Country Diary By Chance (2022)

Show about nothing but at least it’s cute

Predictable and loaded with cliché. I would love to see how pitch meetings go for shows like this. It’s been done a million times and you can see it coming a mile away. It’s mainly about two grownups acting like middle school kids not knowing what to do with the opposite sex and being awkward. This happens a lot in K-drama and I seriously wonder why. But here, it’s kinda cute and inoffensive.

I do find two male leads being passive aggressive pretty annoying after a while.

The main male lead suffers from the sudden-silence syndrome where he can’t say anything intelligent or intelligible whenever he’s being misunderstood and/or accused. It is a common disease among a lot of K-drama characters. They portrayed him, in the beginning, as someone who’s rigid and inflexible but that kinda went away and he became indecisive.

The second male character so far has no storyline other than making snarky remarks to the main guy and generally making it difficult for him to be with the main girl.

The female lead is great. She basically is everywhere and does everything. Most importantly, she’s likable. I do wish she was a bit forthcoming and assertive when it comes to the male lead but then we wouldn’t have a show. She’s a cop but mainly spends her time doing everything except her cop duty. It’s kinda funny.

We’ll see how they end this show.

Lire davantage

Joyless Jingles

Police officer Joy taking us on a joyless ride around the village. The fake cozy and small-town vibes failed to capture a convincing portrayal of small-town life but rather padded it with cheap cookie cutter village NPCs with bubbly visuals. The attempts at romance felt superficial and unconvincing, the female lead was always coming off too strong on the new guy in the village despite having little to no sufficient time to develop a romance, but rather relying on her ever long lasting impression of each other when they were kids. The transition was off. The case is even worse with the male lead. Anyway, it was a forgettable and uninspiring zero calories short drama.

Lire davantage

A heartwarming family drama

'Once Upon a Small Town' is a sweet short drama that is good for watching when you feel down or just need to watch something in between dramas or when commuting to work.
I rarely write reviews, so I hope you can bare with me. It is not even the best drama I watched but I still think it deserves a review.

The Story:
The story is not super special or new but I liked the setting. A sweet curious police officer living in the countryside and the distant big city vet. It reminded me of those movies my grandmother watches that hold a secret sweet spot in my heart. And that is probably why I wanted to write this review. This story can be watched with the whole family and bears so much sweetness. It radiates warm feelings of home.
At times the pace of the storyline is slow but I think it suited the drama's vibe. Usually, I watch thrillers and action dramas, so 'Once Upon a Small Town' is extremely different from my usual taste. But, again, it is short and just perfect for the daily commute.
Also, I usually dislike dramas that are purely romantic (maybe I am a cold person, idk), but this drama did not annoy me but made me smile.

Acting:
The acting is not superb, but not bad either. It cannot nearly compete with high-production masterpieces but it is a good thing that it does not have to. I would not say it is Joy's best work (though I have only watched 'Tempted' so I do not think I am experienced enough to judge that properly) but it is refreshing and probably fun for the cast to play.
You will be disappointed if you are looking for a masterpiece or an out-of-the-world experience. Cherish the drama as a homely feeling and something that warms your heart. A quick dose of sunshine.

Rewatch value:
I gave it 9 stars for a high rewatch value for the following reasons:
- short drama -> if rewatched, it does not "steal" much time
- predictable plot (in a positive sense as it gives stability which some of us need - especially in uncertain times) -> if you rewatch it, then you know the whole plot, but be honest: when watching this (especially considering its length) are you really surprised about anything happening in there
- heart-warming -> at least for me, it brings back memories from my childhood, staying over at my grandmother's place, watching those movies where a city person moves to the countryside and falls in love with one of the people living there, It warms my heart and I have no problem to rewatch it, especially considering that I watch many thrillers, so I guess I need some warmth lol

Side comment:
'Once Upon a Small Town' reminded me also of the time when I volunteered on a farm in the middle of nowhere three years ago, and even though I only stayed there for two months, I met so many warm and lovely people that I am still in contact with. While watching, I reached out to one of them because I got reminded of how she drove me to the nearest town, helped me shop for gear I needed for the next job and invited me for food. This memory seems so small and insignificant but in hindsight, it meant a lot to me.

Lire davantage

If you can stick with the characters...

Even though this is shorter than most series, I still couldn't bring myself to finish it. When you watch something you make an agreement with the production - "I'm going to suspend my disbelief until this is over." Meaning, whatever I see or, hear - I will believe that it is happening or, can be real. That is how you get invested in the characters - why you cry when something bad happens to them. Why you feel joy when things go their way.

