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Once Upon a Small Town [2022]


stroppyse

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Episodes 1-9

 

This drama has been my happy place for the last couple of weeks since I picked it up - Thanks so much to @abs-oluteM and @stroppyse for recommending it and giving me a little shove to start! I don't know why it didn't appeal to me immediately when I saw the trailer, but I really enjoyed it from the first episode which is pretty rare for me since it usually takes awhile to settle. But I guess short dramas are usually good since they get into the action immediately! :heart:

 

From episode 1, I've found Ji Yul to be a good balance of standoffish city person to warm guy with a heart. Sometimes I don't like these characters *cough Hometown Cha Cha Cha cough*. But in his case, I thought he was quite relatable - He was still polite and helpful, but he showed those boundaries and walls that city folks tend to put up when in uncomfortable situations with lots of people who like to be very close to you. Also I think he warmed up quite quickly thanks to a certain pretty police officer :smug: Before this series, I'd never watched Joy act, so I don't know about her past acting skills, but I've really liked her character here. She does that warm-hearted and super friendly vibe well in this series. Ja Young has definitely had an obvious crush on Ji Yul since the moment he stepped foot in the village because she's always been so up in his business and she comes on strong with her playfulness :laugh:

 

Their chemistry is really cute and awkward which feels quite realistic for childhood friends who haven't met in a long time. I don't always like the childhood/first love trope when it's sooo cliche, but this one feels rather natural and more belivable than many others I've seen. And I really liked how romantic tension is so thick you could slice it with a knife by Episode 9 when they're in that peach wine storage shed...I feel like the romance is probably the best in dramas when it's this point where both of them should just say their feelings but they can't so they just depserately hint at it :lol:  BUT I am upset that the ex has come into the picture to stir things up. Technically, she's not a bad person and she's not being mean (though she's very strong willed and stubborn and not-reading-the-room)...but I don't like that she face planted on the male lead in front of Ja Young! And before Ja Young as well! :lettalKWA: 

@SilverMoonTea as soon as I saw ex-girlfriend: Hey it's Pomme from Today's Webtoon)

 

GSZdMOH.gif

 

I have a weakness for warm village/ community stories, especially if the characters are the right balance of friendly and nosy :lol:This one seems to tick all those boxes. You laugh at all the ahjummas who have fights with each other, and they can be teasing and nosy, but they're well meaning enough and keep the pacing going. I also really like the vet-related stories like when they save the dog in the first episode and when he has to put the bull down for the old man who treats it like a family member....it's all just so wholesome and makes me want to move to the countryside (though I totally would not survive! :laugh:)

 

 

Edited by JenL
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On 9/17/2022 at 4:57 PM, stroppyse said:

I'm not sure if the FL is flirting with the vet after finding out he has a gf. I think she just really wants him to remember their childhood friendship, and even though she's nominally given up hoping he'll remember, she still can't seem to bring herself to not invade his personal space in a reflection of how close they had been at one point in their lives. Anyway, that's the way I took it.

 

I agree. I don't think she was trying to pick him up though she thought he had a gf - I think her personality is just generally playful and warm, so sometimes people interpret that as flirting, when it's really just being a people person :heiboi:

 

On 9/20/2022 at 12:32 AM, abs-oluteM said:

On the bird app there are definitely some folks with SLS...I saw quite a few posts.

 

 

Hahaha you're right! I just went on a bender by retweeting a billion things on this drama and I did see a few posts about SLS. Obviously, it's no one from here!  :laugh:

 

On 9/21/2022 at 8:43 AM, stroppyse said:

 

Joy's real name is Park Soo Young and the ML's name is Chu Young Woo, so they both have the character for "young" in their names, and "young won" means forever. So, yes, it's a play on the actors' real names.

 

Oooh thanks for explaining the meanings :heart:

 

On 9/22/2022 at 2:19 AM, abs-oluteM said:

Then the last few seconds annoyed the heck out of me. Can the ex just go back to Seoul?

 

YES. Shove her back :pandarage2::pandarage2::pandarage2:

 

On 9/22/2022 at 5:46 AM, Tofu said:

I can't ship these two in real life because I think Joy is still dating Crush and they are adorable together. 

 

Hahaha I don't particularly ship the actors, but I love their pics together and cast chemistry (with SL also) :heart: They're all so cute! 

 

On 9/22/2022 at 11:24 AM, stroppyse said:

The preview was disappointing if it's not trolling since it seems that JYoung is going to decide to date 2nd ML out of her disappointment with seeing the ML and his ex-gf?

 

I feel like it's a troll - it's too light hearted a drama to be so angsty and nonsensical. But I have been burnt before *ough DDSSLLS cough*, so I think I should not speculate :smile:

 

15 hours ago, SilverMoonTea said:

I think JYoung have low self esteem, as she felt inferior compare to those from Seoul. He's very clearly declaring he's a free man. What else to look for? She need to claim that spot. But I also can understand her competitor that is so agressive like Min, she bound to overthink everything. Afterall she only know JiYul in a short time. But I like how JiYul also become very assertive with JaeYoung and try to push to narrow the boundary further. 

