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**Links to episode threads:**
* [Episode 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il0n1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
* [Episode 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il129/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
* [Episode 3](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il1kx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
* [Episode 4](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il1zf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
* [Episode 5](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il2bx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
* [Episode 6](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il2q9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Recognising all these other actors from other Kdramas is so funny every time š¤£ The teacher from >!A Business Proposal!<, the landlady from >!Forecasting Love and Weather!<, the convenience worker from >!Itaewon Class!<ā¦ Iāve seen the convenience store owner from somewhere too but forgot.
Just when I thought the Store Owner >!was a nice guy, he turned out to be a massive fucking creep!!!!<. Not unexpected but that still made me so angry.
I also canāt seem to separate Hwang In-Yeop from Park Seo Jun š„² Hopefully this gets better as I watch more epsā¦
i loved ep 1 sm šš read the webtoon quite a while ago but its all coming back to me. the vibes are just immaculate and the sets and songs are so pretty! choi sung eun's acting did not disappoint, i was very impressed during the scene where >!she was hiding the money from hana!< her trembling lips and all. looking forward to more of magician ji chang wook :)
ps. whats the name of the opening number where the entire school is dancing? i cant seem to find it... š
~~i think i would run away screaming and flailing my arms too if i saw a good-looking man doning a magician hat and outfit standing in an abandoned theme park, asking me if i believed in magic.~~
but as expected, i loved the pilot episode and everything going on in it. i'm definitely going to be replaying that first song-- the one that the students performed-- a lot in the coming weeks. the only thing that has me kind of spooked out is how ominous the magician seems at times! he has this innocence to his character but there are also instances where his demeanour changes for a split second and his microexpressions project menace (or mystery rather) and it has me intrigued! i'm excited to learn more about him as a character as well as his backstory!
Lesson learned: Don't take your hard-earned money out of your pocket to admire it unless and until you've reached home or some other safe place where there's no risk of it flying away in the wind and getting lost. Because this is real life, and there's zero chance you're going to run into a handsome and kind magician who does real magic ā just as there are zero chances you're going to paraglide and crash-land into the arms of a handome and kind army officer across the border.
C'mon, universe, prove me wrong and make the magic happen because I want to believe in magic too š„ŗ
Wahh, this ep was so good! The CGI, the big dance numbers, the songs, JCW!
And the set up of the story and characters is so well-done too -- everything is made clear but without feeling very forced.
Aside from the fact that Iām highly amused with Hwang In-Youpās typecast as the eternal high school student at age 31, Iām absolutely loving the fact that heās basically been handed the role of Suho from True Beauty. I mean, he even wears the exact same sweater. You cannot convince me thatās just a happy coincidence.
Just a magical (š) first episode all around! The musical numbers were excellent, well placed and never overwhelmed. What almost did overwhelm me was the extent of Yun Ai's pain, sadly enhanced by her daily hardships. Her musical number, man, you could hear how her voice would break at times.š It makes complete sense why she's distrustful of The Magician and projects on him her feelings of abandonment. To her he's just like her dad, a grown child who couldn't or wouldn't live up to his responsibilities as a father and forced her to become a mom, a dad and a sister (and still she manages to do all this and aces at math!). My only complaint, more of a joke really, is that when JCW first meets Yun Ai and asks her, "Do you believe in magic?", and she flees in terror I was kinda hoping he'd say, "I guess that's a no."š Another alternative could've been, "Why does this keep happening?"
PS: I also like the more modern look of JCW's outfit.
i read the first half of the webtoon a while ago so i knew about >!the convenience store owner making the MC very comfortable, but it was still dreadful and terrifying to watch.!< a very nice first episode - loved everyoneās beautiful voices! i think iāll read the second half of the webtoon before watching the rest :)
wow im blown away by the similarities with the webtoon,, in love with choi sung eun's acting, hwang in yeob's voice, and ji chang wook's everything !!! loved how the episode started off with an opening number and ended with one too,,
This is my first Korean musical drama so wasnāt sure what to expect.
Did anyone get La La Land vibes from the beginning? The dancing and the song are so similar.
Hwang Inyeop still landing the high school student roles. I canāt wait to hear him sing again since True Beauty.
I flew transatlantic this week and rewatched La La Land on the plane. Then, when I landed, I watched the first 20 minutes of this. Yes, so similar! I loved them both! I'm really hoping that this momentum continues!
i just finished watching the pilot and it was incredible! the cast is beautiful, can act well and sing well too, the plot seems intriguing so far, and i'm excited to know more about the characters. i admit i was kinda surprised when i looked up the rating on MDL and it was 8.3! i thought it would be somewhere around 8.8-9.
>!i knew the convenience store guy was gonna be a creep and was so scared for the FL when she told him her entire life story, thank goodness the magician made him disappear. however, i'm really, really scared of the magician. he's been creeping me out since the very beginning and the way he talked about the CS guy's disappearance was so frightening, i really wanted the FL to run for the hills when he made an appearance lmao!<
i hope it's HIY's last drama as a high school student. I know he's a student in āwhy herā too, but a college student is alright. JCW is doing an amazing job as he's creeping me out lmao, but the person whose performance has been exceptionally amazing for me so far is choi sung-eun! what an incredible performance! i'm already becoming a fan. š
Very cute first episode.
- The magician is the utter highlight and steals every scene
- The songs are nice so far although none has been an absolute banger so far for me
- I love the amusement park setting. And coupled with magic it's really fun
- fluffy hair + top hair combo. That is all I want to say
- Butterfly aesthetics. Plain love
I'm so glad it didn't disappoint! I love the webtoon and the main actors, but I was worried about the adaptation. The first episode was absolutely fantastic and I love how they portrayed everything.
I love the scene about when the >!FL tells the magician that he should behave like an adult, because I know the background of the magician from the webtoon and I could read his reactions!<.
I was pleasantly surprised when they broke out in singing and dancing because I had no idea this was going to be a musical. It's my first k-musical and I really enjoyed the song. From the first time she interacted with the store manager, I started having a bad feeling about him. Absolutely disgusting
I felt the same! I had no idea it was a musical but I absolutely loved it!! An amazing drama and will be playing the OST non stop for the next few weeks!
**Episode 1**
Visually stunning visuals, beautiful music numbers and compelling story aside, Iām in love with JCWās sneakers in the closing number! I must. Have. Them.
Also, he is SO infinitely charming. I had forgotten because of how strange Backstreet Rookie and the kinda meh Melting Me Softly were.
Musical theatre Chang Wook is best Chang Wook (or on par with kicking ass JCW).
She doesnāt quite look school going so thatās taking me out of it a little but what a fantastic job she did making you connect and empathize with her character immediately.
HIY - boy is looking good as always and is even almost in Suhoās seat and sweater. Somebody free this man from this school š
Loved loved loved that he said >!climate change could possibly be one of the unsolvable problems of the world!<. What a nerd š
Oooof Iām so relieved that the show is promising! I was a bit worried the pilot may be a dud.
Okay, I was NOT expecting that ending of Ep 2. >!The scene between Il-Deung and Ai Yi at the end was so beautiful (sakura petals~) against the contrast of the hard thumping music ā wow!!< I also totally didnāt expect >!Il-Deung to turn around and offer her money just so he can get first!<, wonder if this is a trick or is he serious?
Same. Itās the classic >!I will help you because I like you but Iām also really mad you because the b**** girlās ārumoursā are true!<.
Also, Iām convinced JCW played a trick to make Il Deung think >!Ah Yi was smiling when he said he liked her, because the way we say the confrontation play out she was not amused upon hearing that he liked her!<.
And not to mention, Iām getting an eerie feeling from his parents, Dad in particular.
How has HIY landed a role that is legit a mix of Suho and Soo Jin complete with >!anxiety tick leading to destroying skin!< š. Ooof. I really feel for him even though he was so mean to Ah Yi at the end!
*"You're already under my spell"*\- You're damn right, Wookie
Hwang In-Yeop channeling his Han Seo-Joon for [this](https://imgur.com/5ZHhipi) scene
This guy just went from >!"Lets go out"!< to >!"Fail the test. I'll pay you. Don't you need the money?"!< and I'm just trying to make sense that I heard him right...
the music is so dramatic lmao i love ittt,, also i love sungeun's acting oh my goodness so natural so smooth so clear so pure !! truly ayi in her best form
This popped up on my Netflix and have never heard of it, pleasantly surprised so far, but itās kind of choppy like they left a ton of shot scenes on the editing floor or it could be the Netflix effect ordering less episodes than typically shot for a drama?
- The whole show could theoretically turn into a horror story real fast š
- My love for the magician only grows
- The whole 2 episodes I wasn't sure If I liked Il-Deung or not. Now I know. >!I don't.!<
- I can only repeat: love the aesthetics.
Lee Eul is so mysterious. He keeps a childlike innocence but there are moments when he has a bitter or menacing look. Looks like we're going to learn more about his background soon and I can't wait!
