Our Beloved Summer

Starring: Choi Woo Shik, Kim Da Mi, Kim Sung Cheol, Noh Jung Eui
Year Released: 2021
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Country: South Korea
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Who I Watched It For: Choi Woo Shik

Years after filming a viral documentary in high school, two bickering ex-lovers get pulled back in front of the camera — and into each other’s lives.

Choi Woong seems naive and a free-spirited man, but he wants to have something for the first time in his life. For that, he shows what he holds in his mind.

Kook Yeon Soo aimed to become the top student at her school, but she is now an adult who lives fiercely, adapting to her reality.

I was looking forward to this drama long before it came out. I am a fan of Choi Woo Shik, but also of Kim Da Mi and the premise of this show sounded cute so I was prepared. This drama follows two young characters, Choi Woong and Kook Yeon Soo as they journey through life after filming a reality show together in high school. They hated each other in high school and you know that always leads to a rocky romantic relationship and after a messy break up, they’re brought back together again when they’re approached to revamp their old reality show, ten years later.

When we first see these two again, the viewer is under the impression that the breakup is Yeon Soo’s fault and as each episode passes, we start to see that things aren’t so black and white where the break up is concerned. Both Yeon Soo and Woong are in different places in their lives but of course they still have big time feelings for each other and the battle they put up made for a very interesting viewing adventure.

Choi Woo Shik made a very convincing and spot on Choi Woong. I thought he pulled off the character extremely well and I loved his character so much. There were times when I want to spank him for the way that he acted around his parents but for the most part, my heart went out to him. He was very soft for Yeon Soo and he didn’t mess around about that or with her. He was always up front and even though NJ tried to be a distraction for him, Woong was steadfast in his resolve to always love Yeon Soo. He was a good son to his parents, a great friend to Ji Woong, and when she let him, a fantastic boyfriend to Yeon Soo. All in all, I absolutely loved Woong.

Kim Da Mi as Kook Yeon Soo made sense to me. She plays the reserved and sarcastic heroine really well. She was smart and she had a lot of burdens that she kept close to her chest and as we slowly get to know the real Yeon Soo, my heart went out to her. I loved that her story was slow to reveal just how hard she had it cause when the truth of everything on her end came out, that punch to the chest was something I wasn’t prepared for. Kim Da Mi did a great job with this character and I’m looking forward to more of her stuff in the future.

The romance was sweet and I didn’t mind the back and forth between both characters. I also felt bad for the second lead. He just could not get his timing right and then for him to carry such a loaded torch for Yeon Soo, all of this time and find her again when she’s reuniting with your best friend? Sheesh, how unlucky. As bad as I felt for Ji Woong, I was glad that the love triangle wasn’t a true love triangle with each guy getting a turn at loving her. I wouldn’t have been a fan of that. I’m glad that Woong and Yeon Soo were true in their feelings for each other the entire time. Their love for each other was so strong and so true that time and other distractions were never a factor in keeping them apart for long.

There’s a lot to love about this romance. The pacing, the characters, the romance, they all made for a great viewing experience and I think that k-drama fans who love a good second chance love story will be happy with this one. Choi Woo Shik and Kim Da Mi are a great couple visually and they had great chemistry in this show so I would definitely recommend this show if you’re in the mood for a nice romance. This is definitely a good one.

The OST

Every single time that this song came on the show, my heart was either breaking or so full that it was near to burst. I love this song so much and V, one of my favorite singers, does the song justice. So this OST is added to my list of favorite k-drama OSTs.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5