 

This is a very good point! I think that JY would have low self esteem. Not just about being a country girl (though that seems true as well)  but also because this girl has history with Ji Yul ad also they have a similar career and ambitious side and people keep saying she's pretty and treating her like Ji Yul's gf due to his mistake of saying that in the past. :letalQQ:

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Just started this today and binged till ep.6. Loving it because there are animals in it 😃

It is an easy watch too. I have to admit I teared up with the story of grandpa asking for euthanasia for his bull 😢 It was a short one but very touching. And then grandpa became the person helping ML to make the childhood connection with FL 🥳 finally. 


Will catch up soon.  

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Freshly subbed BTS video by the person whose been doing them on Youtube :heart: The ending also shows a few seconds more of what happens after the kiss with the ex, though I guess the new episode comes out tonight anyway!

 

 

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3 hours ago, Nohamahmoud2002 said:

Watched ep. 10, at last the vet knows the feelings of JY. His girlfriend is ready to move on. SML is rejected by her lol. The vet and JY are ready to date now 

I am so glad we have come to this point. I realise one of the reasons why I love this show is because its plot is simple and straightforward. There's nothing groundbreaking with the storyline but that is exactly its charm. The drama doesn't try to hard to cover too many issues or make things unnecessarily complicated. I think half-hour episodes helped with the pacing and we get to focus on the romance.

 

Yay for this ! 

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I just finished ep 11 and it was sweetness!!! So glad that we had an entire episode of them trying their best to date "secretly". It was Ja Young who wanted to keep it under wraps because she knows that people in this place can be very nosy. But I am sure they'll be found out soon. Would love to see how they will handle this "long distance" relationship once he goes back to Seoul.

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Lovely light drama :love: I think I was grinning the whole of ep.12. Nice wrap up too. Although only a few minutes left, but the solution for their LDR does not feel rushed at all. Rewatch value is 10/10 this one. I am sad that it's ended. But the story is well paced. The kisses were well done also, especially their first kiss at the clinic, when he kissed her back. My heart fluttered. Joy really suits this kind of girl-next-door role. CYW is also great in his role here. I love seeing his gazes :wow:

 

 

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12 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Lovely light drama :love: I think I was grinning the whole of ep.12. Nice wrap up too. Although only a few minutes left, but the solution for their LDR does not feel rushed at all. Rewatch value is 10/10 this one. I am sad that it's ended. But the story is well paced. The kisses were well done also, especially their first kiss at the clinic, when he kissed her back. My heart fluttered. Joy really suits this kind of girl-next-door role. CYW is also great in his role here. I love seeing his gazes :wow:

 

 

Agreed 100%. I just finished and the entire episode made me so happy. I kept thinking what a perfect rom-com this is. The leads really paired well and I will adopt this CYW because he has just got that thing about him.  12 episodes of 30 over minutes each with a tight storyline and right focus,  is the right formula for rom-coms. 

 

The final OST! 

 

 

 

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22 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

I will adopt this CYW because he has just got that thing about him. 

:laugh:I am adopting him too... First saw him in Police University. He played against Krystal Jung. SML, but the ML Jung Jin Young was even more adorable there, so naturally I only have eyes for JJY, whom I did adopt because of that drama. And, his SML character was not likeable, so.... 

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Overall, it was a nice drama with a nice ending. No major histrionics, and the romance arc actually felt believable. I like that JYoung and the Peach Farmer remained friends, and that we got to see them managing their LDR. I can totally relate to the sentiment that withholding things out of consideration for the other person can actually be a hindrance to the relationship as well. You have to share good and bad in a relationship anyway, but even more so in a LDR in order to feel closer to your partner.

 

This is the drama where I found Joy to be more than just a pretty face. I actually enjoyed watching her depiction of Ja Young. As for the actor playing Ji Yul, I don't remember seeing him in any dramas before, but I will definitely remember Chu Young Woo now. :smile:

 

I'm sure I'll rewatch this drama at some point when I'm in a drama lull.

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Episodes 10-12

 

This was honestly one of my favourite rom-coms for this year. And one that actually fit the genre of rom-com with it's great pacing, light-and-easy-to-resolve ending instead of having a really dramatic, break-up-forever type, anixety-inducing ending! Even when the episode had moments where other people tried to come between the main couple (Ji Yul's ex girlfriend and Sang Hyeon) those scenes had good pacing and didn't drag on for too long. Even though I didn't like the second leads very much, I liked that they were not bad people. I was actually really touched by the conversation Ji Yul and his ex had in that it seemed like a mature way to handle a true breakup. He was respectful of her feelings, but also really drew boundaries and was hoenst with his. And even though she was annoying, I liked that she respected him and also was not that mean to his new girlfriend. :heart:

 

