwoo's reserved yet bold personality and Woohyun's charming smile is a perfect fit for Seojun. They both use well-timed micro-expressions to reveal little details about their characters, which makes it all the more exciting to watch given that we're all kinda trying to predict the plot. As all the WYES fans know, Jaeyeong, the actor for Pilhyun, is an amazing actor, and his interactions with Jinkwon (member of Kpop group NewKidd), who plays Homin, are hilarious. They all have great chemistry on- and off-set and it's very obvious given how well they all fit together.

MUSIC:
The OST is really cute and I absolutely adore the song they used in trailer 3 (I can't remember if I've heard it in the drama yet), which is "Left Hand" by NewKidd02. Give it a listen!! Support Jinkwon <3

REWATCH VALUE:
This drama is so soft yet kind of...rocky? Like in a mature way, so I feel at peace while I'm watching it but it's also not just tooth-rotting fluff/fanservice. The characters are real and dynamic and their problems are treated with care, so the whole drama feels realistic to me. TL;DR I feel like I could rewatch this at anytime, when I'm happy or sad, because it's really grounding.

OVERALL:
It's really sweet and comforting. I'm definitely ready for the angst that's coming later, especially because I'm intrigued to know how the internalized homophobia is going to affect their individual characters and relationships, but no matter how rocky the waters will get, I just know the atmosphere and music will lull us all into a state of peace. It's all going to work out in the end. I definitely recommend this drama.

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