Once Upon a Small Town

I don't watch many Korean dramas, but from time to time one captures my attention. I thought that this would be one of those. Whereas.most Korean shows take place in Seoul, this is set in the countryside, something that I wish they would do more of. That being said, this show is really only about one thing, the love triangle between the three characters. Police officer Ahn Ja-yeong, she is an officer, and she tends to look out for the town folk. Then you have veterinarian, Hans Ji-yul who arrives from Seoul to replace his grandfather while he goes on a vacation. Then you have a local farmer, who although not dating officer Ahn, is extremely jealous of Ji-yul, and the fact that officer Ahn seems drawn to him. Take away this and you have a show that gives one a glimpse of the countryside and farm life in Korea. Would have made for a fine viewing experience.

Can anyone tell me why the majority of these Korean shows feature love-triangles? I have a idea, but I would like to hear other views.

Very bingable and I finished the series in three days, which is really quick for me. Likeable characters and no huge issues to deal with made for a lighthearted easy escape. It was a nice change of pace to have an average episode run time of only 30-35 minutes too, and with just 12 episodes you can really get through it fast. Don't worry though, the story is complete and does not feel rushed at all!

The premise is fairly standard for K drama rom-coms in that two opposites attract, and both end up helping the other to become more rounded. I thought both leads were good and there were a few scenes that one or the other really knocked it out of the park.

Recommended!

It's so rare in this day and age to find a show that models emotionally healthy and mature behavior. Instead of the usual refusal to communicate openly and honestly, people keeping destructive secrets from each other, and people stabbing each other in the back, this show is about a caring community who works out their issues in an adult fashion. Even the kids have a high emotional IQ. It reflects on us as an audience if we neither recognize nor value this. I, for one, would sure love to see more of this kind of healthy programming. IMDB is forcing me to write more...so I'll add that the acting is excellent, the scenery is lovely and I'm really glad I found this series. I hope the writers do more.

Yes, all but Hi Mama is good as recent reviewer mentions, but the series is cute so far and I wish people would give things a chance before giving it a rating that it really doesn't deserve. She/he doesn't like the actor or something so why rate something you don't want to watch in the first place. Oh, that's right, free speech. It's nothing like Hallmark movies because it's funny and most Korean dramas have strong character development unlike most American movies, hallmark or not. I read the webtoon and it's on target with the story so something like this you need to give 6-10 episodes because they are only 30 minutes long. BTW. Their chemistry is good considering they just met and i am looking forward to the upcoming episodes. If it goes downhill, I will drop the rating accordingly as rating shows should be.

8,5 / 10 . This is a mini series which is reflected in shorter 30 mins episodes but also thinner, less elaborate story. Still, keeping it simple can be fun too, especially if it doesn't drag on for too long. The chemistry between the main couple is nice and FL had a very nice girl next-door vibe, although in real life she is a k-pop star apparently :) theme song (missing) is quite catchy.

The series takes place almost entirely in the country side, it was refreshing to see lots of nice rural shots and mountains. It's also remarkable that there aren't any "bad" characters, even the people who'd rather see the main couple fail, because they have a crush themselves, are relatable and you feel for them, they don't exit with an ugly fight.

Given the format, this series deserves a better average rating than the current 7 / 10.