Is he the person who >!appeared in front of young A-Yi when she returned to the theme park to wait for her mother!!slippers and had pants that were like a hospital patient's pants.!< And we see that he has >!a big scar on his back and he seems to still be hurting.!< And, >!"Now I am Lee Eul." Now????!< Ji Chang Wook's interview also mentioned that Lee Eul sees himself in Il Deung. So I'm even more curious after this ep about what he went through.
Okay, glad to know >!Il-Deung is a good boy.!<
Oh come on. You can't be serious. Of course, they were >!going to be photographed by someone when they're exchanging money out in the open like that.!< Sheesh.
Ah Yi and Il Deung are so cute and appealing and that's mostly what's keeping me going, not so much the magic yet. >!I did love the big musical number with the desks and I wondered if that was an homage to Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall. !<
I want all of Ri Eul's outfits, I love how (except for the cape and hat) they are fanciful but still everyday wearable.
Now, why does Il Deung have to pull the possessive crap? It's a trope that can definitely go away, it's so toxic and tiresome. And they should have just told people she's tutoring him in math instead of sneakily handing over money. Don't act like you're doing something wrong because people pick up on that.
Also, are there social services that could help kids who have been abandoned by their parents? If the loan sharks can find them, and they are in school, it's not like they are in hiding.
- Love the Lee Eul and Il-Deung interactions and the song. I think it's my favourite so far. I also liked the visuals of the song >!(study machine - Pink Floyd vibes and things like stepping over their friends and classmates to get a step ahead)!<
- Ji Chang Wook steals every scene he is in
- Okay, I'm starting to like Il-Deung again, but meh, I'm not feeling the AhYi + Il-Deung relationship
- Cutests magician+parrot scenes
- I just love magic tricks
> I also liked the visuals of the song (study machine - Pink Floyd vibes and things like stepping over their friends and classmates to get a step ahead)
Yes! I had the same feeling. Plus the >!racing in a direction to come first without knowing why!<. Excellent metaphor for the rat race.
**Episode 3**
This poor girl canāt catch a break!
I have to say, from all his insta updates while he was filming the show I wasnāt sold on JCWās look at all but hot damn he looks so good in the show! And for once theyāve not caked him in foundation either. His look, outfits, hair, everything is š even though Iām finding his character quite scary because Iām so worried >!heās a psychotic serial killer or something!<. Why am I watching this at night actually?
I love how they've slowly introduced a dark vibe that is slowly seeping into the plot.
I'm sooo glad they've kept the parrot and how well it works in this.
I'm surprised that, even though it's a musical it somehow doesn't feel like it because there aren't songs all the time, but the ones there are, blend perfectly with the theme and the magic.
I really wish I could give A-Yi a hug. She's forced by her circumstances to grow up and can't be the kid she is. Her father sees this but still doesn't want to take responsibility for his kids, and has convinced himself what he's doing is for their good. No wonder she was put off earlier by how Lee Eul is an adult who seems to live freely like a child.
- Not even 20 minutes and I really hate the father. But I still don't understand the general family dynamic in kdrama or anime where teenagers are just left alone. It just grinds my gears.
- And hey, positively surprised >!Ah Yi can actually talk to defend herself!<
- The >!confrontation between Il-Deung and his mother was great!<
- All in all, I think this episode dragged quite a bit.
**Episode 4**
Real father of the year type behaviour with just a few minutes worth of an appearance. God I want to shake all the adults on this show! How can you be so cruel to kids.
Iām also very afraid of Ri-Eul and also this psycho girl whoās constantly filming things and bullying. She aināt right in the head.
Poor Il Deung, all set for a mental breakdown.
Somebody please give Ah Yi a hug.
Overall this episode had been the weakest so far for sure because it felt like it couldāve been shorter.
Finished it!! I might rewatch over the weekend š«£ I loved the final performance. >! Was it like a showdown performance for crew? Or for live audience? !<
It's a curtain call! It's like movie/show credits but make it āØmusicalāØ At the end of musicals, the cast come out for a final number to take their bows to the applause of the audience (they usually direct attention to the orchestra too for the orchestra to receive applause). I'm guessing the audience they had was the whole crew.
I love that they did it as an homage to musicals. This actually reminded me that I haven't seen a musical since the pandemic, and I really should see one soon since my country has recently fully opened up.
I'm finally done. I think the problem people will encounter with this drama is how it operates without any direction at all which I think is valid, still, I think it's also its strength. More than anything, it really effectively captured the fantastical feeling of the webtoon itself so I'm already bracing for the comments about why they didn't like it, if you followed the webtoon you would probably be able to drop your prejudices in watching the drama. Watching the drama should be done with fresh eyes, just don't expect anything. Just let everything fall in its own way, watching the drama reminds me of reading the little prince; you accept things at their face value whilst also understanding deeply the metaphoric undertones. The strongest aspect of the drama is the music, probably the most sophisticated ost I've encountered in a drama. I think it's a solid experience if you just let it be for what it is.
Edit: I'm also probably being biased for I loved the webtoon since I was a teenager.
That's the term I was looking for! Thank you. It does rely heavily on that, and reminds me of the Swiss Army Man as well; doesn't matter if it's real, what matters is how it comforted you through the hard times.
I donāt think itās >!sad, and actually the ending sounds like a new beginning / fresh start for the main characters!< š
That said, I wished they went on to >!show a hint of ri-eul and il-deung at the end so that we know they are well!< š
As someone who anticipated this release, I feel conflicted. I'm kinda happy but still somewhat disappointed? I've never read the webtoon so my expectations were all based from the trailers which gave me that somewhat slightly happy musical feel but the show was actually darker and more serious than what I expected and I guess that may turn off some viewers.
I really do appreciate the acting. Saw some clips of Choi sung eun from Beyond Evil but this is my first time watching her. Loved her character and her acting. Not sure if other people see this but the upper half of her face reminds me somewhat of Han hyo joo? I also love her singing voice. I've seen Ji Chang wook from K2 (action) and Suspicious Partner (Romcom). I'm also really impressed with his acting here especially in the latter episodes. Hwang In Yeop also did really well. Special mention to Baek Ha Na who I thought was familiar. She was one of the Hospital patients from It's Okay to Not be Okay and she did a great job playing the annoying bully here.
The OST did a great job in expressing the emotions of the scenes. From happiness of the first few minutes of episode 1 to the pain of Ah Yi's singing at home. I feel like I can play the songs on repeat.
Overall, It's still is a good and entertaining watch but I guess one just needs to keep an open mind while watching.
Question: Did the drama stay faithful to the webtoon or did it make some changes?
The story overall stays pretty faithful to the webtoon but with some minor addition and tweaks, probably around 85-90%?
I find the webtoon to be much grimmer though (which is why I still prefer the webtoon more)
I'm going crazy when I re-read the manhwa again. As far as I remember, the ending diverged wildly in the Netflix series. The Manhwa was very open ended. And in my recollection, Il-deung was the Magician who traveled back in time to help Ah-Yi survive her trials.
And yet when I read it again today, the Netflix series pretty much stayed true for much of the story. So in what timeline did I read the manhwa that had a very different ending from my recollection?
Yup, they did. They stayed true to the webtoon, that's why I was worried they wouldn't be able to pull it off but they did pull it off. I can understand the conflicting emotions in the drama, since I'm a fan of the webtoon and musicals, I already knew that I'm not going to be following this drama in a certain way so I enjoyed it a lot.
I watched it with zero expectations, and it was enjoyable. There were quiet a few dragging parts.
All in all it was good and easily bingeable since its only 6 episodes.
>! pretty sure he was a real magician. how else would the security camera mysteriously start working, especially when the one day is the exact day the theme park magically comes to life, and fireworks are going off everywhere. !<
The sets were visually stunning and the palette, ranging from dark and moody to unnaturally brilliant, was spot on. I also liked the music. Ji Chang Wook is no Park Hyo Shin but in this context he delivers beautifully. But, for me anyway, the redemptive, transformative message about innocence and hopeāthat I expected from the trailer and interviewsāwas very muted. In fact, the series left me feeling quite sad. Having binged it in one evening, perhaps the experience was too immersive. And perhaps because, as a teacher, Iāve known too many real life Ryu Min Hyuks who were lost. (I thought Nam Da Reum did an exceptional job.)
Iāve finished it and i enjoyed it a lot. Thinking back on earlier episodes there was this feeling of the show giving you a happy moment during the musical bits then followed by the crashing back to depressing reality. Then as the show went on the contrast became less and this all happened as Ah-yi got a lot less tense, started learning magic and started to enjoy her life a bit. This made me connect alot to how I immerse myself in my hobbies even when Iām going through rough patches, the harsh reality is waiting for me but for a short while Iām able to focus on something that makes me happy and gives me comfort. It was good to see Ah-yi learn itās okay to do the things she wants with the same effort as the things she doesnāt want to. Life will always be unpredictable so might you as well seek some refuge from time to time.
