Neon Naege Banhaesseo

Given how few K-Dramas there are about musicals, this one has held it's value surprisingly well despite being made 10+ years ago (and that's no small feat, considering that the Asian film industry has progressed at breakneck speed over the last 10-20 years).

Aside from the musical aspects, the plot was basically classic K-Drama, featuring all the usual suspects and cliches. On the bright side, the story did skip past most of the contrived angst so popular in stories of that era, which was a relief. Also the love/performance rivalries never got too out of hand (oftentimes rival characters are absolutely vicious), with mature and positive resolution all around.

The featured songs were decent but repetitive, also there were some noticeable issues with the audio editing in general. However overall this was a good show, particularly if you enjoy stage productions and are a fan of PSH (it's cute to see her younger self). Recommended!

ROMANCE RATING: * * * 7/10. While I love PSH, and she and JYH had great chemistry together, there was little physical romance between them in this show. A few hugs, a couple forehead kisses and 2-3 kiss scenes which were held to the "brief peck" standard typical of K-Dramas of that time. So if you require a passionate kiss to feel rewarded for your emotional investment, be aware you may be left wanting.