In Once Upon a Small Town, the female lead is so irritating - I could never believe that anyone would ever see her in a romantic light. What she did and does isn't worthy of the male lead's energy. His turnaround from hating her and the town to suddenly, seeing everything in a new way was so forced and fake - I took it out of my queue and let it go. The neighbors are awful - nosy, isn't always funny. The regular vet worker is terrible on her own. She has no respect for the doctor, doesn't care about his past or, his skills and only thinks of herself. Never - do you see her do any actual work - she is there only to insult and get the doctor to make the house calls.

If you feel abuse is funny - then, this series is for you.

Lire davantage

A Sweet Show that has to much typical Rom-Com elements

Welcome back to the K-drama study. Last time we talked about Today's Webtoon, an excellent drama that I would gladly rewatch. Today I'll be talking about Once Upon a Small Town starring Joy which aired from September 5th - September 27th. After watching the show, I'm curious to see what I think about my experience. Don't forget that this post will spoilers, so read on your own.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Disclaimer: Spoilers in this post

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Characters:

Park Soo-young as Ahn Ja-young: Joy played officer Ahn who I found annoying in the first couple of episodes of the show. I found her character to grow on me during the show. Joy did an excellent job playing her character as she put a smile on my face whenever she was smiling on the screen. I still want to know how Officer Ahn became a police officer since I didn't think she did her job during the first three episodes. I felt they could've developed the character better, but it was still fun to watch. Ahn and han had some decent chemistry together, but they both worked well together.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Choo Young-woo as Han Ji-yul: Doctor han was one of the main characters and one I fell in love with after seeing him for the first time. I loved his acting as he fit the doctor's character wonderfully. I found him working on the animals to be something that helped to make the show even better than it already was. His character sometimes felt dull, but I can look past that since he had some nondual moments. I did find that mister Han grew on me more during the show's runtime, which pleased me.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Story:
The whole story is as paper-thin as a ten-year-old could understand it. Of course, nothing new is brought to the Rom-Com genre, but I find it better than Business Proposal. I found the first three episodes to be a bit boring as nothing much happened, but after that, I saw the show pick up slowly before getting a little interesting. I loved the backdrop this show brought to the table, as the countryside setting sounded beautiful, helping to take the stress away from daily life. Some side characters sometimes felt annoying, but they grew on me somewhat, but not that much. I found it annoying that Joy's character would pop up everywhere, helping everyone in the town like you can't help everyone. There was a moment when the three members of the woman association walked right into the house Doctor Han was staying without knocking bugged me a bit. You can't go into someone's house without hitting that trespassing. On the other hand, I found the story relaxing when we saw the characters' daily lives and what they were doing. Doctor Han and Officer Ahn's relationship felt strange initially, but as they started dating, I found them perfect for each other. The story isn't anything special as we've seen these types of so many times in Rom-Com, but the cuteness this show brought and the setting made me smile, which made the story a bit better but not by much.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

OSTs:
The music for this show was way better than the story. Hang Dae Kwang released the first track sounding like a country tune that fits well with the show's overall vibe. I found that one on my playlist, and I never got tired of it. Then, O.when surprised me again with another excellent OST that kept popping up on my music playlist. The sweet acoustic vibe fit the singer's voice making it one that I kept playing on repeat. Finally, Boramiyu delivered my second favorite song from the show, as I've been listening to it a lot the past few days. The piano melody blends well with the sweet voice the singer brings to the table with this relaxing ballad. I find that her OST fits well with the autumn season that we've just entered. Song Yujin's final OST for the show will have to grow on me as I'll be returning to it more to see If I thoroughly love it. With only four OSTs for this show, they all bring something to the table that fits well with the vibe I found pleasant.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Once Upon a Small Town which was a decent show that put a smile on my face and relaxed me. I've decided to rate this show a light C as it didn't bring anything new to the table, but the acting and setting helped make this show decent enough to satisfy me. Joy worked well on this show, and I can't wait to see what else she has in the future. Well, I'll see you in December for my final Drama study of the year, where I'll tell you my favorite drama of 2022. So have a good night/day where ever you are in this world.