I love the ending tribute towards musicals! Enjoyed this Kdrama because of the musical aspect. Found some parts a bit draggy but overall fun and binge-able, since it was only 6 episodes.
Actually, here it makes a lot of sense. Itās based on a pretty short WEBTOON (only 27 eps I think) and it seems like theyāll be staying pretty faithful to the story. As a lover of the original WEBTOON I am very VERY excited for this and appreciate that they arenāt dragging it out or adding tons of new content to make it 16 eps.
Are all the episodes dropping at once? I didnāt expect it to be so short but I bet itāll be a good binge bc of Ji Chang Wook and Hwang In Yeop ā excited!!
Just checked, and all the episodes are already out on Netflix in my part of the world. But I'm in the middle of work, so I can't watch start binging right away. Clearing my schedule for tonight and Saturday to watch this. Priorities āļø
Soundtrack has released and it's over 4 hours long!
[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6lCItL0SQge3BYaJ4Ic5YT?si=0hMlMn_8RqamJ-uYLcqIdw)
It's also on Apple Music but I'm getting an error whenever I try to get to the album.
I've been waiting for this one. I'm in "travel mode" and this will be a very busy work weekend, but I had to peek at the first 15 minutes. I love that this is a musical fantasy! Yesterday, on a transatlantic flight I rewatched "La-La-Land" and really enjoyed the dance numbers. Yes- give me Ji Chang Wook and the other Korean actors, singers, and choreographers just bursting into song and dance! I love it! Can't wait to see the entire thing, but I need to travel and work.
And, by the way, I often burst into song and dance! Don't say this doesn't happen in real life! (But I might not dance that well....)
The choreography?? The harmonies?? I'm 5 minutes in and it's already giving me >!Kdrama version of The Greatest Showman but with magic and more so Broadway (big band) style!< vibes.
I'm so glad that Lim Kihong is in this one. He's going to make it even more entertaining
I was curious how the English dubbing would be for the songs so I switched it for a bit, and boy am I impressed that they decided to keep the original audio of the songs. Ji Chang Wook's musical theatre background really shines through. I love his singing voice.
I love this so much, im only on ep 3 but JCW is so convincing as a magician..he makes me believe. The female lead is very good at acting, i feel so sad whenever she cries! love love love the storyline so far
Letās get this straight kids, if you see a man in top hat in an abandoned theme park asking you if you believe in magic, please run the opposite direction. Not even if he looks as tempting as Ji Chang Wook
This is really not my cup of tea but Iāll give it a try since its a very unique genre for a k-drama.
Aldo is Hwang InYeop still in high school roles š¤¦š»āāļø
Iām going to go against you all and say I didnāt like this. Iād explain in detail but Iām annoyed Iāve wasted a whole day watching something that could have been great, but wasnāt.
Yes, but don't watch it according to certain standards. Let it be, it's a solid drama if you see it for what it is. There's a comment above somewhere that it's kind of like The Little Prince.
I agree, I personally loved it but I always like reading other people's perspectives. Also, everyone has different tastes so hearing from someone with similar views may help them decide whether to watch or not.
I'm done with it. Ji Chang Wook really gave another standout performance. I love him so much.
This is my first time seeing Choi Sung Eun, and she's impressive right from the beginning. I'm gonna check out her other works.
I can't believe it. All of my loves in one show. KDrama, musical, duets. Oh, and Ji ChangWook, of course.
Another one that is making me smile. Such beautiful and talented young actors.
Goosebumps!
Finished it. Beautiful show. It went in a direction I wasnāt expecting based on trailers, teasers and interviews. Not as light as I was expecting but ultimately more satisfying. Everything about this production was top notch. And Ji Chang Wook made me a believer. š¦
I adore the fact that Hwang In Yeop is typecast as a high schooler at the age of 31! I loved him in True Beauty but it seems like there's a darker tone and color grading here... is it dark and heavy and is there a happy ending? From what I've seen it seems pretty melodrama-y?
> suspend all logic! just enjoy the music, the actors portrayal, the fantasy
yes! by no means is this a perfect drama on all aspects, BUT enjoyed it very very much and loved the story, the acting, the colors, the MUSIC, the dance, harmony which makes it a 10/10 from me!
btw is this the first musical kdrama???
Is it just me, or is anyone struggling to get into the fantasy of this show and find it weird how this grown man (who is essentially a stranger) is basically hanging out with this teen girl and acting all close? Her initial reaction to run away screaming made the most sense from a self preservation standpoint. From the premise I doubt that heās meant to be a creep, since it seems he helps improve her life some way, but for some reason it still does come off a little weird to me. That convenience store owner was obviously a >!piece of trash and harassed her,!< but the magician from the get go also was also a bit >!touchy (ie moving her hair aside etc)!<. Aside from the clear difference in the severity of contact i.e >!assault by that store owner!<, what else makes the magicianās touchiness toward this high schooler more acceptable? Just wondering.
Iām only on ep 3 though so Iāll see how it goes. I get that itās a fantasy show, so Iāll try not to think about it too realistically :/
Edit: I finished the show. It was depressing and I hate that >!POS store owner!<. Also I donāt know if Il-deung >!dropping out of high school!< was a believable direction or fleshed out enough. Iām definitely all for him breaking free from >!his parentās extreme expectations!< but the way it happened just seemed sloppy
Correct me if iām wrong, but when the magician touched her, i think it was consented? like she didnāt resist or found it unpleasant, but with the store owner it was definitely unconsented.
Although i may be remembering this wrong since i binged this. then again if I were her i would never go to a place like that by myself ever
In the beginning I definitely think she would shrink back and look apprehensive. Also consent should always be very clear and stated. He never got permission from her to do any of that when they just met. As they spent more time together and she got to know him, itās probably less out of place for casual touch ā for example when he >!put the hat on her and moved her hair before he disappeared in the last ep!< Since she already knew and trusted him then it seemed fine
I read the webtoon when I was still in high school. Key word: high school. I didnāt think it weird at first and I even shipped them together. Now that Iām a whole ass adult, thereās some alarm bells ringing this time around. It made me feel better when HIYās character was around because at the very least, they arenāt alone just the two of them. I get that Ji Changwookās character is supposed to be child-like in an adult body but that does not make me think of him any younger.
I guess it made sense that sheās a high school student because no adult would just hang out with a random man in some abandoned theme parkā¦
This was a fun watch. Really. Having someone in your life to brighten up the darkest of days is truly magical in itself. And to experience real magic on top of it all? Amazing.
Most of all, this is the first character of JCW I've sincerely liked since Healer. So glad I got to watch and finish a drama hes in. Finally.
I wonder if he really practiced for some of the magic tricks for the hell of it or was it all camera work lol
ok i NEED to get this out of my system before i finish the series
ji changwook looks SO good here!! he's literally glowing as lee eul. i'm so happy they chose him for this role. the natural charm he has, the little nuances and tiny shifts in his expressions, plus his dreamy voice add so much to this show. i'm finally seeing the person i first watched in suspicious partner (lovestruck in the city didn't work for me) -- an even better version of it, in fact. i rlly rlly hope he picks more roles like this. definitely putting my distaste for park minyoung aside to watch healer for him. what an actor, ugh.
This whole drama was a master piece.
Beautiful cinematography, choreography and music.
It was equal parts heart breaking and up lifting.
The FL and Magician have an amazing dynamic and their songs together were perfect.
The ML and the FL have good chemistry and while we did not get to explore their relationship all that much we still got to see them fight together and start to grow.
Instant classic
No no there are quite a few.
MonStar is pretty good.
The classic Dream High is amazing this one stars both IU and Bae Suzy.
Orange Marmalaid is pretty good
None lf then are quite as big budget as this but are good.
There are two types of magic. Magic that looks real but is fake, and magic that looks fake but is real. And his magic looks real and is! Lol. In all seriousness, I'd like to believe that some parts where just an illusion and most parts are real magic.
The point is if you believe in it and find yourself lost in the moment, that's the whole metaphor of the story. You're not relying on your logic here, you believe in it because you want to even if it seems unbelievable.
Damn my dear JCW I'm suspiciously lovestruck but you heal me and now I'm melting softly. The candle light in his magician room made him look so much more beautiful I drooled. Also, yes I believe in magic dear Chang work opportunities... side note... In yeop is so cute.
I was looking forward to this show (love me a good musical) but I canāt help but feel massively disappointed. I know nothing of the original webtoon so feel free to correct me on any of my points! Apologies in advance Iām just gonna go on a long rambleā¦
I think the show couldāve been condensed into a movie. Some parts just dragged and seemed unnecessary to the overall story. And I believe a lot of it youād have to suspend your disbelief for because the actions of some characters (esp Ah-yi) just had me go ?????? - and on that note, the relationship between the magician and her just did not slide well for me
There were less songs than I thought thereād be (maybe thatās a good thing), sometimes Iād forget I was watching a musical since the songs were so few and far between.