I liked how all the high romantic tension scenes were done by putting the 2 main leads in very claustophobic tight spaces filled with peaches. That first time in episode 9 when they were talking about liking someone who made you feel excited vs. liking someone who made you feel comfortable. And then the scene in episode 10 where he finally confessed and then protected her from falling peaches. There was something very heart fluttery about these scenes :wow: 

 

And then after they got together, all the scenes were SUPER cute. I liked how they did things like go on a night date to Seoul and how he came to her workplace with the lamest lie just so he could hang out with her. And I can totally see why the ex girlfriend wanted him back. I thought it was very cute when Ja Young said she felts like she was the only one nervous when he was close, and then he was very vulnerable with her too and said that he'd never gone to a girlfriend's workplace just because he liked her...it's shame about the kids interrupting because that could have been a good kiss :smug: Haha, The kids were so cute because they were also dating and knew that you can't let the aunties know or they'll never let you live through it  :lol: But there was a fair amount of affection and really adorable chemistry between Ja Young and Ji Yul and that candy kiss made up for it :hearties:

 

As for last episode angst, I feel like every rom-com that wants to go dwon this route should take note from this drama - you can have some angst in the last episode like seperation, but please just make it make sense and resolved quickly. I liked how this drama showed them having difficulties adjusting to long-distance relationships...and having misunderstandings...but it also showed them taking advice from friends and changing their behaviours quickly. No noble idiocy, no tantrums etc. I thought Ji Yul's vet friend, though silly, was actually a great source of advice - he should change careers from vet to love doctor :laugh: Anyway, was glad of the super sweet, super happy ending which even involved a permanent move to the countryside and a ring. That's the nice thing about this drama - super lovely romance, but not overly sappy. Just sweet and refreshing enough like a peach :heart:

On 9/29/2022 at 1:15 AM, ktcjdrama said:

Lovely light drama :love: I think I was grinning the whole of ep.12. Nice wrap up too. Although only a few minutes left, but the solution for their LDR does not feel rushed at all. Rewatch value is 10/10 this one. I am sad that it's ended. But the story is well paced. The kisses were well done also, especially their first kiss at the clinic, when he kissed her back. My heart fluttered. Joy really suits this kind of girl-next-door role. CYW is also great in his role here. I love seeing his gazes :wow:

 

 

I totally agree - the pacing for this story was so well done. And this drama was my happy place for the last few weeks! I'll miss it now that its ended! :hearties:

 

On 9/29/2022 at 2:41 AM, abs-oluteM said:

Agreed 100%. I just finished and the entire episode made me so happy. I kept thinking what a perfect rom-com this is. The leads really paired well and I will adopt this CYW because he has just got that thing about him

 

Haha, I have you to thank for watching it! This really hit all the right spots for a rom-com. I felt like it was suprisingly unknown or underrated in a lot of ways, which is a shame since the storyline is what I feel a lot of people really want from a rom com! Also the characters have a lovely romance, but the actors also have really great BTS chemistry especially the leads! :wow:

 

On 9/30/2022 at 1:14 AM, ktcjdrama said:

:laugh:I am adopting him too... First saw him in Police University. He played against Krystal Jung. SML, but the ML Jung Jin Young was even more adorable there, so naturally I only have eyes for JJY, whom I did adopt because of that drama. And, his SML character was not likeable, so.... 

 

I'm joining you both in adopting him! :wow:

 

On 9/30/2022 at 4:52 AM, stroppyse said:

Overall, it was a nice drama with a nice ending. No major histrionics, and the romance arc actually felt believable. I like that JYoung and the Peach Farmer remained friends, and that we got to see them managing their LDR. I can totally relate to the sentiment that withholding things out of consideration for the other person can actually be a hindrance to the relationship as well. You have to share good and bad in a relationship anyway, but even more so in a LDR in order to feel closer to your partner.

 

Yep, Peach Farmer boy turned out to be a nice second lead in that he valued the friendship a lot and was super respectful to her. If only all guys (and all people) who got rejected could be this graceful about it if they still wanted that person in their lives! Yeah, it was good advice in terms of sharing all the good and bad things - from the successful LDR I've seen work out, you need to share everything, even what your dinner looks like and when you're going to sleep :lol:

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On 10/1/2022 at 8:21 PM, JenL said:

Haha, I have you to thank for watching it! This really hit all the right spots for a rom-com. I felt like it was suprisingly unknown or underrated in a lot of ways, which is a shame since the storyline is what I feel a lot of people really want from a rom com! Also the characters have a lovely romance, but the actors also have really great BTS chemistry especially the leads! :wow:

I do love their on & off air chemistry. They worked very well together.  

Joy posted this on her IG

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Spoiler

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On 10/3/2022 at 2:17 AM, abs-oluteM said:

I do love their on & off air chemistry. They worked very well together.  

Joy posted this on her IG

 

 

I saw those pictures and thought, Damn, I love how their chemistry is flaming. (Even though she's actually got a bf :laugh:) Maybe I just like that they do all the obvious main lead activities that do not cause fans anxiety like other couples *cough Taebin cough*

 

Allure also finally subbed their magazine interview video :heart:

 

 

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