Lire davantage

A Frustrating Love Triangle Overshadowed by One-Dimensional Characters

First and foremost, the villagers in this drama were extremely annoying. From the very beginning, the ahjummas barged into the male lead’s home uninvited. When he expressed his discomfort with their intrusion, they took offense, which felt entirely unjustified. It seems the writer aimed to portray the villagers as wholesome and family-oriented, but instead, they came across as rude and intrusive.

It was challenging to invest in the lead characters, including the second male lead, due to their one-dimensional portrayals. The acting didn’t help much either, as it often felt monotonous and lacking in emotional depth. You know how sometimes you find yourself rooting for the second male lead over the main guy, or vice versa? In this series, I didn’t feel that connection at all, which was disappointing, especially since the love triangle was supposed to be the main conflict.

Ultimately, I found myself indifferent to the romance. I was just watching for the dogs and puppies.

Lire davantage

So light hearted drama ? Must watch it

How Adorable! A feel good romance! I really enjoyed watching this! It was a all new cast for me and their chemistry was so cute!! I'll have to go see what else they star in. This is a lighthearted, funny romance with absolutely no angst or over the top drama, It was really rather refreshing. Sometimes it's nice to watch something without going through an emotional rollercoaster. This drama gives all the butterflies of a sweet first love. I couldn't get enough of the main couple, they were so awkward and then once they decided to confess their feeling all the akwardness melted away and they became something so beautiful. I definitely recommend this sweet little bit-sized romance, it will make you remember or give you butterflies!

Lire davantage

Refreshing experience - MUST WATCH

I started this on a whim when it was airing and never had I expected to love this show as much as I did. I've just finished this show and went straight to writing a review in hopes that people would give this a chance now for my opinion it truly was one of the most comforting and unforgettable experiences. I've seen many shows with a similar concept of someone from Seoul moving to a small town, Hometown Cha Cha Cha being one of them although I must say this show was my favorite take on that. As someone who adores animals and is always on the lookout for shows that feature animals, this one had it all animals, romance, wholesome scenes, and a tiny bit of drama but overall it was refreshing. I know that I'm probably going to rewatch it a million times now because of how cute and short it was, the chemistry between the characters and music, and plot all worked perfectly to make the most refreshing and comforting experience I've had with a show in a while, to anyone reading this review I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this and really wish the rating for this show was higher. This drama deserved a better rating and deserved more people to give it a try, so if you're skeptical about whether to start this TRUST ME AND START IT, you will love it.

Lire davantage

Strictly Average...

Once upon a small town follows the very cliche kdrama path. It is short but some of the episodes really make u crazy. Super annoying love triangle with a very kind good for nothing 2nd male lead who always receive pitty, it didn't skip the other side triangle as well.. a very annoying 2nd actress will also part of the story..

Story is simple, When it sets in a very beautiful environment, it naturally creates that refreshness while you watching. So it kind of watchable drama overall. I mean if you're not bothered about the triangle part. The first six episodes was really interesting. But next 3 was super annoying, and the last 3 was decent. Leads are cute and very good looking.


Even though the middle part was very frustrating. the last 3 episode was really good without much dragging, it still follows the same kdrama endings.. But the mood which it create has some beautiful moments. Overall i can't label this out as a complete bore drama it solely depend on the viewer, but still they can make a different type of settings if they removed that love triangle...

Lire davantage

Once Upon a Small Town is full of cheese and drama tropes, but at the end it felt well worth the watch.. even if I could guess what was going to happen because of it's tropy-ness.

One of my favorite drama plots is moving from a city into a small village and this one is all about that. It gave me Hometown Cha Cha Cha vibes where a smart, city doctor comes in and being in a village is the last thing they want in the world. The town itself is so beautiful and I loved getting to see the scenery with all the cinematography shots they give.

What added to my rating of 9 was I felt that some plots/tropes were added, but not really needed. I still don't really see why they added in his tragic backstory with the town + Officer Ahn other than having that as the mystery.. which didn't really make sense to me seeming he didn't even remember the trauma until the drama was almost over. It could've been fine without it and them just met for the first time when he came then, or just of had him remember earlier into the show rather than drag it out.

Joy's acting is amazing in this and was one of the main reasons that drug me in. She gave such life to Officer Ahn and helped me feel all the butterflies and feelings she was as it was going on. Her chemistry with the male lead as well was so good and I loved seeing the relationship blossom.

Watching the animal stories itself was emotional and I loved seeing all the pets/animals in the village. Some of them even made me cry... It's just a beautiful, cheesy romance story.

Lire davantage