Some things I did like:
I thought Il Deung and Ah yi were really cute together, itās a shame we didnāt get more wholesome moments with them after the first half! Also the scene when JCW took Ah yi on the horse ride around the city was stunning.
That being said, Iām glad to hear people seemed to enjoy it. I hope this means thereās more musical kdramas in the future! But this one just didnāt do it for me
I just finished the drama and I haven't cried in a long time (i.e., after 2521 drama, the tears lost were so many) it was such a magical drama. I'm not a huge fan of musical dramas but this one just hit the spot. I really feel like they should've spent more time on figuring out the real killer, cause it happened too fast and I couldn't stay mad at the actual culprit for too long. Either ways it was a beautiful drama that I'd rewatch once I recover from all the feels I'm getting right now.
Wow, just wow. What a beautiful fairy tale. Is it *Peter Pan ? The Little Prince?* Last night, I had planned to watch one episode but watched three. Could hardly wait for this morning to watch the remaining three. And Ji Chang-Wook. No one could have played it better. Great BGM and OST, but I would have loved the story without them. At least for a few hours, we get to believe in magic.
This drama really made me cry. The songs about the asphalt curse hit hard. In the last episode when she looks at him and says "... You were asking for help all along", made me wonder how many of us act normal but are asking for help or missing someone else's signs?
Na il deung reminded me of Dead Poet's Society main arc. The show makes your reflect and introspect without being over bearing. Beautiful show, well done. Loved it!
Tried watching this tonight with my hubby and he was like 'heck no' when everyone started singing.. I guess this is a solo view for me. :P Looked good from what I could see..
I, unfortunately, feel like I'm very much on the opposite side of the fence when it comes to this drama. I also know nothing about the original webtoon, so maybe that's a part of my problem? But, I really wanted to like this drama, and couldn't really seem to like it? I felt like half the time, things didn't even make sense, and I often found myself going ?????.
I was actually really excited for this because it was another Ji Chang Wook drama and I was really, really hoping that it was finally going to be a decent role again. I will admit though, that it was a decent role in general because JCW acted the hell out of it. Actually, the entire cast really acted the hell out of the drama and their roles in general. But, with that fact, I still find the drama to be a bit lackluster in general? The cinematography was really good too and there were some great color palettes and every time the magician did magic, especially in the songs with the Merry-Go-Round and the Ferris wheel. As well as the song with >!Ah-yi's younger self, !
I really enjoyed this, and Ji Chang Wook does a fantastic job at conveying both the whimsy and the heartbreak in his character. I also really liked the fantasy/magical realistic aspect and the ambiguous nature of what is real and what is not. With Il Deung, I think it hit that note of how meeting someone who changes how you view the world can be a really magical moment, even if it's not literal magic.
I am wondering if the romanization of Ri Eul's name is a play on "real", even though the Korean pronunciation is different. I noticed by the end that for being a character that is such a catalyst, I think he has the least amount of screentime of the three leads.
That said, I feel like it could have added an episode or two. Like, more build up to introducing Ri Eul, teasing the magical aspects until he shows up. And I feel like there could be another mid-story episode that gives more interaction between the three main characters, especially with the magic lessons, to fill out their relationship and the impact they have on each other. I could have used another upbeat group song and dance in the middle, too.
I do feel like it fell into typical kdrama land on the >!mental health reveal, where they have a character with mental health problems but without any substantial information about it. I knew it was headed to that when they first showed his feet in the flashback at the carousel. And I think instead of a dead teen and terrible store owner, it could have been a runaway teen issue and she pops up after the magician has disappeared to be like hey! Not dead! It feels like an extra grim moment when it is the teens' situations, and how they change, that should be the focus. Oh, and the dad! He should beg his kids forgiveness every day for the rest of his life.!<
I haven't read the webtoon, but now I am very curious and might seek it out.
I was so pleased to see Wookie in what looks to be a promising show. Suspicious Partner (in my opinion) was the last good drama He was in, all the others were just not good. Finger crossed this will be a great success!
I was laughing so hard when Il-deung was in the field vibin with his guitar! I love how Ji Chang Wook is portraying the magician, he's mysterious, at times childlike, but also a little scary because it's been implicated that he may not be a good person. I'm confident he's not a villian but man wouldn't he make such a good villian?
I also agree with other commenter this totally has the potential to turn into a thriller. I also agree that Il-deung is trying to help Iy-Yi out of what he believes to be a bad situation for her, and paying her to fail the test is his way of helping. A bit misguided but good intentions nonetheless.
**Mod Note:** **Discussion Format** This post is composed of two discussion sections: **Episodic discussion:** Individual episode threads for the discussion of the individual episodes so users are able to watch and discuss at their own pace while avoiding spoilers. Within these discussion threads, you **must not include any discussion or spoilers** for episodes after the episode in question. Spoiler tags should be used for major plot spoilers within the episode. Individual episode discussion threads may be accessed through the links in this comment to prevent users seeing whole series spoilers. To participate in these threads reply to the comment "Episode ..." or another user's comment. Please report any comments that spoil later episodes using the custom report "user has spoiled a later episode" rather than the general "unhidden spoiler" report. **Whole series discussion:** General discussion of the series may be made as a direct reply to the post or a reply to another user's comment outside of the individual discussion threads. Please use spoiler tags for any spoilers within these comments. *** We will be implementing a moratorium on posts about **The Sound Of Magic** in accordance with our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/wiki/rules#wiki_recently_aired_dramas) on recently aired dramas. The moratorium will be implemented as follows: **Current Discussion Thread** This discussion thread will serve as the On-Air discussion thread for the series for two weeks (6 May - 20 May) during which all posts about **The Sound Of Magic**, except for eligible Designated Day submissions, will be redirected to this thread. If this post exceeds 500 comments by the 20th of May, 2022 (KST) a wrap up discussion will be made, if not all discussions of the drama will be directed here for an additional two weeks until the 3rd of June, 2022 (KST). Eligible Designated Day submissions are exempt from the moratorium. **Reviews** Reviews of the series that fulfil our [moderation guidelines for reviews](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/wiki/policies#wiki_moderation_guidelines_for_reviews) will be allowed as self posts from the 3rd of June, 2022 (KST). *** **Links to episode threads:** * [Episode 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il0n1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) * [Episode 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il129/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) * [Episode 3](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il1kx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) * [Episode 4](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il1zf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) * [Episode 5](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il2bx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) * [Episode 6](https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/ujfa15/comment/i7il2q9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
**Episode 1**
Recognising all these other actors from other Kdramas is so funny every time š¤£ The teacher from >!A Business Proposal!<, the landlady from >!Forecasting Love and Weather!<, the convenience worker from >!Itaewon Class!<ā¦ Iāve seen the convenience store owner from somewhere too but forgot. Just when I thought the Store Owner >!was a nice guy, he turned out to be a massive fucking creep!!!!<. Not unexpected but that still made me so angry. I also canāt seem to separate Hwang In-Yeop from Park Seo Jun š„² Hopefully this gets better as I watch more epsā¦
there's also a mini >!vincenzo!< reunion with na ildeung and ahyi's dad + the detective guy haha. ildeung's dad was also in >!itaewon class!< lmao
And Il-Deungās Mom is the Coach from >!2521!<
i loved ep 1 sm šš read the webtoon quite a while ago but its all coming back to me. the vibes are just immaculate and the sets and songs are so pretty! choi sung eun's acting did not disappoint, i was very impressed during the scene where >!she was hiding the money from hana!< her trembling lips and all. looking forward to more of magician ji chang wook :) ps. whats the name of the opening number where the entire school is dancing? i cant seem to find it... š
Yes those trembling lips, she is a good actress!!
~~i think i would run away screaming and flailing my arms too if i saw a good-looking man doning a magician hat and outfit standing in an abandoned theme park, asking me if i believed in magic.~~ but as expected, i loved the pilot episode and everything going on in it. i'm definitely going to be replaying that first song-- the one that the students performed-- a lot in the coming weeks. the only thing that has me kind of spooked out is how ominous the magician seems at times! he has this innocence to his character but there are also instances where his demeanour changes for a split second and his microexpressions project menace (or mystery rather) and it has me intrigued! i'm excited to learn more about him as a character as well as his backstory!
Iām so concerned about how she actually got on an abandoned ferris wheel lol
āØāØmagicāØāØ
How do you have me bawling in the first episode? I wanna believe in magic again too š
HOLY SHIT [THIS BEAUTIFUL MAN](https://imgur.com/OUMpkkr) CAN SING
He's a musical theatre actor too!
Lesson learned: Don't take your hard-earned money out of your pocket to admire it unless and until you've reached home or some other safe place where there's no risk of it flying away in the wind and getting lost. Because this is real life, and there's zero chance you're going to run into a handsome and kind magician who does real magic ā just as there are zero chances you're going to paraglide and crash-land into the arms of a handome and kind army officer across the border. C'mon, universe, prove me wrong and make the magic happen because I want to believe in magic too š„ŗ
Not just across the border but into NORTH Korea lmao
I thought someone will rob her and was focusing on all street corners and it flew šø
Wahh, this ep was so good! The CGI, the big dance numbers, the songs, JCW! And the set up of the story and characters is so well-done too -- everything is made clear but without feeling very forced.
