As with any film, whether you will like this show depends on what you are looking for. Personally, I would rate this show 7.5 stars (rounded up to 8). It started relatively strong and had some moving moments, but IMO, the last 4-6 episodes dragged.
The Good/Fresh
- Overall the show was technically sound with a great cast and solid acting. The plot concept wasn't particularly unique, but the execution was interesting enough.
- There aren't many KDramas about musicals out there, and the featured songs/singers were pretty decent (the stage acting could have been a bit more polished though). If you enjoy musicals, this might be your cup of tea.
- The script was generally well written with deep emotion and touching observations about life.
The Bad/Cliche
- The first half of the show had good pacing and smooth story progression. However, as many K-Dramas do, things began to bog down at the "angst and suffering" stage. I understand that these emotions need adequate screen time to be fully conveyed, but IMO this film could have still gotten the job done with 25-50% less (though maybe that's just a cultural thing, since Asian theater is notorious for its focus on tragedy). In any case, the last 4-6 episodes were rather slow and had too much contrived struggle for my taste. I kept skipping ahead to hurry the story along.
- The cliche vicious female love rival makes an appearance here, which could be a turn off for some viewers. Although I must add that if you are willing to sit through the scenes, ISM unswervingly plays her role to the absolute 9's. You will love to hate her.
- The ending, though happy, was rather chaotic, and IMO the various scenes jumped around a bit too much, rather than blending into a harmonious finish. But hey, a happy ending is a happy ending, right?
ROMANCE RATING: * * * 8.5/10. LSK & LSY had decent chemistry together, and though none of their 3+ kiss scenes were especially spicy, they still felt invested and passionate. However, some viewers could be put off by their obvious age gap
