Behind Every Star

This K-Drama was only 12 episodes long, and I watched it all, but I was glad when it was over. The only 2 characters I really cared to watch was the male lead Director Ma played by Seo-jin Lee who fit the profile perfectly and made me have empathy for him since his "mistake" was too many years ago. I felt his wife was a little harsh on him and also loved the way that he finally started taking responsibility for his daughter. The other character I liked was the side story accountant - a different kind of guy in the scheme of things and not even connected to the agency but loved his character. Although the description of the show mentions comedy, I didn't see any comedic scenes to speak of - it is more 100% drama IMO. The one thing I didn't like about the show is that it seemed like it was an advertisement for Netflix's Squid Games as some of the actors starred in that show and they were quite a few references to it in the script - as well as an actual scene of a game show that was reminiscent of Squid Games featured at the agency and in preparation of doing the show virtual reality headsets were used to overcome fear of heights and falling. Wondering if Netflix is getting ready to put out the sequence to Squid Games as have heard there is filming perhaps in Chicago and maybe other cities, thus the promos.

The story revolves around the difficulties of the agents at a large company called method entertainment in balancing their private life's with the demands of their role. It has some interesting characters and storylines but I think on occasions in making the problems they face realistic it loses momentum. It has many cameo performances from famous actors who are supposedly on the books of method. My favourite character is Kwak Sun-Young who is a loose cannon and her commitment to work means her private life accordingly. It is worth a watch as you do become interested in the development of the storylines.

What has happened to Studio Dragon?

There was a time when you could be confident of watching a filth free interesting story - devoid of tokenism and virtue signalling.

No more.

Within a few minutes we are treated to an effeminate male who couldn't act to save his life. The coincidence of one woman leaving at the exact moment the FL is waiting in reception and is offered a job out of the blue is beyond stupid - as is the scene with the actress on a horse - the camera work was so poor it was no surprise to find that it was a fake one.

Most Korean dramas featuring horsemanship are totally noticeably fake but this one was on it's own.

If there is a story I haven't detected it yet - and I don't think I will bother.

From what I can see the acting all around is pretty awful - and the cast is not particularly attractive.

Studio Dragon has lost its fire and it's all down to awful writers.

Having seen all of Call My Agent, this version has no surprises, but it is a pretty good transfer to Asia. The genre does sit well in the Kdramedy style, though its not often you see such a camp male role as that of the Korean Herve. Strange though that the lesbian character is rewritten as a man chaser this time. Episode one did a decent job setting it all up. Very strange though knowing each character as they arrive on screen even though you dont physically recognise them! Call my Agent featured some real heavyweights of French screen production. Lets see who features in this Korean version. Did they get Lee Byung Hun? We will see.

This is a gentle drama with some humorous moments, if not laugh out loud funny. Each episode features a well-known Korean actor playing themselves with corresponding storylines covering a range of issues. It explores the problematic world of casting agents and the sometimes, uneasy relationships they have with their clients, exposing hypocrisies and ethically questionable practices.

There are solid performances by the main cast with Kwak Sun-jeong as Chun Jane probably the strongest. Her scenes with Lee Sang-wook (Noh Sang-hyun) have lots of sexual tension and they look really comfortable with each other. The supporting cast act as an effective foil for the main players and one to watch for the future is Choi Yeon-kyu as Choi Won-jae. He didn't have many lines but played his supporting role with great attention to detail and has good screen presence.

Usually, costume design doesn't get much of mention in contemporary dramas but here it worked so well. The costume changes of flamboyant Choi Jin-hyuk (Kim Tae-oh) look amazing, and Chun Jane looked fabulous throughout.

This is definitely light entertainment, but it suits those looking for a relaxed and pleasant experience.