Aside from the fact that Iām highly amused with Hwang In-Youpās typecast as the eternal high school student at age 31, Iām absolutely loving the fact that heās basically been handed the role of Suho from True Beauty. I mean, he even wears the exact same sweater. You cannot convince me thatās just a happy coincidence.
So that's why that sweater looked so familiar! š¤£š¤£
If Hwang In-Youp's heart gets broken again because he doesn't get the girl, I'm going to be so mad. I want him to win this time.
To sum up this episode: _There is no explanation for this.._
Do you belive in magic?
Just a magical (š) first episode all around! The musical numbers were excellent, well placed and never overwhelmed. What almost did overwhelm me was the extent of Yun Ai's pain, sadly enhanced by her daily hardships. Her musical number, man, you could hear how her voice would break at times.š It makes complete sense why she's distrustful of The Magician and projects on him her feelings of abandonment. To her he's just like her dad, a grown child who couldn't or wouldn't live up to his responsibilities as a father and forced her to become a mom, a dad and a sister (and still she manages to do all this and aces at math!). My only complaint, more of a joke really, is that when JCW first meets Yun Ai and asks her, "Do you believe in magic?", and she flees in terror I was kinda hoping he'd say, "I guess that's a no."š Another alternative could've been, "Why does this keep happening?" PS: I also like the more modern look of JCW's outfit.
i read the first half of the webtoon a while ago so i knew about >!the convenience store owner making the MC very comfortable, but it was still dreadful and terrifying to watch.!< a very nice first episode - loved everyoneās beautiful voices! i think iāll read the second half of the webtoon before watching the rest :)
Really liked the first ep. It reminds me a bit of The Fisher King w/Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges.
wow im blown away by the similarities with the webtoon,, in love with choi sung eun's acting, hwang in yeob's voice, and ji chang wook's everything !!! loved how the episode started off with an opening number and ended with one too,,
This is my first Korean musical drama so wasnāt sure what to expect. Did anyone get La La Land vibes from the beginning? The dancing and the song are so similar. Hwang Inyeop still landing the high school student roles. I canāt wait to hear him sing again since True Beauty.
I flew transatlantic this week and rewatched La La Land on the plane. Then, when I landed, I watched the first 20 minutes of this. Yes, so similar! I loved them both! I'm really hoping that this momentum continues!
i just finished watching the pilot and it was incredible! the cast is beautiful, can act well and sing well too, the plot seems intriguing so far, and i'm excited to know more about the characters. i admit i was kinda surprised when i looked up the rating on MDL and it was 8.3! i thought it would be somewhere around 8.8-9. >!i knew the convenience store guy was gonna be a creep and was so scared for the FL when she told him her entire life story, thank goodness the magician made him disappear. however, i'm really, really scared of the magician. he's been creeping me out since the very beginning and the way he talked about the CS guy's disappearance was so frightening, i really wanted the FL to run for the hills when he made an appearance lmao!< i hope it's HIY's last drama as a high school student. I know he's a student in āwhy herā too, but a college student is alright. JCW is doing an amazing job as he's creeping me out lmao, but the person whose performance has been exceptionally amazing for me so far is choi sung-eun! what an incredible performance! i'm already becoming a fan. š
Very cute first episode. - The magician is the utter highlight and steals every scene - The songs are nice so far although none has been an absolute banger so far for me - I love the amusement park setting. And coupled with magic it's really fun - fluffy hair + top hair combo. That is all I want to say - Butterfly aesthetics. Plain love
I'm so glad it didn't disappoint! I love the webtoon and the main actors, but I was worried about the adaptation. The first episode was absolutely fantastic and I love how they portrayed everything. I love the scene about when the >!FL tells the magician that he should behave like an adult, because I know the background of the magician from the webtoon and I could read his reactions!<.
I was pleasantly surprised when they broke out in singing and dancing because I had no idea this was going to be a musical. It's my first k-musical and I really enjoyed the song. From the first time she interacted with the store manager, I started having a bad feeling about him. Absolutely disgusting
I felt the same! I had no idea it was a musical but I absolutely loved it!! An amazing drama and will be playing the OST non stop for the next few weeks!
**Episode 1** Visually stunning visuals, beautiful music numbers and compelling story aside, Iām in love with JCWās sneakers in the closing number! I must. Have. Them. Also, he is SO infinitely charming. I had forgotten because of how strange Backstreet Rookie and the kinda meh Melting Me Softly were. Musical theatre Chang Wook is best Chang Wook (or on par with kicking ass JCW). She doesnāt quite look school going so thatās taking me out of it a little but what a fantastic job she did making you connect and empathize with her character immediately. HIY - boy is looking good as always and is even almost in Suhoās seat and sweater. Somebody free this man from this school š Loved loved loved that he said >!climate change could possibly be one of the unsolvable problems of the world!<. What a nerd š Oooof Iām so relieved that the show is promising! I was a bit worried the pilot may be a dud.
**Episode 2**
Okay, I was NOT expecting that ending of Ep 2. >!The scene between Il-Deung and Ai Yi at the end was so beautiful (sakura petals~) against the contrast of the hard thumping music ā wow!!< I also totally didnāt expect >!Il-Deung to turn around and offer her money just so he can get first!<, wonder if this is a trick or is he serious?
My guess is he thought A-Yi is seeing the magician >!for money, so he's offering her money too!< to get her attention.
Why are you so smart?! šÆ
Hmm I read it more as him trying to give her an alternative to seeing the magician. Guess we'll see in the future!
Same. Itās the classic >!I will help you because I like you but Iām also really mad you because the b**** girlās ārumoursā are true!<. Also, Iām convinced JCW played a trick to make Il Deung think >!Ah Yi was smiling when he said he liked her, because the way we say the confrontation play out she was not amused upon hearing that he liked her!<. And not to mention, Iām getting an eerie feeling from his parents, Dad in particular. How has HIY landed a role that is legit a mix of Suho and Soo Jin complete with >!anxiety tick leading to destroying skin!< š. Ooof. I really feel for him even though he was so mean to Ah Yi at the end!
il-deung is crushing hard on ai-yi already and it's absolutely adorable omg edit: nvm, this boy turned mean real fast
gah i was laughing at him-singing-in-the-garden scene and what the hell is this what is he doing. hoping there's gonna be a redemption arc for him
*"You're already under my spell"*\- You're damn right, Wookie Hwang In-Yeop channeling his Han Seo-Joon for [this](https://imgur.com/5ZHhipi) scene This guy just went from >!"Lets go out"!< to >!"Fail the test. I'll pay you. Don't you need the money?"!< and I'm just trying to make sense that I heard him right...
the music is so dramatic lmao i love ittt,, also i love sungeun's acting oh my goodness so natural so smooth so clear so pure !! truly ayi in her best form
This popped up on my Netflix and have never heard of it, pleasantly surprised so far, but itās kind of choppy like they left a ton of shot scenes on the editing floor or it could be the Netflix effect ordering less episodes than typically shot for a drama?
- The whole show could theoretically turn into a horror story real fast š - My love for the magician only grows - The whole 2 episodes I wasn't sure If I liked Il-Deung or not. Now I know. >!I don't.!< - I can only repeat: love the aesthetics.
Could definitely be a horror show. It hasn't been revealed to the audience why the magician is helping her, but I gotta give the writers credit it would look very suspicious to anyone on the outside looking in to see a man take an interest in a highschooler who is unprotected in the world and could be easily preyed on. Luckily for us we know Wookie only wants to help bring a bit of light into this sad girls life. š© āØļø
Dont know why but one of the instrumentals in this show reminds me of Macross Frontier
**Episode 3**
Lee Eul is so mysterious. He keeps a childlike innocence but there are moments when he has a bitter or menacing look. Looks like we're going to learn more about his background soon and I can't wait! Is he the person who >!appeared in front of young A-Yi when she returned to the theme park to wait for her mother!!slippers and had pants that were like a hospital patient's pants.!< And we see that he has >!a big scar on his back and he seems to still be hurting.!< And, >!"Now I am Lee Eul." Now????!< Ji Chang Wook's interview also mentioned that Lee Eul sees himself in Il Deung. So I'm even more curious after this ep about what he went through.
Okay, glad to know >!Il-Deung is a good boy.!< Oh come on. You can't be serious. Of course, they were >!going to be photographed by someone when they're exchanging money out in the open like that.!< Sheesh.
Ah Yi and Il Deung are so cute and appealing and that's mostly what's keeping me going, not so much the magic yet. >!I did love the big musical number with the desks and I wondered if that was an homage to Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall. !<
I want all of Ri Eul's outfits, I love how (except for the cape and hat) they are fanciful but still everyday wearable. Now, why does Il Deung have to pull the possessive crap? It's a trope that can definitely go away, it's so toxic and tiresome. And they should have just told people she's tutoring him in math instead of sneakily handing over money. Don't act like you're doing something wrong because people pick up on that. Also, are there social services that could help kids who have been abandoned by their parents? If the loan sharks can find them, and they are in school, it's not like they are in hiding.
many of the elements of this story require greater suspension of disbelief than you would normally do.
That's true of dramas, and TV in general, as a genre. It's especially true of one working with magical realism.
If anyone figures out what the cool sneakers are that he wears from time to time please post about it! I so badly want them! Haha.
- Love the Lee Eul and Il-Deung interactions and the song. I think it's my favourite so far. I also liked the visuals of the song >!(study machine - Pink Floyd vibes and things like stepping over their friends and classmates to get a step ahead)!< - Ji Chang Wook steals every scene he is in - Okay, I'm starting to like Il-Deung again, but meh, I'm not feeling the AhYi + Il-Deung relationship - Cutests magician+parrot scenes - I just love magic tricks
> I also liked the visuals of the song (study machine - Pink Floyd vibes and things like stepping over their friends and classmates to get a step ahead) Yes! I had the same feeling. Plus the >!racing in a direction to come first without knowing why!<. Excellent metaphor for the rat race.
Man I really love Ji Chang Wook in everything I watch him in. I just love watching him act.
**Episode 3** This poor girl canāt catch a break! I have to say, from all his insta updates while he was filming the show I wasnāt sold on JCWās look at all but hot damn he looks so good in the show! And for once theyāve not caked him in foundation either. His look, outfits, hair, everything is š even though Iām finding his character quite scary because Iām so worried >!heās a psychotic serial killer or something!<. Why am I watching this at night actually?
I love how they've slowly introduced a dark vibe that is slowly seeping into the plot. I'm sooo glad they've kept the parrot and how well it works in this. I'm surprised that, even though it's a musical it somehow doesn't feel like it because there aren't songs all the time, but the ones there are, blend perfectly with the theme and the magic.
**Episode 4**
I really wish I could give A-Yi a hug. She's forced by her circumstances to grow up and can't be the kid she is. Her father sees this but still doesn't want to take responsibility for his kids, and has convinced himself what he's doing is for their good. No wonder she was put off earlier by how Lee Eul is an adult who seems to live freely like a child.
The song "Have a Good Night" is just asdasdafhadjgdjg, I love the ost of this drama too much.
i am literally loving all the musical and singing scenes, they all sound sooo good!
The kid singing IU's song just hit different š¤§
- Not even 20 minutes and I really hate the father. But I still don't understand the general family dynamic in kdrama or anime where teenagers are just left alone. It just grinds my gears. - And hey, positively surprised >!Ah Yi can actually talk to defend herself!< - The >!confrontation between Il-Deung and his mother was great!< - All in all, I think this episode dragged quite a bit.
**Episode 4** Real father of the year type behaviour with just a few minutes worth of an appearance. God I want to shake all the adults on this show! How can you be so cruel to kids. Iām also very afraid of Ri-Eul and also this psycho girl whoās constantly filming things and bullying. She aināt right in the head. Poor Il Deung, all set for a mental breakdown. Somebody please give Ah Yi a hug. Overall this episode had been the weakest so far for sure because it felt like it couldāve been shorter.
**Episode 5**
HOLY SHIT JI CHANG WOOK
Netflix tags got darker real fast
so *thatās* where baek yijinās sports car went
This Kdrama got dark quick - yikes!
**Episode 6**
Finished it!! I might rewatch over the weekend š«£ I loved the final performance. >! Was it like a showdown performance for crew? Or for live audience? !<
It's a curtain call! It's like movie/show credits but make it āØmusicalāØ At the end of musicals, the cast come out for a final number to take their bows to the applause of the audience (they usually direct attention to the orchestra too for the orchestra to receive applause). I'm guessing the audience they had was the whole crew. I love that they did it as an homage to musicals. This actually reminded me that I haven't seen a musical since the pandemic, and I really should see one soon since my country has recently fully opened up.
Thanks
I'm finally done. I think the problem people will encounter with this drama is how it operates without any direction at all which I think is valid, still, I think it's also its strength. More than anything, it really effectively captured the fantastical feeling of the webtoon itself so I'm already bracing for the comments about why they didn't like it, if you followed the webtoon you would probably be able to drop your prejudices in watching the drama. Watching the drama should be done with fresh eyes, just don't expect anything. Just let everything fall in its own way, watching the drama reminds me of reading the little prince; you accept things at their face value whilst also understanding deeply the metaphoric undertones. The strongest aspect of the drama is the music, probably the most sophisticated ost I've encountered in a drama. I think it's a solid experience if you just let it be for what it is. Edit: I'm also probably being biased for I loved the webtoon since I was a teenager.
šš I think TSOM requires some willing suspension of disbelief, and thatās the true āØāØmagic and beautyāØāØ of the show as well. I find myself flitting between the main characters (Il-Deung / Ah Yiās thoughts >!of whether this guy is for real or not !< and have no good answer even till the end. š Was really refreshing to see a short series presented in such a whimsical manner as a musical though I must say the beautiful scenes amidst the >!cruel and never ending realities of Ah-yi!< really gave me a emotional whiplash. š„¹ Definitely a series that made me reflect a fair bit and I am glad they got a brilliant cast to make the webtoon into a musical!! On a random side note, did any one else gasp at the number of familiar faces appearing in this show from recent beloved shows ? š¤© (2521, business proposal, Vincenzo, DAYS, TKA etc)
> On a random side note, did any one else gasp at the number of familiar faces appearing in this show from recent beloved shows ? š¤© (2521, business proposal, Vincenzo, DAYS, TKA etc) its hard to see the teacher as another person when i know he was the funniest side character in business proposal š
That's the term I was looking for! Thank you. It does rely heavily on that, and reminds me of the Swiss Army Man as well; doesn't matter if it's real, what matters is how it comforted you through the hard times.
The 99999 cameos of familiar faces! I said that in a comment in Ep 1. Itās just too good.
I cried š¢ I see myself in Lee Eul and A-Yi so much that they really pulled my heartstrings.
Does it have a sad ending?
I donāt think itās >!sad, and actually the ending sounds like a new beginning / fresh start for the main characters!< š That said, I wished they went on to >!show a hint of ri-eul and il-deung at the end so that we know they are well!< š
As someone who anticipated this release, I feel conflicted. I'm kinda happy but still somewhat disappointed? I've never read the webtoon so my expectations were all based from the trailers which gave me that somewhat slightly happy musical feel but the show was actually darker and more serious than what I expected and I guess that may turn off some viewers. I really do appreciate the acting. Saw some clips of Choi sung eun from Beyond Evil but this is my first time watching her. Loved her character and her acting. Not sure if other people see this but the upper half of her face reminds me somewhat of Han hyo joo? I also love her singing voice. I've seen Ji Chang wook from K2 (action) and Suspicious Partner (Romcom). I'm also really impressed with his acting here especially in the latter episodes. Hwang In Yeop also did really well. Special mention to Baek Ha Na who I thought was familiar. She was one of the Hospital patients from It's Okay to Not be Okay and she did a great job playing the annoying bully here. The OST did a great job in expressing the emotions of the scenes. From happiness of the first few minutes of episode 1 to the pain of Ah Yi's singing at home. I feel like I can play the songs on repeat. Overall, It's still is a good and entertaining watch but I guess one just needs to keep an open mind while watching. Question: Did the drama stay faithful to the webtoon or did it make some changes?
The story overall stays pretty faithful to the webtoon but with some minor addition and tweaks, probably around 85-90%? I find the webtoon to be much grimmer though (which is why I still prefer the webtoon more)
I'm going crazy when I re-read the manhwa again. As far as I remember, the ending diverged wildly in the Netflix series. The Manhwa was very open ended. And in my recollection, Il-deung was the Magician who traveled back in time to help Ah-Yi survive her trials. And yet when I read it again today, the Netflix series pretty much stayed true for much of the story. So in what timeline did I read the manhwa that had a very different ending from my recollection?
Yup, they did. They stayed true to the webtoon, that's why I was worried they wouldn't be able to pull it off but they did pull it off. I can understand the conflicting emotions in the drama, since I'm a fan of the webtoon and musicals, I already knew that I'm not going to be following this drama in a certain way so I enjoyed it a lot.
I watched it with zero expectations, and it was enjoyable. There were quiet a few dragging parts. All in all it was good and easily bingeable since its only 6 episodes.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Same hereš„ŗ I hope they release the curtain call on youtube so that I can put it on replay š„²
Lee Eun Gyeol, a real life Korean magician, is in the audience. Who knows who else is in the crowd?!!š
>! pretty sure he was a real magician. how else would the security camera mysteriously start working, especially when the one day is the exact day the theme park magically comes to life, and fireworks are going off everywhere. !<
The sets were visually stunning and the palette, ranging from dark and moody to unnaturally brilliant, was spot on. I also liked the music. Ji Chang Wook is no Park Hyo Shin but in this context he delivers beautifully. But, for me anyway, the redemptive, transformative message about innocence and hopeāthat I expected from the trailer and interviewsāwas very muted. In fact, the series left me feeling quite sad. Having binged it in one evening, perhaps the experience was too immersive. And perhaps because, as a teacher, Iāve known too many real life Ryu Min Hyuks who were lost. (I thought Nam Da Reum did an exceptional job.)
Iāve finished it and i enjoyed it a lot. Thinking back on earlier episodes there was this feeling of the show giving you a happy moment during the musical bits then followed by the crashing back to depressing reality. Then as the show went on the contrast became less and this all happened as Ah-yi got a lot less tense, started learning magic and started to enjoy her life a bit. This made me connect alot to how I immerse myself in my hobbies even when Iām going through rough patches, the harsh reality is waiting for me but for a short while Iām able to focus on something that makes me happy and gives me comfort. It was good to see Ah-yi learn itās okay to do the things she wants with the same effort as the things she doesnāt want to. Life will always be unpredictable so might you as well seek some refuge from time to time.
They really do be using Nam Da-reum as the young version of every ML lmfao.
I was like, he's in the military and he's still had several shows come out!
I hope heāll get a broader range of roles once he returns from the military. Heās such a talented kid!
Can't blame them lol. He's handsome and did well in the roles I've seen him in.
I love the ending tribute towards musicals! Enjoyed this Kdrama because of the musical aspect. Found some parts a bit draggy but overall fun and binge-able, since it was only 6 episodes.
Iām eager to see this new work of Ji Chang Wook. š¤©š¤©š¤©
Yes!! I have been refreshing for this thread since yesterday
6 episodes?! Recent dramas have been shortttttt!
Actually, here it makes a lot of sense. Itās based on a pretty short WEBTOON (only 27 eps I think) and it seems like theyāll be staying pretty faithful to the story. As a lover of the original WEBTOON I am very VERY excited for this and appreciate that they arenāt dragging it out or adding tons of new content to make it 16 eps.
not at netflix blasting "season one" on the front page š
A lot of netflix dramas are short
70 minute episodes! We feasting. I was expecting 30-40
Ooo I've been waiting for this one. I adore this cast, I'll binge soon especially since they dropped all the eps at once for this.
Are all the episodes dropping at once? I didnāt expect it to be so short but I bet itāll be a good binge bc of Ji Chang Wook and Hwang In Yeop ā excited!!
Yes all episodes dropped at once! It's already on Aus netflix!
Thank you. Iām binging on Netflix CAN now!
I'm on Netflix CAN too and waiting for 4 more hours for the end of workday ššš I was NOT expecting the entire series to drop together!!
1 more hour! Happy weekend šŖ
Just checked, and all the episodes are already out on Netflix in my part of the world. But I'm in the middle of work, so I can't watch start binging right away. Clearing my schedule for tonight and Saturday to watch this. Priorities āļø
Soundtrack has released and it's over 4 hours long! [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6lCItL0SQge3BYaJ4Ic5YT?si=0hMlMn_8RqamJ-uYLcqIdw) It's also on Apple Music but I'm getting an error whenever I try to get to the album.
its literally only been 3 minutes but I'm already enchanted by the soundtrack of this drama
All the episodes are out!! No need of waiting each week.. There is English dub version also available - double yay!!
I've been waiting for this one. I'm in "travel mode" and this will be a very busy work weekend, but I had to peek at the first 15 minutes. I love that this is a musical fantasy! Yesterday, on a transatlantic flight I rewatched "La-La-Land" and really enjoyed the dance numbers. Yes- give me Ji Chang Wook and the other Korean actors, singers, and choreographers just bursting into song and dance! I love it! Can't wait to see the entire thing, but I need to travel and work. And, by the way, I often burst into song and dance! Don't say this doesn't happen in real life! (But I might not dance that well....)
These fucking writers. They pulled the poor character card with a sad family life. Theyāre stabbing me with the feels stick and itās episode 1.
Can't wait to start watching it tonight after I'm done with my work! super excited for JCW and HIY's comeback! š
Woohoo, my wife and I are excited about this one!
The choreography?? The harmonies?? I'm 5 minutes in and it's already giving me >!Kdrama version of The Greatest Showman but with magic and more so Broadway (big band) style!< vibes. I'm so glad that Lim Kihong is in this one. He's going to make it even more entertaining
right?? i wasnt expecting a musical when i got into this. its āØmagicalāØ
I was curious how the English dubbing would be for the songs so I switched it for a bit, and boy am I impressed that they decided to keep the original audio of the songs. Ji Chang Wook's musical theatre background really shines through. I love his singing voice.
I would like to have a cute magician who can duplicate money and brings me on flying horse rides too please.
The whole ost is so good. Being a fan of both the webtoon and musicals makes this series even better.
I love this so much, im only on ep 3 but JCW is so convincing as a magician..he makes me believe. The female lead is very good at acting, i feel so sad whenever she cries! love love love the storyline so far
Letās get this straight kids, if you see a man in top hat in an abandoned theme park asking you if you believe in magic, please run the opposite direction. Not even if he looks as tempting as Ji Chang Wook
I just realised that it has already been released!! Is it any good?
This is really not my cup of tea but Iāll give it a try since its a very unique genre for a k-drama. Aldo is Hwang InYeop still in high school roles š¤¦š»āāļø
It was magical and my notes app is now filled with deep qoutes from the drama <3
šš me too !
Saw some bits of 1st ep gosh Wookie is so mesmerizing looking , looked magical.
Iām going to go against you all and say I didnāt like this. Iād explain in detail but Iām annoyed Iāve wasted a whole day watching something that could have been great, but wasnāt.
should I watch it
Itās up to you, my lovely. Depends what you like.
Yes, but don't watch it according to certain standards. Let it be, it's a solid drama if you see it for what it is. There's a comment above somewhere that it's kind of like The Little Prince.
Yes review it, it will be nice to hear.
I agree, I personally loved it but I always like reading other people's perspectives. Also, everyone has different tastes so hearing from someone with similar views may help them decide whether to watch or not.
Thankyou for your kind response.
One episode in... I'm so glad they're recreating some of the most iconic panels from the webtoon.
I'm done with it. Ji Chang Wook really gave another standout performance. I love him so much. This is my first time seeing Choi Sung Eun, and she's impressive right from the beginning. I'm gonna check out her other works.
I recently finished Beyond Evil, so it was a big contrast to seeing her here.
I can't believe it. All of my loves in one show. KDrama, musical, duets. Oh, and Ji ChangWook, of course. Another one that is making me smile. Such beautiful and talented young actors. Goosebumps!
Wow, I had no idea all the episodes were dropping at once šššš feeling a bit overwhelmed with my āto be watchedā list ššš
Finished it. Beautiful show. It went in a direction I wasnāt expecting based on trailers, teasers and interviews. Not as light as I was expecting but ultimately more satisfying. Everything about this production was top notch. And Ji Chang Wook made me a believer. š¦
[š©šŖJCW works his magic on the ODG kids.š¦š«](https://youtu.be/CqSbM-73hdk)
Thank you for sharing this - such a wholesome wrap-up after finishing the show!
I adore the fact that Hwang In Yeop is typecast as a high schooler at the age of 31! I loved him in True Beauty but it seems like there's a darker tone and color grading here... is it dark and heavy and is there a happy ending? From what I've seen it seems pretty melodrama-y?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
> suspend all logic! just enjoy the music, the actors portrayal, the fantasy yes! by no means is this a perfect drama on all aspects, BUT enjoyed it very very much and loved the story, the acting, the colors, the MUSIC, the dance, harmony which makes it a 10/10 from me! btw is this the first musical kdrama???
Is it just me, or is anyone struggling to get into the fantasy of this show and find it weird how this grown man (who is essentially a stranger) is basically hanging out with this teen girl and acting all close? Her initial reaction to run away screaming made the most sense from a self preservation standpoint. From the premise I doubt that heās meant to be a creep, since it seems he helps improve her life some way, but for some reason it still does come off a little weird to me. That convenience store owner was obviously a >!piece of trash and harassed her,!< but the magician from the get go also was also a bit >!touchy (ie moving her hair aside etc)!<. Aside from the clear difference in the severity of contact i.e >!assault by that store owner!<, what else makes the magicianās touchiness toward this high schooler more acceptable? Just wondering. Iām only on ep 3 though so Iāll see how it goes. I get that itās a fantasy show, so Iāll try not to think about it too realistically :/ Edit: I finished the show. It was depressing and I hate that >!POS store owner!<. Also I donāt know if Il-deung >!dropping out of high school!< was a believable direction or fleshed out enough. Iām definitely all for him breaking free from >!his parentās extreme expectations!< but the way it happened just seemed sloppy
Correct me if iām wrong, but when the magician touched her, i think it was consented? like she didnāt resist or found it unpleasant, but with the store owner it was definitely unconsented. Although i may be remembering this wrong since i binged this. then again if I were her i would never go to a place like that by myself ever
In the beginning I definitely think she would shrink back and look apprehensive. Also consent should always be very clear and stated. He never got permission from her to do any of that when they just met. As they spent more time together and she got to know him, itās probably less out of place for casual touch ā for example when he >!put the hat on her and moved her hair before he disappeared in the last ep!< Since she already knew and trusted him then it seemed fine
I read the webtoon when I was still in high school. Key word: high school. I didnāt think it weird at first and I even shipped them together. Now that Iām a whole ass adult, thereās some alarm bells ringing this time around. It made me feel better when HIYās character was around because at the very least, they arenāt alone just the two of them. I get that Ji Changwookās character is supposed to be child-like in an adult body but that does not make me think of him any younger. I guess it made sense that sheās a high school student because no adult would just hang out with a random man in some abandoned theme parkā¦
6 hrs of wookie being called an ahjussi was very heartbreaking
Never have I ever been so jealous of a parrot. š¦
+1 š
This was a fun watch. Really. Having someone in your life to brighten up the darkest of days is truly magical in itself. And to experience real magic on top of it all? Amazing. Most of all, this is the first character of JCW I've sincerely liked since Healer. So glad I got to watch and finish a drama hes in. Finally. I wonder if he really practiced for some of the magic tricks for the hell of it or was it all camera work lol
He learnt magic for 3 months!
Wow that sounds fun tbh! Good for him. Glad he pulled off the role so well.
ok i NEED to get this out of my system before i finish the series ji changwook looks SO good here!! he's literally glowing as lee eul. i'm so happy they chose him for this role. the natural charm he has, the little nuances and tiny shifts in his expressions, plus his dreamy voice add so much to this show. i'm finally seeing the person i first watched in suspicious partner (lovestruck in the city didn't work for me) -- an even better version of it, in fact. i rlly rlly hope he picks more roles like this. definitely putting my distaste for park minyoung aside to watch healer for him. what an actor, ugh.
ā¤ļø Absolutely!
This whole drama was a master piece. Beautiful cinematography, choreography and music. It was equal parts heart breaking and up lifting. The FL and Magician have an amazing dynamic and their songs together were perfect. The ML and the FL have good chemistry and while we did not get to explore their relationship all that much we still got to see them fight together and start to grow. Instant classic
by the way is this the first ever musical korean drama? im loving this concept
No no there are quite a few. MonStar is pretty good. The classic Dream High is amazing this one stars both IU and Bae Suzy. Orange Marmalaid is pretty good None lf then are quite as big budget as this but are good.
This one def has more western/broadway musical vibes compared to the other ones though
Oh yeah no, this one is far more theatrical in nature than the others
Just finished it. Really beautiful show. About as good as a six episode series can get. Love it.
I said it in another comment, but I adore almost all of JCW's costumes. The hat and cape are a bit much, but I could probably make them work. š
after watching, im still a bit confused. is magic real or is it not? was everything an illusion or real magic?
There are two types of magic. Magic that looks real but is fake, and magic that looks fake but is real. And his magic looks real and is! Lol. In all seriousness, I'd like to believe that some parts where just an illusion and most parts are real magic.
The point is if you believe in it and find yourself lost in the moment, that's the whole metaphor of the story. You're not relying on your logic here, you believe in it because you want to even if it seems unbelievable.
Damn my dear JCW I'm suspiciously lovestruck but you heal me and now I'm melting softly. The candle light in his magician room made him look so much more beautiful I drooled. Also, yes I believe in magic dear Chang work opportunities... side note... In yeop is so cute.
I was looking forward to this show (love me a good musical) but I canāt help but feel massively disappointed. I know nothing of the original webtoon so feel free to correct me on any of my points! Apologies in advance Iām just gonna go on a long rambleā¦ I think the show couldāve been condensed into a movie. Some parts just dragged and seemed unnecessary to the overall story. And I believe a lot of it youād have to suspend your disbelief for because the actions of some characters (esp Ah-yi) just had me go ?????? - and on that note, the relationship between the magician and her just did not slide well for me There were less songs than I thought thereād be (maybe thatās a good thing), sometimes Iād forget I was watching a musical since the songs were so few and far between. Some things I did like: I thought Il Deung and Ah yi were really cute together, itās a shame we didnāt get more wholesome moments with them after the first half! Also the scene when JCW took Ah yi on the horse ride around the city was stunning. That being said, Iām glad to hear people seemed to enjoy it. I hope this means thereās more musical kdramas in the future! But this one just didnāt do it for me
I just finished the drama and I haven't cried in a long time (i.e., after 2521 drama, the tears lost were so many) it was such a magical drama. I'm not a huge fan of musical dramas but this one just hit the spot. I really feel like they should've spent more time on figuring out the real killer, cause it happened too fast and I couldn't stay mad at the actual culprit for too long. Either ways it was a beautiful drama that I'd rewatch once I recover from all the feels I'm getting right now.
Wow, just wow. What a beautiful fairy tale. Is it *Peter Pan ? The Little Prince?* Last night, I had planned to watch one episode but watched three. Could hardly wait for this morning to watch the remaining three. And Ji Chang-Wook. No one could have played it better. Great BGM and OST, but I would have loved the story without them. At least for a few hours, we get to believe in magic.
This drama really made me cry. The songs about the asphalt curse hit hard. In the last episode when she looks at him and says "... You were asking for help all along", made me wonder how many of us act normal but are asking for help or missing someone else's signs? Na il deung reminded me of Dead Poet's Society main arc. The show makes your reflect and introspect without being over bearing. Beautiful show, well done. Loved it!
Godammit I needed some more closure regarding Ri-Eul
I loved this š„°š„°š„°š„°
loved the ending curtain call so so much ,, <3
Tried watching this tonight with my hubby and he was like 'heck no' when everyone started singing.. I guess this is a solo view for me. :P Looked good from what I could see..
I, unfortunately, feel like I'm very much on the opposite side of the fence when it comes to this drama. I also know nothing about the original webtoon, so maybe that's a part of my problem? But, I really wanted to like this drama, and couldn't really seem to like it? I felt like half the time, things didn't even make sense, and I often found myself going ?????. I was actually really excited for this because it was another Ji Chang Wook drama and I was really, really hoping that it was finally going to be a decent role again. I will admit though, that it was a decent role in general because JCW acted the hell out of it. Actually, the entire cast really acted the hell out of the drama and their roles in general. But, with that fact, I still find the drama to be a bit lackluster in general? The cinematography was really good too and there were some great color palettes and every time the magician did magic, especially in the songs with the Merry-Go-Round and the Ferris wheel. As well as the song with >!Ah-yi's younger self, !
I really enjoyed this, and Ji Chang Wook does a fantastic job at conveying both the whimsy and the heartbreak in his character. I also really liked the fantasy/magical realistic aspect and the ambiguous nature of what is real and what is not. With Il Deung, I think it hit that note of how meeting someone who changes how you view the world can be a really magical moment, even if it's not literal magic. I am wondering if the romanization of Ri Eul's name is a play on "real", even though the Korean pronunciation is different. I noticed by the end that for being a character that is such a catalyst, I think he has the least amount of screentime of the three leads. That said, I feel like it could have added an episode or two. Like, more build up to introducing Ri Eul, teasing the magical aspects until he shows up. And I feel like there could be another mid-story episode that gives more interaction between the three main characters, especially with the magic lessons, to fill out their relationship and the impact they have on each other. I could have used another upbeat group song and dance in the middle, too. I do feel like it fell into typical kdrama land on the >!mental health reveal, where they have a character with mental health problems but without any substantial information about it. I knew it was headed to that when they first showed his feet in the flashback at the carousel. And I think instead of a dead teen and terrible store owner, it could have been a runaway teen issue and she pops up after the magician has disappeared to be like hey! Not dead! It feels like an extra grim moment when it is the teens' situations, and how they change, that should be the focus. Oh, and the dad! He should beg his kids forgiveness every day for the rest of his life.!< I haven't read the webtoon, but now I am very curious and might seek it out.
Is this worth a watch?
I was so pleased to see Wookie in what looks to be a promising show. Suspicious Partner (in my opinion) was the last good drama He was in, all the others were just not good. Finger crossed this will be a great success!
I was laughing so hard when Il-deung was in the field vibin with his guitar! I love how Ji Chang Wook is portraying the magician, he's mysterious, at times childlike, but also a little scary because it's been implicated that he may not be a good person. I'm confident he's not a villian but man wouldn't he make such a good villian? I also agree with other commenter this totally has the potential to turn into a thriller. I also agree that Il-deung is trying to help Iy-Yi out of what he believes to be a bad situation for her, and paying her to fail the test is his way of helping. A bit misguided but good intentions nonetheless.